GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Tennessee has never failed to qualify for the women’s NCAA Tournament. Whether the Lady Vols make a 43rd consecutive appearance remains to be seen. The program that coach Pat Summitt built into a national powerhouse has fallen on tough times, culminating in Thursday night’s 76-64 loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. The Lady Vols have lost seven straight games and 10 of 12 under second-year coach Kim Caldwell. Tennessee will have to rely on its strength of schedule and early-season accomplishments to make the March Madness field of 68. Caldwell says her team deserves to make it.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina powers into the SEC tournament as the top seed despite losing star forward Chloe Kitts to a torn ACL last October. The three-time defending champion Gamecocks open their title defense against No. 17 Kentucky after winning the regular-season title outright. Coach Dawn Staley says the team refused to sit in despair after the Kitts' injury. South Carolina replaced last year’s depth with more scoring punch. Joyce Edwards leads four players averaging over 13 points per game. Transfer Ti’Naya Latson adds firepower, and Madina Okot posts a nightly double-double. The Gamecocks still defend at an elite level. Texas, LSU, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma loom as major threats to knock off the Gamecocks.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The NCAA has filed an appeal in the eligibility case of Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. In the appeal, filed Thursday with the Mississippi Supreme Court, the NCAA argues that Chambliss has “exhausted his eligibility” to play Division I football because he has already played four seasons in a five-year period. That's the maximum allowed under NCAA rules. A Mississippi judge last month granted Chambliss a preliminary injunction against college athletics’ governing body, giving him an extra year of eligibility that would allow him to play in 2026. The NCAA had previously denied Chambliss’ request for a waiver.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Raegan Beers had 18 points and seven rebounds, Aaliyah Chavez added 17 points and No. 7 Oklahoma used a dominant third quarter to rout Florida 82-64 and advance to the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Zya Vann had 14 points and Brooklyn Stewart chipped in with 12 for the Sooners (24-6), who have won seven straight. Liv McGill had 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting from the foul line to lead Florida (18-15), which beat Mississippi State 86-68 in the first round. Oklahoma will face No. 6 LSU in the quarterfinals on Friday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
UNDATED (AP) — The disappearance of the spring transfer portal window offers the opportunity for a reappearance of spring football games in campuses across the country. Playing a game in front of fans to end spring practice had become a fading tradition in the age of conference networks and the transfer portal. Coaches feared the possibility that rival staffs could watch televised spring games and turn them into scouting opportunities. That’s not as much of a concern now that college football no longer has a second transfer portal window in April.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Clara Strack made a career-high five 3-pointers in matching her career best of 33 points and No. 17 Kentucky defeated No. 22 Georgia 76-61 in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday.Strack, a 6-foot-5 center, was 5 of 7 from the arc, 12 of 22 overall and grabbed eight rebounds for the ninth-seeded Wildcats (23-9), who will play top seed and third-ranked South Carolina in a Friday quarterfinal. Teonni Key added 14 points and 12 rebounds and Tonie Morgan also scored 14 points and had seven assists for the Wildcats. Dani Carnegie scored 18 points to lead Georgia (22-9).
