UConn sets record for points in rout
ALBANY REGION NO. 1 UCONN 140, NO. 16 SAINT FRANCIS (PA.) 52
In Storrs, Conn., Azura Stevens scored 26 points to lead six UConn players in double figures and the Huskies opened their NCAA Tournament with a record-setting rout of Saint Francis (Pa.).
The tournament’s top seed set a record for points in a tournament game and all-time NCAA records for points in a period (55 in the first) and a half (94 in the first).
And UConn’s 88-point margin of victory was the second-biggest in tournament history. Baylor beat Texas Southern by 89 in the 2017 tournament.
The previous record for points in a tournament game was 121. The previous mark for points in a half was 80 and for a quarter was 45.
Stevens also had 10 rebounds. Katie Lou Samuelson had 18 points and 10 assists and Kia Nurse finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Napheesa Collier had 25 points and nine assists.
UConn (33-0) shot 65 percent from the floor, 73.6 percent in the first half, and outscored the No. 16 seed 96-10 in the paint.
NO. 3 FLORIDA STATE 91, NO. 14 LITTLE ROCK 49
In Tallahassee, Fla., Shakayla Thomas scored 26 points and Florida State defeated Little Rock.
It is a tournament high for Thomas, eclipsing the 23 she scored against Western Illinois in the first round last year. Thomas, a 5-foot-11 senior forward who was playing in her 12th NCAA Tournament game, was 11 of 15 from the field in 19 minutes. She scored Florida State’s first six points and had 16 in the first half as the host team was ahead 53-30 at halftime.
The Seminoles (26-6), who were 35 of 60 from the field, put the game out of reach by going on a 23-0 run during an 8-minute span in the second and third quarters.
Chatrice White and Nikki Ekhomu each scored 13 points and AJ Alix added 12 for Florida State. White also had 10 rebounds for her sixth doubledouble of the season.
Tori Lasker led the Trojans (23-10) with 13 points and Keanna Keys added 11.
NO. 4 GEORGIA 68, NO. 13 MERCER 63
In Athens, Ga., Caliya Robinson had 23 points and 16 rebounds, Mackenzie Engram added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Georgia held off Mercer.
Que Morrison finished with 10 points and nine rebounds for the fourth-seeded Lady Bulldogs (26-6), who advanced to face Duke on Monday night.
Kahlia Lawrence scored 23 points and KeKe Calloway had 15 for No. 13 seed Mercer (30-3). The Bears had won a school-record 27 straight, the nation’s third-longest active streak.
Georgia had the game’s biggest lead at 11 early in the third, but let Mercer pull within one twice in the fourth quarter. After Robinson scored her team’s last field goal with 2:14 remaining, the Lady Bulldogs put Mercer away by hitting seven of their last eight foul shots.
NO. 5 DUKE 72, NO. 12 BELMONT 58
In Athens, Ga., Leaonna Odom scored a careerhigh 25 points, including nine in Duke’s dominant third period, and the Blue Devils beat Belmont in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Duke (23-8) led only 32-31 at halftime before outscoring Belmont 21-9 in the third period. Kylie Smith led Belmont with 20 points. Duke’s Rebecca Greenwell, who had 18 points, opened the third period with a layup and closed the quarter by sinking a 3-pointer to give Duke a 53-40 lead.
Belmont (31-4) saw its 22-game winning streak end. The Bruins were denied in their bid for their first NCAA win.
NO. 11 BUFFALO 102, NO. 6 SOUTH FLORIDA 79
In Tallahassee, Fla., Cierra Dillard scored a careerhigh 36 points and Buffalo got its first women’s NCAA Tournament victory as it defeated South Florida. It is the first time in an NCAA Tournament game that a Mid-American Conference team has gone over 100 points. It is also the first time since 1995 that Buffalo has scored more than 100 points. Buffalo, which is making its second NCAA appearance, trailed 29-18 midway through the second quarter but went on a 20-7 run the remainder of the quarter to take a 43-38 lead at halftime. Wilkins had eight points during the run and Stephanie Reid added six. Buffalo (28-5) was 14 of 27 from the 3-point line, including 7 of 13 from Dillard. Courtney Wilkins added 23 points and Reid 19. Buffalo was also strong from the foul line, making 22 of 24.
NO. 9 QUINNIPIAC 86, NO. 8 MIAMI 72
In Storrs, Conn., Jen Fay led a balanced ninthseeded Quinnipiac offense with 19 points and the Bobcats beat Miami, eliminating the Hurricanes from the women’s NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season. Paula Strautmane added 15 points and Edel Thornton and Carly Fabbri each had 14 for Quinnipiac (28-5), which extended its winning streak to 23 games, a new school record. Next up for Bobcats is a game against in-state neighbor UConn. It’s the first meeting between the schools in 20 years. Erykah Davenport led all scorers with 21 points for Miami. Emese Hof scored 16 and Endia Banks added 15 points in the losing effort.
SPOKANE REGION NO. 3 OHIO STATE 87, NO. 14 GEORGE WASHINGTON 45
In Columbus, Ohio, Stephanie Mavunga scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Ohio State routed George Washington. Alexa Hart had 12 points and Kelsey Mitchell added 11 points and seven rebounds as the Buckeyes (28-6) never trailed, took off in the second half and overwhelmed the Colonials (19-10), who had earned a tournament bid by winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Ohio State moves on to Monday to play Central Michigan, which outlasted LSU in the first game on Saturday. Briana Cummings led GW with 14 points, and Neila Luma had 12 before fouling out late in the game.
NO. 11 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 78, NO. 6 LSU 69
In Columbus, Ohio, Tinara Moore scored 25 points to help Central Michigan get its first women’s NCAA Tournament win, beating LSU. The Chippewas, who had lost in their first three trips to the NCAAs, got in the tournament for the first time in five years by upsetting Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Moore and Central Michigan dominated inside, outrebounding the Southeastern Conference team 40-27 and creating more second chances. Reyna Frost 12 points and 12 boards for the Chippewas before fouling out late in the game. Central Michigan led by as many as 11 in the second half. A 6-0 LSU run reduced the lead to five, but the Tigers couldn’t get any closer, despite limiting their opponents to only foul shots in the last 2:43. Micaela Kelly had 17 points for Central Michigan, and Presley Hudson added 12. Chloe Jackson had 24 points, and Ayana Mitchell had 16 points and nine rebounds for LSU.