Women's basketball takeaways: 11/8 edition

If you couldn’t catch all the women’s basketball action yesterday or just need a refresher, here are some takeaways.

MVP of the day: Kansas State’s Gina Garcia

Starting a new segment to this unofficial daily newsletter, where I highlight my ‘MVP of the day.’ This can be a big performance, a game-winning shot (true, in this case) or even a coach/team I want to highlight on a broader scale.

1. K-State hits a buzzer-beater to beat SMU on the road

It was a low-scoring affair between Kansas State and SMU last night, but it didn’t lack entertainment value. K-State freshman Gina Garcia made a layup at the buzzer to win the game 46-44 on the road. 

This is a brand-new Kansas State team, returning zero starters from last season. But their roster is one of the most intriguing in the Big 12. With several promising freshmen including Garcia, Brandie Harrod and Jordan Speiser, the Wildcats are a team to watch. 

2. The renewed rivalry matchup came through

Wisconsin faced off against Marquette for the first time since 2017, renewing a rivalry matchup that fans were itching for. Although Wisconsin came into the season with a new head coach in Robin Pingeton and fairly low expectations due to that, they gave the Golden Eagles some trouble.

Well actually, a lot of trouble. The game wound up heading to overtime, where Marquette came through with a 65-62 win, in large part due to Skylar Forbes’ impressive performance. 

But the Badgers surprised me and I’m intrigued to see how they’ll perform this year in a new era of Wisconsin basketball. 

3. Key stat lines

Fairfield’s Meghan Andersen: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 6/10 from deep

La Salle’s Ashleigh Connor: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

Detroit Mercy’s Aaliyah McQueen: 15 points, 16 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

Siena’s Francesca Schiro: 28 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 block

UMass’ Yahmani McKayle: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals

West Georgia’s Jasmine Jones: 32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 8/12 from deep

Army’s Kya Smith: 20 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks

Marquette’s Skylar Forbes: 19 points, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks

BYU’s Delaney Gibb: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 5/11 from deep

Cal Baptist’s Lauren Olsen: 27 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, 4/7 from deep

Northern Colorado’s Neenah George: 26 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

Southern Utah’s Brooklyn Fely: 20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

CSUN’s Rita Nazario: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 6/9 from deep

Nebraska’s Britt Prince: 23 points, 2 steals, 3/4 from deep

Davidson’s Charlise Dunn: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

Houston’s Kierra Merchant: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 3/5 from deep