By the end of the day, we’ll have our women’s NCAA Tournament second-round matchups.
MatchupRegionalTime (ET)TVNo. 6 Florida State vs. No. 11 George Mason
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 William & Mary
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State
RESULTSNo. 10 South Dakota State 74
No. 9 Mississippi State 59
MatchupRegionTime (ET)TVNo. 2 Duke vs. No. 10 Oregon
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Michigan
No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 5 Kansas State
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 9 Indiana
No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 5 Ole Miss
No. 2 TCU vs. No. 7 Louisville
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Tennessee
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 8 Richmond
Follow our experts’ analysis and updates from Day 2 of the NCAA Tournament:
No. 9 Mississippi State 59, No. 8 California 46
Bulldogs move on to face USC
Before facing California in the first round, coach Sam Purcell said that his Mississippi State team would have to play its best defensive game of the season on Saturday. The Golden Bears entered the matchup ranked 13th nationally in effective field-goal percentage and 10th in made 3s.
The Bulldogs were more than up to the challenge. Mississippi State conceded the first point of the game but then immediately took control with a 9-1 run and limited Cal to five first-quarter points. It was the Golden Bears’ lowest-scoring period of the season. The Bulldogs led for the remainder of the game, holding Cal to 25 percent shooting and three made 3-pointers in the 59-46 win. No. 9 seed Mississippi State advances to play No. 1 seed USC in Monday’s second round.
Although they are known for their 3s, Cal’s advantage in many matchups has been Michelle Onyiah. She carves out space in the middle and sucks defenses into the paint, creating space on the perimeter for Cal’s shooters. However, the Bulldogs countered Onyiah with 6-foot-6 center Madina Okot, who guarded 6-3 Onyiah in isolation and won that matchup. Okot was credited with two blocks, but she affected many more shots, as Onyiah missed five layups and the Golden Bears shot 4 of 18 at the rim.
Okot finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Jerkaila Jordan had 18 points to lead the Bulldogs, and Eniya Russell also finished in double figures with 13 points.
In a tournament field littered with potential rematches, Mississippi State is facing the Trojans for the first time in the postseason. The two programs have met twice during the regular season, splitting those games in 2009 and 2016, with each decided by four points.
USC started its season against the Bulldogs’ rival Ole Miss, eking out a two-point victory in Paris, but it has not played an SEC team since. Mississippi State didn’t play any Big Ten schools during its regular season.
A Dawg gotta eat!#HailState | 📺ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/wy5AuX136s
— Mississippi State Women’s Basketball (@HailStateWBK) March 22, 2025
— Sabreena Merchant
No. 4 Maryland 82, No. 13 Norfolk State 69
Terrapins overcome slow start to advance, face Alabama Monday
With several players who hadn’t experienced an NCAA Tournament before, Maryland coach Brenda Frese expected some level of tightness when the ball tipped on Saturday. But she didn’t expect it to carry over well into the third quarter, or for that overall tightness to impact the productivity of her best players.
Yet, Maryland entered halftime trailing Norfolk State by two with its two leading scorers — Shyanne Sellers and Kaylene Smikle — having combined for just five first-half points on 20 percent shooting and seven combined turnovers (of the team’s 12). Frese knew the Terrapins desperately needed a reset.
She emphasized pace, ball security and a more connected team mentality. It was just what the Terrapins needed to outlast Norfolk State and it’s also what they will need as they look down its bracket littered with great SEC and ACC teams — ones featuring excellent guard play.
Suffice it to say, the halftime talk worked. In the third quarter — paced by Sellers and Smikle, who combined for 16 third-quarter points, and ended with a combined 33 — the Terrapins settled in and looked much more like the tournament team they hoped to be. Maryland scored as many points in that quarter as it did in the entire first half.
“That’s what we have to have from our guard play if we’re going to continue to move through this tournament — our guards have to show up,” Frese said. “We’re fortunate we found a way to win, but we’re going to have to play a much better game come Monday.”
Frese lauded Norfolk State’s cohesion and attributed it to the many veterans across the roster. When she looks at the Terrapins’ next opponent, she sees the same; Alabama starts three fifth-year players. Even further down the potential path for the Terrapins, though Frese didn’t speak that far ahead on Saturday, a potential matchup looms against top-seeded South Carolina, which starts four players who are at least in their fourth year.
When the Terrapins and their guards are at their best, they can hang with those opponents. But, as it hinted on Saturday, when that tightness gets the better of it, Maryland could be vulnerable.
“I’m hopeful, as we move forward,” Frese said, “we can get back to playing the way we’re used to playing.”
— Chantel Jennings
No. 1 USC 71, No. 16 UNC Greensboro 25
USC’s full-court press creates a distance
LOS ANGELES — It took about a quarter for USC to find its footing in its first-round matchup. Against one of the slowest-paced teams in Division I (only three teams use fewer possessions per 40 minutes), the Trojans were stuck in the half court for the first 11 minutes, unable to break away from a stout UNC Greensboro defense. Then USC busted out its full-court press, and the entire tenor of the game changed.
