Aaliyah Nye hit three fourth-quarters 3-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points, and Birmingham Region 2 No. 5 seed Alabama used a late-game run to hold off 12th-seeded Green Bay, 81-67, Saturday in College Park, Maryland.
The Crimson Tide (24-8) led throughout the second half, but Green Bay chipped away at an 11-point deficit to pull within five at 59-54.
Alabama responded with a 19-7 run, with Nye going for 11. She finished 4-of-9 from outside for the day, while Zaay Green connected on 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. Green finished with 22 points.
Karly Weathers added a double-double for the Tide with 10 points and 10 rebounds, contributing to a 43-27 advantage on the glass. Alabama outscored Green Bay in the paint, 40-22.
The Phoenix (29-6) got a team-high 14 points off the bench from Maddy Schreiber, pacing four Green Bay scorers on double-figures. Cassie Schiltz finished with 13 points, Natalie McNeal had 12 and Callie Genke added 10.
No. 3 North Carolina 70, No. 14 Oregon State 49
Lexi Donarski nearly singlehandedly doubled the Beavers’ output in the third quarter on her own, helping the Tar Heels to the rout in Chapel Hill, N.C.
North Carolina (28-7) took control with a 30-9 third quarter, led by Donarski’s 17 points. She finished with 19 points in the contest.
Maria Gakdeng added 13 points and Alyssa Ustby nearly contributed 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists, supplementing a North Carolina defense that held Oregon State to 19-of-54 shooting from the floor.
Kelsey Rees led the Beavers (19-16) with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
North Carolina moves on to meet No. 6 seed West Virginia.
No. 4 Maryland 82, No. 13 Norfolk State 69
Four of Maryland’s starters produced all but 11 of the team’s points as the Terrapins rode a fourth-quarter run to hold off the Spartans in College Park, Md.
Sarah Te-Biasu led the way with 22 points on 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. Kaylene Smikle scored 21 points and shot 9-of-9 at the free-throw line; Allie Kubek shot 7-of-11 from the floor en route to 16 points, and Shyann Sellers chipped in with 12 points.
The Terrapins (24-7) went 23-of-25 from the free-throw line to just 8-of-11 for Norfolk State in what was a tightly contested matchup early in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans (30-5), who entered the NCAA Tournament on a 19-game winning streak, were led by Kierra Wheeler’s 20 points and seven rebounds. Diamond Johnson shot 4-of-10 from 3-point range en route to 18 points.
Maryland advances to face No. 5 seed Alabama on Monday.
No. 6 West Virginia 78, No. 11 Columbia 59
JJ Quinerly and Jordan Harrison each scored 16 first-half points, and sixth-seeded West Virginia cruised past No. 11 seed Columbia, 78-59, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The Mountaineers (25-7) built on a nine-point lead through the first quarter with a quick, 12-4 run, building a lead of as many as 21 points before intermission. Harrison and Quinerly paced West Virginia on the day with 23 and 27 points. The duo also led the Mountaineers aggressive defense, coming away with three and seven of 17 team steals, part of the 25 total turnovers West Virginia forced.
Cecelia Collins and Riley Weiss led the Lions (24-7) with 16 and 14 points.
–Field Level Media
