Angel Reese had 10 points and 19 rebounds and LSU began the defense of its national championship by shaking off Rice 70-60 in the first round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament on Friday in Baton Rouge, La.
Aneesah Morrow scored 15 points and Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams had 14 apiece for the No. 3 seed Tigers (29-5). They will face No. 11 seed Middle Tennessee, which upset No. 6 seed Louisville 71-69, on Sunday.
Destiny Jackson scored 15, Malia Fisher had 13 points before fouling out, Emily Klaczek and Sussy Ngulefac scored 10 apiece to lead the No. 14 seed Owls (19-15).
LSU’s 24 turnovers led to a five-point disadvantage in points off turnovers, but that was offset by the Tigers making 22 of 31 free throws compared to 6 of 8 for the Owls.
No. 11 Middle Tennessee 71, No. 6 Louisville 69
Jalynn Gregory scored 24 points and Savannah Wheeler added 22 as No. 11 Middle Tennessee overcame an 18-point deficit to upset No. 6 seed Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament on Friday in Baton Rouge, La.
Anastasiia Boldyreva added 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Blue Raiders (30-4), who will face the winner between No. 3 LSU and No. 14 Rice on Sunday.
Olivia Cochran had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Nina Rickards scored 12 to lead the Cardinals (24-10).
Middle Tennessee outscored Louisville 24-12 in the third quarter to take a 51-50 entering the fourth. It led by as many as eight points twice before the Cardinals got within two with 53 seconds remaining. Gregory made three of four free throws to push the lead to five.
Rickards made a jumper, but Gregory answered with two more free throws. Middle Tennessee made two of four more free throws and held on as Merissah Russell’s desperate 3-pointer from the backcourt missed at the buzzer.
No. 5 Colorado 86, No. 12 Drake 72
Aaronette Vonleh had 18 points and 10 rebounds and the Buffaloes defeated the Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament in Manhattan, Kan.
Jaylyn Sherrod added 16 points and eight assists, Kindyll Wetta scored 16 and Maddie Nolan had 12 for Colorado (23-9). The Buffaloes advance to face No. 4 seed and host Kansas State on Sunday.
Katie Dinnebier scored 24 points, Courtney Becker added 14 and Taylor McAulay had 13 for the Bulldogs (29-6).
Colorado led 46-41 after a first half in which both teams shot better than 50 percent from the floor. The Buffaloes shot 51.4 percent and the Bulldogs shot 65.2 percent.
But Colorado stayed hot in the third quarter and Drake cooled off. The Buffaloes outshot the Bulldogs 70.6 percent to 25 percent in the period, outscoring them 25-12 to take a commanding 71-53 lead after the third quarter.
No. 4 Kansas State 78, No. 13 Portland State 65
Gabby Gregory scored 22 points and the Wildcats raced to an early 18-point lead and held off the Pilots in the first round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament in Manhattan, Kan.
Ayoka Lee added 21 points and nine rebounds and Serena Sundell had 16 points and nine assists for Kansas State (26-7).
Maisie Burnham scored 21 and Kianna Hamilton-Fisher added 12 to lead Portland State (21-13).
Sundell scored nine points as KSU led by as many as 18 points in racing to a 25-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Wildcats expanded the lead to 20 in the second quarter before the Pilots reduced it to 40-28 at halftime. Kansas State maintained a 12-point lead at the end of the third quarter and remained in control in the fourth.
–Field Level Media