The Trojans reeled off 16 points in a row in the second quarter to extend their lead to 18, forcing five turnovers in the process. The Spartans could barely get the ball past half court, let alone create good shots. The few times they did break the press, they took quick jumpers, playing right into USC’s hands. Meanwhile, the Trojans regained their offensive groove in transition and led by double digits the rest of the way, winning 71-25.
UNC Greensboro’s final total was less than what USC had scored at halftime (28). Through the third quarter, the Spartans were collectively trailing JuJu Watkins. They made 13 percent of their shots (seven total) and committed 23 turnovers.
Watkins finished with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting in 28 minutes, just the second time in 2025 that she has played fewer than 30. She has scored at least 20 points in all five of her NCAA Tournament games.
LFG K9 🐺✌️‼️ pic.twitter.com/4lR4oLqfz7
— USC Women’s Basketball (@USCWBB) March 22, 2025
— Sabreena Merchant
No. 10 South Dakota State 74, No. 7 Oklahoma State 68
Experienced Jackrabbits outlast Cowgirls in Storrs
There’s nothing quite like experience when it comes to March. Saturday, that proved especially true for South Dakota State, which is in its third consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Jackrabbits punched a ticket to the second round with an upset of Oklahoma State behind their starting five, who had combined for 352 career starts coming into the day. It marks the fifth time the Jackrabbits have advanced to the second round, including the second time in three years.
As Oklahoma State threw a full-court press at SDSU and used fouls to stop the clock down the stretch, the Jackrabbits remained poised as their season hung in the balance. They were nearly perfect from the line in the final minute, knocking down 6 of 8 free throws for the final win margin.
A close game was expected, as it was the only first-round game featuring two teams in the AP Top 25’s final regular-season ranking (Oklahoma State at No. 17, South Dakota State at No. 24). SDSU’s victory was just the second seed-upset of the tournament thus far, as the Jackrabbits became the second mid-major to advance into the second round along with Richmond.
The Jackrabbits — which entered the postseason ranked top-10 for 3-point percentage — struggled to get their distance shooting going. As the Cowgirls knocked down 10 triples (to the Jackrabbits’ two), South Dakota State relied on dominant rebounding (a 47-29 advantage) to keep Oklahoma State from securing second-chance opportunities.
Following a trend of the regular season, the Paige Meyer–Brooklyn Meyer (unrelated) combo powered SDSU to the second round. Paige Meyer tallied 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Brooklyn Meyer added 19 points and eight rebounds. Mesa Byom led all players with 12 rebounds.
The Jackrabbits will face No. 2 UConn on its home floor (in what is likely Paige Bueckers’ final game in Storrs) on Monday.
— Chantel Jennings
No. 6 West Virginia 78, No. 11 Columbia 59
West Virginia’s disruptive defense forces 25 turnovers
West Virginia has made a habit out of frustrating opponents. Eleventh-seeded Columbia knew that, and yet, it succumbed to the sixth-seeded Mountaineers’ press much like several others this season.
The Mountaineers forced 25 turnovers — a season high in giveaways for the Lions — in their 78-59 win. Senior guard J.J. Quinerly, the back-to-back Big 12 defensive player of the year, had seven steals, and junior guard Jordan Harrison had three steals. They combined for 50 points as they sliced through the Lions defense on the other end.
The turnover margin was the difference. West Virginia scored 28 points off the Lions’ giveaways, compared to 10 points off turnovers for Columbia (even though the Lions forced 21 turnovers themselves).
It was a vintage defensive performance for the Mountaineers, who entered the tournament second nationally in defensive rating, second in steals per game and second in points off turnovers per game. West Virginia will face either No. 3 North Carolina or No. 14 Oregon State in the second round. Neither will be an easy opponent. But the Mountaineers are experienced and their defense is disruptive. That’s why they have a realistic chance of reaching their first Sweet 16 since 1992.
Made for March 🔥
27 points – 7 steals – 7 assists – 4 rebounds#HailWV | @JJQUINERLY11 pic.twitter.com/I7lJitv4Sk
— WVU Women’s Basketball (@WVUWBB) March 23, 2025
— Ben Pickman
No. 3 Oklahoma 81, No. 14 FGCU 58
Beers shows why she was a coveted transfer last offseason
Raegan Beers was one of the stars of last year’s NCAA Tournament. She led Oregon State to the Elite Eight, its furthest point since 2018. But as the Pac-12 crumbled and the Beavers joined the WCC, Beers transferred to Oklahoma.
She was first-team All-SEC during her first season with the Sooners. In her NCAA Tournament debut with her new team, she proved she would again imprint games of consequence.
Beers finished with 25 points and 18 rebounds, as a 19-4 run late in the fourth quarter helped No. 3 Oklahoma defeat No. 14 FGCU 81-58.
