Checkmate, they couldn’t lose

The GIST: Things were messy AF in women’s basketball (WBB) and men’s basketball (MBB) this weekend, and that’s not even counting the potential sign-stealing scandal brewing on the guys’ court. Paging Marie Kondo…

Big 12 MBB remains chaotic: The conference has been a sh!tshow all season, and Saturday wasn’t any different. No. 23 Iowa State and No. 20 Texas Tech bagged big upset wins over No. 7 Kansas and No. 11 Oklahoma, respectively, but the wildest game of all was TCU’s 105–102 triple-overtime (!!!) victory over No. 15 Baylor. Exhausted just thinking about it.

Pac-12 WBB flies off the handle: First, scrappy No. 25 Oregon State notched massive wins against No. 3 Colorado on Friday and No. 16 Utah yesterday. Then, out of nowhere, Washington and Washington State shook the hoops world by defeating No. 11 USC and No. 2 UCLA, respectively, yesterday. Jim said it best.

The ACC makes waves: Things went mostly according to plan on the women’s court, with one exception: Unranked Virginia thumped No. 20 UNC 81–66 yesterday, just one week after beating then–No. 15 Florida State — the Hoos’ only two conference wins. Make it make sense.

• In MBB, No. 12 Duke barely escaped an upset, edging past Clemson (and their heated HC) 72–71 thanks to a heartbreaking late foul call.

Hannah Hidalgo shines for No. 15 Notre Dame: In nonconference WBB action, the Irish freshman phenom spoiled No. 8 UConn’s homecoming party for past title-winning teams on Saturday. Hidalgo sealed the 82–67 ND dub with 34 points and 10 rebounds, all in front of WNBA legends and UConn alums Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. Should’ve been counting points instead of rings.

Chellia Watson balls out: The UBuffalo guard was a walking highlight reel on Saturday, draining a jaw-dropping 47 points — more than any other Division I (DI) woman this season, a record previously held by the aforementioned Caitlin Clark. But Watson’s Bulls dropped that game 67–63 to Toledo…another unfortunate parallel between her and Clark.

The GIST: The SEC is packed with talent, boasting more Top-25 teams than any other conference — and last Friday, they certainly lived up to that hype.

The upset: A record crowd took in the season’s biggest shock so far as the No. 9 Missouri Tigers stunned No. 3 LSU (also the Tigers) with an unbelievably narrow 197.325–197.225 win. LSU is one of the country’s most formidable squads, but Mizzou’s late comeback — fueled by phenomenal floor performances — proved the best Tigers wear black and gold.

The big road win: The No. 8 Florida Gators hadn’t lost a home meet since 2019 — until No. 6 Alabama stuffed them in The Swamp in front of a sold-out crowd. Bama junior Lilly Hudson led the Crimson Tide with her flawless vault, notching her second career perfect 10.

The heartwarming history-makers: Speaking of Friday perfection, No. 7 Kentucky scored a program-record 197.950 thanks to career-first perfect 10s from junior Makenzie Wilson and fifth-year Raena Worley — Kentucky’s first 10s in three decades. Plus, they did it while celebrating the program’s 50th anniversary and crushed No. 18 Georgia in the process. Tissues, please.

Elite athletes push through years of practice and hard work to reach the pinnacle of their game. Topps is celebrating that grind toward excellence with their Bowman U Chrome Basketball collection — like a scrapbook tracking the origin of greatness.

• The collection’s highlight? A one-of-a-kind double-autographed (aka auto dual) card celebrating the rise of the GOAT, LA Laker LeBron James, and his son Bronny, who’s following in his footsteps as a freshman baller at USC — the ultimate chase card.

• This month’s Bowman drop also includes the 1st Bowman cards of future pro hoopers like No. 9 LSU’s Angel Reese and No. 6 Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, immortalizing a crucial chapter in their climbs to the big leagues. Pick up some cards today — you could even catch the King.