The 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament continued Friday with the primary day of Candy 16 motion.
[Read more: 2025 Women’s March Madness Schedule: Dates, locations, channels, how to watch]
Duke began the day with a classic defensive efficiency, because the second-seeded Blue Devils stifled third-seeded North Carolina. After that, No. 1 seed South Carolina continued its title protection because the Gamecocks got here again to carry off upset-minded Maryland.
Now third-seeded Louisiana State tries to make its third straight Elite Eight look, however should undergo No. 2 seed North Carolina State to get there.
The highest seed within the NCAA ladies’s event, UCLA, caps the night time with its matchup towards Ole Miss because the Bruins attempt to return to the Elite 8 for the primary time since 2018.
Listed below are all the most important moments from Day 1 Candy 16:
No. 3 seed LSU battling No. 2 seed NC State
LSU and NC State have delivered one other back-and-forth recreation, with the Wolfpack main at 40-36 at halftime. The Tigers have been up by as many as 11 factors within the first quarter, however the Wolfpack battled again to take their first lead of the sport within the second quarter. Zamareya Jones got here off the bench to tempo NC State with 11 factors.
South Carolina survives scare from Maryland to advance to fifth straight Elite Eight
MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 23 factors, together with a go-ahead layup with 2:22 left, and Chloe Kitts added 15 factors and 11 rebounds to assist No. 1 seed South Carolina beat fourth-seeded Maryland 71-67 on Friday within the Candy 16 of the ladies’s NCAA Event.
The defending nationwide champion Gamecocks went back-and-forth with the Terrapins all recreation earlier than lastly doing sufficient within the ultimate jiffy to place it away.
South Carolina will face Duke within the Elite Eight on Sunday. The Blue Devils beat Atlantic Coast Convention rival North Carolina 47-38 earlier Friday.
Daybreak Staley’s group trailed 60-59 with 3:25 left earlier than holding Maryland with out a level over the following three minutes. Fulwiley’s layup started the 7-0 run that gave the Gamecocks (33-3) simply sufficient of a cushion.
Kitts added three free throws in the course of the spurt and Fulwiley scored on a coast-to-coast drive.
The Gamecocks have been up 66-60 with 25 seconds left when Saylor Poffenbarger ended Maryland’s scoring drought with a 3-pointer.
However the Terps could not get nearer because the Gamecocks made 5 of six free throws down the stretch, together with two by Fulwiley with 10.9 seconds left that made it 71-65.
Kaylene Smikle scored 17 factors to steer Maryland (25-8) earlier than fouling out.
Neither group may get into an offensive movement within the first three quarters. South Carolina trailed 43-39 late within the third earlier than closing out the interval with a 13-7 run that was capped by a spectacular transition basket by Fulwiley, who went behind her again after which hit a pull-up shot.
The 2 groups had met as soon as beforehand within the NCAA Event, an 86-75 win for South Carolina within the Elite Eight in 2023.
South Carolina averted changing into the primary defending champion to lose this early within the event since Louisville knocked off Brittney Griner and Baylor in 2013 within the Candy 16.
Duke takes down rival UNC for a visit to the Elite Eight
Oluchi Okananwa recorded her third double-double of the season to steer ACC Event champion Duke previous North Carolina 47-38 Friday and into the Elite Eight of the ladies’s NCAA Event.
The Blue Devils will make their twelfth Elite Eight look in program historical past and can play both No. 1 seed and defending champion South Carolina or fourth-seeded Maryland, who have been scheduled to play later Friday in Birmingham.
Okananwa scored 10 of her 12 factors within the first half together with 10 rebounds off the bench for Duke, which bought 26 factors from its bench in comparison with North Carolina’s six. Ashlon Jackson completed with 10 factors, and Toby Fournier, Duke’s main scorer this season who missed the second spherical with an sickness, was held to 3 factors.
Fifth-year senior Alyssa Ustby had 9 factors on 3 of 10 capturing for the Tar Heels, who fell brief of their try to advance to their first Elite 8 since 2014.
Neither group shot the ball nicely. Duke shot 31% after lacking its first 9 area targets. North Carolina went 28% from the sphere.
A part of it may have been due to familiarity. The groups performed one another for the second time this season lower than a month in the past. North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart mentioned this week that there is an added degree of consolation going towards a group they only performed.
However this was additionally two of the highest defenses within the nation going at it, forcing turnovers, errant pictures and determined heaves late within the shot clock initially of the sport.
It was the primary ever assembly within the NCAA event between the 2 groups, who’ve performed one another 111 occasions. North Carolina nonetheless holds a slight 56-55 edge.
No. 5 seed Ole Miss vs No. 1 seed UCLA
Reporting by The Related Press
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