More college women’s basketball

Big comeback:

Twelfth- seeded Albany overcomes a 17- point deficit, beats Florida for its first NCAA win.

Imani Tate and the Albany Great Danes weren’t going to have senior Shereesha Richards’ record- setting career end while sitting on the bench.

And not even an official’s scoring error that provided the Florida Gators an extra point was going to stop them.

Tate scored 28 points and Tiana- Jo Carter’s putback with 8 seconds left helped seal Albany’s 61- 59 victory over the fifth- seeded Gators ( 22- 9) in the first- round of the women’s NCAA Tourna- on Friday in Syracuse, N. Y.

In a game that featured numerous twists, the final score wasn’t officially announced until three hours after the game ended. The NCAA acknowledged a scorer counted a missed free throw as a point, but ruled that the incorrect score will stand because it was not fixed during the game.

The 12th- seeded Great Danes ( 28- 4) earned their first tournament win in their fifth appearance. Albany overcame a 17point deficit and played most of the game without top scorer Richards, who was in foul trouble. Richards finished with 14 points in just 22 minutes, and fouled out with 6: 18 remaining.

“' Rees’ has done so much for us every game that she plays. We just knew that we had to finally do something for her,” guard Erin Coughlin said. “We had to give her another game in a UAlbany uniform.”

Syracuse 73, Army 56: Also in Syracuse, Alexis Peterson scored 24 points to help the fourth- seeded Orange ( 26- 7) match a program record for victories and end the 19- game winning streak of the Black Knights ( 29- 3).

AT CORVALLIS, ORE.

Oregon State 73, Troy 31: Ruth Hamblin had 18 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks to help the second- seeded Beavers ( 29- 4) cruise past the Trojans ( 20- 13).

St. Bonaventure 65, Oklaho-

ma State 54: Katie Healy had 23 points and three steals as the 10th- seeded Bonnies ( 24- 7) ousted the Cowgirls ( 21- 10).

AT TEMPE, ARIZ.

Arizona State 74, New Mexico State 52: Katie Hempen scored 20 points, helping the second- seeded Sun Devils ( 26- 6) run away from the Aggies ( 26- 5). Tennessee 59, Green Bay

53: Te’a Cooper scored 15 points, Diamond DeShields added 14, and the seventhseeded Vols ( 20- 13) pulled away in the final six minutes against the Phoenix ( 28- 5).

AT STARKVILLE, MISS.

Michigan State 74, Belmont

60: Aerial Powers scored 27 points, Jasmine Hines added 24 and the fourth- seeded Spartans ( 25- 8) pulled away from the 13th- seeded Bruins ( 24- 9) in the fourth quarter. Mississippi State 60, Chattanooga 50: Victoria Vivians scored 19 points, and the fifth- seeded Bulldogs ( 27- 7) pushed ahead of the 12thment seeded Mocs ( 24- 8), thanks to an 18- 5 run in the second quarter and never trailed in the second half.

AT WACO, TEXAS

Baylor 89, Idaho 59: Alexis Jones scored 23 points to help the top- seeded Bears ( 34- 1) breeze to their 21st consecutive victory, beating the Vandals ( 24- 10).

Auburn 68, St. John’s 57: Janiah McKay scored 24 points and the ninth- seeded Tigers ( 20- 12) opened their first NCAA Tournament since 2009 with a victory over the Red Storm ( 23- 10).

AT COLUMBIA, S. C.

South Carolina 77, Jacksonville 41: Alaina Coates had 22 points and 10 rebounds as the No. 1 seed Gamecocks ( 32- 1) ran past the Dolphins ( 22- 11), who were in the tournament for the first time. Kansas State 56, George Washington 51: Megan Daines scored 11 of her 14 points in the second half, including the go- ahead foul shot, as the ninth- seeded Wildcats ( 19- 12) rallied past the Colonials ( 26- 7).

AT LOUISVILLE, KY.

Louisville 87, Central Arkansas 60: Myisha Hines- Allen scored 25 points to help the third- seeded Cardinals ( 26- 7) overcome a slow start to top the Sugar Bears ( 28- 4). DePaul 97, James Madison

67: Jessica January led the sixth- seeded Blue Demons ( 26- 8) with 18 points in their win over the Dukes ( 27- 6), who entered the game on a 20- game winning streak.

AT COLUMBUS, OHIO

Ohio State 88, Buffalo 69: Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points for the Buckeyes ( 25- 7) against the Bulls ( 20- 14). West Virginia 74, Princeton

65: Bria Holmes scored 26 points as the sixth- seeded Mountaineers ( 25- 9) overcame a sluggish start to beat the Tigers ( 23- 6).

NIT

Fresno State 59, Santa

Clara 53: The visiting Broncos rallied from a 10- point deficit to tie the first- round game with 5: 52 left, but faded late and ended their season at 23- 9.