March Madness is here. Day 1 of the women’s NCAA tournament has tipped off with 16 games on opening day. And we’re tracking all the action across all corners of the bracket.
Buckle up. We’re in for 12 hours of women’s hoops. So keep refreshing the scoreboards, check your Women’s Tournament Challenge bracket and consider this your destination to track all the highlights and results, along with analysis, reaction and on-site reporting from ESPN.
Jump to: Live updates | Full results and analysis
Friday’s schedule (all tips ET):
(9) Georgia Tech vs. (8) Richmond, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNEWS)
(12) South Florida vs. (5) Tennessee, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
(15) Lehigh vs. (2) Duke, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
(16) Southern vs. (1) UCLA, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday takeaways
Final: Baylor 73, Grand Canyon 60
How did Baylor hold off Grand Canyon? The Western Athletic Conference champion Lopes came into their first NCAA tournament game on a 30-game winning streak and gave the Bears all they could handle before Baylor was able to pull away in the fourth quarter. Credit the Bears’ defense — the Lopes scored just 3 points in the final five minutes — and center Aaronette Vonleh. A transfer who helped Colorado reach the Sweet 16 the past two seasons, Vonleh led Baylor with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while guard Jada Walker had 17 points and 4 assists. Baylor guard/forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who was averaging 14.3 PPG and 10.5 RPG when she went out on Feb. 15 with a knee injury, returned to action Friday and had 2 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.
What it means for Baylor: The Bears made the Sweet 16 last season, falling in that round to No. 1 seed USC. Baylor is now 28-7, and having Littlepage-Buggs back is sure to make the Bears more confident for the second round.
What’s next for Grand Canyon? It’s no secret that Lopes coach Molly Miller is considered a strong prospect for an open major-conference job because of the success she has had, first at Division II Drury and for the past five years at Grand Canyon, where she has produced four 20-win seasons. Her 32-3 record this season improved her résumé even more, so we’ll see if she’s staying put or ready to move on. — Michael Voepel
Final: South Carolina 108, Tennessee Tech 48
How did South Carolina roll to its first-round win? The Gamecocks’ win in the first round in Columbia was their most impressive NCAA tournament performance in program history: 108 points, 43 field goals, 12 3-pointers, 63.2% shooting on 3-pointers, a 60-point margin — all of which were program records. Their 66 bench points were the most in NCAA tournament history for any team. South Carolina scored more points in the paint (58) than the Eagles totaled. The Gamecocks also outrebounded Tennessee Tech 47-15 and outscored the Eagles in transition 32-4. As a No. 1 seed, they have now outscored their first-round opponents by an average margin of more than 40 points per game. South Carolina led the country in bench points this season (41.5 per game) and that depth keyed an early run Friday to put the game away. Joyce Edwards, Tessa Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley scored all the points in a 21-4 first quarter that put the score out of reach nine minutes into the game. All 12 Gamecocks who played scored. Edwards led the way with 22, Fulwiley scored 15 and had five assists while Johnson had 11 points and six assists.
What it means for South Carolina: The 12 days off since the SEC tournament title win didn’t slow down a South Carolina team that appears to be playing its best basketball of the season. Since their 29-point home loss to UConn on Feb. 16, the Gamecocks have outscored opponents by an average of 26.8 points. That time frame includes wins over Texas, LSU, Oklahoma and Kentucky, which are all top-four seeds in this NCAA tournament. Up next: Indiana, the same team South Carolina met in the Sweet 16 a year ago. The Hoosiers were a second-half team in their win over Utah and did the same against the Gamecocks last March, outscoring South Carolina 43-30 after halftime and nearly coming back before falling 79-75. — Charlie Creme
(15) FDU vs.
(2) TCU
Final: TCU 73, FDU 51
How did TCU pull away? TCU didn’t shoot well in the first half — particularly in the first quarter when the Horned Frogs shot only 35.7% from the floor — and everything looked difficult on the offensive end. But TCU was able to convert an eight-point halftime lead into a dominant first-round victory by increasing defensive energy and tying up loose ends. FDU shot 40% in the first half but finished the game shooting 35.4% and 9.1% (1-for-11) from 3-point range. TCU limited the Knights to two second-chance points, none in the second half. As the lead opened, the offense flowed. Senior Madison Conner ended the game with 23 points, shooting 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. Sedona Prince got her 16th double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and also had three blocks. Big 12 player of the year Hailey Van Lith finished with 13 points and seven assists.
What’s next for TCU? TCU will get the winner of 10-seed Nebraska vs. 7-seed Louisville. Less important than the matchup (though who would say no to Van Lith playing against her former school in Louisville?) is that TCU ground out a victory in the first round to begin with. TCU players and coaches reiterated ahead of the game of how special it was to play at home, how important this team has been, how amazing of a turnaround this program has seen, etc. That sentiment, when pressurized by a much lower seed playing a game closer than anticipated, can turn into an upset recipe. No matter which team TCU sees Sunday, the Horned Frogs expelled the first-round tournament jitters. — Katie Barnes
Final: Kansas State 85, Fairfield 41
Does Kansas State have the chops to make a deep run? Things definitely seem rosy following a blowout win over the Stags that became progressively lopsided as the game went on. But a few things should be taken into consideration — namely, the massive size advantage that the 5-seed Wildcats enjoyed. But that type of roster could give plenty of teams problems. Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee, listed at 6-foot-6, is a sturdy presence in the middle who will challenge teams that have shaky post play. Lee finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. But senior guard Serena Sundell shouldn’t be overlooked, either. The team’s second-leading scorer during the season had 18 points and nine assists against the overmatched Stags. At 6-2, she showed the ability to score from the outside and also back down smaller guards. Kansas State didn’t have a sterling regular season and was 6-5 in its previous 11 games, struggling when Lee was sidelined with injury. But the team can give anyone problems when it plays well.
