South Carolina’s Staley earns milestone victory
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley got her 500th career victory when Aliyah Boston and the top-seeded Gamecocks beat Mercer 7953 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday in San Antonio.
Boston had 20 points and 18 rebounds for South Carolina (23-4), which grabbed the lead for good when it closed the first half with a 16-5 run. Victaria Saxton also scored 20 points in the Hemisfair Region game at the Alamodome.
The Gamecocks were national champs in 2017, when the Final Four was last played in Texas. They finished 32-1 last season, but didn’t get a chance to win another title because the NCAA Tournament was canceled.
Amoria Neal-Tysor had 15 points for Mercer (19-7).
Staley is 328-102 in her 13 seasons at South Carolina, after going 172-80 in eight seasons at Temple. The SEC Tournament champion Gamecocks are in their ninth consecutive NCAA tourney, winning in the first round each time.
OREGON STATE 83, FLORIDA STATE 59 >> Aleah Goodman scored 24 points with five rebounds, five assists and zero turnovers, Taylor Jones added 18 points and eight boards, and the No. 8-seeded Beavers (12-7) beat the ninth-seeded Seminoles (10-9), who are exiting after the first round for the first time in its last 17 appearances.
GEORGIA TECH 54, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 52, OT >> Lorela Cubaj scored 14 points, including the go-ahead free throws in overtime, and the fifth-seeded Yellow Jackets (16-8) overcame a 17-point halftime deficit to beat the 12th-seeded Ladyjacks (24-3).
Avery Brittingham had 16 points with 13 rebounds for Stephen F. Austin.
WEST VIRGINIA 77, LEHIGH 53 >> Kysre Gondrezick scored 26 points, Esmery Martinez had 16 points with 11 rebounds and the fourthseeded Mountaineers (226) beat the 13th-seeded Mountain Hawks (11-5).
Alamo Region
OKLAHOMA STATE 84, WAKE FOREST 61 >> Natasha Mack scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds
to lead the eighth-seeded Cowboys (19-8) past the No. 9-seeded Demon Deacons (12-13).
River Walk Region
UCONN 102, HIGH POINT 59 >> UConn did just fine without coach Geno Auriemma, with Paige Bueckers scoring 24 points to lead the top-seeded Huskies (251) to a rout over the 16thseeded Panthers (22-7).
Auriemma is recovering from the coronavirus and missed the opener. Associate head coach Chris Dailey filled in for the Hall of Famer, who is also going to miss the second-round game against Syracuse on Tuesday.
BAYLOR 101, JACKSON STATE 52>> Moon Ursin scored 24 points, NaLyssa Smith had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and the second-seeded Bears (26-2) routed the No. 15-seeded Tigers (19-6).
SYRACUSE 72, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 55 >> Emily Engstler scored 18 points and made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and the No. 8-seeded Orange (158) pulled away from the ninth-seeded Jackrabbits (21-4).
Syracuse got even for a second-round loss to South Dakota State in 2019.
IOWA 87, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 72 >> Caitlin Clark finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists,
Monika Czinano also scored 23 points, and the No. 5 seed Hawkeyes (19-9) beat the 12th-seeded Chippewas (18-9).
KENTUCKY 71, IDAHO STATE 63>> Rhyne Howard and Chasity Patterson scored 14 points apiece and the No. 4-seeded Wildcats (188) grinded out a win over the 13th-seeded Bengals (22-4).
MICHIGAN 87, FLORIDA GULF COAST 66 >> Leigha Brown scored 28 points, including 17 straight at one point, and the sixth-seeded Wolverines (15-5) beat the 11thseeded Eagles (26-3). who snapped a 25-game winning streak.
TENNESSEE 87, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 62 >> Rennia Davis scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and the No. 3 seed Lady Vols (17-7) downed the 14thseeded Blue Raiders (17-8).
VIRGINIA TECH 70, MARQUETTE 63 >> Elizabeth Kitley had 23 points and the No. 7 seed Hokies (15-9) built a big lead and held on for a 70-63 win over the 10th-seeded Golden Eagles (19-7).
Mercado Region
N.C. STATE 79, N.C. A&T 58 (142) >> Jada Boyd scored 15 of her 18 points in the second half to help the top-seeded Wolfpack (21-2) shake off an early six-point deficit and coast past the No.16seeded Aggies (14-3).