Buffalo topples Florida State to make Sweet 16
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Cierra Dillard scored 22 points and 11thseeded Buffalo shocked No. 3 seed Florida State 86-65 on Monday night to advance to the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
The Bulls, who were one of the last four to earn an at-large spot in the 64-team field, took control late in the first half. The game was tied at 28 with 2:05 to go when Buffalo closed the half with a 10-2 run, including eight straight points by Dillard, to take a 39-30 lead to intermission. The Bulls extended the lead to 14 with a 7-2 surge to start the third quarter.
Stephanie Reid scored 18 points and Summer Hemphill added 17 for Buffalo (29-5), which will face defending champion South Carolina on Saturday in Albany, New York. The Bulls went 24 of 26 from the foul line. Buffalo coach Felisha Legette-Jack, middle, celebrates with her team after the Bulls defeated Florida State in the second round of women’s NCAA Tournament.
Shakayla Thomas had 25 points for the Seminoles (26-7), who shot just 3 of 25 from three-point range.
NO. 1 CONNECTICUT 71, NO. 9 QUINNIPIAC 46: Napheesa Collier scored 23 points and UConn (34-0) beat in-state neighbor Quinnipiac (28-6) in Storrs, Connecticut, to advance to a 25th straight Sweet 16. The Huskies opened with a 9-2 run and never trailed. Jen Fay had 12 points to lead the Bobcats, who
saw their school-record 23-game winning streak snapped.
NO. 5 DUKE 66, NO. 4 GEORGIA 40: Leaonna Odom scored 16 points and Duke (24-8) held Georgia (26-7) to two points in the second quarter in a second-round win in Athens, Georgia. Georgia made only 1 of 19 shots in the second quarter and set season lows for fewest points in a quarter and game and lowest fieldgoal percentage (24.0). The Lady Bulldogs missed their first 13 three-pointers before hitting one midway through the fourth quarter. Caliya Robinson led the Bulldogs with 11 points and 12 rebounds. No other Georgia player had more than five points.
NO. 1 MISSISSIPPI STATE 71, NO. 9 OKLAHOMA STATE 56: Victoria Vivians scored 23 points, Teaira McCowan added 21 points and 18 rebounds and Mississippi State (34-1) advanced past Oklahoma State (21-11) in Starkville, Mississippi. The Bulldogs opened up a tight game with a 10-2 run in the second half to take a 51-43 lead. Kaylee Jensen led Oklahoma State with 18 points.
NO. 2 TEXAS 85, NO. 7 ARIZONA STATE 65: Lashann Higgs scored 15 of her 19 points in the first half as Texas (28-6) booked its fourth consecutive trip to the Sweet 16 with a win over Arizona State (22-13) in Austin, Texas. Brooke McCarty took over in the third quarter with 10 of her 15 points coming in a 14-2 run that pushed the Longhorns to a big lead. Kianna Ibis scored 27 points to lead the Sun Devils.
NO. 3 UCLA 86, NO. 11 CREIGHTON 64: Jordin Canada scored 21 points on 6-of-7 shooting and had eight assists to lead UCLA (26-7) to an easy victory over Creighton (19-13) in Los Angeles, for the Bruins’ third straight appearance in the Sweet 16. Audrey Faber led Creighton with 20 points.
NO. 4 STANFORD 90, NO. 12 FLORIDA GULF COAST 70: Alanna Smith scored 28 points with four threepointers and Stanford (24-10) turned back Florida Gulf Coast (31-5) in Stanford, California. China Dow scored 23 points, all in the second half, to lead the Eagles.