FORT WORTH, Texas – No. 9 East Carolina took down No. 1 Tulsa, 75-71, in the first quarterfinal of the 2024 American Women’s Basketball Championship Monday, March 11 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
With the win, the Pirates (18-13) advance to the semifinals and will face the winner of No. 5 South Florida and No. 4 UTSA on Tuesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Pirates are the defending tournament champions. It is the second straight year that the No. 1 seed has fallen in the quarterfinals (No. 8 seed Wichita State defeated No. 1 seed South Florida).
Tulsa (23-9) scored six of the first eight points of the game, but ECU went on a 13-0 run and never relinquished the lead. The Pirates limited the Golden Hurricane to 35.8 percent shooting (24-of-67) while nearly shooting 50 percent themselves (49.1. percent – 27-of-55).
Danae McNeal led the Pirates with 29 points and 10 steals, while Amiya Joyner also recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
McNeal set a new single-game Championship record with 10 steals, breaking the previous record of six, set by seven different players. She also has tied the overall Championship record of 11 through two games, matching Tatyana Hill of Houston in 2022. McNeal is just the seventh player in Division I to record 10 or more steals in a game this season.
American Player of the Year Temira Poindexter recorded a game-high 31 points to lead the Golden Hurricane.
2024 American Women’s Basketball Championship Schedule
First Round | Saturday, March 9
Game 1: No. 13 Wichita State 64, No. 12 Florida Atlantic 50
Game 2: No. 14 Tulane 68, No. 11 SMU 62
Second Round | Sunday, March 10
Game 3: No. 9 East Carolina 65, No. 8 Memphis 63
Game 4: No. 5 South Florida 69, No. 13 Wichita State 62
Game 5: No. 10 Rice 71, No. 7 UAB 56
Game 6: No. 14 Tulane 65, No. 6 Charlotte 52
Quarterfinals | Monday, March 11
Game 7: No. 9 East Carolina 75, No. 1 Tulsa 71
Game 8: No. 5 South Florida vs. No. 4 UTSA – 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT | ESPN+
Game 9: No. 10 Rice vs. No. 2 North Texas – 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT | ESPN+
Game 10: No. 14 Tulane vs. No. 3 Temple – 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT | ESPN+
Semifinals | Tuesday, March 12
Game 11 – No. 9 East Carolina vs. Game 8 winner – 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT | ESPN+
Game 12 – Semifinal 2, Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner – 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT | ESPN+
Final | Wednesday, March 13
Game 13: Championship, Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner – 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT | ESPNU
