NCAA women’s tournament coverage, including wins by South Carolina and Stanford,
Stanford 89, Missouri State 62
SAN ANTONIO — Hannah Jump scored 17 points to lead top seed Stanford over No. 5 Missouri State on Sunday, sending the Cardinal to the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the 21st time.
This Sweet 16 rematch from Stanford’s win in 2019 quickly turned into a blowout. The Cardinal led by 23 at halftime and by as many as 38 in the fourth quarter. Stanford kept up its postseason barrage of 3-pointers by making 15 against the Lady Bears.
Stanford (28-2) has averaged 14 3-point baskets over its three tournament victories. The overall No. 1 seed advanced to Tuesday’s Alamo Region final against the winner of Sunday’s later game between No. 2 Louisville and No. 6 Oregon.
A win there would send Stanford to its 14th Final Four. Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer has won two national championships, but none since 1992.
Elle Ruffridge scored 18 points to lead Missouri State (23-3), which missed nine of its first 10 shots and struggled to deal with Stanford’s height near the basket.
South Carolina 76, Georgia Tech 65
SAN ANTONIO — Zia Cooke and her South Carolina teammates were hot from the outside and rode that solid shooting to reach the Elite Eight.
Cooke scored 17 points, hitting five of six 3-point attempts, to lead top seed South Carolina (25-4) over fifth-seeded Georgia Tech.
“Our offense carried us today with our ability to hit layups and stretch the floor and hit some 3s,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said. “Hope it continues to get better.”
It’s the third time in the past four tournaments that the Gamecocks have at least reached the regional final. South Carolina won the national championship in 2017.
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen scored 20 points to lead Georgia Tech (17-9).
Late Saturday
Indiana 73, N.C. State 70
SAN ANTONIO — Teri Moren grew up near Indiana’s campus and readily admits she went to men’s basketball games as a kid because the women’s team wasn’t very good.
That’s not the case anymore, thanks to her coaching and the play of another Indiana native.
Ali Patberg scored 17 points to help fourth-seeded Indiana beat No. 1 seed North Carolina State on Saturday night, sending the Hoosiers to a regional final for the first time in school history.
“The tradition was always on the men’s side and we wanted to build our own,” Moren said.
Patberg, who is from Columbus, Indiana, was emotional after the game.
“This is a dream to play for Indiana. I’m a Hoosier and this means the world to me,” said Patberg, who transferred from Notre Dame in 2017.
The Hoosiers (21-5) face Arizona in the Mercado Region final tonight.
The Hoosiers led 70-60 with 2:51 left before N.C. State scored eight straight points to get within two with 1:21 left. The Wolfpack (22-3) had chances to tie it, but star Elissa Cunane missed a contested layup with 30 seconds left and a 3-point attempt just before the buzzer.
Former Boo Williams AAU player Jada Boyd scored 18 points for N.C. State, and Raina Perez had 17.
Arizona 74, Texas A&M 59
SAN ANTONIO — As a player, Arizona coach Adia Barnes led the program on its deepest march into the women’s NCAA Tournament in program history, the Sweet 16 in 1998.
Until this year, that is.
Aari McDonald, the Pac-12 Player of the Year, scored 31 points as No. 3 Arizona (19-5) beat No. 2 Texas A&M (25-3) in the Mercado Region, sending the Wildcats to a regional final for the first time. Arizona poured in 13 3-pointers, six by McDonald.
WNIT CHAMPIONSHIP Rice 71, Mississippi 58
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nancy Mulkey had 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks, Lauren Schwartz also scored 19 points and added five assists, and Rice (23-4) beat Ole Miss (15-12) to win the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
Mulkey, the back-to-back-toback Conference USA Defensive Player of the year, made 9 of 11 from the field. Jasmine Smith added 11 points, nine rebounds and four steals for the Owls.