LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Georgia Amoore scored 34 points, including three free throws in the final 10 seconds for fourth-seeded Kentucky, which nearly blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead but held on for a 79-78 victory over 13th-seeded Liberty in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Friday.
The second-team All-America guard made 6 of 10 3-pointers and added eight assists, two steals and two blocks. She scored 23 first-half points for the Wildcats (23-7), who led 67-50 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.
Liberty’s Emma Hess drained a 3-pointer for the final points of the game, but Amoore avoided getting fouled in the final 2 seconds to preserve Kentucky’s first tournament win in four years. The Wildcats will face either Kansas State or Fairfield in the second round on Sunday.
Dazia Lawrence added 16 points for Kentucky, which also got 15 points and 10 rebounds from Clara Strack.
Emmy Stout came off the bench to lead Liberty with 20 points. Hess added 17..
KANSAS ST. 85, FAIRFIELD 41
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Ayoka Lee had 17 points and 10 rebounds in her return to the lineup, and fifth-seeded Kansas State beat Fairfield in the first round of the NCAA women’s tournament.
Lee went 7 for 10 from the field in her first game since she played just four minutes in a 90-60 victory over Kansas on Feb. 22. The 6-foot-6 center has been hampered by foot injuries.
She played 15 minutes against the Stags before departing with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter.
BIRMINGHAM REGIONAL 2
INDIANA 76, UTAH 68
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Yarden Garzon scored 17 points and Shay Ciezki added 16 as No. 9 seed Indiana won its opener for a sixth straight NCAA Tournament with a victory over eighth-seeded Utah.
The Hoosiers (20-12) reached 20 wins for a sixth consecutive season. Their reward is a likely matchup with the Birmingham 2 Regional’s top seed in South Carolina, who will play later Friday against No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech.
Ciezki had 11 of her 16 points in the final two quarters as Indiana used a 15-4 run in the third period to take control. The Utes (22-9) got within 72-68 on Gianna Kneepkens’ 3-pointer with 1:05 left, but could get no closer.
SOUTH CAROLINA 108, TENNESSEE TECH 48
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Freshman Joyce Edwards scored 22 points in her first women’s NCAA Tournament game as No. 1 seed South Carolina began its run at a second straight national title with a victory over Tennessee Tech on Friday.
The Gamecocks (31-3) improved to 17-1 in the past four women’s tournaments, winning in 2022 and 2024. The lone defeat came to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the national semifinals in 2023.
With Edwards, named to the all-Southeastern Conference first-team this season, leading the way, the top seeds of the Birmingham 2 Regional looked poised for another title in a few weeks.
OREGON 77, VANDERBILT 73, 0T
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Deja Kelly scored 20 points, and No. 10 seed Oregon recovered in overtime after losing a 19-point lead in the second half to beat No. 7 Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Kelly – who had previously played at Duke’s arena three times as a North Carolina Tar Heel – shot 6 for 16 from the floor and added eight rebounds, three steals and three assists for the Ducks (20-11). Nani Falatea added 17 points and Peyton Scott scored 13 in Oregon’s first March Madness victory since 2021.
Mikayla Blakes, the SEC freshman of the year, finished with 26 points for Vanderbilt (22-11). Khamil Pierre chipped in 17 points for the Commodores, while Jordyn Oliver had 10.
DUKE 86, LEHIGH 25
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Oluchi Okananwa scored 15 points as second-seeded Duke’s defense powered it to a lopsided victory over 15th-seeded Lehigh in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
The number of points scored by the Mountain Hawks are the second-fewest in the history of the tournament.
Okananwa, the MVP of the ACC Tournament, also had seven rebounds, three steals and two assists in 20 minutes off the bench for the Blue Devils (27-7). Delaney Thomas and Toby Fournier each added 11 points.
Ella Stemmer led Lehigh (27-7) with eight points.
BIRMINGHAM REGIONAL 3
MICHIGAN 80, IOWA ST. 74
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Jordan Hobbs scored 28 points to help No. 6 Michigan hold off 11th-seeded Iowa State to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Wolverines (23-10) will play on Sunday in South Bend, Ind., against the winner ofthe Notre Dame-Stephen F. Austin game for a shot at the Sweet 16.
Olivia Olson scored 16 points. The Wolverines’ freshman hit only one of her first nine shots, but connected on 4-of-6 shots down the stretch.
NOTRE DAME 106, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 54
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Olivia Miles departed Notre Dame’s victory over Stephen F. Austin in the NCAA Tournament because of a left knee injury, casting a shadow over the school’s dominant performance in the first round on Friday.
Miles fell to the court under the SFA basket with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter. The senior guard limped off the court and headed to the team’s locker room.
Miles, a first-team All-ACC selection, finished with two points and eight assists. She missed the 2023-2024 season because of a knee injury.
TCU 73, FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 51
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Madison Conner had 23 points with four 3-pointers and Sedona Prince overcame two early fouls to have 16 points and 10 rebounds as second-seeded TCU won over Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday in the Horned Frogs’ first women’s NCAA Tournament game at home.
Hailey Van Lith added 13 points and seven assists for the Big 12 champion Horned Frogs (32-3), who made their first NCAA appearance in 15 years. They have won their last 11 games.
