MiLaysia Fulwiley helps defending champion South Carolina outlast Maryland
South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (12) drives near the basket during the first half against Maryland in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025. in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 23 points, including a go-ahead layup with 2:22 left, and Chloe Kitts added 15 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 1 seed South Carolina beat fourth-seeded Maryland 71-67 on Friday in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
The defending national champion Gamecocks went back-and-forth with the Terrapins all game before finally doing enough in the final few minutes to put it away.
Dawn Staley’s team trailed 60-59 with 3:25 left before holding Maryland without a point over the next three minutes. Fulwiley’s layup began the 7-0 run that gave the Gamecocks (33-3) just enough of a cushion.
Kitts added three free throws during the spurt and Fulwiley scored on a coast-to-coast drive.
The Gamecocks were up 66-60 with 25 seconds left when Saylor Poffenbarger ended Maryland’s scoring drought with a 3-pointer.
But the Terps couldn’t get closer as the Gamecocks made five of six free throws down the stretch, including two by Fulwiley with 10.9 seconds left that made it 71-65.
DUKE 47, NORTH CAROLINA 38
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Oluchi Okananwa recorded her third double-double of the season to lead ACC Tournament champion Duke past North Carolina and into the Elite 8 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Devils will make their 12th Elite 8 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.
SPOKANE REGIONAL 1
LSU 80, NC STATE 73
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Aneesah Morrow had 30 points and 19 rebounds, Kailyn Gilbert had a critical block that set up Mikaylah Williams’ go-ahead layup with 1:07 remaining, and No. 3 seed LSU rallied past second-seeded N.C. State in a tense women’s NCAA Tournament regional semifinal.
The Wolfpack led 69-64 with 4:29 left before LSU began to surge, led by Williams, who scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. After Gilbert blocked a layup attempt by N.C. State’s Zoe Brooks, Williams converted on the other end to make it 74-73 — part of a game-closing 10-0 run for the Tigers (31-5).
LSU, which won the national title two years ago for coach Kim Mulkey, reached the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season and will face either top-seeded UCLA or No. 5 Mississippi on Sunday. Mulkey also won three national titles at Baylor.
Sa’Myah Smith had 21 points and 11 rebounds for LSU, and Williams finished with 17 points and eight boards.
Brooks led N.C. State (28-7) with 21 points. Coach Wes Moore’s Wolfpack fell short in their bid to reach a second straight Final Four.
UCLA 76, MISSISSIPPI 60
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Lauren Betts was so dominant inside that she barely missed, scoring 31 points on 15-of-16 shooting to lead UCLA past Mississippi and sending the Bruins to the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.
The 6-foot-7 Betts added 10 rebounds and three blocks for the No. 1 overall seed, which will face LSU on Sunday for a chance to advance to the Final Four. The Tigers beat N.C. State 80-73 earlier Friday.
Kiki Rice added 13 points and seven assists and was the only other player in double figures for the Bruins (32-2).
Tameiya Sadler scored 14 points for the fifth-seeded Rebels (22-10), who had reached the Elite Eight five times, but not since 2007.
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