FOLLOW THE BOUNCING BALL: Georgia's Angie Ball fights for a loose one with UNC's Leah Sharp, left, and LaQuanda Barksdale, second from right.
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Player of the day:
Tennessee junior Tamika Catchings was impressive early in the day (season-high 28 points on 12-for-20 shooting), but Penn State senior Helen Darling gets the nod. Not only did the 5-foot-7 guard score the game-winner with just 12.6 seconds to play, she also tallied 21 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals as the second-seeded Lady Lions held off No. 3 seed Iowa State.
Did you know?
The last time -- and the only time, in fact -- all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four was in 1989, when Auburn, Louisiana Tech, Maryland and Tennessee each earned a trip to Tacoma, Wash., for the national semifinals. Tennessee beat Auburn 76-60.
Sorry to see you go:
We're already giddy to see what Duke coach Gail Goestenkors can put together in 2000-2001 when that incredible recruiting class gels with Georgia Schweitzer and Co.
Food for thought:
We know this season still has a few games left, but has anyone realized what a season we're in for next year when all these incredible juniors return for their last hurrah?
What you might have missed:
Don't get us wrong. We think Betty Lennox is one of the best shooters in the country. But in addition to scoring 25 points Saturday, the senior guard also went 10-for-32 from the field. We're betting Tyler Summitt could make one-third of his shots, too.
User Message of the Day:
Kelli9070 has become our message board staple. After ladytigerfan criticized a pair of Old Dominion players for letting out a few tears after the Lady Monarchs loss to Louisiana Tech -- "Does Wendy Larry cultivate the cry-baby element on her teams?" -- Kelli9070 responded with, "You didn't see the end of the MSU/ISU men's game did you?" Our opinion? No matter what level you're playing, there's nothing wrong with a little emotion.
Leave your own message
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One Taylor-made ending
 | | Darling scored the game-winner with 12.6 seconds. | |
Saturday's Sweet 16 matchup between second-seeded Penn State and No. 3 seed Iowa State was everything it was cracked up to be. On paper, they seemed pretty even. Once they got on the floor, they proved they were. The difference ended up being a great, hustling putback basket by Penn State point guard Helen Darling and a shot that wouldn't drop for Iowa State's Megan Taylor, writes ESPN.com's Mechelle Voepel. And regardless of which team won, or how many times they watch the game tape, neither has anything to regret.
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QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Which team has the edge in the Elite Eight matchups? |
Jay Bilas: When Connecticut and LSU meet Monday in the Elite Eight, LSU has to be careful or it could get drilled. The Tigers don't have a whole lot of depth to be able to contend with the waves and waves that Geno Auriemma can throw at you. UConn comes at you in waves, and defensively can run over you in a heartbeat. Considering this will be LSU's second game in three days and that the Tigers play only six or seven people, they have to be careful not to get worn down. The good news is that LSU plays a tough schedule, and knows how to play against good teams.
Vera Jones: The Tennessee-Texas Tech game will come down to two things: Tamika Catchings and Semeka Randall, who both have the ability to take over games. Although Texas Tech is very balanced and plays excellent defense, holding its opponents to 55 points, it probably won't make much of a difference if either one of the 'Meeks' decide they want to take over the game. At this point, you have to have that go-to player at the end of the game.
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TOURNAMENT CHALLENGE
Nearly 50,000 folks joined the women's Tournament Challenge. And as we roll out an updated version of the Tournament Dish each game day, we'll continue to provide an inside look at how the users filled out their brackets:
• Just three users correctly picked the Sweet 16 field
• 33,285 picked Purdue to make a Sweet 16 appearance
• 56 percent had Penn State in the Elite Eight
• 63 percent had Duke in the Elite Eight
Click here to check your bracket.
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ESPN BRACKETS
Who's ruling the Bristol Campus? That would be ESPN analyst Vera Jones, who is up 50 points over the competition in our own Women's Tournament Challenge group. To see how we're doing, just log on to the Challenge main page, then check out the Featured Group ESPN Experts to see our predictions for the NCAA Tournament. |
Bio Rhythms: Jackson
| |  | | Jackson has helped La. Tech reach the Elite Eight. |
To give fans an inside look at the personalities behind March Madness, ESPN.com asked more than 20 players to share information about themselves. Look for the Tournament Dish's "Bio Rhythms" -- a fun and humorous look at the athlete by the athlete -- throughout the women's NCAA Tournament.
The series continues with a look at Louisiana Tech Tamicha Jackson, who can't take the court without her special wristband.
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