DURHAM, N.C. — Deja Kelly scored 20 points, and No. 10 seed Oregon recovered in overtime after losing a 19-point lead in the second half to beat No. 7 seed Vanderbilt 77-73 in the first round of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Kelly — who had previously played at Duke’s arena three times during her time with North Carolina — shot 6-for-16 from the floor and added eight rebounds, three steals and three assists for the Big Ten’s Ducks (20-11). Nani Falatea added 17 points and Peyton Scott scored 13 in Oregon’s first March Madness victory since 2021.
“That was a hell of a game,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. “I’m just really proud of our team. Before the game, I talked about our grit and our toughness. I think that’s the one defining characteristic we’ve had all year, and we showed that late in the game with the defensive stops.”
Oregon will face No. 2 seed Duke on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16 at next week’s Birmingham 2 Regional in Alabama.
Mikayla Blakes, the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year, finished with 26 points for Vanderbilt (22-11). Khamil Pierre chipped in 17 points for the Commodores, while Jordyn Oliver had 10.
Oregon led by 11 points at halftime and then used a 12-4 to open the third quarter to take a 48-29 lead. Vanderbilt clawed back, with Oliver getting eight points in the fourth quarter as the Commodores outscored the Ducks 24-12 before Leilani Kapinus made her first basket of the game on a layup in traffic with four seconds remaining to tie the game at 67.
“It’s March, so I think that’s what these games are about. There’s lots of ups and downs,” Kelly said. “I’m really proud of our fight, even when things weren’t going our way.”
In overtime, Blakes and Pierre were off the floor in the final minute, both having fouled out. Free throws by the Ducks from Kelly, Scott and Amina Muhammad sealed the win.
“For whatever reason this, this team likes to fight out of a hole, and we dug ourselves a pretty big one,” Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said. “Then we showed up like the team that I truly believe we are for most of the second half. Unfortunately, we ran out of time.”
Oregon is 7-1 this season in games decided by four points or less.
“We’ve been in a lot of these kind of games that can go either way,” Graves said. “We just seemed to make the right plays.”
Graves seems to thrive as an underdog in March. He now has 10 wins when Oregon is a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament, the most of any active Division I women’s coach.
The Commodores, still searching for their first March Madness win since 2013, made just two 3-pointers against Oregon’s stifling defense, tying a season low.
Duke 86, Lehigh 25
Oluchi Okananwa scored 15 point, and Duke’s defense powered the second-seeded Blue Devils (27-7) to a lopsided victory over 15th-seeded Lehigh (27-7), the Patriot League champion.
The number of points scored by the Mountain Hawks are the second fewest in the history of the NCAA tourney, which debuted in 1982.
Okananwa, the MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, also had seven rebounds, three steals and two assists in 20 minutes off the bench for the Blue Devils. Toby Fournier and Delaney Thomas added 11 points apiece.
Ella Stemmer scored eight points to lead Lehigh, which was down just 13-8 after the first quarter but trailed 33-10 by halftime and 57-17 entering the final period.
South Carolina 108, Tennessee Tech 48
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina freshman Joyce Edwards scored 22 points in her NCAA tourney debut as No. 1 seed South Carolina began its run at a second straight national title and its third in four years with a home win in the first round.
The Gamecocks (31-3), who shared the SEC regular-season title with Texas and then beat the Longhorns in the league tournament final, improved to 17-1 in the past four NCAA tournaments, winning it all in 2022 and 2024. The lone defeat in March Madness for coach Dawn Staley’s team during that stretch was to Iowa in the 2023 semifinals, and the Gamecocks beat the Hawkeyes and star guard Caitlin Clark in last year’s national championship game.
With Edwards, an All-SEC first-team selection this season, leading the way as one of four scorers in double figures for her team, the Gamecocks looked poised for another title run, with their next matchup Sunday against Indiana.
Tennessee Tech’s Taris Thornton had a team-high 13 points for the Golden Eagles (26-6), the Ohio Valley Conference champions who entered on a 17-game winning streak.
