Step aside, Scandoval
From The GIST College Sports (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Hey, what’s up, hello!
Did Tuesday’s Vanderpump Rules premiere leave you thirsting for more drama? Well, this weekend’s women’s gymnastics action, highlighted by a fierce No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, will do the trick. Their floor exercises are sure to put Sandoval’s Instagram habits to shame.
— No. 3 Iowa women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark, who became the Big Ten all-time leading scorer, women’s and mens’, when she dropped 35 in Wednesday’s win over Northwestern. Now, she’s just 104 points from breaking the NCAA women’s scoring record. Ladies and gentlemen, her.
Women's basketball
🏀 Double-double, toil and trouble
The GIST: A shocking takedown on Wednesday gave way to relative calm on the women’s court last night (not so much on the men’s court). Here’s what you missed…
Oklahoma knocks off No. 2 Kansas State: Kansas State’s 14-game win streak evaporated as the previously under-the-radar Sooners snagged the 66–63 Wednesday dub, their second Top-10 upset in eight days. The Big 12 is officially on notice.
Intrastate ranked matchups come down to the wire: Despite double-doubles from No. 24 UNC senior guard Alyssa Ustby and junior forward Maria Gakdeng, No. 5 NC State squashed the Tar Heels’ comeback attempt to seal last night’s 63–59 win.
- Meanwhile, in the Lone Star State, No. 12 Texas and No. 13 Baylor battled neck-and-neck until the fourth quarter, when Texas pulled away and clinched the huge 67–55 road win — it’s just the ego boost they need if they want to hand Kansas State another upset loss Sunday.
No. 16 Louisville shows No. 21 Syracuse who’s boss: The Cardinals took care of business last night, beating a surging Syracuse 81–69 and taking sole ownership of the cutthroat ACC’s top spot in the process. Louisville forward Nyla Harris dominated the boards with 14 rebounds, adding 18 points for a double-double.
No. 4 Stanford’s big weekend: The Cardinal mostly stayed above the fray of the upset-happy Pac-12, but they’ll face their biggest challenge yet this weekend: Stanford hosts LA powerhouses No. 15 USC tonight and No. 7 UCLA on Sunday. Star forward Cameron Brink better be at her best for the Card to survive this gauntlet.
Together With The GIST
👕 Wear your heart on your sleeve
Want to show off your support for women in sports? We thought so. And with The GIST’s capsule collection, you can. The pieces are sporty, bold, and playful…just like our GIST community.
Speaking of, this collection truly has something for everyone: Basketball-specific threads for hoops fans, “leveling the playing field” looks if you love making a statement, and tennis tees if you want to, ahem, serve.
But don’t just take our word for it, check it out for yourself. Happy shopping!
🥍 The men’s lacrosse season kicks off tomorrow, and No. 2 Duke is primed to make another run at the national title game (the defending champs, No. 1 Notre Dame, aren’t in action until next weekend). Learn more about how NCAA lacrosse works to unleash your inner lax rat.
🏛️ Tennessee’s and Virginia’s state attorneys general took the NCAA to court on Wednesday over the organization’s restriction on leveraging NIL deals to recruit athletes — one day after the NCAA called out the University of Tennessee for alleged NIL violations. Drama, drama, drama.
⭐ Arizona women’s basketball, facing injuries and inspired by TCU’s tactics, will hold walk-on tryouts to bolster their roster for the rest of the season.
🏈 Tomorrow’s Senior Bowl will provide some of NCAA football’s best upperclassmen with the opportunity to take the collegiate gridiron one last time in hopes of showing out in front of NFL coaches and scouts ahead of the league’s April draft. No pressure.
🥳 Happy belated to the legendary Tom Izzo, who captured his 700th win as Michigan State men’s basketball head coach by defeating rival Michigan on Wednesday, his 69th birthday. Pushing 70, but still has his eyes on the prize.
No. 4 Houston Cougars (19-2) vs. No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks (17-4) — Tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET — ESPN
- This head-to-head matchup between the Big 12’s highest-ranked teams is guaranteed to be a banger. The injury status of Jayhawks guard Kevin McCullar Jr. could be make-or-break.
No. 7 Duke Blue Devils (16-4) vs. No. 3 UNC Tar Heels (17-4) — Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. ET — ESPN
- One of the most legendary, passionate, dramatic rivalries in all of sports, this matchup is always a must-watch, especially when both squads rank in the Top 10.
No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers (15-5) vs. No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats (15-5) — Tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET — ESPN
- Both of these SEC rivals will be looking to right their sinking ships after they were upset by unranked teams in heartbreakers this week. But who will stay afloat?
No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers (20-2) vs. No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers (16-5) — Sunday at 1 p.m. ET — CBS
- Both were pushed into overtime by unranked Big Ten rivals this week, but Purdue snagged the dub while Wisconsin crumbled under pressure. With ownership of the Big Ten on the line, the Badgers need to pull out all the stops to contain Purdue star Zach Edey.
Here’s what passed vibe check this week:
🏀 Who to check out
TCU women's basketball’s four new walk-ons. After injuries sidelined multiple players, including friend of The GIST Sedona Prince, the team held open tryouts to fill the roster. The Disney movie is writing itself.
📺 What to watch
Sue’s Places, the new series exploring college hoops history with GOAT Sue Bird. In Wednesday’s episode, the legend returned to her UConn stomping grounds to — what else? — milk a cow with head coach Geno Auriemma.
📖 Where to meet
In your inbox for The GIST Book Club’s discussion on January’s book of the month, The Long Game by Elena Armas. Subscribe to The GIST Book Club’s newsletters to keep the convo going.
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