NCAA female tournament 2025 salient moments: South Carolina survives Maryland
THE 2025 NCAA women’s tournament Continue on Friday with the first day of Sweet 16 Action.
(To find out more: 2025 Female marching program: dates, locations, channels, how to watch)
Duke It started the day with a vintage defensive performance, while the second seed Blue Devils suffocated third seed North Carolina. After that, seed n. 1 South Carolina They continued his defense of the title while the Gamecocks returned to hold back their mentality shocked Maryland.
Later, third seed Louisiana State Try to make his third appearance of elite elite, but he will have to pass through seed n. 2 State of the North Carolina To get there.
The best seed in the NCAA women’s tournament, UCLAhat at night with its matchup against Ole Miss While Bruins try to return to Elite 8 for the first time since 2018.
Here are all the biggest moments of day 1 sweet 16:
South Carolina survives fright from Maryland To advance to the fifth eight -tip elite
The battle back and forth continued in the fourth quarter, but in the last two minutes, the reigning champions have imposed their will. Mailia Fullwileia He had four of his 21 game points to give the Gamecock command forever, while Chloe Kitts He made three free shots along the stretch. Maryland, who had three turnover and lost two jumpers during a three -minute critical race, finally hit a 3 with 25 seconds left to make it a game again.
Dawn Stley’s team resisted, however, and went to Eight elite for the fifth consecutive year.
The southern Carolina went to 7-0 in the middle of the third quarter to take its first advantage of the second half, but Maryland replied immediately while the two teams continued to fight. But in the last two minutes of the fourth, Terps have lost their last six goals on the field. Gamecocks have entered the last period with an advantage of 52-50.
Kaylene Smikle He led Maryland with nine points and terrapins obtained an advantage of 33-31 on the Gamecocks in the first half. Maryland led for most of the first half and kept the Gamecocks without a basket for six consecutive goods during a stretch in the second quarter.
Duke knocks down the rival Unc for a trip to the eight elite
Oluchi Okanwa He recorded his third double the season of the season to lead the champion of the tournament ACCA Duke beyond the North Carolina 47-38 on Friday and in the eight elite of the female NCAA tournament.
The Blue Devils will make their twelfth Eight Eight appearance in the history of the program and will play seeds n. 1 and reigning champion of the South Carolina or Maryland in Quarto Seed, who had to play Birmingham later on Friday.
Okananwa marked 10 of his 12 points in the first half together with 10 rebounds from the bench for Duke, who obtained 26 points from his bench compared to the six of the North Carolina. Ashlon Jackson finished with 10 points e Toby FournierDuke’s leader this season who has lost the second round with a disease, has been kept at three points.
Senior of the fifth year Alyssa Ustby He had nine points out of 3 out of 10 shootings for the Tar Heels, who did not have their attempt to advance their first Elite 8 since 2014.
Neither teams fired the ball well. Duke shot 31% after losing the first nine goals in the field. North Carolina went from 28% from the field.
Part of it could have been because of familiarity. The teams have played for the second time this season less than a month ago. The North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart said this week there is a further level of comfort that goes against a team that have just played.
But this was also two of the best defenses in the country, forcing turnover, wandering blows and desperate heaps late in the shooting watch at the beginning of the game.
It was the first meeting ever in the NCAA tournament between the two teams, which have been played 111 times. The North Carolina still holds a light border 56-55.
Reporting by the Associated Press
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