USA TODAY International Edition
Top- seeded NC State earns trip to Sweet 16
RALEIGH, N. C. – Wes Moore admitted being a bit nervous for how the North Carolina State women might manage the emotions of playing for the final time on its home basketball court.
Instead, the top- seeded Wolfpack used the moment to offer one last impressive show to the fans on the way to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
Kayla Jones scored 18 points to help top- seeded North Carolina State beat Kansas State 89- 57 in Monday’s second round, earning a fourth straight trip to the tournament’s second weekend.
Raina Perez and Diamond Johnson each added 15 points for the Wolfpack ( 31- 3), who used a dominating secondquarter performance to earn a 12th straight win. North Carolina State shot 55% and made 9 of 19 3- pointers, romping to a 35- point lead at one point in an emotional finale at Reynolds Coliseum.
“I think they just go out and play,” Moore said. “They love playing the game and they play so well together and they just get lost in the moment, and don’t think too much.”
Freshman Serena Sundell scored 17 points to lead Kansas State, which was trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2002. But the Wildcats shot just 39% and made 7 of 25 3- pointers.
Michigan beats Villanova: Naz Hillmon had 27 points, 11 rebounds and 5 steals to help third- seeded Michigan pull away and beat No. 11 Villanova 6449 Monday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Wolverines ( 24- 6) earned a second straight trip to the Sweet 16 and will face 10th- seeded South Dakota on Saturday in the Wichita Region.
● Michigan took control with a 10- 0 run over the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth, turning what was a closely contested game into a lopsided victory. Leigha Brown, who has recovered from a leg injury, had 20 points for the Wolverines.
The Wildcats ( 24- 9) led by three points after the opening quarter, but they simply could not stop Hillmon.
Villanova also struggled to overcome Maddy Siegrist being held to single digits for just the sixth time this season. Siegrist, who ranked second in the nation with 25.8 points per game, had 12 points on 5 of 13 shooting. The junior forward had fewer points just twice this season in November.
● Notre Dame rolls past Oklahoma: Dara Mabrey scored a season- high 29 points and No. 5 seed Notre Dame crushed No. 4 Oklahoma 108- 64 Monday in Norman to earn a spot in the Sweet 16.
Mabrey made 11 of 19 field goals, including seven 3- pointers. Sonia Citron scored 25 points and Maya Dodson 20 for Notre Dame ( 24- 8). According to STATS, Notre Dame became the first team, men’s or women’s, to beat a higher- seeded team by at least 40 points.
It’s the first Sweet 16 berth for second- year Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey, The Fighting Irish will play No. 1 seed North Carolina State on Saturday in a Bridgeport Regional semifinal.
Taylor Robertson scored 19 points for Oklahoma ( 25- 9). Skylar Vann had 11 points and nine rebounds and Liz Scott had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Sooners. Oklahoma committed 28 turnovers and shot just 32.3% from the floor.
Notre Dame led 13- 7 before Mabrey scored 12 straight to push the Fighting Irish lead to 18. She banked in her last three points during the run to put Notre Dame ahead 25- 7.