DePaul outlasts Oklahoma in shootout
DURHAM, N.C. — Megan Rogowski scored 24 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 40.5 seconds left to help DePaul beat Oklahoma 104-100 on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA tournament in the Lincoln Regional.
Chanise Jenkins added 21 points and Brittany Hrynko had 19 for the seventh-seeded Blue Demons (28-6). They blew a 19-point lead with under 16 minutes left, then rallied for a wild win.
They will play second-seeded Duke (28-6) on Monday night in the second round of the Lincoln Regional.
Aaryn Ellenberg had 36 points and seven 3s for the 10th-seeded Sooners (18-15), who set a tournament record for most points by a losing team in a regulation game. The 204 combined points also made it the highest scoring regulation game in the history of the NCAA women’s tournament. DUKE 87, WINTHROP 45 DURHAM, N.C. — Tricia Liston scored 20 points and Duke routed Winthrop.
Freshman Oderah Chidom added 17 points for the secondseeded Blue Devils (28-6).
They didn’t miss a beat in their first game in nearly two weeks: They never trailed, shot 54 percent and led by double figures for the final 33½ minutes in winning their 21st straight NCAA tournament opener.
In giving the 15th-seeded Eagles (24-9) their worst loss of the season by far, Duke built a 49-23 rebounding advantage and held them to 27 percent shooting — 21 percent in the decisive first half — to advance in the Lincoln Regional bracket.
NEBRASKA 75, FRESNO STATE 55 LOS ANGELES — Jordan Hooper had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and fourth-seeded Nebraska defeated Fresno State.
Emily Cady added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Cornhuskers (26-6), the Big Ten tournament champions who have won 13 of 14 games.
Taylor Thompson was the only player in double figures with 14 points for the 13th-seeded Bulldogs (22-11). They closed within four points early in the second half, but never got any closer in falling to 0-7 in the NCAA tourney. The Mountain West tourney champions had their eight-game winning streak snapped. NOTRE DAME REGIONAL
NOTRE DAME 93, ROBERT MORRIS 42 TOLEDO, Ohio — Michaela Mabrey scored 11 of her 16 points in the first half, and top-seeded Notre Dame breezed to a victory in its NCAA tournament opener against 16th-seeded Robert Morris.
Jewell Loyd and Natalie Achonwa added 15 points each for the unbeaten Fighting Irish, who are trying for their fourth straight Final Four appearance. Notre Dame (33-0) is a No. 1 seed for the third straight season.
The Irish will take on ninthseeded Arizona State in the second round Monday.
Robert Morris (21-12) shot 27 percent from the field. Greek star Artemis Spanou, one of the top players in Northeast Conference history, was held to seven points and attempted only four shots from the field. ARIZONA STATE 69,
VANDERBILT 61 TOLEDO, Ohio — Katie Hempen scored 16 points, and ninth-seeded Arizona State handed eighth-seeded Vanderbilt a rare first-round loss in the NCAA tournament, holding off the Commodores.
The Sun Devils (23-9) shot 62 percent to win this matchup between two teams who struggled coming into this tournament. Arizona State had lost three in a row and six of eight. Vanderbilt’s loss Saturday was its fifth straight and 10th in 12 games.
Marqu’es Webb scored 18 points for the Commodores (1813), overpowering Arizona State inside, and senior star Christina Foggie added 16. KENTUCKY 106, WRIGHT STATE 60 LEXINGTON, Ky. — Jennifer O’Neill scored 21 points, Samarie Walker added 12 with 14 rebounds and third-seeded Kentucky crushed No. 14 Wright State.
Hosting their first NCAA women’s postseason game, the Wildcats (25-8) used home court and other advantages to overwhelm an undersized Raiders squad making their tournament debut. Kentucky shot 55 percent from the field, grabbed a school-record 67 rebounds and recorded a season-high 12 blocks.
SYRACUSE 59, CHATTANOOGA 53 LEXINGTON, Ky. — Syracuse guard Brittney Sykes had 13 points and 12 rebounds before injuring her right knee midway through the second half as the sixth-seeded Orange beat Chattanooga for its first-ever NCAA tournament win.
Leading 40-36 with 12:46 remaining, Sykes drove to the basket before grabbing her leg and screaming. The Orange stayed strong without their top scorer, using a 52-36 rebounding edge to stretch the lead to 10 with 2:33 left before withstanding a late Chattanooga rally featuring three 3-pointers from Taylor Hall.
Syracuse (23-9) hit 24 of 31 free throws to seal the victory that also snapped Chattanooga’s 25-game winning streak. Shakeya Leary made 7 of 8 from the line to finish with 15 points. PURDUE 84, AKRON 55 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Whitney Bays scored 20 points and Courtney Moses added 12 as Purdue routed Akron.
It proved to be a milestone day for the Boilermakers (22-8). Moses tied the school’s career record for 3s. She made two, giving her 238 — the same total Katie Gearlds had during her All-American career. The win also gave coach Sharon Versyp her 300th career win, and it set up a Monday night showdown between the fourth-seeded Boilermakers, who have won 11 of 13, and fifth-seeded Oklahoma State.
OKLAHOMA STATE 61, FLORIDA GULF COAST 60, OT
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tiffany Bias’ driving layup with 41 seconds remaining in overtime lifted No. 5 seed Oklahoma State to a victory over No. 12 seed Florida Gulf Coast.
The Cowgirls (24-8) will play either No. 4 seed Purdue or 13th-seeded Akron in the second round on Monday night.
The teams traded the lead in OT before Bias’ layup. Florida Gulf Coast (26-8) missed a shot with that would have given the Eagles the lead. Oklahoma State was fouled with 3 seconds left, but Liz Donohoe missed the free throw. LOUISVILLE REGIONAL
TENNESSSEE 70, NORTHWESTERN STATE 46
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— Isabelle Harrison scored 12 points and sparked a game-changing 12-0 run as No. 1 seed Tennessee withstood an ailing head coach and a lethargic first-half performance to beat Northwestern State.
Tennessee coach Holly Warlick missed the Lady Vols’ morning shootaround with what school officials described as a case of food poisoning. Warlick rejoined her team for the game, but she had an IV port in her left hand during the first half and sat on an orange stool while assistant coach Kyra Elzy stood and shouted instructions. CALIFORNIA 64, FORDHAM 63
WACO, Texas — Brittany Boyd scored 22 points, including the game-winning jumper with 14 seconds left, and California survived for a victory over feisty Fordham.
California (22-9), a Final Four team last season, held on when Erin Rooney’s final shot for the Rams came up short.
There were eight ties and nine lead changes in the second half, including lead changing three times in the final 32 seconds.
Rooney had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Fordham (25-8), the Atlantic 10 tournament champ playing in its first NCAA tourney in 20 years. STANFORD REGIONAL FLORIDA STATE 55,
IOWA STATE 44 AMES, Iowa — Natasha Howard had her school-record 15th double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds, and 10th-seeded Florida State defeated cold-shooting Iowa State.
The Seminoles (21-11) won their 11th straight tournament opener since 1991, prevailing in a game in which turnovers outnumbered field goals 44-36. They’ll play No. 2 seeded Stanford or No. 15 South Dakota on Monday night.