Iowa freshman scores 35 in win
SAN ANTONIO — Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark is delivering on the big stage of the women’s NCAA Tournament, and she really thrived in a small gym to send the Hawkeyes to the Sweet 16.
Clark finished with 35 points on 13for21 shooting and six 3pointers after outscoring Kentucky on her own in the first half, and the fifthseeded Hawkeyes advanced with an 8672 victory Tuesday in the River Walk Region secondround game played in the cozy arena on the campus of Division III school St. Mary’s University.
“I really liked the court, obviously. It kind of seemed like a high school court in a way. The arena was pretty compact,” Clark said. “It was a shooter’s gym. … I thought that was totally on display.”
The Hawkeyes (209) had what head coach Lisa Bluder called a perfect start, scoring the game’s first 11 points — with all five starters getting a basket, Clark’s a 3pointer.
They led throughout to advance past the second round for only the third time in their 14 NCAA appearances during Bluder’s 21 seasons. They did go to the Elite Eight in the last tourney two years ago before losing to eventual champion Baylor.
Iowa next will play No. 1 seed UConn.
UConn 83, Syracuse 47:
Paige Bueckers scored 20 points and Aaliyah Edwards added 19 to help the Huskies (26-1) win again without head coach Geno Auriemma, who turned 67 Tuesday while recovering from a bout with the coronavirus. Chris Dailey filled in for the Hall of Fame coach, who could rejoin the team this weekend for its next game. The eighth-seeded Orange (15-9) were led by 6-foot-7 freshman center Kamilla Cardoso, who had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Baylor 90, Virginia Tech 48: Moon Ursin and DiJonai Carrington each had 21 points as the reigning national champion Bears (27-2) advanced to their 12th consecutive NCAA Sweet 16. Queen Egbo had 12 points and 13 rebounds, along with seven blocked shots for Baylor, and DiDi Richards had nine assists. Georgia Amoore had 18 points with four 3-pointers to lead the seventh-seeded Hokies (15-10), who had opened their first NCAA Tournament since 2006 with a win over Marquette. Baylor plays Michigan in the Sweet 16.
Michigan 70, Tennessee 55: Leigha Brown scored 23 points and Naz Hillmon added 19 to lead the Wolverines (16-5), a No. 6 seed, over the third-seeded Lady Vols (17-8) and into the first Sweet 16 appearance in program history. The Wolverines had been 0-5 in the second round.
Mercado Region
N.C. State 79, South Florida 67: Jakia Brown-Turner scored 19 points and the Wolfpack (22-2), the region’s top seed, used a big third quarter to advance to the Sweet 16. N.C. State will face Indiana or Belmont. The eighth-seeded Bulls (19-4) led by a point early in the third quarter before N.C. State used two big runs to take control. The Wolfpack led by 12 heading to the the fourth period. Elena Tsineke had 22 points to lead South Florida.
Hemisfair Region
South Carolina 59, Oregon State 42: Aliyah Boston scored 19 points and the top-seeded Gamecocks (24-4) dominated after a close first quarter to beat the eighth-seeded Beavers (12-8), advancing to their seventh straight Sweet 16. South Carolina’s next opponent is Georgia Tech. Taylor Jones scored 13 points for Oregon State, which ended a streak of four straight Sweet 16 appearances.
Georgia Tech 73, West Viriginia 56: Lotta-Maj Lahtinen scored 22 points, Lorela Cubaj had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the fifth-seeded Yellow Jackets (17-9) used a big third quarter to beat the fourth-seeded Mountaineers (22-7). Georgia Tech advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history and first since 2012.