Women's NCAA roundup: Lauren Betts lifts No. 1 UCLA to Elite Eight
Lauren Betts shot 15-for-16 from the floor on the way to 31 points as top-seeded UCLA pulled away from No. 5 Ole Miss in the second half of a 76-62 win in Spokane 1 Region play in Spokane, Wash., on Friday.
Betts delivered her second consecutive 30-point-plus performance of the NCAA Tournament, doing so while matching the career high for made field goals she set in November against Colgate.
Behind Betts' dominant performance on the inside, UCLA (33-2) outscored Ole Miss (22-11) in the paint 48-34. Betts also grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots. Kiki Rice finished with 13 points and dished a game-high seven assists for the Bruins, who advance to face No. 3 LSU in the regional final on Sunday.
Tameiya Sadler led Ole Miss with 14 points, while Kennedy Todd-Williams and KK Deans each scored 13. Todd-Williams and Christeen Iwuala each grabbed nine rebounds.
No. 3 LSU 80, No. 2 NC State 73
Aneesah Morrow scored 30 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as the Tigers rallied past the Wolfpack in the semifinals of the Spokane 1 Region of the Women's NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash.
The Tigers scored the game's final 10 points in the last two minutes. Sa'Myah Smith finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds and Mikaylah Williams added 19 points for the Tigers (31-5). LSU will play No. 1 seed UCLA in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
Zoe Brooks scored 21, Zamareya Jones had 13 and Aziaha James 12 to lead the Wolfpack (28-7), whose last points came on a Brooks layup that produced a 73-70 lead.
No. 1 South Carolina 71, No. 4 Maryland 67
MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 23 points off the bench and the defending champion Gamecocks prevailed against the Terrapins in the Birmingham Region 2 semifinal of the Women's NCAA Tournament.
Chloe Kitts added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the top-seeded Gamecocks (33-3), who will meet second-seeded Duke in Sunday's regional final in Birmingham, Ala. The Gamecocks defeated Duke 81-70 at home on Dec. 5 as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Kaylene Smikle led Maryland (25-8) with 17 points, while Allie Kubek and Sarah Te-Biasu both had 12 points and Shyanne Sellers posted 10 points. Smikle and Kubek fouled out as the Terrapins were forced to commit infractions in the final minute.
No. 2 Duke 47, No. 3 North Carolina 38
Oluchi Okananwa had 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench and the Blue Devils used a stifling defense to subdue the Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 of the Women's NCAA Tournament in the Birmingham 2 Region.
Ashlon Jackson scored 10 points for Duke, which won despite shooting 31 percent from the field and going 5-for-24 on 3-pointers. The Blue Devils (29-7), who've won nine in a row, will meet No. 1 seed South Carolina in Sunday's regional final.
North Carolina (29-8) shot 28.3 percent for the game and 3-for-11 on 3-pointers. The Tar Heels, who committed 15 turnovers, also suffered at the free-throw line, going 5-for-10. Alyssa Ustby's nine points and 10 rebounds and Indya Nivar's eight points paced North Carolina.
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