Ohio State Women Survive Upset Attempt.

Colorado and Ohio State advanced to the round of 16 of the women’s N.C.A.A. tournament. Colorado became the latest underdog to advance to the round of 16 with an overtime win against Duke. Meanwhile, Ohio State held on to beat North Carolina thanks to a game-winning shot by Jacy Sheldon. In other games, Villanova cruised to a 76-57 win over Florida Gulf Coast as its star Maddy Siegrist notched 31 points for her 36th straight game with at least 20 points. UConn beat Baylor 77-58, with Azzi Fudd leading the Huskies with 22 points. The team made its latest round of 16 in a long string of them. The Huskies haven’t missed this stage of the tournament since 1993, two years before the team won its first national championship under Auriemma. Lastly, Mississippi knocked off No. 1-seeded Stanford 54-49 in the first round of the N.C.A.A. women’s tournament. This marked the first time since 2009 that two No. 1 seeds lost during the first weekend of the women’s tournament.

No. 1 Indiana falls to Miami in N.C.A.A. Women’s Tournament

In a shocking upset, the Indiana Hoosiers lost to Miami in the N.C.A.A. Women’s Tournament, making them the sixth No. 1 seed to miss the round of 16 since 1994. Miami’s victory marked the first time since 1998 that the round of 16 will be played without two of its No. 1 seeds. The ninth-seeded Miami team held on for dear life during the second half after a strong start, and eventually won 70-68. The Hurricanes will now head to the tournament’s second weekend for the first time since 1992.

Miami’s Destiny Harden made a bucket with four seconds left, after shaking off a defender with an up-and-under move, to seal the victory for the Hurricanes. Indiana’s Yarden Garzon tied the game with a step-back 3-pointer, her second in the final minute. However, a final panicked attempt by Indiana to avoid missing the round of 16 for the first time since 2019 ended with the ball being stripped near the top of the key. This sent the Hurricanes into a frenzy of celebration that carried on into the locker room.

The loss was particularly crushing for the Hoosiers, who were ranked second behind only the reigning champions, South Carolina, when the 68-team field was revealed. Although the team tied the game at 60 with three minutes left, after a comeback in the third quarter led by Mackenzie Holmes, who scored most of her 21 points in the second half, they couldn’t maintain the momentum.

Indiana struggled initially due to poor shooting, with Holmes missing seven of her first nine shots, leading Miami to build a 41-29 lead at halftime. After facing Holmes, Miami will now need to defend against Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist, the top scorer in Division I, in the round-of-16 matchup on Friday.

Indiana’s coach, Teri Moren, was visibly disappointed with the loss but praised her team’s efforts, saying that the defeat should hurt because they are competitors who care. She added that if her team had not shown emotion or shed tears, she would have wondered what all the hard work was for.

UConn Beats Baylor, Advances to Round of 16

In a game that saw players diving for the ball on multiple occasions, the University of Connecticut (UConn) defeated Baylor 77-58, securing a spot in the round of 16. UConn has now made 30 appearances in the round of 16 in the program’s history. The game saw UConn erase a six-point first-quarter deficit, thanks to Nika Mühl’s regular drives and assists to Azzi Fudd and Aaliyah Edwards, who scored 22 and 19 points, respectively.

Although Baylor tied the game with five minutes left in the third quarter, UConn’s confidence and skill led to a 36-12 point lead in the paint. Aubrey Griffin, who played for 19 minutes, also helped UConn maintain control with 12 rebounds. Ja’Mee Asberry led Baylor with 15 points.

UConn’s head coach, Geno Auriemma, admitted he was worried about his team’s defense during the first half of the game but expressed confidence during the second half that his team would secure a win. Baylor’s coach, Nicki Collen, acknowledged the loss and attributed it to UConn’s dominant performance in the paint.

The game was played before a packed stadium at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, which included UConn’s former player, Maya Moore, and her husband, Jonathan Irons. The Huskies will now advance to the regionals, alongside UConn’s men’s team, for the first time since 2014. The men’s team will play against Arkansas on Thursday, while the women’s team will play against Ohio State on Saturday.

