It was another thrilling week for women’s basketball. Here are last week’s top five:
Aaliyah Boston, South Carolina
South Carolina senior forward Aaliyah Boston dominated the Southeastern Conference with two wins as the top-ranked Gamecocks moved to 18-0 on the season.
Boston’s first back-to-back 20-point SEC games were both double-doubles as they averaged 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds and added 3.0 blocks and 2.0 assists per game. Her rebounding total catapulted her to the top of South Carolina’s career her offensive rebounding (455) record book.
In last week’s game, Boston made an early assertion by scoring 10 points in the first quarter in Kentucky and eight points in the opening 10 minutes of a combined 8-12 shot against Missouri. Against Missouri he had 6 of his 10 rebounds as an offensive end and he scored 8 points in the big 81-50 win. At Kentucky, she started the first half with her 16-2 run and closed the first half with her moves on the inside, adding a block, an assist and three defensive rebounds to give her a 10-point lead to five. A minute later she turned her lead at halftime to 4 points. – a span of minutes that ultimately led to a 95-66 victory.
She blocks, she scores!! | | @aa_ boston 😮💨
📺 @espn https://t.co/wE7IqFh1H5 pic.twitter.com/4TBnmEVXud
— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) January 15, 2023
During the season, Boston’s 9.44 rebounds were second in the SEC, 33rd in the NCAA, and 1.94 blocks third (28th in the NCAA). She achieved her 11 double-doubles this season, placing her sixth in the nation and trailing Sheila’s Foster’s South Carolina career record of 72.
South Carolina, currently trailing 6-0 in the SEC, will face Arkansas this week at Vanderbilt on January 19 and at home on January 22.
Ranking: Ohio State continues to rise in Power 10 ranking | | AP vote
Franny Hottinger, Lehi
Lehi senior forward Franny Hottinger earned his fifth Patriot League Player of the Week honor, becoming the first player in program history to earn the honor five times in one season.
Hottinger averaged 24.5 points over two games last week. She recorded her 10th double-double of the season in her 79-77 win against the Americans on January 14, notching her team-high 26 points and 10 rebounds. . Hawley on her cross, she scored her 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had an assist and a block in the 66–64 loss.
1 of 1. congratulation, @FrannieH23Here’s how she made it 👇🎥 https://t.co/KdOfI660Ou pic.twitter.com/jk8tcCm62o
— Lehigh Women’s Basketball (@LehighWBB) January 16, 2023
The Minnesota native has scored in double figures in all but one game this season. She ranks 14th nationally in scoring (20.9 points per game) and 22nd nationally in rebounding (10.2 rebounds per game). She is also tied for seventh nationally in doubles-doubles.
Hottinger and Lehi, who are 8-9 overall and 4-2 against the Patriots, will return on Jan. 18 when the Mountain Hawks host Loyola.
Undefeated: Here are the last undefeated teams in DI college basketball
Destiny Littleton, USC
USC beat California (63-43) and No. 2 Stanford (55-46), with senior guard Destiny Lyttelton posting a game-high 18 points and 11 assists in both wins. This was the first time Trojans raided a Bay Area school from 2003 to his 2004.
In the Trojans’ victory over the Cardinals on January 15, Lyttelton played the full 40 minutes and helped secure USC’s first victory since 2008 against a second-placed or higher-ranked opponent. -12 opponents. Defensively, USC held Stanford to his lowest points total since 2016. This was his USC’s largest margin of victory over Stanford since his 12-point win in 1993.
.@dstnyltttln24 We beat the defense to the rim and pushed our lead to 5!
📺: @Pac12 network
📲: https://t.co/aXH2olddw9 pic.twitter.com/txyI8q4CGQ— USC Women’s Basketball (@USCWBB) January 15, 2023
In a win over California on January 13, Lyttelton had a game-high five assists and scored 18 points against the Golden Bears.
Lyttelton have posted three consecutive double-digit games and lead the team with 13 double-digit appearances this season.
The Trojans, who are 13-4 overall and 3-3 in the Pac-12 conference, will travel to Washington State on January 20th and head to Seattle to face Washington on January 22nd.
Score: Follow every game on the scoreboard
Brynna Maxwell, Gonzaga
Gonzaga extended his winning streak to 10 games as senior Brynna Maxwell led the Bulldogs to a 73–66 win at Portland in the Zags’ only game of the week.
The guard connected in 7 of 10 field goal attempts, including a 6-of-7 from 3-point distance, when he scored a team-high 20 points. Maxwell also recorded four rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes of action. Maxwell scored 35 at halftime as he scored a 3-pointer and Gonzaga never trailed again. She made two more of her 3-pointers in her first 95 seconds of the 3rd quarter, and in a 10-4 spurt she added a 3-pointer and a layup to make her 53-47, while Zags It rolled from there.
A big match awaits 😤 @brynnamaxwell sit together @TheAndyKatz discuss how @ZagWBB Stay consistent.#WC Choops pic.twitter.com/6wX6NHr5sJ
— WCC Basketball (@WCCoops) January 13, 2023
Maxwell continues to lead all college basketball in 3-point accuracy (54.4% going 103-56) and free throw percentage (98.1% going 52-51). She has made at least one of her 3-pointers in all 19 games this season.
Improving to 17-2 overall and 7-0 in West Coast Conference play, the Bulldogs haven’t lost since December 4 when they suffered a road loss at Round 2 Stanford. Gonzaga will return to play in the Pacific on his January 19th.
Danae McNeil, East Carolina
East Carolina’s Danae McNeil enjoyed a career week averaging 27.0 points, 4.0 steals, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists as the Pirates split two road games at Temple and SMU.
McNeil started the week with a career-high scoring 28 points in the Pirates’ 72-51 blowout win over Temple. The win was East Carolina’s first win over the Owls in Philadelphia.
The senior guard then followed up that performance with a 26-point, 6-steal performance in a 68–66 overtime loss at SMU. The Pirates were eliminated in overtime, but McNeill’s 22 points and relentless defensive pressure after halftime were major factors in the team’s comeback from his 18-point down in the second half.
We’re not done yet! 😤 pic.twitter.com/OgBddsUMzq
— East Carolina Women’s Basketball (@ECUWBB) January 15, 2023
With those two performances, McNeil is now averaging 25.0 points and 3.5 steals per game on the new calendar.
McNeill and the Pirates are 12-6 overall and 3-2 in American Athletic Conference games and are looking to start a new streak when they host Cincinnati on January 18.
