Stars standing out for squads in Sweet 16
The numbers have been stunning in this memorable season for women’s college basketball.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has broken scoring records. Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers is producing eye-popping statistics again after missing most of the last two seasons with knee injuries. Southern California’s Juju Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo had two of the most productive freshman seasons ever.
All of them have led their teams into a star-studded Sweet 16 field. Here’s a rundown of notable statistics regarding each of the teams that have made it this far:
ALBANY 1 REGION
Indiana: Indiana’s had a different player set the program’s NCAA Tournament single-game scoring record in each of the first two rounds. Sara Scalia broke a 41-year-old record by scoring 27 points in an 89-56 victory over Fairfield. Mackenzie Holmes beat that with 29 points in a 75-68 triumph over Oklahoma.
South Carolina: Milaysia Fulwiley has averaged 20.3 points over her last three games and has shot 13-of-22 from 3-point range during that span.
Oregon State: The Beavers’ first two tournament opponents have missed more than twothirds of their shots. Eastern Washington shot 30% and Nebraska shot 31.3% against Oregon State. The Beavers now face Notre Dame, which shot 52.2% in the first round victory and 50% in its second-round win.
Notre Dame: Hidalgo didn’t merely break Notre Dame’s single-season steals record. She shattered it. Hidalgo’s Ncaaleading 157 steals give her 43 more than the previous record holder.
PORTLAND 4 REGION
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs are making 40.2% of their 3-point attempts to lead all Division I teams. Gonzaga went 12-of-22 from beyond the arc in its 77-66 second-round victory over Utah.
Texas: The Longhorns have outrebounded their first two opponents 96-57 and have outscored them 45-19 in secondchance points. Deyona Gaston had eight offensive rebounds in a first-round triumph over Drexel. Texas ranks sixth among all Division I teams in rebound margin (plus-10.3), while Gonzaga is eighth (plus-9.3).
North Carolina State: The Wolfpack’s strength is in their balance. North Carolina State has five players scoring in double figures: Aziaha James (16.0), Saniya Rivers (12.7), Mimi Collins (10.9), Madison Hayes (10.7) and River Baldwin (10.4).
Stanford: Stanford has gone 59-1 in the last 60 NCAA Tournament games in which it has scored at least 70 points. That includes a 79-50 victory over Norfolk State and an 87-81 overtime win over Iowa State this year.
ALBANY 2 REGION
Colorado: Aaronette Vonleh has a team-high 14 points per game for Colorado, but it’s her defense that has garnered her attention in the tournament. The 6foot-3 center had seven steals in the first half of a 63-50 secondround win over Kansas State.
Iowa: Clark has produced tons of eye-popping numbers on her way to becoming the leading career scorer in Division I men’s or women’s basketball, but one statistic speaks most clearly to her consistency. Clark is the first player in major women’s college basketball to lead her conference in both scoring and assists in four consecutive seasons.
LSU: In the first two rounds of this tournament, LSU has been outscored 63-62 before halftime but has outscored opponents 9153 in the second half. LSU made 26 of its 37 free throws in the game, while Middle Tennessee made 6-of-9 attempts.
UCLA: The Sweet 16 matchup between UCLA and LSU features the nation’s top two teams in rebound margin. UCLA is outrebounding foes by 14.2 boards per game. LSU has a plus-13.1 rebound margin. UCLA outrebounded its first two NCAA Tournament foes 90-45.
PORTLAND 3 REGION
Baylor: The Bears rank ninth in 3-point percentage defense and are allowing opponents to make just 26.2% of their 3-point attempts. In five of the Bears’ last eight games, opponents have shot below 20% from beyond the arc.
Southern California: Juju Watkins has a chance this weekend to break the record for points by a true freshman. Watkins currently has 861 points, which puts her in third place on the all-time list. San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson scored 898 points as a freshman in 1984, while Kelsey Mitchell had 873 points for Ohio State in 2015.
Connecticut: The Huskies are making their Ncaa-record 30th consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. The Huskies had earned a record 14 straight Final Four berths before losing 73-61 to Ohio State in a regional semifinal last year.
Duke: Reigan Richardson is averaging 12.4 points this season, but she’s stepped up her game in a big way during this tournament. Richardson scored 25 in a first-round victory over Richmond and 28 in a second-round upset of Ohio State.