Fifth-year forward Anna Walker from Cleveland, Tennessee, a former Bradley Central High School standout who played her first college season at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before transferring to the Cookeville program, made the 98th start of her Golden Eagles career. She scored six points in her 126th game for Tennessee Tech.
Indiana 76, Utah 68
Yarden Garzon scored 17 points and Shay Ciezki added 16 as No. 9 seed Indiana beat eighth-seeded Utah and won its opener for a sixth straight NCAA tournament. The Big Ten’s Hoosiers (20-12) also reached 20 wins for a sixth consecutive season.
Ciezki had 11 of her 16 points in the final two quarters as Indiana used a 15-4 run in the third period to take control. The Big 12’s Utes (22-9) got within 72-68 on Gianna Kneepkens’ 3-pointer with 1:05 left, but could get no closer.
BIRMINGHAM 3 REGIONAL
Ohio State 71, Montana State 51
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Taylor Thierry had 16 points, and No. 4 seed Ohio State (26-6) used a balanced attack to beat 13th-seeded Montana State (30-4).
Ohio State shot 50.9% from the field, and each of its starters scored in double figures. Chance Gray and Cotie McMahon each had 15 points, Jaloni Cambridge added 12, and Ajae Petty had 11 with seven rebounds for the Big Ten’s Buckeyes, who face Tennessee of the SEC in the second round Sunday.
The fifth-seeded Lady Volunteers (23-9) routed 12th-seeded South Florida 101-66 in Friday’s second game on Ohio State’s court.
Esmeralda Morales scored 20 points and Natalie Picton had 12 for Montana State (30-4), the Big Sky Conference champion that had lost just once since early December.
TCU 73, Fairleigh Dickinson 51
FORT WORTH, Texas — Madison Conner had 23 points with four 3-pointers, and Sedona Prince overcame two early fouls to finish with 16 points and 10 rebounds as second-seeded TCU, the Big 12 champion hosting an NCAA tourney game for the first time, beat 15th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson.
Hailey Van Lith added 13 points and seven assists for the Horned Frogs (32-3), who made their first NCAA appearance anywhere in 15 years. They have won their past 11 games this season.
Teneisia Brown had 18 points and Ava Renninger 12 for 15th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson (29-4), the Northeast Conference champion that had won 22 games in a row and was in the NCAA field for the first time.
Louisville 63, Nebraska 58
Tajianna Roberts scored 16 points while Jayda Curry made two free throws and drew a charging foul in the final minute as seventh-seeded Louisville beat 10th-seeded Nebraska.
The ACC’s Cardinals (22-10) recovered after falling behind when the Big Ten’s Cornhuskers (21-12) opened the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run.
After losing in the first round last season for the first time under coach Jeff Walz, the Cardinals advanced this time to face site host TCU and Van Lith, who began her college career at Louisville.
Notre Dame 106, Stephen F. Austin 54
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Olivia Miles departed Notre Dame’s victory over Stephen F. Austin because of a left knee injury, casting a shadow over a dominant performance by the third-seeded Fighting Irish in the victory.
Miles fell to the court under the 14th-seeded Ladyjacks’ basket with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter. The senior guard limped off the court and headed to the locker room.
Miles, a first-team All-ACC selection, finished with two points and eight assists. She missed the 2023-2024 season because of a knee injury.
Sonia Citron led Notre Dame (27-5), which will face Michigan on Sunday, in scoring with 24 points.
Trinity Moore had 14 points and eight rebounds for Stephen F. Austin (29-6) of the Southland Conference.
Michigan 80, Iowa State 74
Jordan Hobbs scored 28 points to help sixth-seeded Michigan hold off 11th-seeded Iowa State.
The Big Ten’s Wolverines (23-10) also got 16 points from freshman Olivia Olson, who hit only one of her first nine shots but was 4-for-6 from the field down the stretch.
Audi Crooks matched Hobbs for the game high in points to lead the Big 12’s Cyclones (23-12).
