Walker pushes Baylor with career game
BLACKSBURG, Va. — In the moments following their NCAA Tournament victory, the Baylor Bears remained on the floor celebrating, and then they started chanting “Jada, Jada, Jada.”
Jada Walker was certainly worthy of being serenaded — and more.
Jada Walker scored 26 of her career-high 28 points in the second half to lead Baylor to a 75-72 victory over Virginia Tech in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.
Fifth-seeded Bears (26-7) advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2021.
Playing in her home state, Walker connected on 9 of 16 from the floor and 9 of 10 from the foul line.
“Obviously, Jada did it in the second half,” Baylor coach Nicki Collen said. “She was unbelievable down the stretch.”
Matilda Ekh paced fourth-seeded Virginia Tech (25-8) with 19 points, while Georgia Amoore and Clara Strack each finished with 18. Strack was once again filling in for All-american Elizabeth Kitley, who tore her ACL in the regular season finale.
STANFORD 87, IOWA ST. 81
Brooke Demetre hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in overtime and Kiki Iriafen scored 11 of her careerhigh 41 points in overtime, securing the host Cardinal a place in the Portland Regional with a thrilling win over the seventh-seeded Cyclones in the second round.
Addy Brown knocked down a 3 from the top of the arc with 31 seconds left in OT to put Iowa State ahead, only for Demetre to answer from nearly the same spot moments later — and six of her eight total points came on timely 3s. She also hit two free throws with 11.7 seconds left to help seal it.
Iriafen converted a three-point play with 3:41 left in overtime after drawing the fifth foul on star Iowa State freshman Audi Crooks and also contributed 16 rebounds and three blocks.
The Cyclones' Emily Ryan hit a go-ahead 3pointer with 3:45 to play, another 3 in overtime and tying free throws with 1:03 left in OT to finish with 36 points in her gutsy, spectacular finale.
NOTRE DAME 71 MISSISSIPPI 56
Maddy Westbeld scored 20 points and Hannah Hidalgo added 19 to help the second-seeded Fighting Irish beat the seventh-seeded Rebels in a second-round game at
South Bend, Ind.
Sonia Citron added 17 for Notre Dame (28-6), which advanced to the Sweet 16 where it will play No. 3 seed Oregon State in the Albany Regional.