SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - NCAA Division I Women’s March Madness returned to Sacramento for the first time since 2010 from March 27 to 30, with the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds held at the Golden 1 Center.

Two regional pods competed in Sacramento: Sacramento Regional 2 Bracket included No. 1 seed - UCLA (31-1); No. 2 seed – LSU (27-5); No. 3 Seed – Duke (24-8); and No. 4 Seed – Minnesota (22-8). The Sacramento Regional 4 Bracket included No. 1 seed – South Carolina (31-3); No. 3 seed – TCU (29-5); No. 4 seed – Oklahoma (24-7); and No. 10 seed – Virginia (19-11).

The schedule ran from Friday, March 27, to Monday, March 30. Friday’s games featured the Sacramento Regional 2 Sweet 16, starting with Minnesota vs. UCLA, followed by Duke vs. LSU. Saturday, March 28, featured the Sacramento Regional 4 Sweet 16, beginning with Oklahoma vs. South Carolina, followed by Virginia vs. TCU.

Sunday, March 29, included the Sacramento Regional 2 Elite 8 matchup between Duke and UCLA. Monday, March 30, featured the Sacramento Regional 4 Elite 8 game between TCU and South Carolina.

Lauren Betts #51, Gabriela Jaquez #11, Kiki Rice #1, Gianna Kneepkens #8, Charlisse Leger-Walker #5, and Angela Dugalic #32 of the UCLA Bruins pose for a photo with the trophy after defeating the Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA Championship Tournament Elite 8 game at the Golden 1 Center.

Day One

The UCLA Bruins advanced to their 15th Sweet 16 with an 87-68 victory over the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. They faced the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who earned their fourth trip to the Sweet 16 by defeating the Princeton Tigers, 82-68.

The Bruins, led by 15th year head coach Cori Close, are anchored by senior center Lauren Betts, who averages 17.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Minnesota, coached by third-year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit, relies on sophomore guard Tori McKinney, averaging 12.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest.

UCLA defeated Minnesota 80-56 to reach the Elite 8 for the fourth time in program history.

Kiki Rice led the Bruins with 21 points, while L. Betts added 16 and Angela Dugalic contributed 13. For Minnesota, Grace Grocholski scored 12 points, Sophie Hart 11 and McKinney, Mara Braun and Brylee Gleen each scored 9 points in the loss. UCLA will face the winner of Duke and LSU in the next round.

The second game of the doubleheader featured Duke and LSU. The Blue Devils, led by sixth-year head coach and former Sacramento Monarch Kara Lawson, played in their 19th Sweet 16 after defeating Baylor, 69-46. The Tigers, coached by fifth-year head coach Kim Mulkey, reached their 17th Sweet 16 after a dominant victory over Texas Tech, 101-47, in the Second Round.

Duke is driven by Toby Fournier, averaging 17.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, while LSU is led by Milaysia Fulwiley, averaging 14.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

The game was back-and-forth all night featuring seven ties and nine lead changes.

 

Lauren Betts #51 of the UCLA Bruins shoots the ball during the game against Minnesota Golden Geophers during the NCAA Championship Tournament Sweet 16 game at the Golden 1 Center.

Late in the 4th quarter, Mikaylah Williams gave LSU an 85-84 lead with two free throws. Duke got the ball back with 9.2 seconds remaining in the game. Taina Mair had a look from three to reclaim the lead, but her shot did not fall. Both teams fought for the rebound before the ball went out of bounds off LSU. Duke had one final chance with 2.6 seconds left, trailing by a point.

Jordan Wood inbounded the ball to Ashlon Jackson near the three-point line. Jackson took a quick step back dribble then launched a shot from beyond the arc. The ball circled the rim, then finally dropped, giving Duke an 87-85 victory. Duke advanced to their 14th Elite 8 with their first buzzer beater of the season and will face UCLA. Duke will face UCLA in the Elite 8. 

Fournier contributed 22 points and 9 rebounds, Mair added 22 points and 5 rebounds, and Jackson recorded 19 points and 5 assists. For the Tigers, Fulwiley had 28 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists; Williams added 22 points and 5 rebounds; and Flau’Jae Johnson had 13 points and 5 rebounds.

Day Two

Day two was just as action packed, starting with a doubleheader featuring the Oklahoma Sooners and South Carolina Gamecocks. The Sooners, led by fifth-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk, reached their 12th Sweet 16 by defeating Michigan State. The Gamecocks, led by 18th year head coach Dawn Staley, defeated USC to advance to their 18th Sweet 16.

