The second spherical of the ladies’s N.C.A.A. event has arrived, and with it a barely extra manageable schedule of video games. The primary spherical had a slew of spectacular particular person performances and a few emotional, carefully fought video games, however within the spherical of 32 — for some groups at the least — the true work begins.
The lengthy photographs have been changed by actually robust groups enjoying with whole certainty that they will problem anybody. Hopefully for followers, they may.
Of the eight matchups occurring Sunday, listed here are 4 price ensuring you tune into.
All occasions are Jap.
Utah vs. Texas | 5 p.m. | ESPN
Discover out whether or not the oppressive protection of Texas or Utah’s 3-point-driven offense prevails.
No. 2-seeded Texas received off to a comparatively sluggish begin within the event in contrast with a few of its fellow second-seeded groups. Its opponent, No. 15 seed Fairfield, didn’t simply hold round — it outscored the Longhorns within the third quarter. Texas’ protection has been its calling card, and but it struggled to comprise the Stags early.
That exhibiting may make seventh-seeded Utah really feel a bit of extra optimistic heading into its second-round matchup with Texas. The Utes placed on a present of their first-round recreation towards Arkansas, dropping 92 factors largely by making 15 out of 31 3-point photographs. Sophomore Kennady McQueen can take credit score for six of these, however she’s simply certainly one of six completely different Utah gamers who hit from behind the arc within the first spherical.
Dive Deeper Into the N.C.A.A. Tournaments
Utah and Texas couldn’t method basketball extra otherwise, so their recreation will probably be an attention-grabbing strategic battle. Can the Longhorns lock down all these sharpshooters, or will the Utes beat their higher-seeded foes with a barrage of deep balls?
Florida Gulf Coast vs. Maryland | 3 p.m. | ESPN
Watch one of many event’s solely true remaining underdogs.
Florida Gulf Coast was a preferred first-round decide for these crafting their brackets. Now, the Twelfth-seeded Eagles have the unenviable process of staying aggressive within the spherical of 32. Kierstan Bell and her staff must discover a solution for one of many event’s most explosive offenses, the No. 4-seeded Maryland Terrapins, who scored 102 factors of their opening recreation.
The Eagles made a splash within the first spherical with their prolific 3-point capturing, however Maryland is harmful in all places on the court docket. Guard Katie Benzan hit 5 3-point photographs within the Terrapins’ opening recreation whereas her teammates Ashley Owusu and Diamond Miller every had greater than 20 factors, principally from contained in the arc. Maryland didn’t carry out to expectations throughout the common season, however this recreation gave followers a well timed glimpse of simply how prolific its offense might be.
To outmatch the Terrapins, the Eagles must hit a wholesome share of these dozens of 3-point photographs they take whereas additionally clamping down on protection.
Solely 4 No. 12 seeds have ever gained a second-round recreation within the N.C.A.A. ladies’s event. Bell will possible want a press release recreation, plus help from guards Kendall Spray and Karli Seay. However nobody who noticed the Eagles’ first spherical recreation would depend them out.
Kansas vs. Stanford | 9 p.m. | ESPN
Scope out Stanford in competitors with a talented, enigmatic Kansas staff.
The Cardinal gained so decisively on Friday that they dunked on a hapless No. 16 Montana, each figuratively through the 78-37 remaining rating and likewise, for the third time in N.C.A.A. ladies’s event historical past, actually. Throughout the second quarter, Francesca Belibi turned a block into a powerful drive and one-handed slam dunk, a spotlight that prompted her Stanford teammates to feign fainting on the bench.
Belibi, a junior ahead, has been recognized for her dunking skill since highschool. In 2020, she grew to become the primary participant since Brittney Griner in 2013 to dunk in ladies’s faculty basketball; now, Belibi and Stanford personal one other chunk of the historical past books.
“My teammates have been getting on me as a result of I haven’t dunked but this 12 months,” Belibi informed ESPN after the sport. “I sort of noticed the chance and figured I’d as effectively strive.”
Kansas may show more durable to dominate, although. The No. 8 seed is attempting to benefit from its first event bid since 2013, and beat Georgia Tech after a sluggish begin within the first spherical with out an excessive amount of issue. The Jayhawks have had an up-and-down season, with a number of shock wins punctuating predictable losses. They beat fourth-seeded Oklahoma within the remaining recreation of the common season, for instance, after which promptly misplaced to them within the Massive 12 event.
They’ll give the Cardinal an attention-grabbing check, although — plus, possibly the dunking floodgates have opened.
Miami vs. South Carolina | 3 p.m. | ABC
Two convention event runners-up with very completely different résumés face off.
Eighth-seeded Miami was by no means anticipated to be a runner-up within the Atlantic Coast Convention event, similar to No. 1 seed South Carolina was by no means anticipated to be a runner-up within the Southeastern Convention. The essential distinction, although, is why: The Hurricanes had been underestimated whereas the Gamecocks had been assumed to be invincible.
Now these two groups with parallel trajectories will compete. Miami will attempt to maintain driving the identical “nobody believes in us” mentality that took them by way of the A.C.C. event and a double-digit first spherical win over South Florida. The Gamecocks will attempt to maintain enjoying with ease regardless of the overwhelming expectations they and their followers have for the postseason — expectations that took a brutal blow within the SEC event.
Miami will attempt to as soon as once more draw on its depth to problem the highest general seed. Ten completely different Hurricanes gamers scored on Friday, which means even when they get into foul hassle attempting to protect Aliyah Boston and Destanni Henderson, they need to have the ability to faucet various completely different gamers as backup. For its half, South Carolina must assert its dominance over a staff that has not too long ago racked up upset wins by enjoying fearless basketball.
Coach Daybreak Staley acknowledged that the Gamecocks are going through a “very popular Miami staff.”
“They’re stroking the ball fairly good, they’re sharing the ball, they’re linked up, they received gamers that may apply a whole lot of stress to the ball and be disruptive,” she mentioned on Saturday. “They’re enjoying extraordinarily effectively, we’ve to in some way disrupt that.”
Remy Tumin contributed reporting.
