Louisiana State downs Iowa for first NCAA women's basketball crown

LOS ANGELES -- Louisiana State University blew past the University of Iowa and national player of the year Caitlin Clark 102-85 on Sunday to win the coveted women's NCAA collegiate basketball crown.

LSU scored the most points in the history of the women's title game, an early three-point barrage staking them to a 17-point halftime lead.

Jasmine Carson led the Tigers with 22 points, 21 of them in the first half, while Alexis Morris scored all 16 of hers after the break.

Star center Angel Reese scored 15 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and handed out five assists and was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.

Reese, who set a record with 34 double-doubles during the season, wasn't shy about celebrating as the final moments ticked off in a game that saw LSU coach Kim Mulkey earn her sixth championship as a player or coach -- her fourth as a head coach after she led Baylor to titles in 2005, 2012 and 2019.

Clark had shot to prominence with a 41-point triple-double in a victory over Louisville and followed that up with another 41-point outburst on Friday as the Hawkeyes stunned the unbeaten South Carolina Gamecocks to reach the final.

Reese and Clark had helped drive massive interest, the womens' final drawing a sell-out crowd of 19,482 in Dallas.

But it was Carson who took charge early. She finished with five of Louisiana State's 11 three-pointers.

LSU also out-rebounded Iowa 37-26, their 14 offensive rebounds resulting in 14 second-chance points and Clark's 30 points just weren't enough.

Reese's "you can't see me" taunting of Clark in the waning seconds sparked criticism but Clark, a notorious trash-talker herself, insisted she wasn't aware.

Agence France-Presse

Why a noisy restaurant makes you crave a cheeseburger over a salad

Diners take note: if you’re eating at a restaurant that’s playing loud music, you may be more prone to making unhealthy food choices.


That’s according to the results of a recent study, which found that the ambient music volume at restaurants can mean the difference between ordering a cheeseburger or a salad.

In the study, which was published recently in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Sciences, researchers from the University of South Florida, Linnaeus University in Sweden and Louisiana State University showed that low-volume ambient music led to increased sales of healthy foods like salads.



By contrast, when they dialed up the volume, 20 percent more patrons ordered something greasy, fattening, sugary and unhealthy.

The reasoning? Softer music has a calming effect making us more mindful of what we order, which typically results in healthier choices.

Environments with louder music and noise, however, increase stimulation and stress, driving diners to crave comfort foods like a greasy burger and fries.

For the study, researchers played various genres of music at 55 decibels and 70 decibels at a café in Stockholm, Sweden, and noted the diners’ food choices.

Foods were categorized as healthy, non-healthy and neutral. The experiment was conducted over several hours for several days.

Given that the study was published in a marketing journal, authors note that the findings could help restaurant managers to “strategically” manipulate music volume to influence sales.

“Restaurants and supermarkets can use ambient music strategically to influence consumer buying behavior,” said author Dipayan Biswas of the University of South Florida in a statement.

For the consumer, however, the findings could serve as a cautionary tale to be mindful of how loud music can affect their food choice.


Or, perhaps, motivate diners to ask that the volume be turned down. JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net