Wolfpack make leap over Irish into Elite 8
Raina Perez decided to come back for one more season and hopefully lift North Carolina State to new heights. The senior guard did just that, helping the Wolfpack advance to their first regional final in 24 years.
The senior guard stole the ball at midcourt and made a go-ahead layup with 14 seconds left to send the top-seeded Wolfpack to a 66-63 comeback win over No. 5 Notre Dame on Saturday in Bridgeport, Conn.
It’s the Wolfpack’s first trip to the Elite Eight since 1998, when they reached the Final Four.
N.C. State had lost in the Sweet 16 the previous three tournaments and looked as if it was going to make it four straight until the late rally led by Perez and Kai Crutchfield, who also came back for the extra COVID year granted by the NCAA.
“For this group it would have been hard for me to face the fact they they all came back and we still didn’t get over the hump,” N.C. State coach Wes Moore said. “That makes me feel really good and I’m so excited for our program to do this, kind of break through. It took a while, four years of the Sweet 16, to get through that wall.”
Trailing 59-51 early in the fourth quarter, the Wolfpack rallied, scoring 15 of the final 19 points capped by Perez’s layup. The Irish had one last chance, but Maddy Westbeld missed a 3-pointer from the wing and Perez hit both free throws for the final margin.
N.C. State (32-3) advanced to the regional final Monday night, when it will face second-seeded UConn.
Cunane scored 16 points and Crutchfield added 14 for the Wolfpack, who avenged an earlier loss to
the Irish on Feb. 1, N.C. State’s most recent loss.
Olivia Miles scored 21 points for the Irish (24-9). CONNECTICUT 75, INDIANA
Paige Bueckers and Christyn Williams each scored 15 points to lead a balanced UConn offense as the Huskies advanced into their 16th consecutive regional final.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 10 points and 14 rebounds for Connecticut (28-5), which outscored the third-seeded Hoosiers 46-32 in the paint.
Azzi Fudd added 13 points for the Huskies, who face top seed North Carolina State on Monday in an effort to earn a 14th straight trip to the Final Four.
Ali Patberghad 16 points for the third-seeded Hoosiers, who finish their season at 24-9.
Wichita Region
LOUISVILLE 76, TENNESSEE
Hailey Van Lith had 23 points and six assists, Emily Engstler had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 1 seed Louisville held off Tennessee to reach the Elite Eight for the fourth consecutive time.
Kianna Smith had 12 points for the Cardinals (284),
who blew most of an early 15-point lead before pulling away late in the fourth quarter to set up a date with No. 3 seed Michigan for a spot in the Final Four.
The Cardinals have become one of the nation’s dominant women’s programs under coach Jeff Walz but are still chasing their first national championship.
Rae Burrell led fourthseeded Tennessee (25-9) with 22 points, but she didn’t get a whole lot of help from her team, which had 18 turnovers. MICHIGAN 52, SOUTH DAKOTA 49» Naz Hillmon had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Laila Phelia scored the go-ahead layup in the final minute for No. 3 Michigan, which reached the Elite Eight for the first time.
Phelia scored 14 points and Leigha Brown added 10 for the Wolverines (25-6).
South Dakota (29-6) was trying to become just the fifth double-digit seed to reach the Elite Eight. Hannah Sjerven had 17 points and eight rebounds before fouling out, while Chloe Lamb, the Summit League Player of the Year, was held to just six points.