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Duke, South Carolina, LSU and UCLA are elite!
Those four squads punched their tickets to the Elite Eight on Friday, doing whatever it took to survive and advance through the Sweet 16. Here’s how the Blue Devils, Gamecocks, Tigers and Bruins got it done:
Duke wins ugly over UNC
They began the game down 0-11. They did not score until the four-minute mark of the first quarter. They shot just 31 percent from the field and under 21 percent from 3. They only scored 47 total points. And yet, No. 2-seed Duke has advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2013, defeating No. 3-seed North Carolina in a slugfest between in-state rivals, 47-38.
The 85 combined points is the fewest ever in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game. Duke also is the first team to win a tournament game by scoring just 47 points since 2008, when Tennessee best LSU 47-46 in the Final Four. Pat Summitt, of course, was still in charge of the Big Orange back then, the same Summitt who coached Duke head coach Kara Lawson when she was a Lady Vol. Summitt surely would be proud of the top-notch defensive team that Lawson has guided to the Elite Eight.
After the game, Lawson was all business, focusing on the Blue Devils’ big picture goals rather than the fact that they defeated their biggest rival, asserting, “What you’re chasing is always more important than who you have to go through. What you’re chasing has to take precedence. We try to focus on that.”
With scoring hard to come by, Oluchi Okanawa provided 10 valuable first-half points for Duke, scoring 12 total while also grabbing 10 rebounds. Ashlon Jackson contributed 10 points for the Blue Devils, with five coming in the fourth quarter as Duke separated from UNC.
Now, Duke has an Elite Eight date with No. 1-seed South Carolina.
“Unshakeable” South Carolina survives against Maryland
No. 4-seed Maryland refused to allow No. 1-seed South Carolina to pull away, with the Terrapins nearly sticking with the Gamecocks for the full 40 minutes.
But, South Carolina has MiLaysia Fulwiley and Maryland doesn’t. The sophomore super sub scored a game-high 23 points, providing a combination of poise and panache that put the Gamecocks over the top, 71-67.
After a foul-filled first half, the Gamecock defense reached a higher gear as the game entered gut-check time, holding the Terrapins scoreless for three minutes to turn a one-point deficit into a six-point advantage. Fulwiley, who scored 11 points in the final frame, converted a layup that kicked off South Carolina’s finishing stretch before clutch free throws from Chloe Kitts, who finished with a 15-point and 11-rebound double-double, helped seal the win for the Gamecocks and send them back to another Elite Eight.
After the game, head coach Dawn Staley praised her team for being “resilient,” “unshakeable” and “unflappable.”
LSU’s late push wins it over NC State
A late push from No. 3-seed LSU took the Tigers over the top in this back-and-forth affair. Down to No. 2-seed NC State 73-70 with two minutes remaining, LSU went on a 10-0 to escape, 80-73.
The crucial buckets down the stretch came from Mikaylah Williams and Sa’Myah Smith, but the Tigers would not have been in position to prevail without Aneesah Morrow, who was dominant in tallying a 30-point and 19-rebound double-double. Williams and Smith, however, also made significant contributions throughout the contest, with Williams, who netted the go-ahead layup with just over a minute to go, finishing with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Smith scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her own double-double.
That trio of Tigers more than compensated for the off night from Flau’jae Johnson, who scored just three points before a late fall saw her remain on the sidelines for the game’s final five minutes. After the game, head coach Kim Mulkey indicated Johnson would be ready for LSU’s Elite Eight matchup with No. 1-seed UCLA.
Betts, Bruins best Ole Miss
Lauren Betts wasn’t just awesome on Friday, she was almost perfect, going 15-for-16 from the field as she scored 31 points to lead No. 1-seed UCLA to the victory over No. 5-seed Ole Miss, 76-62.
Betts, who also secured 10 rebounds, once again inspired effusive praise from head coach Cori Close, who emphasized after the game that Betts is a “generational player” who is “not only dominant for herself, but she makes everybody on the floor better.”
Up by two points at the break, the Bruins started the second half on an 8-0 run, giving them an advantage that the Rebels would never threaten. Kiki Rice served as Betts’ supporting star, scoring 13 points and tossing seven assists.
