Thanksgiving tournaments entertain

We forgot the pigskin this Thanksgiving and left the field goalposts behind for holiday hoops. With games in Florida, Las Vegas, and the Caribbean, there were many games to enjoy and critical matchups to pay attention to early in the season. Here is the guide to the best games over Thanksgiving weekend. Big Thanksgiving scores are below.

Indiana and Tennessee started the excitement on Thursday, November 23rd, when the Hoosiers came out on top, 71-57. Indiana dominated the second quarter, outscoring Tennessee 21-12. Indiana had a strong performance from Yarden Garzon, who clocked 23 points in 35 minutes. Tennessee struggled with their three-pointers and free throws throughout the game, giving up crucial scoring opportunities in each quarter. Elsewhere, Washington State beat Maryland 87-67, and the Terrapins won't play a ranked team again until January 17th. Washington State will hope to continue their undefeated record into 2024 but have a competitive matchup against their rival, the University of Washington, in December.

On Friday, November 24th, UCLA took on UConn in what should have been one of the season's most anticipated games. However, UConn could barely get on the scoreboard in the first and third quarters, scoring fewer than 13 points each period. UConn continues to rely on Paige Bueckers, who scored nearly half of the team's 67 points, 18 in the first half of the game, and over 50% of her team's first-half points. UCLA's No. 2 ranking is the highest in team history and has five players averaging double figures, including Lauren Betts, a significant pick-up from Stanford. However, Kiki Rice and Charisma Osborne were the stars of the Bruins' first-ever win against UConn.

The same day, Virginia Tech won a one-point victory against Kansas with a final score of 59-58. Kansas pulled ahead early, and it was a close first half, with the Hokies only up by a single point at the end of the half. The dynamic duo of Liz Kitley and Georgia Amoore did not disappoint as Kitley managed a 31-point game and 18 rebounds, and Amoore hit two three-pointers at 22-ft and 23-ft–the second of which secured the victory for VTU. Ultimately, it was a defensive matchup between the Lady Jayhawks and the Hokies with scoring gaps as large as three minutes, which is rarer and rarer in NCAA Division I games.

On Saturday, No. 10 NC State upset No. 3 Colorado with a 78-60 win, the second time the Wolfpack has upset a top-three team this year. NC State outscored Colorado 22-6 in the first quarter, and the Buffaloes spent the rest of the game simply trying to catch up. River Baldwin scored 24 points for the Wolfpack, topping her previous personal best of 19 points. Colorado turned on the heat in the fourth quarter, but it was too late. Colorado has underestimated NC State's depth and skill like other teams this season. NC State was expected to finish near the bottom of the ACC this year but has come out stronger and more competitive than expected and proven this November that they can compete with anyone.

Later that day, the University of Virginia took on Louisiana State University for one of the season's most anticipated games thus far. The Cavaliers gave the Tigers all they had before succumbing 76-73 to the reigning champions. UVA kept up with LSU for most of the game despite Camryn Taylor's worst showing this season. Ultimately, it was not enough to keep up with Aneesa Morrow, who scored 37 points on 15/25 shooting and recorded 16 rebounds, exemplifying her offensive variety. LSU's Angel Reese, last year's final-four MVP, is still missing, and Coach Kim Mulkey isn't shedding any light on the situation. With Reese gone, Morrow has shone on post-play and scored 66 points over two games in the Caymans, reminding fans that LSU's bench is deep and dangerous. Overall, the game had 14 lead changes and 12 ties, and the game came down to the buzzer. Ultimately, it was one of the weekend's most exciting and watchable games.