After the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, two one seeds have been eliminated and some have just barely advanced. The teams who are still standing are now in Seattle, Washington and Greenville, South Carolina for the Sweet 16. Before that starts, let’s break down the first two rounds.
Best Stat Lines
Charisma Osborne (No. 4 seeded UCLA) vs Oklahoma: 36 points, 8 rebounds
For her last game ever at Pauley Pavilion, senior guard Charisma Osborne was the star of the show. Her career-high 36 points led UCLA to an appearance in the Sweet 16. She was 12-for-12 on free throws which boosted the Bruins’ total 25-of-28 free throws for the entire game. The senior guard was one of the two UCLA scorers in double-digits, paving the way for them to advance in the NCAA Tournament. Even when the Sooners were shooting 76.9% from the field during the third quarter, Osborne continued putting up points, keeping UCLA ahead. As the Bruins clinched the win, Osborne pumped up the crowd after her 36-point, eight-rebound performance against Oklahoma.
Maddy Siegrist (No. 4 seeded Villanova) vs Florida Gulf Coast: 31 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals
Maddy Siegrist has been unstoppable all season. Against Cleveland State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, she dropped 35 points which led to her 1,000th point of the season, making history. This makes Siegrist just the fifth player in women’s Division I history to score 1,000 points in a single season. In the second round of March Madness, Siegrist scored 31 points with six rebounds and four steals in what was likely her last home game ever. The senior forward went 13-for-24 in shots and it was her 36th straight game this season with at least 20 points. Siegrist, the nation’s top scorer, averaging 29.2 points, led Villanova to the win and their second ever Sweet 16 appearance in program history.
Alissa Pili (No. 2 seeded Utah) vs Princeton: 28 points, 10 rebounds
At halftime, Alissa Pili had 17 points, which led to a total of 28 points and 10 rebounds in Utah’s win over Princeton. The Utes jumped to an early 20-10 lead with help from the physicality and surge from Pili. The junior forward was a powerhouse in the paint, grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double performance in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. Pili is also a very versatile player as she can shoot from all ends of the court, having a 3-point shot in the second quarter. She will make a big difference for Utah when they play in the Sweet 16.
Angel Reese (No. 3 seeded LSU) vs Michigan: 25 points, 23 rebounds, 3 steals
Dominating on both ends of the court, Angel Reese led LSU to top Michigan. Reese did a ton of damage in the game having a double-double as she scored 25 points with 23 rebounds. Every time the sophomore forward steps on the court, she attacks the basketball and her mentality is like no other. She also managed to grab three steals for LSU. In the second quarter, Reese went on a 7-0 run for the Tigers, ultimately putting them above Michigan to advance to the Sweet 16.
Diamond Miller (No. 2 seeded Maryland) vs Arizona: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists
In potentially her last home game ever, senior guard Diamond Miller led Maryland to defeat Arizona. She totaled 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists. She finished the third quarter with a perfect 6-for-6 from the field with 13 points. At this point, the Terps had a large 19-point lead over Arizona. In her four years at Maryland, this is the third Sweet 16 that the senior guard has been a part of. Miller was the only returning starter for Maryland and she turned into the teams top scorer and leader on all sides of the court.
Best Upset
No. 8 seeded Ole Miss upsets No. 1 seeded Stanford
From the start of the game, it was a close matchup between Ole Miss and Stanford. Cameron Brink led the Stanford offense with 20 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks. In total, Haley Jones and Brink combined for 36 points on 37% shooting. Ole Miss often double-teamed this duo, which is when problems started rising for Stanford as they were not producing on offense and committing turnovers. The leading scorer for Ole Miss was Madison Scott with 11 points and they will now advance to the Sweet 16 after downing the No. 1 seeded Stanford 54-49.
No. 9 seeded Miami upsets No. 1 seeded Indiana
Another stunning upset in the tournament came from Miami and No. 1 seeded Indiana. The Hoosiers were led by Mackenzie Holmes, who scored 22 points with nine rebounds. But Miami was not far behind with Lola Pendande scoring 19 points and seven rebounds. They led at halftime and defense is what ultimately got them the win. At the end of the third quarter, Indiana came roaring back to bring Miami’s lead to just one. With eight seconds left in the game, Indiana’s Yarden Garzon knocked down a clutch 3-point shot to tie up the score. After the turnaround, Destiny Harden hit a jump shot to seal the 70-68 win for the Hurricanes and upset Indiana. Miami will advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992.
Best Games
No. 3 seeded Ohio State downs No. 6 seeded UNC 71-69
Leaders:
UNC: Deja Kelly – 22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Ohio State: Taylor Mikesell – 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists
No. 1 seeded South Carolina eases past No. 8 seeded South Florida 76-45
Leaders:
South Carolina: Zia Cooke – 22 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
South Florida: Elena Tsineke – 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
No. 2 seeded Iowa moves past No. 10 seeded Georgia 74-66
Leaders:
Iowa: Caitlin Clark – 22 points, 3 rebounds, 12 assists
Georgia: Diamond Battles – 21 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
No. 1 seeded Virginia Tech beats No. 9 South Dakota State 72-60
Leaders:
Virginia Tech: Georgia Amoore – 21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
South Dakota State: Myah Selland – 17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist
