NCAA Basketball

Women's Big XII Tournament for USATSI

in

For the first time since 2011, the Baylor Lady Bears weren't the ones hoisting the trophy at the end of the weekend. Texas upset them on Sunday with a great outing by freshman Rori Harmon.

It was great to be back on the floor at Municipal Auditorium for the first time since the pre-COVID era, and I’m a big fan of the new lighting they installed at the arena.

Hats off to all of the amazing women that competed this weekend and the women in media I met covering the tournament as well.

Here are my favorite images from the tourney:

Women's Big XII Tournament for USATSI

in

Almost exactly one year ago I walked into Municipal Auditorium and picked up my credential for the 2020 Women’s Big 12 Basketball Tournament, set to start the following evening. The men’s tournament had kicked off that day just a few blocks away. Little did I know, within 12 hours the sports world would come to a screeching halt due to COVID-19.

It felt a little surreal to be back in that auditorium this year, finally working the event after a year that changed so many of us. There were COVID protocols in place, meaning fewer fans and decreased access, but it felt like a victory to be there at all.

Of course the Baylor Lady Bears dominated the tournament, as they have every year since 2011.

Here are some of my favorite images from the four days downtown, shot for USA Today Sports Images:

Kansas vs West Virginia Basketball for USATSI

in

As a Mizzou graduate and diehard Tigers fan, this is supremely difficult to say, but I think it's time for me to admit that Allen Fieldhouse is a really fun place to catch a basketball game. The crowd was rockin' Saturday evening when the Jayhawks came back to defeat West Virginia in Lawrence. Here's a few of my favorites from the game:

Missouri vs Florida Basketball for USATSI

in

The first sports assignment I shot for the Columbia Missourian was a 2013 matchup between the Universtiy of Missouri and Ole Miss at Mizzou Arena. I hadn't shot a game there since I graduated that year, so it was a real treat to be able to return to my alma mater (as an unbiased media member, of course) and shoot an exciting game between the Tigers and the Florida Gators in some nice afternoon light. It looked like Mizzou had it in the bag until a last second turnover gave Florida an easy layup for the win. Here are a few of my favorite images from my trip to CoMo: