BATON ROUGE, La. — Savannah Wheeler, the Conference USA player of the year, missed her first six shots, picked up two fouls and committed a turnover during the first 18 minutes of Middle Tennessee State University's matchup with Louisville on Friday in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
But when the 5-foot-6 guard finally scored her first points on a layup with 1:16 left in the first half, a game that Louisville had dominated early was about to change.
Wheeler scored 20 of her 22 points in the second half, and the 11th-seeded Lady Blue Raiders stormed back from 18 down to defeat the sixth-seeded Cardinals 71-69 in the Albany 2 quadrant of the bracket.
"I kept telling myself to keep staying aggressive and just keep playing within myself, and eventually one is going to fall," said Wheeler, a fifth-year senior who hit five of her seven second-half shots, including all three 3-point attempts she put up. "We're a team that we don't give up. We keep playing hard. We keep fighting."
Jalynn Gregory scored 24 points for MTSU (30-4), which has won 20 straight games since losing 69-68 to Grand Canyon on Dec. 30.
Center Anastasiia Boldyreva had 11 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots for the Lady Raiders, who matched the third-largest comeback in tourney history to advance to the second round for the fifth time overall but first time since 2007. MTSU will play again Sunday against reigning national champion LSU, a No. 3 seed and a 10-point winner over 14th-seeded Rice in Friday's second game at the Maravich Center.
Olivia Cochran had a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Nina Rickards scored 12 points for Louisville (24-10), but Cochran was whistled for her fourth foul in the middle of the third quarter, and she was subbed out with Louisville still holding a five-point lead.
"We made a big push when that happened," MTSU coach Rick Insell said. "They didn't have anybody else like her — and we didn't either."
When Cochran checked back in during the fourth quarter, MTSU had a slim lead and Cochran had little choice but to shy away from contact on the defensive end.
"We fouled too much," Cochran said, her voice cracking. "Some of those calls were dumb fouls on me. Some of them were tough calls. ... I'm sorry."
The Cardinals had advanced to five straight NCAA regional finals before this season and hadn't lost in the first round since 2006. The Atlantic Coast Conference program nearly came back from an eight-point deficit in the final two minutes.
Sydney Taylor's 3 with five seconds left made it 71-69, and MTSU's Ta'Mia Scott missed two free throws. That allowed Merissah Russell to try a half-court shot for the win that hit the backboard and rim.
"It's on us as a team as and as players," Russell said through tears as she made a point of defending her coach, Jeff Walz. "We know the culture here. We know the standard here, and this is not it. ... This is not who we are. I feel like failure."
Louisville built a big early lead in part by hitting four of its first five 3-point attempts, with a different player making each one.
The Lady Raiders missed 10 of their first 13 shots, and the first period ended with Russell stealing the ball from Boldyreva for a breakaway layup to give the Cardinals a 28-12 lead. Russell's 3 made it 38-20 with 4:18 left in the second quarter, but MTSU's comeback began soon after.
Scott's layup, Gregory's 3 and Wheeler's layup cut it to 38-27 at halftime. Wheeler's second 3 of the third quarter cut it to 44-40. And another Wheeler 3, followed by Scott's three free throws after she was fouled on the perimeter, tied it at 48 with 1:33 left in the third.
Wheeler then finished an explosive drive through several converging defenders with a layup, capping an 8-0 run that put the Lady Raiders in front 50-48 and set up a tension-filled fourth quarter.
"That's why she's player of the year in our conference. That's why she's MVP of the conference tournament," Insell said. "She's a scoring machine."
After shooting nearly 47% in the first half, the Cardinals made just 33.3% of their field-goal attempts in the second, when they missed six of seven tries from 3-point range. The Cardinals lost despite outrebounding MTSU 41-34 and outscoring the Blue Raiders 34-22 in the paint.
Walz also said that Taylor was trying to play through an illness.
"Syd gutted it out for 30 minutes, and Syd's sick," Walz said. "Syd's never asked to come out of a game, and she asked five or six times. ... You could see it energy-wise from her."
