The 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament continued Friday with the first day of Sweet 16 action.
[Read more: 2025 Women’s March Madness Schedule: Dates, locations, channels, how to watch]
Duke started the day with a vintage defensive performance, as the second-seeded Blue Devils stifled third-seeded North Carolina. After that, No. 1 seed South Carolina continued its title defense as the Gamecocks came back to hold off upset-minded Maryland.
Later, third-seeded Louisiana State tries to make its third straight Elite Eight appearance, but will have to go through No. 2 seed North Carolina State to get there.
The top seed in the NCAA women’s tournament, UCLA, caps the night with its matchup against Ole Miss as the Bruins try to return to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2018.
Here are all the biggest moments from Day 1 Sweet 16:
The back-and-forth battle continued in the fourth quarter, but in the final couple of minutes, the defending champs imposed their will. MiLaysia Fulwiley had four of her game-high 21 points to give the Gamecocks the lead for good, while Chloe Kitts made three free throws down the stretch. Maryland, which had three turnovers and missed two jumpers during a critical three-minute run, finally hit a 3 with 25 seconds left to make it a one-score game again.
Dawn Staley’s team held on, though, and moved on to the Elite Eight for the fifth year in a row.
South Carolina went on a 7-0 run in the middle of the third quarter to take its first lead of the second half, but Maryland answered right back as the two teams continued to battle. But in the last two minutes of the quarter, the Terps missed their last six field goals. The Gamecocks went into the final period with a 52-50 lead.
Kaylene Smikle led Maryland with nine points and the Terrapins took a 33-31 advantage over the Gamecocks into halftime. Maryland led throughout most of the first half and held the Gamecocks without a basket for six consecutive possessions during a stretch in the second quarter.
Oluchi Okananwa recorded her third double-double of the season to lead ACC Tournament champion Duke past North Carolina 47-38 Friday and into the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Devils will make their 12th Elite Eight appearance in program history and will play either No. 1 seed and defending champion South Carolina or fourth-seeded Maryland, who were scheduled to play later Friday in Birmingham.
Okananwa scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half along with 10 rebounds off the bench for Duke, which got 26 points from its bench compared to North Carolina’s six. Ashlon Jackson finished with 10 points, and Toby Fournier, Duke’s leading scorer this season who missed the second round with an illness, was held to three points.
Fifth-year senior Alyssa Ustby had nine points on 3 of 10 shooting for the Tar Heels, who fell short in their attempt to advance to their first Elite 8 since 2014.
Neither team shot the ball well. Duke shot 31% after missing its first nine field goals. North Carolina went 28% from the field.
Part of it could have been because of familiarity. The teams played each other for the second time this season less than a month ago. North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart said this week that there’s an added level of comfort going against a team they just played.
But this was also two of the top defenses in the country going at it, forcing turnovers, errant shots and desperate heaves late in the shot clock at the start of the game.
It was the first ever meeting in the NCAA tournament between the two teams, who have played each other 111 times. North Carolina still holds a slight 56-55 edge.
Reporting by The Associated Press
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