Top-seeded North Carolina State defeats N.C. A&T
Jada Boyd scored 15 of her 18 points in the second half to help top-seeded North Carolina State overcome a slow start and coast to a 79-58 win over 16th-seeded N.C. A&T in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament in San Marcos, Texas, on Sunday.
N.C. State (21-2) was making its fourth straight tournament appearance and 26th overall, but earned a No. 1 seed for the first time.
The Aggies led by as many as six in the second quarter of the Mercado Region game at StrahanColiseum. But N.C. State used a big run to take a seven-point lead into halftime before Boyd scored the first six points of the second half to make it 50-37 with 71⁄2 minutes left in the third.
N.C. A&T (14-3), which won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title, was making its fifth trip to the tournament and third in six seasons. They were led by Chanin Scott, who had 23 points and seven rebounds.
ALAMO REGION
Oklahoma State 84, Wake Forest 61:
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Natasha Mack scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead Oklahoma State (19-8) past Wake Forest (12-13) in the first-round game in San Antonio.
Mack was 13 of 22 shooting, feasting on a variety of shots inside, and collected her 18th doubledouble of the season. She was also a force on defense, with 11 rebounds on the defensive boards and blocking four shots, extending her nation-leading total to 111.
HEMISFAIR REGION
South Carolina 79, Mercer 53:
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South Carolina coach Dawn Staley got her 500th career victory when Aliyah Boston and the top-seeded Gamecocks beat Mercer in the first-round game at the Alamodome.
Boston had 20 points and 18 rebounds for South Carolina (23-4), which grabbed the lead for good when it closed the first half with a 16-5 run. Victaria Saxton also scored 20 points.
Amoria Neal-Tysor had 15 points for Mercer
(19-7). Jada Lewis added 14 points, and Shannon Titus finished with 12.
Oregon State 83,
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Florida State 59: Aleah Goodman scored 24 points with five rebounds, five assists and zero turnovers for Oregon State (12-7). Florida State (10-9) is exiting after the first round for the first time in its last 17 appearances.
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Georgia Tech 54, Stephen F. Austin 52:
Lorela Cubaj recovered from a scary fall to
score 14 points, including the go-ahead free throws in overtime, and fifthseeded Georgia Tech (16-8) came back from a 17-point halftime deficit to turn back No. 12 seed Stephen F. Austin (24-3) in an opening-round game at Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio.
Cubaj, of Italy, left the the game in the second quarter after taking a fall while going for a rebound. She appeared to hit the back of her head on the court and after some minutes on the floor was able to leave with assistance. She came back four minutes later.
RIVER WALK REGION
Syracuse 72, South Dakota State 55:
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Emily Engstler scored 18 points and made three threepointers in the fourth quarter and the No. 8 Orange (15-8) got even for a second-round loss to the Jackrabbits in 2019.
Paiton Burckhard scored 17 for No. 9 South Dakota State (21-4) in the first-round game in Austin, Texas.
Iowa 87, Central
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Michigan 72: Freshman Caitlin Clark, the nation’s leading scorer, had 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Monika Czinano also scored 23 points, and No. 5 seed
Iowa (19-9) beat 12thseeded Central Michigan at the Alamodome.
Clark had 15 points and five assists through the first 14 minutes — before picking up her second foul with 3:33 in the half on a charging call. Iowa was comfortably ahead at the break, 48-37, partially because the nation’s seventh-leading scorer, Micaela Kelly, picked up three fouls in the first quarter for Central Michigan (18-9).
Kentucky 71, Idaho
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State 63: Rhyne Howard and Chasity Patterson scored 14 points apiece for No. 18 Kentucky in the opening-round win at the Alamodome.
The game wasn’t offensively pleasing until a wide-open fourth quarter. The Wildcats, the fourth seed in the River Walk Region, took an opening punch from the 13th-seeded Bengals (22-4) and then battled back.
Blair Green added 10 points for the Wildcats (18-8).
Michigan 87, Florida
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Gulf Coast 66: Leigha Brown scored 28 points, including 17 straight for sixth-seeded Michigan at one point, and the Wolverines beat 11th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast in the first-round game in San Antonio.
Michigan (15-5) will play Tennessee in the second round on Tuesday.
The win snapped the
Eagles’ (26-3) 25-game win streak, which was the second-longest in the nation, trailing only California Baptist’s 27-game run.
Tennessee 87, Middle
● Tennessee 62: Rennia Davis scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and No. 3 seed Tennessee (17-7) used a dominant second half to beat 14thseeded Middle Tennessee (17-8) in Austin, Texas.
MTSU’s Anastasia Hayes finished with 26 points.
Virginia Tech 70,
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Marquette 63: Elizabeth Kitley had 23 points and No. 7 Virginia Tech built a big lead and held on to top 10th-seeded Marquette at Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos, Texas.
The Golden Eagles used a 14-2 run to cut it to 3 with 39 seconds to go. Marquette (19-7) missed its first eight three-pointers before making its next four, capped by two from Lauren Van Kleunen, to power that run.
Kitley also had eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks for Virginia Tech (15-9).
Baylor 101, Jackson
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State 52: Moon Ursin scored a career-high 24 points, NaLyssa Smith had a double-double and the Bears (26-2) had no problem in their opener at the Alamodome.
Keshuna Luckett led the 15th-seeded Tigers (19-6) with 15 points.