AP photo by Gerald Herbert / MTSU guard Jalynn Gregory dives for a loose ball as Louisville's Merissah Russell follows during an NCAA tournament first-round game Friday in Baton Rouge, La.LSU 70, Rice 60
BATON ROUGE, La. — Angel Reese had 10 points and 19 rebounds, and the Tigers (29-5) overcame a feisty performance by Rice (19-15) to win on their home court.
Aneesah Morrow added 15 points, while Flau'Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams each scored 14 for the Southeastern Conference runners-up, whose season-high 24 turnovers were a major reason why they had a hard time putting the away the Owls.
Rice surprisingly got into the NCAA tournament by winning four straight games in the American Athletic Conference tournament after having lost their last five games of the regular season. And the Owls didn't make anything easy on LSU, which didn't lead by more than 11 points all game and was up by just six after Maya Bokunewicz's 3 from the left side and Sussy Ngulefac's layup made it 62-56 with 1:56 left.
Destiny Jackson scored 15 and Malia Fisher had 13 points and three steals for Rice, while Ngulefac and Emily Klaczek each scored 10 points.
Kansas State 78, Portland 65
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Gabby Gregory had 22 points and Ayoka Lee scored 21 to lead No. 4 seed Kansas State (26-7) to a win over No. 13 seed Portland (21-13).
Serena Sundell added 16 points for the Wildcats, who built a big first-half lead, going into the locker room ahead 40-28 at the break before keeping the Pilots at arm's reach the rest of the game. Kansas State will face Colorado on Sunday in the second round.
Portland was led by Maisie Burnham, who had 17 of her 21 points in the second half. The Pilots also got 12 points from Kianna Hamilton-Fisher.
Colorado 86, Drake 72
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Aaronette Vonleh had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead fifth-seeded Colorado (23-9) past 12th-seeded Drake (29-6).
Colorado also got 16 points from Jaylyn Sherrod and Kindyll Wetta, and Maddie Nolan scored 12 for the Buffaloes, who finished with an overwhelming 39-18 advantage in rebounds.
Drake got a game-high 24 points from Katie Dinnebier, while Courtney Becker added 14 and Taylor McAulay had 13.
ALBANY 1 REGION
South Carolina 91, Presbyterian 39
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Chloe Kitts tied her career high with 21 points on 9-of-9 shooting as overall No. 1 seed South Carolina (33-0) easily overcame the absence of starters Kamilla Cardoso and Bree Hall to beat No. 16 seed Presbyterian (21-15).
The Gamecocks moved five wins away from the 10th perfect championship season in NCAA Division I women's basketball history by overwhelming the Blue Hose of the Big South Conference for a second time this season.
Next for the SEC champions in Sunday's second round is a rematch against North Carolina, which was ahead by 11 points before the Gamecocks rallied for a 65-58 victory at the ACC/SEC Challenge in November.
Kitts also had a game-high 13 rebounds for her fifth double-double this season. Te-Hina Paopao had 18 points and freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 17 for South Carolina, which moved to 12-0 in NCAA openers under coach Dawn Staley.
South Carolina played without Cardoso, the team's leading scorer and rebounder this season, while she served a one-game suspension for her ejection for fighting last time out in the SEC tournament final against LSU on March 10.
Staley said Hall was held out for precautionary reasons but was "fine."
North Carolina 59, Michigan State 56
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Deja Kelly had 13 points for No. 8 seed North Carolina (20-12), which held off a late run by No. 9 seed Michigan State (22-9) to advance.
Maria Gakdeng had 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Alyssa Ustby had 16 points and 17 rebounds, with no grab bigger than pulling down Kelly's final missed free throw with 3.2 seconds left as the clock ran out.
It looked like the Tar Heels had a victory sewn up, opening a 16-point lead early and still leading 54-42 with 3:22 to go. But the Spartans had a final rally in them and cut their deficit to a point, 57-56, on Theryn Hallock's 3-pointer from the right corner with 5.4 seconds to go.
That was as close as they got, though, as Kelly did just enough at the foul line as North Carolina won its NCAA tourney opener for the third straight time.
