NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament 2015: Sweet 16 Scores and Elite 8 Bracket
The 2015 NCAA women's tournament continues on Saturday with the last four Sweet 16 games. The winners will move within three victories of a national title with a chance to trim that number by one more during the Elite Eight on Sunday and Monday.
Although Connecticut highlights the schedule every time it takes the court, it isn't the only top contender in action. Maryland, Tennessee, Louisville and Duke are all capable of winning it all should they advance and the Huskies falter.
That didn't happen Saturday, as UConn advanced with ease once again. Let's check out the complete list of results, which will be updated throughout the day. For a look at how the bracket is shaping up, visit the tournament's official site.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Sweet 16 Results
| Friday | South Carolina | North Carolina | 67-65 SC |
| Friday | Baylor | Iowa | 81-66 BAY |
| Friday | Notre Dame | Stanford | 81-60 ND |
| Friday | Florida State | Arizona State | 66-65 FSU |
| Saturday | Connecticut | Texas | 105-54 UCONN |
| Saturday | Louisville | Dayton | 82-66 DAY |
| Saturday | Maryland | Duke | 65-55 MARY |
| Saturday | Tennessee | Gonzaga | 73-69 TEN (OT) |
Saturday Recap
Connecticut 105, Texas 54
It can be difficult for a team as dominant as Connecticut to remain focused on the task at hand. It's easy to start looking ahead and thinking about the title. Geno Auriemma does a great job of keeping his team in the moment.
At the same time, he makes sure his players stay loose. That was evident in comments from Morgan Tuck before the Sweet 16 clash, as noted by John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant.
"The pressure of playing games like this is what makes it fun for us," Tuck said. "It means something. And when you are in situations like this, the best usually comes out. Every possession matters. And that's what makes the fun even more fun."
The Huskies sure looked like they were having a lot of fun on Saturday. They rushed out to a 17-6 lead inside the first six minutes, and the Longhorns never found an answer. The result was a third straight blowout victory for the top overall seed.
Kevin Duffy of MassLive.com summed up the play of UConn star Breanna Stewart:
Skylar Diggins of the WNBA's Tulsa Shock was hoping for a more competitive game:
Stewart led the way for Connecticut with 31 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and two steals. She also shot 11-of-16 from the field. Moriah Jefferson added 25 points for UConn. Ariel Atkins had 11 points off the bench for the losing side.
The Huskies will face either Louisville or Dayton in the final of the Albany Region. They will once again be overwhelming favorites to advance and, if they keep playing at this level, may win the title without ever being seriously tested.
Dayton 82, Louisville 66
Dayton used a second-half surge to complete an upset of Louisville. The Flyers, which had already knocked out second-seeded Kentucky in the last round, once again showcased their offensive ability with 52 points after halftime.
It was a one-point game at the break. Dayton game out strong and Louisville simply couldn't match the level of play. The underdogs had stretched the lead to 10 within the first six minutes of the second half and never looked back.
James Rider of ABC 22 in Dayton highlighted the strong play of Andrea Hoover:
Marcus Hartman of Fox Sports Ohio points on the challenge that looms, however:
Hoover had 26 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists for the Flyers. Jodie Cornelie-Sigmundova chipped in 12 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Myisha Hines-Allen led the Cardinals with 14 points.
As Hartman alluded, Dayton now must get prepared for a matchup with Connecticut. The Huskies have looked unstoppable during the first three rounds of the tournament. It's going to take a perfect game from the Flyers to even have a chance.
Maryland 65, Duke 55
Maryland used a push late in the first half to open up an eight-point lead heading into the break. Duke tried to rally in the final 20 minutes, cutting the deficit to one with 12 minutes left, but the Blue Devils couldn't complete the comeback.
The Terrapins responded with a 7-0 run after Duke made its move and never let the underdogs back into the game again. It was a strong overall performance from the Spokane Region's top seed to advance to the Elite Eight.
Greg Lee of The Spokesman-Review noted the Blue Devils were focused on slowing down Laurin Mincy, which opened the door for Shatori Walker-Kimbrough to shine:
The Big Ten Network congratulated Maryland on a return trip to the Elite Eight:
Walker-Kimbrough led the charge for the Terrapins with 24 points on 10 of 15 shooting. Mincy added 15 points, seven assists and four rebounds despite the defensive attention. Elizabeth Williams had 18 points and nine rebounds in a losing effort for the Blue Devils.
Maryland will face the winner of the game between Tennessee and Gonzaga. A win there would set up a likely meeting with Connecticut in the Final Four.
Tennessee 73, Gonzaga 69
No. 11 seed Gonzaga's Cinderella run through the NCAA tournament came to a close on Saturday night, but not before the Zags took No. 2 seed Tennessee to overtime.
Led by Sunny Greinacher (24 points, 11 rebounds, four steals) and Keani Albanez (20 points, five assists), Gonzaga nearly pulled off the huge upset. The Zags appeared to be headed to the Elite Eight in the second half, pulling to a 57-40 lead with just 6:34 remaining in the game.
But Tennessee went on a furious rally, outscoring the Zagas 23-6 down the stretch to force overtime. With the momentum firmly on their side, the Vols were able to wrap things up in overtime.
Cierra Burdick had a huge night, leading Tennessee with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Ariel Massengale (16 points, four assists), Jaime Nared (12 points, six rebounds) and Jordan Reynolds (11 points, seven rebounds) also played a major role in keeping the Vols alive.
After the game, Burdick put her big night into perspective, per Matt Slovin of The Tennessean:
The Vols will next face No. 1 seed Maryland with a spot in the Final Four on the line. If they allow the Terrapins to run out to a big lead, it's hard to see Tennessee pulling off another comeback win.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
