NC State pounds Kansas State, into Sweet 16
Kayla Jones scored 18 points to help top-seeded North Carolina State beat Kansas State 89-57 in Monday’s second round of the NCAA Tournament, earning a fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16.
Raina Perez and Diamond Johnson each added 15 points for the Wolfpack (31-3), who won their 12th straight game behind a dominating second-quarter performance. N.C. State shot 55% and made 9 of 19 3-pointers, romping to a lopsided win in front of a loud Reynolds Coliseum crowd for the final time this season.
The win sends N.C. State to the Bridgeport Region semifinal against Notre Dame on Saturday.
The matchup of Associated Press second-team All-Americans Elissa Cunane of the Wolfpack and Ayoka Lee of the Wildcats never truly materialized due to foul issues. But the Bridgeport Region’s headliner instead showed off its deep roster by getting production off the bench and continuing to roll anyway. UCONN 52, UCF 47 » Freshman Azzi Fudd scored 16 points and hit two key free throws late as No. 2 seed UConn outfought No. 7 seed UCF in a defensive slugfest to advance to an NCAA record 28th straight Sweet 16. NOTRE DAME 108, OKLAHOMA 64 » Dara Mabrey scored a
season-high 29 points as No. 5 seed Notre Dame rolled past No. 4 Oklahoma.
Mabrey made 11 of 19 field goals, including seven 3-pointers. Sonia Citron scored 25 points and Maya Dodson added 20 for Notre Dame (24-8). According to Stats by STATS, Notre Dame became the first team, men’s or women’s, to beat a higher-seeded team by at least 40 points.
The win sends Notre Dame into the Bridgeport Region semifinal against top seed N.C. State on Saturday.
MICHIGAN 64, VILLANOVA 49 » Naz Hillmon had 27 points, 11 rebounds and five steals to help third-seeded Michigan pull away from No. 11 Villanova.
The Wolverines (24-6) earned a second straight trip to the Sweet 16 and will
face 10th-seeded South Dakota on Saturday.
Michigan took control with a 10-0 run over the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth, turning what was a closely contested game into a lopsided victory. Leigha Brown had 20 points for the Wolverines.
The Wildcats (24-9) led by three points after the opening quarter, but they simply could not stop Hillmon.
TENNESSEE 70, BELMONT 67 » Sara Puckett hit a 3-pointer with 17.5 seconds left to put Tennessee ahead to stay as the fourth-seeded Lady Vols held off neighbor Belmont to advance to their first Sweet 16 since 2016.
The Lady Vols (25-8) improved to 23-1 on their home floor in the second round of a women’s NCAA
Tournament they’ve played in all 40. They earned the program’s 29th Sweet 16 berth and will meet topseeded Louisville on Saturday in the regional semifinal in Wichita, Kansas.
Tennessee had to scrap for this win after blowing a 14-point lead in the third quarter to lead only 48-46 going into the final quarter. The Lady Vols scored the first four of the final quarter for a 52-46 lead.
INDIANA 56, PRINCETON 55 » Grace Berger scored the last of her 15 points on a spinning, tiebreaking layup with 28.2 seconds left and Nicole Cardano-Hillary added 12 points to help to help third-seeded Indiana beat 11th-seed Princeton.
Ali Patberg sealed the win in her home finale with a steal with 3.8 seconds left and Aleksa Gulbe closed it out with two free throws.
OHIO STATE 79, LSU 64 » Jacy Sheldon had 23 points, eight assists and three steals, and sixth seed Ohio State beat No. 3 seed LSU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
NORTH CAROLINA 63, ARIZONA 45 » Kennedy ToddWilliams scored 19 points, Deja Kelly added 15 and North Carolina overwhelmed Arizona to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in eight years.
The fifth-seeded Tar Heels (25-6) smothered Arizona from the start, using a 15-0 run to lead by nine at halftime.