What it means for Kansas State: Speaking of teams with questionable post play, that was something Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks complained about in the first game on Friday in Lexington. Kansas State should be in a prime position to exploit that matchup given how the Wildcats looked against Fairfield. If Kansas State’s backcourt can find a way to clamp Kentucky star guard Georgia Amoore (easier said than done), it will have a great shot at making a trip to the Sweet 16. — Ben Baby
Final: Notre Dame 106, Stephen F. Austin 54
How significant is Olivia Miles‘ injury? Notre Dame’s second-leading scorer (16.2 PPG) went down hard with an injury to her left ankle with 8:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. Miles, who had made at least one field goal over 98 Division I games entering the first round, scored only two points in Notre Dame’s blowout win on 0-for-6 shooting but helped Notre Dame make 64% of its shots off her passes. The senior guard took several minutes before she was able to rise to her feet and walk off the floor under her own power with a noticeable limp and apparent ankle injury. Miles quickly went back to the locker room after a brief stop on the Irish’s sideline.
What the win means for Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish became the first non-1-seed to score 100 points and win by 50-plus in an NCAA tournament game. Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron each scored 24 points and made quick work of an overmatched 14-seed. Notre Dame’s 45 made field goals were tied for the seventh most in an NCAA tournament game all time and are the third most by a team this century. Up next is No. 6 Michigan on Sunday. — Courtney Cronin
MORE: Notre Dame’s Miles injures ankle in first-round win
1:47
Hannah Hidalgo Top Points vs. Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks
Hannah Hidalgo Top Points vs. Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks
Final: Indiana 76, Utah 68
How did Indiana win despite struggling from 3-point range? The Hoosiers came into the game averaging 7.9 3-pointers per game but made just five of 17 (29.4%) from long range. But they did everything else well offensively. Indiana shot 72.7% from 2-point range (24-of-33) and 86.7% from the line (13-of-15). And defensively, although Utah made nine 3-pointers, the Utes shot just 28.1% from behind arc. Led by fifth-year guard Chloe Moore-McNeil, the Hoosiers’ defense made the Utes work hard for everything they got. While the first half was even, the Hoosiers outscored the Utes 27-16 in the third quarter and then held on to the lead. Five Hoosiers scored in double figures, led by Yarden Garzon‘s 17 points.
What it means for Indiana: The Hoosiers lost their best player from last year’s Sweet 16 team as forward Mackenzie Holmes graduated and was drafted into the WNBA. But they’ve still hit the 20-win mark for the 10th season in a row. Unless there is a major upset, they will face No. 1 seed and host South Carolina in the second round. These teams met in the regional semifinals in Albany, New York, last year, when the Hoosiers gave the eventual national champions one of their toughest battles of the tournament. South Carolina won 79-75 in a game that wasn’t decided until the final seconds. — Michael Voepel
Final: Kentucky 79, Liberty 78
How did Kentucky hang on? The Wildcats were able to nurse a big first-half lead to the finish despite really struggling in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Georgia Amoore finished with a game-high 34 points, which matched the most by a Kentucky player in an NCAA tournament game. However, 23 of those came in the first quarter as she and the rest of Kentucky’s offense misfired down the stretch. Liberty cut the deficit to one point in the final minute but weren’t able to get a key defensive rebound to set up a potential game-winning possession.
What it means for Kentucky: Initially, it looked like a pretty easy game. But once Liberty did a good job of forcing others besides Amoore to shoulder the offense, things slowed down. Amoore showed the ability to create off the dribble and knock down deep 3s. Sophomore center Clara Strack and senior guard Dazia Lawrence, who had 16 and 15 points, respectively, had buckets in key moments. But coach Kenny Brooks will want a more consistent effort on Sunday. After the game, he acknowledged his post defense was was an issue, especially when starters Teonni Key and Strack fouled out. “We elected to go with a one-on-one approach,” he said, “and we didn’t win very many of those battles.” The Wildcats also shot 5-for-17 in the fourth quarter. Per ESPN Research, every one of those shot attempts was contested. — Ben Baby
MORE: Amoore ties UK mark as Wildcats avoid collapse
1:10
UK’s Amoore: ‘We’re hosting for a reason, we’ve just got to believe it’
After scoring 34 in the one-point win over 13-seed Liberty, Georgia Amoore says 4-seed Kentucky must enter the second round with more confidence and energy to close the deal.
Final: Michigan 80, Iowa State 74
What was the catalyst behind Michigan’s second-half surge? Jordan Hobbs picked the perfect time for the best game of her Division I career. After scoring 10 total points in her first five NCAA tournament games, the Michigan senior totaled 28 points (9 of 16 field goals, 5 of 10 3-pointers), which is tied for the most in program history in the tournament, and led the Wolverines out of early-game shooting struggles. When Iowa State’s Audi Crooks threatened to take over the game at several points, Hobbs provided an answer. According to ESPN Research, this is the first time any five Michigan players (starters or bench) have scored 10-plus points in an NCAA tournament game in program history.
Will Michigan’s inexperience be a factor in the second round? The Wolverines face Notre Dame on Sunday. Michigan’s starting five — which includes freshmen Olivia Olson, Mila Holloway and Syla Swords — scored 100% of its points. Michigan’s freshmen account for 49.2% of their minutes played, the highest mark by any team in the tournament. Swords (11 points Friday) was held below her season average of 16.1 points, and scored one point in the fourth quarter, while Olson carried the load in the final frame (9 of her 16 points). — Courtney Cronin