Teneisia Brown had 18 points and Ava Renninger 12 for 15th-seeded FDU (29-4), the Northeast Conference champions who had won 22 games in a row and were in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
OHIO ST. 71, MONTANA ST. 51
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Taylor Thierry had 16 points, and No. 4 seed Ohio State used a balanced attack to beat Montana State in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State shot 50.9% from the field, and each of its starters scored in double figures. Cotie McMahon and Chance Gray each had 15 points, and Jaloni Cambridge finished with 12. Ajae Petty had 11 points and seven rebounds.
Next up for the Buckeyes (26-6) is the winner of Tennessee versus South Florida.
Esmeralda Morales scored 20 points and Natalie Picton had 12 for No. 13 seed Montana State (30-4), the champions of the Big Sky.
LOUISVILE 63, NEBRASKA 58
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Tajianna Roberts scored 16 points while Jayda Curry made two free throws and drew a charging foul in the final minute as seventh-seeded Louisville beat 10th-seeded Nebraska in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
The Cardinals (22-10) recovered after falling behind when Nebraska opened the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run.
After losing in the first round last season for the first time under coach Jeff Walz, the Cardinals advanced this time to face host second-seeded TCU and their former guard Hailey Van Lith.
TENNESSEE 101 , SOUTH FLORIDA 66
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Talaysia Cooper had 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, Samara Spencer scored 15 points and fifth-seeded Tennessee routed 12th-seeded South Florida in a women’s NCAA Tournament first-round game.
Zee Spearman added 13 points and Jewel Spear had 11 for Tennessee (23-9), which advanced to play No. 4 seed Ohio State (26-6) on Sunday. The winner will move on to the Birmingham 3 Regional.
The Volunteers held a 26-25 lead after the first quarter, which included four ties and six lead changes. But Tennessee outscored South Florida 29-9 in the second quarter to grab control of the game. Spearman and Cooper each had 11 points, with Spearman going 3 for 3 on 3-pointers during the period.
The Vols eventually built their lead as high as 35 points in the fourth quarter. They shot 50% from the floor and 43% on 3s (16 of 37). Eight Tennessee players made at least one 3.
Sammie Puisis had 28 points and seven rebounds for South Florida (23-11). L’or Mputu scored 12 points.
SPOK
ANE REGIONAL 1
BAYLOR 73, GRAND CANYON 60
WACO, Texas (AP) — Aaronette Vonleh had 25 points and 11 rebounds, leading fourth-seeded Baylor to a victory over Grand Canyon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Jada Walker scored 17 points as the host Bears (28-7) ended the Lopes’ nation-leading winning streak at 30 games in Grand Canyon’s first NCAA appearance. Baylor will play the Mississippi-Ball State winner in the second round Sunday.
Baylor trailed most of the first half before going in front for good on a 9-0 run in the final 3:35 before the break. The No. 13 seed Lopes (32-3) got back within three at halftime on Sydney Erikstrup’s 3-pointer at the buzzer.
MISSISSIPPI 83, BALL ST. 65
WACO, Texas (AP) — Starr Jacobs had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Kennedy Todd-Williams added 14 points with 11 boards and No. 5 seed Mississippi rolled to a victory over 12th-seeded Ball State in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Madison Scott scored 15 points as the Rebels (21-10) had a much better time on Baylor’s home court three years after South Dakota won a tournament game for the first time by beating Ole Miss in Waco.
The Rebels will face fourth-seeded Baylor, a 73-60 winner over Grand Canyon, in the second round Sunday.
RICHMOND 74, GEORGIA TECH 49
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Maggie Doogan had 30 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, and eighth-seeded Richmond routed ninth-seeded Georgia Tech for the Spiders’ first women’s NCAA Tournament victory.
Addie Budnik added 14 points for Richmond (28-6), which had gone winless in the four previous March Madness appearances by a program that began play in 1981.
With a phenomenal 18-point first half from Doogan, the Atlantic 10 player of the year, the Spiders jumped to a 20-point lead. They comfortably stayed in front of the Yellow Jackets all night while playing more than 2,600 miles from home at Pauley Pavilion.
Richmond will next face the winner of top-seeded Big Ten champion UCLA’s late meeting with First Four winner Southern.
UCLA 84, SOUTHERN 46
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lauren Betts had 14 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots, and top-seeded UCLA kicked off its quest for its first Final Four appearance in the women’s NCAA Tournament with a victory over 16th-seeded Southern in the first round.
Londynn Jones scored 11 points for the Bruins (31-2), who are the tourney’s top overall seed after spending 13 weeks atop the AP Top 25 and winning the Big Ten tournament last week by knocking off archrival and fellow No. 1 seed Southern California.
The Bruins will face eighth-seeded Richmond on Sunday at Pauley Pavilion for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen. The Spiders routed Georgia Tech 74-49 for their school’s first NCAA Tournament victory behind 30 points and 15 rebounds from Atlantic 10 player of the year Maggie Doogan.
Aniya Gourdine scored 10 points for Southern (21-15), which beat UC San Diego in the First Four on Wednesday to secure this matchup. The Jaguars won the SWAC regular-season and tournament titles during a remarkable season.
But after a long year of spotlights and scrutiny, UCLA was still sharp in its March Madness opener.
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