Key to the victory was Oklahoma’s dominance on the glass. It doubled up FGCU on the boards, 72-35, with four players grabbing at least six rebounds apiece. The Sooners had 27 second-chance points compared to just five for the Eagles.
Controlling the glass will be just as consequential for Oklahoma in the Round of 32, as it looks to advance to its first Sweet 16 since 2013. The Sooners will play Iowa, who is 30th in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage. Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke had two early fouls and played only 14 minutes in No. 6 Iowa’s first-round win over Murray State, and freshman center Ava Heiden had 15 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes. How the front courts fare will go a long way in deciding who advances.
— Ben Pickman
No. 2 NC State 75, No. 15 Vermont 55
Catamounts can’t mount an upset
A No. 15 seed has never upset a No. 2 seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament, a streak that is still intact as of Saturday afternoon. But through three quarters, NC State seemed like it was dangerously close to making history for all of the wrong reasons against Vermont in Raleigh, N.C.
The Wolfpack eventually pulled away to win 75-55, but only after they led by just two points at halftime (35-33) and finished the third quarter up just 52-46. Thanks to a fourth-quarter outburst in which the Wolfpack outscored the Catamounts 23-9, NC State is onto Round 2 instead of watching Vermont compete for a spot in the Sweet 16 on their home floor. Coach Wes Moore will surely use this as a teaching moment.
NC State had no answers for guard Keira Hanson, who entered Saturday averaging 9.6 points per game and finished with a game-high 21 fueled by her five 3-pointers. With Wolfpack guard Zoe Brooks finishing with 19 points and Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James both finishing with 15, the Wolfpack had enough to get this one over the finish line, but they’ll surely have to be sharper moving forward. Vermont shot 42 percent from beyond the arc and had 21 bench points to NC State’s nine. Maybe this will be a wakeup call for the Wolfpack, who knows it’s only going to get harder from here. NC State will play the winner of No. 7 seed Michigan State-No. 10 seed Harvard in the second round.
— Grace Raynor
No. 2 UConn 103, No. 15 Arkansas State 34
Fudd, Strong help UConn look like title teams of old
Fifteenth-seeded Arkansas State scored the first basket of its first-round game against No. 2 UConn. For 12 seconds, the Red Wolves held the lead. Then, UConn did what UConn does. The Huskies blitzed Arkansas State, scoring 22 consecutive points — with 11 of those coming from Azzi Fudd and 11 from Sarah Strong. UConn’s lead only grew from there.
The Huskies’ 50-point halftime cushion sent viewers back to the program’s record book. While impressive, UConn’s 66 first-half points were still well off from its NCAA-record 94-point first half against Saint Francis in 2018. Still, the opening 20 minutes on Saturday were reminiscent of UConn teams of old.
Fudd and Strong were instrumental in the Huskies’ first half. Fudd scored 21 points, one shy of her NCAA Tournament career-high, in 18 minutes. Strong had 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in the first half.
Strong finished UConn’s 103-34 win with 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks, becoming the first player in the last 25 years with a 20-10-5-5 performance. Fudd added 27 points, seven assists and six steals. It’s hard to read too much into the blowout victory, but how both perform throughout the tournament will likely be the difference in whether UConn wins its first national title since 2016.
The 69-point win tied for the seventh-widest margin of victory in the NCAA Tournament (a list in which UConn owns four of the top-seven all-time blowouts).
RankMargin of victoryWinnerLoserYear
A second-round matchup with either Oklahoma State or South Dakota State awaits. Each will be a tougher test than the Red Wolves. But UConn made a strong first impression — that they can dominate like Huskies teams of the past.
Sarah Strong’s NCAA Tournament debut:
– 20 points – 9-10 FG – 2-3 3FG – 12 rebounds – 5 assists
– 5 blocks pic.twitter.com/4DLsMHHwEm
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) March 23, 2025
— Ben Pickman
No. 6 Iowa 92, No. 11 Murray State 57
Iowa makes it look easy against Murray State
No Caitlin Clark, no problem for the No. 6 Hawkeyes, who in their first NCAA Tournament game since their superstar left for the WNBA made it look easy against No. 11 Murray State.
The Hawkeyes dismantled the Racers 92-57 in the first game of the day Saturday, with the 92 points marking their highest scoring output since they hung 94 on Toledo in November.
Five players scored in double figures, with freshman center Ava Heiden leading the way with 15 points while adding seven rebounds in 17 minutes of play. Fellow rookie Taylor Stremlow had a career-high 10 points.
The Hawkeyes shot 56 percent from the field and 47 percent from beyond the arc, while outrebounding the Racers 44-32. With 41 bench points and 62 points in the paint, the Hawkeyes leaned into their size and depth to dominate from start to finish in one of the more efficient performances we’ve seen so far.
— Grace Raynor
(Photo of Christina Dalce: Greg Fiume / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
