Maci Morris made seven of eight free throws in the final 37 seconds, including two with 3.2 seconds remaining, to help fourth-seeded Kentucky edge No. 13 Belmont 73-70 victory on Friday in a first-round game of the NCAA Tournament.
Wildcats seniors Makayla Epps and Evelyn Akhator did their parts to get Kentucky ahead with 52 combined points that were needed to hold off the determined Bruins. Belmont got within 69-68 on two Sally McCabe free throws with 13 seconds remaining.
Morris was already clicking at the line by then and sealed the victory with four more in the final seconds for 15 points and an edge that proved critical against Belmont’s last chance to tie.
Darby Maggard was defended well and shot an off-balance 3 that missed as the horn sounded to end Belmont’s school-record 21-game winning streak.
Epps scored 30 with a career-high five 3-pointers while Akhator added 22.
(5) Ohio State 70,
(12) Western Kentucky 63
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kelsey Mitchell and Asia Doss each scored 15 points, Shayla Cooper grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds and Ohio State withstood a late charge from Western Kentucky.
The fifth-seeded Buckeyes (27-6) began to take control just before halftime and followed with timely baskets to keep a safe cushion against the No. 12 seed Hilltoppers.
Kendall Noble had 19 points and Tashia Brown 13 for Western Kentucky (27-7), which had won 12 straight coming in. WKU shot a season-low 29 percent from the field.
(6) N.C. State 62, (11) Auburn 48
AUSTIN, Texas – Dominique Wilson scored 23 points and Miah Spencer added 13 to help North Carolina State roll over cold-shooting Auburn.
N.C. State (23-8) led by 17 at halftime and pushed it as high 23 by the end of the third quarter. Auburn (17-15) came into the tournament after losing nine of its last 12 in the regular season.
(3) Texas 78,
(14) Central Arkansas 50
AUSTIN, Texas – Brooke McCarty scored 15 points and Texas overwhelmed Central Arkansas in the first half before cruising to a victory.
Joyner Holmes added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Longhorns (23-8).
Maggie Proffitt scored 17 for Central Arkansas (26-5).
(1) Notre Dame 79,
(16) Robert Morris 49
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Marina Mabrey and Arike Ogunbowale scored 15 points each to help Notre Dame top Robert Morris.
The Irish (31-3), who have won 15 straight, improved to 28-5 in seven tournament appearances as a No. 1 seed, but the 30-point margin of victory was the smallest during those games. The Irish previously had won by at least 31.
(9) Purdue 74, (8) Green Bay 62
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Ashley Morrisette scored 20 points, Dominique Oden added 13 and Purdue held on to beat Green Bay.
The Boilermakers (23-12), playing their first game since Coach Sharon Versyp informed the team she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, made 63 percent of their shots in the first quarter while holding Green Bay (27-6) to 23 percent shooting to take control and win for the eighth time in their last nine games.
(3) Maryland 103,
(13) Bucknell 61
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 28 points, Brionna Jones had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Maryland beat Bucknell to earn its seventh consecutive trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Playing at home in front of an enthusiastic crowd, the third-seeded Terrapins (31-2) built a 45-22 lead at halftime and expanded the margin to 30 points early in the third quarter.
(6) West Virginia 75, (11) Elon 63
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Tynice Martin scored 26 points, Katrina Pardee made a pair of pivotal 3-pointers and West Virginia pulled away to a victory over Elon.
The sixth-seeded Mountaineers (24-10) will next face Maryland on the Terrapins’ home floor Sunday.
Coming off a stunning 77-66 win over second-ranked Baylor in the championship game of the Big 12 Tournament, West Virginia couldn’t shake Elon (27-7) until the fourth quarter.
(2) Mississippi 110, (15) Troy 69
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Blair Schaefer scored a career-high 21 points, Ameshya Williams added 15 and Mississippi State beat Troy.
Mississippi State (30-4) used a 29-6 run in the second quarter to erase any doubt about the outcome. Schaefer was the Bulldogs’ unlikely star, making 6 of 9 shots, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range.
(7) DePaul 88,
(10) Northern Iowa 67
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Tanita Allen scored 25 points, Lauren Prochaska and Brooke Schulte each added 12 and DePaul beat Northern Iowa.
DePaul (27-7) kept up a torrid scoring pace despite fairly quiet games from Schulte and Jessica January, the team’s two leading scorers. Instead, it was Allen and Prochaska who were often the go-to options.
Allen, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, came off the bench and hit her first six shots, including five 3-pointers to push the Blue Demons ahead early.
(2) Oregon State 56,
(15) Long Beach State 55
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Breanna Brown scored 12 points and Oregon State held off feisty Long Beach State in the final minute to eke out a victory.
Mikayla Pivec and Marie Gulich each added 10 points for Oregon State (30-4), which was also seeded second last season when they made a run to the Final Four.
Raven Benton had 17 points Long Beach State (23-11), which was trying to become the first 15-seed to ever win a game in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
(7) Creighton 76, (10) Toledo 49
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Marissa Janning had 15 of her 19 points in the first quarter and seventh-seeded Creighton built an early lead and went on to rout No. 10 seed Toledo.
The Bluejays (24-7) will face second-seeded Oregon State (30-4) on Sunday. The Beavers, who advanced to the Final Four last season, held off Long Beach State and barely escaped with a 56-55 victory in the earlier game at Gill Coliseum.
(1) South Carolina 90,
(16) UNC Asheville 50
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Allisha Gray scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds to lead South Carolina to an easy win over UNC Asheville.
The Gamecocks (28-4) were missing Alania Coates, their best rebounder and half of their twin tower frontcourt. But Gray, a 6-foot guard and transfer from North Carolina, scored 20 of her points in the paint and tied her best rebounding night of her career with eight by halftime.
(8) Arizona State 73,
(9) Michigan State 61
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Quinn Dornstauder scored 16 points to lead Arizona State to a win over Michigan State.
In a matchup between the stingy defense of the Sun Devils (20-12) and the high-power offense of the Spartans, Arizona State won easily. Without a 26-point fourth quarter, it would have been the lowest point total of the season for Michigan State (21-12).
(6) Missouri 66,
(11) South Florida 64
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Sierra Michaelis scored 16 points, including the game-winning basket with 0.6 seconds remaining, and Missouri rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat South Florida.
Michaelis had 13 of her points in the second half for the Tigers, who trailed 38-25 at halftime. Missouri (22-10) scored the first seven points of the third quarter as part of a 12-3 run. The Tigers would eventually tie it at 50 on her 3-pointer with 7:59 remaining.
(3) Florida State 87,
(14) Western Illinois 66
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Shakayla Thomas scored 23 points and Florida State beat Western Illinois.
Thomas, who was the coaches choice as Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, had 10 points in the third quarter as the Seminoles broke open a close game in the second half. Florida State (26-6) led 36-34 at halftime but went on a 14-5 run at the beginning of the third quarter to take control. Thomas also had 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.