South Carolina step closer to perfection
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Zia Cooke scored 11 points as No. 1 South Carolina moved five wins away from a perfect season after opening the women’s NCAA Tournament with a 72-40 victory over No. 16 seed Norfolk State on Friday.
Aliyah Boston had seven points, nine rebounds and two blocks for the Gamecocks (33-0), who won their 39th straight game dating back to last year’s NCAA title run and moved to 11-0 in first-round games under coach Dawn Staley. They’ll face No. 8 seed South Florida on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16 in the Greenville, S.C. Regional.
This was a colossal mismatch from the tip like so many other games South Carolina’s been a part of this season.
Norfolk State’s tallest player is freshman forward Skye Robinson at 6-foot-2. South Carolina has seven players that tall or taller. The Spartans’ tallest player on the bench? Larry Vickers, the team’s 6-9 head coach, who walked onto the Spartans’ men’s team and eventually became a team captain.
Kierra Wheeler led Norfolk State with 13 points.
GREENVILLE 1 REGIONAL
SOUTH FLORIDA 67 MARQUETTE 65, OT
Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu scored 22 points and Elena Tsineke’s jumper with 31.2 seconds left in overtime put the Bulls ahead for good in Columbia, S.C.
The Golden Eagles (22-11) had a final look to win, but Mackenzie Hare’s 3-pointer went inside the rim and rolled
out with a second to play.
The Bulls (27-6), who didn’t lead for the game’s first 38 minutes, rallied several times including from 47-36 down in regulation to tie their mark for wins in a season.
MARYLAND 93 HOLY CROSS 61
Abby Meyers scored 16 points and Diamond Miller added 13 points and eight rebounds as the Terrapins rolled in College Park, Md.
The Terrapins (26-6) scored the game’s first 14 points and advanced to face seventh-seeded Arizona on Sunday. Maryland was able to give its top players plenty of rest, with
Miller, Meyers and Shyanne Sellers each playing a little over half the game.
ARIZONA 75 WEST VIRGINIA 62
Cate Reese scored 25 points and Esmery Martinez hadd a double-double against her former team, leading the Wildcats to victory in College Park, Md. The Wildcats (22-9) started fast and never trailed, and will next play Maryland.
JJ Quinerly led the Mountaineers (19-12) with 19 points.
NOTRE DAME 82 SOUTHERN UTAH 56
Forward Maddy Westbeld scored 20 points to lead the No.
3-seed Fighting Irish (26-5).
Guard Sonia Citron chipped in 14 points and a season-high six assists. The team’s leading scorer, she transitioned into the team’s primary facilitator with second-team Associated Press All-american guard Olivia Miles out the remainder of the season with an undisclosed knee injury. Lauren Ebo had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Megan Jensen led Southern Utah (23-10) with 11 points.
GREENVILLE 2 REGIONAL MICHIGAN 71, UNLV 59
In Baton Rouge, La., Emily Kiser had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Maddie Nolan added 18 points, and the sixth-seeded Wolverines (23-9) snapped the Rebels’ 22-game winning streak.
Leigha Brown scored 17 points for Michigan, which had lost three of its previous four games. The Wolverines used their advantages in size and physicality to build and keep a double-digit lead for much of their opening game in the Greenville 2 region.
UNLV (31-3) came up one short of the longest winning streak in program history. Its Mountain West Tournament title victory had tied a mark reached previously in the 197879 and 1989-90 seasons. Essence Booker scored 16 points for UNLV.
SEATTLE 4 REGIONAL IOWA 95 SE LOUISIANA 43
Caitlin Clark had 26 points and 12 assists, and Monika Czinano added 22 points for the Hawkeyes (27-6) in Iowa City, Iowa.
Hannah Stuelke added 13 points for the Hawkeyes, the second seed in Seattle Regional 4. Iowa will play No. 10 seed Georgia in the second round on Sunday.
GEORGIA 66 FLORIDA STATE 54
Diamond Battles scored 21 points and Audrey Warren added 11 points as the Bulldogs (22-11) beat the Seminoles (2310) in Iowa City, Iowa.
Georgia led 43-40 with 2:03 left in the third quarter before going on a 14-0 run that extended three minutes into the fourth quarter. Florida State would get no closer than 10 points the rest of the game.
Florida State, a No. 7 seed, had just eight available players.