Indiana’s Upset and the Tournament’s Pair of No. 1s Ousted

In other news, Indiana suffered an unexpected loss to Miami, marking the sixth time since 1994 that a No. 1 seed missed the round of 16. Before this season, the last time a No. 1 seed missed the round of 16 in the women’s tournament was in 2009, when Duke lost to Michigan State in the second round. The tournament also saw Stanford lose in similar fashion, 54-49, to Mississippi, resulting in a pair of No. 1 seeds ousted during the first weekend.

Latest Upset: Colorado Beats Duke in Overtime

Colorado made history with a thrilling 61-53 overtime victory against Duke, becoming the latest underdog to make it to the round of 16. The Buffaloes dominated early and took a 10-point lead in the first quarter, but Duke fought back on its home court. The teams then struggled in the fourth quarter, shooting just 8 for 24, to take the game to overtime tied at 50. In overtime, Colorado scored seven straight points after Duke scored the first point, securing the win with two layups from Aaronette Vonleh. Duke only managed two more free throws before the game ended. The Buffaloes became the first team in the tournament to make the round of 16 as a No. 6 seed.

Ohio State Survives North Carolina’s Late Rally

Ohio State advanced to the round of 16 after a close call against North Carolina, which made a late-game comeback. Ohio State had a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter, but North Carolina rallied and tied the game at 69 with only nine seconds left. Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon saved the day by making a driving floater in the paint with just 1.8 seconds left on the clock, sealing the 71-69 win. Deja Kelly, North Carolina’s leading scorer, suffered an injury in the second half and had to be carried off the court, but she returned to help the Tar Heels take the lead in the final quarter. Sheldon finished the game with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. In their first-round game, Ohio State also had to come back from 16 points down to win.

Colorado Ousts Duke in Round of 32

Colorado clinched its first-ever appearance in the round of 16 with an impressive overtime victory against Duke. The Buffaloes got off to a strong start, leading by 10 points in the first quarter, but Duke fought back and took the game to overtime tied at 50. In overtime, Colorado outscored Duke 11-3 to secure the win, with Aaronette Vonleh scoring two crucial layups. Jaylyn Sherrod made the game-tying layup for Colorado in regulation, but missed the free throw, while Shayeann Day-Wilson missed a 3-pointer for Duke with five seconds left. With this victory, Colorado became the sixth No. 6 seed to make it to the round of 16 since 1994, joining the likes of George Washington and Oklahoma in 1995 and 2019, respectively.

Ohio State Advances to Round of 16

Ohio State fought off a late-game rally from North Carolina to secure a spot in the round of 16. After leading by 12 points in the fourth quarter, Ohio State saw its lead evaporate as North Carolina tied the game at 69 with nine seconds left. However, Jacy Sheldon came to the rescue with a clutch floater in the paint, securing the 71-69 win for Ohio State. Sheldon finished the game with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Deja Kelly led North Carolina with 22 points. Ohio State trailed by 16 points to James Madison in their first-round game before coming back to win 80-66 on their home court.

Conclusion

The women’s N.C.A.A. tournament continues to surprise as more underdogs upset higher-seeded teams. Colorado and Ohio State won thrilling games to advance to the round of 16, where they will face tough opponents. Ohio State will play Tennessee, while Colorado will face Texas in the next round. Both teams will need to continue their impressive form if they want to make it to

Villanova Defeats Florida Gulf Coast

Villanova, the fifth-seeded team, defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 76-57, in a game that saw star player Maddy Siegrist notch 31 points, extending her streak of games with 20 or more points to 36, setting a Division I record. Guard Lucy Olsen also played an important role with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Christina Dalce, who missed much of the half due to fouls, helped Villanova in the second half with her size and disrupting Florida Gulf Coast’s offense.

The Wildcats advanced to the round of 16 for the first time in 20 years and the second time in program history. Despite the possibility of it being her last game at Finneran Pavilion, Siegrist expressed satisfaction with her performance and said, “If this is my last game at home, I know that’s a great way to go out.”

Though F.G.C.U. kept things close, they were unable to overcome Villanova’s lead, particularly after being down by 15 points. With the win, Villanova players celebrated by dancing to the rapper Lil Uzi Vert’s song “Just Wanna Rock” at midcourt.

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