2023 March Madness women's Final Four highlights: Iowa stuns unbeaten South Carolina
The 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament continued Friday with two powerhouse Final Four matchups.
Kicking things off in Dallas, No. 3 LSU pulled off a 79-72 comeback win over No. 1 Virginia Tech in the Tigers' first Final Four appearance since 2008, spoiling the Hokies' Final Four debut in the process.
Later, another top-seeded team met its fate when No. 1 South Carolina was handed its first loss of the season after a 77-73 loss to No. 2 Iowa and AP Player of the Year Caitlin Clark, who led all players with a whopping 41 points.
Two-seed Iowa will face off against 3-seed LSU in Sunday's highly anticipated national championship game.
Here are the highlights!
No. 2 Iowa 77, No. 1 South Carolina 73
Setting the tone
South Carolina boasts the best defense in the country, which is anchored by Aliyah Boston.
The Gamecocks' star forward opened her night with a big block at the rim.
What a pass!
Clark found McKenna Warnock running down the length of the court for an incredible assist early in Friday's tilt.
Clark led all players early with 11 points.
In the zone
South Carolina closed the gap slightly in the second quarter with Zia Cooke leading the charge.
Making history
With this stepback jumper, Clark reached 1,000-plus points for the season. She is just the sixth player, and second Hawkeye, in Division I women's basketball history to score 1,000 points in a single season.
Clark had 19 points at the half, as the Hawkeyes held a one-point edge, 38-37.
On a roll!
Iowa went on an 8-0 run to start the third quarter, extending its lead to 46-37 with 7:14 to play in the frame.
Both sides continued to battle, and Iowa held a 59-55 lead headed into the fourth quarter.
Finishing touches
Clark brought Hawkeyes fans to their feet with this smooth 3-point jumper, making it a 67-62 game midway through the fourth quarter.
Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson made a late layup to pull South Carolina within two points, 75-73, with nine seconds to play. In the end, however, it wasn't enough to spark a comeback, as the Hawkeyes ran away with the win, 77-73.
No. 3 LSU 79, No. 1 Virginia Tech 72
We're off!
LSU was first to strike in this one, as the Tigers grabbed a quick 4-0 lead right out of the gate.
However, Hokies star and two-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley quickly knotted things up to keep LSU at bay.
Roaring back
LSU regained the lead thanks to a couple of smooth steals, putting the Tigers ahead midway through the first quarter.
Putting in work
LSU took its largest lead of the opening frame, 12-6, thanks to the fancy footwork of guard Alexis Morris.
A big triple from Hokies guard Georgia Amoore trimmed the Tigers' lead slightly. LSU led 16-13 after the first quarter.
Reese Reverse
Led by All-American Angel Reese, LSU kicked off the second-quarter scoring, as the Tigers extended their lead.
Full steam ahead
LSU continued to pour it on as the second quarter wound down, dominating on both ends of the court.
New leader!
After struggling to find a rhythm earlier in the game, Virginia Tech bounced back in the second quarter and took its first lead of the game just ahead of the break, 34-32.
Heating up
Virginia Tech went on a run to start the third quarter, jumping out to a 43-34 lead less than two minutes into the frame.
However, LSU still had a few tricks up its sleeve, as Morris drained a clutch 3 to keep things close.
All-out effort
Midway through the third, the Hokies had extended their lead to 10, thanks in large part to the stellar shooting of Amoore, who set the record for most 3-pointers made in a single NCAA Women's Tournament in Friday's game.
No quit
The Tigers weren't backing down without a fight, however. Reese made back-to-back layups, helping keep Virginia Tech's lead to single digits at the end of the third quarter, 59-50.
What's more, Reese set the LSU single-season rebounding record before the end of the frame.
Eyes on the prize
LSU won the jump ball to start the fourth quarter, and Morris wasted no time sinking a 3-pointer to close the gap, 59-53.
Then, the Tigers followed that up with two huge layups to cap off a 7-0 run and make it a two-point game, 59-57.
Rising to the occasion
The Hokies let their foot off the gas midway through the fourth quarter, and the Tigers took advantage, regaining the lead with 5:43 to play.
Pulling away!
With momentum on their side, the Tigers went on a 10-0 run to put distance between themselves and the Hokies, 72-62.
The Hokies pulled within six points with less than 30 seconds to spare, but it was too little, too late.
LSU showed up when it mattered most, picking up the win and securing a spot in Sunday's championship game.
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