SPOKANE 1 REGIONAL
Baylor 73, Grand Canyon 60
WACO, Texas — Aaronette Vonleh had 25 points and 11 rebounds, leading fourth-seeded Baylor past 13th-seeded Grand Canyon.
Jada Walker added 17 points for the host Bears (28-7), wh ended the Lopes’ nation-leading winning streak at 30 games in Grand Canyon’s first NCAA tourney appearance.
Baylor, a Big 12 program, will face Ole Miss of the SEC on Sunday with a spot at the Sweet 16 next week in Spokane, Washington, on the line.
The Bears trailed most of the first half before going in front for good on a 9-0 run in the final 3:35 before the break. The Western Athletic Conference’s Lopes (32-3) got back within three at halftime on Sydney Erikstrup’s 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Ole Miss 83, Ball State 65
Starr Jacobs had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Kennedy Todd-Williams added 14 and 11, and No. 5 seed Ole Miss rolled to a victory over 12th-seeded Ball State of the Mid-American Conference.
Madison Scott scored 15 points as the Rebels (21-10) had a much better time on Baylor’s home court three years after South Dakota won an NCAA tournament game for the first time by beating Ole Miss in Waco.
Ball State (27-8) was led by Ally Becki’s 19 points.
Richmond 74, Georgia Tech 49
LOS ANGELES — Maggie Doogan had 30 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, and eighth-seeded Richmond routed ninth-seeded Georgia Tech for the Spiders’ first NCAA tournament victory.
Addie Budnik added 14 points for Richmond (28-6), which had gone winless in the four previous March Madness appearances by the program, which debuted in 1981.
With a phenomenal 18-point first half from Doogan, the Atlantic 10 Conference player of the year, the Spiders jumped to a 20-point lead over the ACC’s Yellow Jackets (22-11) and stayed in front all night while playing at Pauley Pavilion — and more than 2,600 miles from home.
Tonie Morgan had 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one block and a steal for Georgia Tech.
Richmond moves on to face site host UCLA, the tournament overall No. 1 seed.
UCLA 84, Southern 46
Lauren Betts had 14 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots, and the Bruins tipped off the program’s quest for its first Final Four appearance with a victory over 16th-seeded Southern.
Londynn Jones scored 11 points for the Bruins (31-2), who spent 13 weeks atop the AP Top 25 and won the Big Ten tournament last week by knocking off archrival and fellow No. 1 seed Southern California.
Aniya Gourdine scored 10 points for Southern (21-15), which beat UC San Diego in a First Four game Wednesday to secure this matchup. The Jaguars won the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s regular-season and tournament titles during a remarkable year for the program.
SPOKANE 4 REGIONAL
Kentucky 79, Liberty 78
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Georgia Amoore scored 34 points, including three free throws in the final 10 seconds for fourth-seeded Kentucky, which nearly blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead but held on to deny 13th-seeded Liberty’s upset bid.
Amoore, an AP All-America second-team guard, was 6-of-10 from 3-point range and added eight assists, two steals and two blocks to her scoring output. She had 23 first-half points for the SEC’s Wildcats (23-7), who led 67-50 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.
Liberty’s Emma Hess drained a 3-pointer for the final points of the game, but Amoore avoided getting fouled in the final two seconds to preserve Kentucky’s first tournament win in four years.
Dazia Lawrence added 16 points for Kentucky, which also got 15 points and 10 rebounds from Clara Strack.
Emmy Stout came off the bench to lead the Flames (26-7) with 20 points. Hess added 17 for the Conference USA champions.
Kansas State 85, Fairfield 41
Ayoka Lee had 17 points and 10 rebounds in her return to the lineup, and fifth-seeded Kansas State beat 12th-seeded Fairfield.
Lee went 7-for-10 from the field in her first game since she played just four minutes in a 90-60 victory over Kansas on Feb. 22. The 6-foot-6 center has been hampered by foot injuries.
She played 15 minutes against the Stags (28-5) before departing with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter.
Kaety L’Amoreaux led the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions with 11 points.