Star-struck Irish rout Ohio State
Notre Dame delivered on one promise by coach Muffet McGraw to look different without injured Brianna Turner, shifting from lobbing the ball inside to their star forward to throwing up perimeter shots with success.
WOMEN’S ROUNDUP
The strategy certainly suited sophomore guard Arike Ogunbowale, who thrived from all over the court to help the top-seeded Irish maintain their dominance against Ohio State.
Ogunbowale had a careerhigh 32 points, Lindsay Allen added 16 and Notre Dame easily beat Ohio State 99-76 last night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in Lexington, Ky.
Playing five days after losing Turner to a seasonending left knee injury, the Irish posted their thirdhighest output this season while also scoring the most points against the Buckeyes. Ogunbowale seemed almost unstoppable in making 11-of-22 from the field to top her previous high by two points.
Besides Allen, the Irish (33-3) got 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds from freshman forward Erin Boley, a Kentucky native who started in Turner’s place.
Kelsey Mitchell had 18 points for No. 5 seed Ohio State (28-7).
Stanford 77, Texas 66 — Erica McCall had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Karlie Samuelson scored 15 points and the Cardinal (31-5) outlasted the Longhorns (25-9) to reach the Lexington Regional final.
Ariel Atkins scored 18 points, Joyner Holmes had 15 and Kelsey Lang had 12 rebounds for Texas.
Okla. City Regional
Mississippi State 75, Washington 64 — Teaira McCowan scored 20 of her career-high 26 points in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs defeated the Huskies to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time.
McCowan, a 6-foot-7 sophomore center who entered the game averaging just over eight points per game, made 9-of-10 field goals in the final 10 minutes. She scored 11 points in the first 2:33 of the fourth quarter to turn a two-point deficit into a seven-point lead for the second-seeded Bulldogs (32-4).
Kelsey Plum scored 29 points and Chantel Osahor added 17 points and 11 rebounds in their final games for third-seeded Washington, (29-6) which reached the Final Four last season.
Baylor 97, Louisville 63 — Nina Davis scored 21 points to help the top-seeded Bears defeat the Cardinals to advance to the Elite Eight.
Beatrice Mompremier and Alexis Prince each scored 14 points for Baylor (33-3).
Asia Durr had 21 points for Louisville (29-8).