Women’s Sweet 16 set
Maryland tumbles on its home floor
After a slate of eight games Monday, the field has been narrowed to 16.
For UCLA, missed shots are merely part of the game. What really matters is what the Bruins do after the ball clangs off the rim.
Michaela Onyenwere scored a career-high 30 points, Japreece Dean added 22 and No. 6-seeded UCLA (22-12) squeezed past No. 3 Maryland, 85-80, Monday night in College Park, Md., to earn its fourth consecutive berth in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women’s tournament.
Dean, the smallest player on the court, sank two free throws with 25 seconds remaining to make it 83-79, and the Bruins held on to beat the Terrapins (29-5) on their court.
Ranked first in the Pac-12 and third in the NCAA in offensive rebounding, the Bruins repeatedly gathered in their own missed shots and turned them into baskets. UCLA collected 27 offensive rebounds and finished with 27 secondchance points.
“We’re not a great shooting team. We don’t rely on the 3-point shot, we don’t have shooters like some of the ones Maryland has,” coach Cori Close said. “But you know that if you happen to miss, someone’s got your back.”
The game was played exactly 41 years after UCLA beat Maryland, 90-74, to win the AIAW national championship, a precursor to the NCAA tournament.
“That’s pretty amazing,” Close said. “I think it’s really good to pause and say thank you to the people that were involved in those games, thank you to the people that really lived out Title IX in an amazing, courageous way. Now we get opportunities that would have never been there without their sacrifice.”
More games
Notre Dame 91, Michigan State 63: Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points and two teammates had double-doubles as top-seeded Notre Dame (32-3) ran away from visiting No. 9 Michigan State (2112) in the first half. Jackie Young gave coach Muffet McGraw and the Purcell Pavilion crowd a scare when she fell hard to the floor just seconds before the end of the third quarter. She was OK and finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists for the Fighting Irish, who are in the Sweet 16 for the 10th consecutive season.
South Dakota State 75, Syracuse 64: Madison Guebert scored 18 of her 20 points on 3-pointers, including two critical 3s in the fourth quarter, to lead No. 6 South Dakota State to a victory against host Syracuse (25-9). The victory sends the Jackrabbits (28-6) to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Tiana Mangakahia led Syracuse with 18 points.
N.C. State 72, Kentucky 57: Kiara Leslie had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 3 N.C. State pulled away to beat visiting No. 6 Kentucky (25-8) in the second round. Freshman Elissa Cunane added 13 points and 15 rebounds, DD Rogers had 11 points and 11 boards, and the Wolfpack (28-5) dominated the glass, 50-31.
Baylor 102, California 63: Juicy Landrum scored 20 points with four 3-pointers and No. 1 overall seed Baylor (33-1) advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 11th season in a row.
Missouri State 69, Iowa State 60: Alexa Willard scored 17 points to help 11th-seeded Missouri State (25-9) stun No. 3 Iowa State (26-9), becoming the only double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16.
Oregon State 76, Gonzaga 70: Guard Mikayla Pivec had 19 points and 11 rebounds as No. 4 host Oregon State (26-7) held off the Bulldogs (25-9).