Villanova star Maddy Siegrist scored 35 points in the Wildcats’ 76-59 first-round NCAA Tournament win over visiting Cleveland State on Saturday to become the fifth Division I women’s player to score 1,000 points in a season.

Siegrist’s total sits at 1,019, which ranks fourth behind Washington’s Kelsey Plum (1,109 in 2016-17), Missouri State’s Jackie Stiles (1,062 in 2000-01) and Baylor’s Odyssey Sims (1,054 in 2013-14). Siegrist passed Iowa’s Megan Gustafson (1,001 in 2018-19) on Saturday.

“It’s definitely something that I never even like thought about,” Siegrist said. “I never even thought that was an achievable goal. So yeah, it means a lot. I’m really glad we won the game. It’s better when you win when you get a milestone than when you lose and you get one.”

Maddy Siegrist has just become the 5th player in women’s D1 history to score ??,?????? points in one season! @20sMaddy x #SuperSiegrist pic.twitter.com/Ere4XZoClK

— Villanova WBB (@novawbb) March 18, 2023

Siegrist, a first-team All-American, made 15 of 28 shots in a game in which the Wildcats (29-6) led by as many as 32 points. Christina Dalce collected 16 rebounds for Villanova.

Siegrist reached the milestone with a three-point play with 2:47 left in the second quarter. She missed a shot and Cleveland State’s Jordan Reisman grabbed the rebound. But Siegrist stole the ball and made the basket to reach 1,000. She was fouled and made the free throw.

The Wildcats will face 12th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast (33-3) on Monday in the second round. The Eagles beat fifth-seeded Washington State 74-63 earlier Saturday.

Destiny Leo scored 25 points for the 13th-seeded Vikings (30-5).

–Field Level Media

For the second straight year, Florida Gulf Coast — seeded 12th again — upset a No. 5 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, this time handing Pac-12 champs Washington State a 74-63 defeat in Villanova, Pa., on Saturday.

FGCU (33-3) shot 55.6 percent from the floor and was led by the sharp shooting of Sha Carter, who poured in 24 points. Tishara Morehouse chipped in 16 points for the Eagles.

A season ago, FGCU upset Virginia Tech in the first round in College Park, Md. The Cougars (23-11) were the Eagles’ victims this time, as 16 points and 12 rebounds from Tara Wallack wasn’t enough to propel Washington State to its fifth straight win.

“This isn’t a one off,” Washington State coach Kamie Ethridge said. “This is what (FGCU coach Karl Smesko) does every year; wins 30 games and comes in under-seeded and plays just an unbelievably seasoned, tough game. It just felt like we didn’t quite get a handle of how to guard them.”

The Eagles advance in the Greenville 2 bracket and will face the winner of host and No. 4 seed Villanova and No. 13 Cleveland State on Monday.

Here are more results from the first half of Saturday’s action in the women’s NCAA Tournament.

GREENVILLE REGIONAL 2

No. 9 Miami 62, No. 8 Oklahoma State 61

The Hurricanes (20-12) completed the fifth-largest comeback in tournament history by erasing a 17-point deficit to top the Cowgirls (21-12) in Bloomington, Ind. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Haley Cavinder became the first Miami player since 2000 to have at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in an NCAA Tournament game, finishing with 16 points, eight boards and six dimes.

“It was nerve-racking, but we finished the game strong,” Cavinder said. “Yeah, it was something I’ll remember forever.”

Anna Gret Asi led Oklahoma State with 16 points off the bench.

No. 1 Indiana 77, No. 16 Tennessee Tech 47

Powered by 19 points and eight rebounds from Sydney Parrish, the Hoosiers (28-3) won an NCAA Tournament game for the fourth straight season. The Golden Eagles (23-10) were led by 17 points and nine rebounds from Maaliya Owens in Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana played without All-American forward Mackenzie Holmes, who dressed but did not play due to knee soreness. Hoosiers coach Teri Moren said she feels “really good” about Holmes playing Monday.

SEATTLE REGIONAL 3

No. 12 Toledo 80, No. 5 Iowa State 73

The Rockets (29-4) took a seven-point lead into the second half and held on to it to upset the Cyclones (22-10). In what was her final game for the Big 12 champions, Iowa State’s Ashley Joens had 23 points and 13 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Toledo, which is advancing in the tournament for the first time since 1996.