Oregon State 73, Eastern Washington 51
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Raegan Beers had 19 points and nine rebounds before getting injured just before the fourth quarter, and third-seeded Oregon State (25-7) advanced with a victory over No. 14 seed Eastern Washington (29-6).
Oregon State will play Nebraska on Sunday, with the winner of that game heading to the Sweet 16 in Albany, New York.
Beers, who was averaging 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds this season, fell to the court as time expired in the third quarter, clutching her right ankle and crying in pain. She was able to stand on her own and limped to the locker room, and though she later returned to the bench, she did not play again.
Dominika Paurova added 17 points for the Beavers, who trailed early but took control of the game in the second quarter and led by as many as 25 points in front of a orange-clad home crowd in a packed gym.
Jamie Loera had 21 points for the Eagles, who won the Big Sky Conference tournament to earn just their second NCAA tourney appearance.
Nebraska 61, Texas A&M 59
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Alexis Markowski had 16 points and six rebounds, and sixth-seeded Nebraska (23-22) earned its first NCAA tourney win since 2014 by barely holding off No. 11 seed Texas A&M (19-12).
Logan Nissley also had 16 points for Nebraska, while Jaz Shelley, who averaged 13.7 points and 5.6 assists this season for the Big Ten program, had five points while adding five rebounds and six assists.
Aicha Coulibaly had 26 points and 10 rebounds for Texas A&M, which finished fifth in the SEC and earned an at-large bid in the 68-team field.
The Cornhuskers led by as many as 17 points, but Coulibaly's short jumper got the Aggies within 56-54 with 4:34 left. Endyia Rogers made a pair of free throws to tie it at 66.
Markowski's layup under the basket put Nebraska in front before Coulibaly's layup and free throw gave the Aggies the lead with 17.7 seconds to go.
The Huskers regained the lead on Nissley's free throws. Shelley made the first of a pair with 1.7 seconds left for the final margin.
PORTLAND 3 REGION
Ohio State 80, Maine 57
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jacy Sheldon had 19 points and three other Ohio State players scored in double figures as the second-seeded Buckeyes (26-5) ran away from No. 15 seed Maine (24-10).
The bigger and faster Buckeyes swarmed Maine with a stifling pressure defense, forcing 22 turnovers.
Ohio State advances to play Duke on Sunday.
Cotie McMahon scored 13 for Ohio State, and Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry each added 12. Sheldon scored her 2,000th career point with a layup late in the first half.
Anne Simon led Maine with 25 points, while Olivia Rockwood had 15.
Duke 72, Richmond 61
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Reigan Richardson scored 25 points and had seven rebounds as seventh-seeded Duke (21-11) rallied in the second half to overtake No. 10 seed Richmond (29-6).
Ashlon Jackson added 14 points and Kennedy Brown had 10 for the Blue Devils, who battled back from a nine-point deficit at halftime, going ahead 42-41 with 4:42 left in the third quarter and never relinquishing the lead again.
Grace Townsend led Richmond with 18 points, Addie Budnik had 17 and Maggie Doogan scored 15.
Virginia Tech 92, Marshall 49
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Matilda Ekh scored 21 points to lead fourth-seeded Virginia Tech (25-7) past No. 13 seed Marshall.
The Hokies won without star center Elizabeth Kitley, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Ekh was 6-of-9 from the floor while hitting five 3-pointers for the Hokies, who set a program record by winning their 26th consecutive game at Cassell Coliseum.
Starting in place of Kitley, Clara Strack had 17 points and Carleigh Wenzel added 13 for Virginia Tech, which never trailed and advances to face Baylor on Sunday.
Abby Beeman scored 12 points for Marshall, which entered on a 10-game winning streak.
Baylor 80, Vanderbilt 63
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Bella Fontleroy scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lift fifth-seeded Baylor (25-7) over No. 12 seed Vanderbilt (23-10).
Fontleroy was 6-for-12 from the floor, making four 3-pointers, and the Bears broke open a close game with a dominating third quarter in winning for the seventh time in their past eight games. Sarah Andrews added 13 points, and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs had 11 for Baylor.
