Arkansas tries to play spoiler in Coach K’s final season as the Razorbacks take on the Blue Devils for the West Regional title and a spot in next weekend’s Final Four. Another spot in New Orleans will also be clinched by night’s end as the last ones standing in the South Region, Villanova and Houston, hope to punch their ticket to the Big Easy
But it’s the ladies that are going to take the stage early as the women’s tournament continues. The Bridgeport Region’s No. 1 seed North Carolina State overcame a second half deficit to dispatch Notre Dame and advance to the Elite Eight.
The region’s second game features UConn, who will have a decided home court advantage in their matchup with Indiana.
The Wichita Region will see Louisville and tournament mainstay Tennessee face off and one of the tournament’s biggest surprises, South Dakota, will try to extend their Cinderella run against Michigan.
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Late steal propellants NC State over Notre Dame
Raina Perez picked the pocket of Notre Dame guard Dara Mabrey near midcourt with 16 seconds left and hit the go-ahead breakaway layup as North Carolina State advanced to the Elite Eight with a 66-63 victory over Notre Dame.
The Wolfpack, the No. 1 seed in the Bridgeport Region, advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1998.
Perez’s layup capped a 13-4 run as North Carolina State erased a 10-point second half deficit and got back into the game by forcing seven turnovers in the fourth quarter by Notre Dame.
Notre Dame freshman guard Olivia Miles scored 15 of her game-high 21 points in the first half. Miles also had six assists and six rebounds.
Elissa Cunane led the Wolfpack with 16 points and 10 rebounds and Kai Crutchfield added 14 points.
NC State, who shot only 40 percent, advances to play the winner of the Indiana-Connecticut game, with a trip to the Final Four in Minneapolis on the line.
-Scooby Axson
ACC is not good, huh? Miami gives league three Elite Eight teams
CHICAGO — In a battle between two double-digit seeds not expected to be here in the Sweet 16, a veteran-laden Miami (Fla.) team made enough plays down the stretch to put away a relentless Iowa State 70-56 on Friday to reach the Elite Eight in the men’s NCAA Tournament.
It’s coach Jim Larrañaga’s first advancement past the Sweet 16 with Miami in 11 seasons. The Hurricanes (26-10) are now one win away from getting the seasoned coach back to the Final Four — where he memorably guided mid-major George Mason in 2006. With Miami’s hot shooting, alley-oop dunking and experienced roster thanks to the extra COVID year of eligibilitythey’re seriously dangerous and have become the biggest surprise of this March Madness not named the Saint Peter’s Peacocks.
Due to a down year in the ACC regular season, Miami was a bubble team at the start of the month but did enough to comfortably hear its name called on Selection Sunday as a No. 10 seed. Now, with North Carolina upsetting UCLA on Friday and Duke advancing Thursdaythe ACC has three teams still standing.
-Scott Gleeson
Stanford women heading to third Elite Eight in a row after win over Maryland
SPOKANE, Wash. — Stanford rolled to a (mostly) easy 72-66 win over Maryland in the Sweet 16 Friday, advancing to its third Elite 8 in a row. the defending champion Cardinal will meet Texas on Sunday evening with a ticket to the Final Four on the line.
The two teams met (much) earlier this season in Maples Pavilion, with then-No. 25 Texas upsetting the Cardinal 61-56.
Friday night, three Stanford players scored 15 or more. Lexie Hull, playing in her hometown of Ella with her twin sister Lacie, also grabbed nine rebounds. Every player who logged minutes for the Cardinal scored except Ashten Prechtel, who played just three minutes.
Stanford led for more than 38 minutes, and dominated the boards, 50-32, which surely helped make up for its 18 turnovers. The Cardinal held Maryland to 34% from the field and just 16% from 3. Stanford blitzed the Terrapins early, using precise backdoor cuts for easy scores to take a 39-23 lead into the locker room.
– Lindsay Schnell
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism