Women's NCAA Tournament Norfolk First Round Game Breakdowns
#1 Notre Dame vs. #16 Tennessee-Martin (Iowa City, Iowa)
The Irish are not going to be threatened for a little while and the Skyhawks just do not have the firepower to stick around with Notre Dame. But that is not to say that Tennessee-Martin does not have some big time scorers. Junior guards Jasmine Newsome and Heather Butler combine to average 44.9 points and 9.6 assists per game. Much of that scoring comes from beyond the arc and knocking down a slew of three-pointers is the only way Tennessee-Martin has a chance of pulling off the massive upset.
#8 Miami vs. #9 Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa)
Games between eight and nine seeds are always interesting and this one will be no different. Miami and Iowa have had pretty similar seasons, hanging around the middle of the pack in strong conferences. The Hurricanes will want to try and slow this game down a bit and prevent the Hawkeyes from getting good shots through their usually efficient offense. Samantha Logic has turned into one of the best passers in the Big Ten and she has done an amazing job setting up her teammates. As long as Iowa can take advantage of their opportunities on offense, their home court advantage should be enough for them to advance to the round of 32 for just the second time in six straight tries.
#5 Colorado vs. #12 Kansas (Boulder, Colorado)
Kansas was a great story last year, reaching the Sweet Sixteen with wins over Nebraska and Delaware. They do have the talent to do it again, but first they have to worry about Colorado in Boulder. The Jayhawks were one of the last teams into the NCAA Tournament, but they are not exactly coming in with much momentum. Besides a couple wins over lowly TCU, Kansas has not won a game since February 17th. So going on the road and facing a quality team like Colorado may be asking too much of KU this year. However, the Jayhawks do have a team full of players who have been down this road before. Meanwhile, Colorado has not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2004.
#4 South Carolina vs. #13 South Dakota State (Boulder, Colorado)
This will be a big test for South Dakota State’s offense. Consistent participants in the NCAA Tournament, the Jackrabbits have the potential to pull off the huge upset, but they will need Ashley Eide and Megan Waytashek to knock down their shots with consistency. The Gamecocks have one of the best defenses in the nation and allow less than 50 points per game. If South Dakota State point guard Gabrielle Boever can keep the tempo up and get the score into the high 60’s or the 70’s, the Jackrabbits have the potential to pull off a big upset. But South Carolina’s defense has fought off tougher opponents all year long.
#6 Nebraska vs. #11 Chattanooga (College Station, Texas)
This could end up being one of the best first round games in the Norfolk Region. Chattanooga finished up the season with a 29-3 record and has not lost since January 7th. The Mocs are an experienced squad that has a slew of upperclassmen. They may not be deep on tournament experience, but they have played some big games. Nebraska revolves around point guard Lindsey Moore and forward Jordan Hooper. Following an upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2012, Moore and Hooper may not let the Cornhuskers falter early again in 2013.
#3 Texas A&M vs. #14 Wichita State (College Station, Texas)
Wichita State had a good season, tying with Creighton atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings. They were a touch lucky to avoid the Bluejays in the MVC tournament, but this was a team that was playing good basketball heading into March. The Shockers will have to continue to play great defense if they want to stop the talented Texas A&M offense. The Aggies balanced attack should be way too much for Wichita State to handle.
#7 Oklahoma State vs. #10 DePaul (Durham, North Carolina)
The Cowgirls have had an up and down season. They began the year 12-0, but Big 12 play proved to be much tougher. This is a team that does not have much depth and that may have played a part in their slow finish to the season. Now they have to head to Durham to take on a talented DePaul squad. The Blue Demons have struggled away from home, but like Oklahoma State, they can score in bunches. Anna Martin, Brittany Hrynko and Jasmine Perry all average at least 13 points per game. This game will be full of offense, but how well each defense performs could be the determining factor.
#2 Duke vs. #15 Hampton (Durham, North Carolina)
For Hampton just getting here is an accomplishment. But do not give up on the Pirates too quickly. They boast one of the best defenses in the country and will want to keep the game against Duke as low scoring as possible and hope for the best at the end of the game. For the Blue Devils they will get another game to learn how to play without Chelsea Gray before the competition starts getting tougher.
Oklahoma City Regional Overview
Oklahoma City Region Game Breakdowns
Bridgeport Region Game Breakdowns
Spokane Region Game Breakdowns
Women's NCAA Tournament Central