Iyana Moore led the Commodores with 15 points, but she was just 3-of-14 from the floor.
Baylor, making its 20th consecutive NCAA tourney appearance, led 41-34 at halftime, then shot 61.1% (11-of-18) and outscored the Commodores 28-15 in the third quarter. The Bears held Vanderbilt to just one field goal in the final 6:32 of the period.
PORTLAND 4 REGION
Texas 82, Drexel 42
AUSTIN, Texas — Shaylee Gonzales scored 21 points, Taylor Jones added 18 and No. 1 seed Texas (31-4) routed No. 16 seed Drexel (19-15).
Gonzales was 5-for-6 from 3-point range while matching her season high in scoring. Jones hit seven of 11 shots inside for the Longhorns, who have won 13 of their past 14 games.
Drexel had only one starter taller than 6 feet. Texas, rotating four post players who are between 6-1 and 6-4 most of the game, outscored Drexel 44-18 in the paint and 22-6 on second-chance points thanks to a 26-10 edge in offensive rebounding.
The Longhorns' dominance inside eventually resulted in open 3-pointers for Gonzales. She made three in the third quarter without missing.
Freshman Madison Booker had a season-best 14 assists for Texas, and DeYona Gaston had 11 points and 10 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass, while Shay Holle had seven rebounds, four blocks and three steals. The Longhorns move on to face Alabama on Sunday.
Amaris Baker scored 10 points to lead the Dragons, who shot 35% and committed 21 turnovers.
Alabama 82, Florida State 74
AUSTIN, Texas — Alabama freshman Essence Cody had season highs with 20 points and 14 rebounds, and the eighth-seeded Crimson Tide (24-9) held off No. 9 seed Florida State (23-11).
Working inside, the 6-4 Cody more than doubled her average of eight points a game — she also blocked four shots — and made a layup on a pick-and-roll to give Alabama a 74-69 lead with 2:33 left.
O'Mariah Gordon quickly countered with a 3-pointer for Florida State, but Aaliyah Nye made a 3 of her own for Alabama with 1:21 remaining. Nye finished with 18 points.
Alabama shot 5-of-6 from the foul line in the final 44 seconds.
Ta'Niya Latson led Florida State with 25 points and five assists. Makayla Timpson had 23 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Stanford 79, Norfolk State 50
STANFORD, Calif. — Cameron Brink had 17 points and 15 rebounds and blocked six more shots to add to her nation-leading total, and No. 2 seed Stanford (29-5) cruised past 15th-seeded Norfolk State (27-6).
Kiki Iriafen added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Elena Bosgana scored a career-high 18 points and Hannah Jump had 13 with four 3-pointers for the Cardinal as they looked determined and focused coming off a double-digit loss to Southern California in the Pac-12 title game.
Diamond Johnson scored 19 points but missed all eight of her shots from behind the arc for Norfolk State, which was held to seven points in the second quarter as both teams endured scoring droughts, though Stanford led 32-19 at halftime. Johnson dealt with apparent leg cramping at the 5:29 mark of the fourth quarter and was helped onto the bench.
Stanford advances to face Iowa State on Sunday.
Iowa State 93, Maryland 86
STANFORD, Calif. — Iowa State freshman Audi Crooks scored a career-high 40 points on 18-for-20 shooting in her sensational NCAA tourney debut, and No. 7 seed Iowa State (21-11) hit all the big shots in the second half to rally from 20 points down and beat 10th-seeded Maryland (19-14).
The 20-point comeback marked the second-largest in an NCAA tournament game, trailing only Texas A&M overcoming a 21-point deficit to beat Penn in 2017.
Emily Ryan knocked down a key 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining and finished with 18 points while dishing out 14 assists as the Cyclones kept pounding the ball inside to the ever-reliable Crooks, even when it led to a handful of late turnovers.
Crooks, the program's first freshman to earn AP All-America recognition with her honorable mention selection this week, came in leading the team averaging 18.9 points and 7.7 rebounds, and she became the 16th player to score 40 or more this season. She also had 12 rebounds against Maryland.