Oklahoma freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez led the Sooners with 18.4 points and 4.2 assists per game, while South Carolina leaned on sophomore forward Joyce Edwards, who averaged 19.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

The Gamecocks dominated the Sooners, leading for all, but 18 seconds of the game. South Carolina built a lead as big as 29 late in the fourth quarter. Ta’Niya Latson carried the load for South Carolina, scoring 28 points on 7-11 shooting, hitting all four three-point attempts, and converting on all 10 free throws. Raven Johnson and Tessa Johnson added 18 and 14 points, respectively. For Oklahoma, Chavez scored 21 points and dished out three assists. Raegan Beers added 14 points and eight boards, and Payton Verhulst contributed 12 points. South Carolina now advances to the program’s 10th Elite 8, where they will face the winner of Virginia or TCU.

Olivia Miles #5 of the TCU Horned Frogs handles the ball during the game against the Virginia Cavaliers during the NCAA Championship Tournament Sweet 16 game at the Golden 1 Center.

The second game featured the Virginia Cavaliers and the TCU Horned Frogs. The underdog Cavaliers (ranked no. 10) were the only team from the First Four to make it past the First Round. Under the coaching of Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, Virginia defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes in overtime to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in 26 years. Virginia will be playing in their 13th Sweet 16. TCU, led by former Sacramento State head coach Mark Campbell in his third season, made just its second Sweet 16 appearance after ending the Washington Huskies' season.

The Cavaliers are led by junior guard Kymora Johnson, who averages 19.5 points and 5.9 assists per game The Horned Frogs are led by senior guard Olivia Miles, putting up 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per contest.

Virginia held a narrow 36-35 lead at halftime, but TCU came out of the break with their foot on the gas, outscoring the Cavaliers 24-11 in the third quarter and taking control of the game. For Virginia, Paris Clark scored 20 points and dished out three assists, while teammate Johnson contributed 18 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in their loss. TCU’s Marta Suarez and Miles powered the Horn Frogs with double-doubles – Suarez scored 33 points with 10 rebounds, and Miles added 28 points and 10 rebounds. With the win, TCU advances to its second consecutive Elite 8, where they will face South Carolina.

Day Three

The Duke Blue Devils faced the UCLA Bruins in the Elite 8, with Duke jumping out to a 39-31 lead at halftime. Duke capitalized on UCLA’s 12 turnovers, scoring 16 points. Duke’s Taina Mair led all scorers with 12 points, while teammate Nelson Riley added 11 points. For UCLA Lauren Betts contributed 8 points and Angela Dugalic added 6. Both teams shot well from the field in the first half - Duke at 53% and UCLA at 56% - but struggled from beyond the arc, with both teams going 0-4. 

Clara Silva #17 of the TCU Horned Frogs drives to the basket during the game against the Virginia Cavaliers during the NCAA Championship Tournament Sweet 16 game at the Golden 1 Center.

In the third quarter, Duke struggled shooting the ball, only scoring 8 points on 18% from the field. UCLA, on the other hand, came out hot, scoring 20 points on 44% shooting. A 10-2 run gave the Bruins their first lead since the opening basket of the game. UCLA maintained momentum and ultimately defeated Duke 70-58 to reach the Final Four for the second time in program history. They will face the Texas Longhorns in the Final Four in Arizona.

L. Betts led the Bruins with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks, while Dugalic added 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. For Duke, Mair finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, with Riley and Delaney Thomas contributing 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Day Four

South Carolina and TCU highlighted the final day of the Sacramento Regionals. TCU jumped out to a quick 6-0 start in the opening three minutes of the game, while South Carolina missed their first five shots until Raven Johnson hit a midrange jumper. Despite the hot start, TCU’s lead never exceeded eight points. South Carolina chipped away at the lead and went on 8-0 run to end the first quarter.

The Gamecocks led by 8 points going into halftime, 35-27. Joyce Edwards led all scorers with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Teammate R. Johnson added 10 points and 4 assists. For the Horned Frogs, Olivia Miles had 11 points and 3 assists, while teammate Marta Suarez contributed 5 points and 5 boards.  

 

Raven Johnson #25 of the South Carolina Gamecocks drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners during the NCAA Championship Tournament Sweet 16 game at the Golden 1 Center.

It remained an 8-point game after three quarters. It was not until the fourth quarter when the Gamecocks began to run away with the game. South Carolina opened the fourth quarter on a 14-0 run, and by the seven-minute mark, the lead jumped to 20. Their biggest lead was 26 points.

The final score was 78-52, sending South Carolina to their seventh Final Four. All of these appearances have come under head coach Dawn Staley, underscoring the program’s dominance during her tenure. South Carolina will face UConn in the Final Four in Arizona.

For TCU, Miles finished the game with 18 points and 6 assists and Bigby Taylor added 10 points. For South Carolina,  Joyce Edwards scored 24 points and grabbed 12 boards, while teammate Agot Makeer contributed 18 points and 4 rebounds. 

Head Coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates by cutting down the net after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs during the NCAA Championship Tournament Elite 8 game at the Golden 1 Center.