Four Rockets scored in double digits, with Quinesha Lockett pouring in 24 points and 13 rebounds.

No. 4 Tennessee 95, No. 13 Saint Louis 50

Jordan Horston tallied 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists as the Volunteers (24-11) topped the Billikens (17-18) in Knoxville, Tenn. It was the first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance for Saint Louis, which won the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Billikens were led by 17 points and nine rebounds from Brooke Flowers.

No. 3 Ohio State 80, No. 14 James Madison 66

Cotie McMahon scored 18 points as the Buckeyes (26-7) overcame a halftime deficit and held off the upset-minded Dukes (26-8) in Columbus, Ohio. James Madison led by 12 points after the first quarter and by three points at halftime, but Ohio State opened the third quarter with an 18-7 run to take the lead.

The Dukes — who would’ve been the first-ever No. 14 seed to upset a No. 3 in the women’s tournament — were steered by Kiki Jefferson’s 17 points and eight rebounds.

No. 2 UConn 95, No. 15 Vermont 52

Aaliyah Edwards shot 13 of 15 from the floor and scored a career-high 28 points as the Huskies (30-5) raced away from the Catamounts (25-7) in Storrs, Conn. Dorka Juhasz aided UConn’s efforts by providing a double-double of 15 points and 10 boards. Vermont was powered by Catherine Gilwee, who had 14 points.

No. 6 North Carolina 61, No. 11 St. John’s 59

Deja Kelly scored 18 points and scored the game-winning points — a lay-up and a free throw — with 2.3 seconds remaining as the Tar Heels (22-10) held off the upset-minded Red Storm (23-9). UNC led by as much as 12 points in the first half but allowed St. John’s to take a fourth-quarter lead during a nearly-four minute scoring drought for the Heels. Jayla Everett led the Red Storm with 17 points.

–Field Level Media

Minnesota named Dawn Plitzuweit its new women’s basketball coach, the school announced Saturday.

Her hiring won’t be official until she passes a background check and the university’s board of regents approves her six-year contract.

Once in place, she will replace Lindsay Whalen, who stepped down earlier this month after five seasons leading her alma mater. Whalen was 71-76 with no NCAA Tournament appearances with the Golden Gophers.

Plitzuweit, a Wisconsin native, heads to Minnesota after one season as head coach at West Virginia, which hired her March 31, 2022.

A 1995 graduate of Michigan Tech, Plitzuweit began her coaching career that year at her alma mater, then got her first chance at a head coaching job at Grand Valley State in 2002. In 2007, she transitioned to associate head coach at Michigan. South Dakota named her head coach in 2016, and she remained there until accepting the job with the Mountaineers.

She has a career record of 356-141 (201-66 in league play) and her teams have made the postseason in 15 of her 16 seasons as a head coach. Grand Valley State won a Division II national championship in 2006.

The Golden Gophers most recent tournament berth came in 2018.

“I am extremely excited,” Plitzuweit, 50, said in a school-issued statement. “It is a tremendous honor to be named head coach at Minnesota. … This is a homecoming of sorts, and Minnesota is a program that I am very familiar with from my previous time in the surrounding area and in the Big Ten. I am looking forward to getting back to the area and to meet the team, alumni and fans.”

In her only season at West Virginia, the Mountaineers finished 19-12 (10-8 Big 12) and lost to Arizona 75-62 on Friday in the opening round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

In a statement on Saturday, West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker said the school will immediately begin a national search for its next head coach. Plitzuweit replaced Mike Carey, who retired in 2022 after 21 seasons leading the Mountaineers.

–Field Level Media

Plitzuweit also coached in the Big Ten as an assistant at Michigan and Wisconsin, and is a native of Wisconsin. She is tasked with turning Minnesota into a Big Ten power as the conference welcomes UCLA and USC in the coming years. The Gophers last appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2018, then coached by Marlene Stollings, but at their height advanced to the Final Four in 2004 behind Whalen’s outstanding run as a player.

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, all four members of Whalen’s highly regarded freshman class — Mara Braun, Mallory Heyer, Nia Holloway and Amaya Battle — intend to remain at Minnesota despite Whalen’s departure.

West Virginia will now be looking for a women’s basketball coach for the second time in two years following the retirement of longtime coach Mike Carey after the 2021-22 season.