The first two days of the 2025 women’s NCAA tournament supplied minimal drama but plenty of eye-popping performances. Two No. 10 seeds registered wins, but upsets were otherwise scarce for the second consecutive year.

The lack of early drama should have an upside. Moving forward, stronger potential matchups await. The heavyweights are still alive — and some made history.

Six teams — UConn, LSU, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — scored over 100 points for the first time in women’s NCAA tournament history. And for just the second time in women’s March Madness history, four teams — the Irish, Gamecocks, Huskies and Duke — won by more than 50 points. USC and Duke held their opponents to just 25 points apiece, tied for the second fewest in an NCAA tournament game. Oklahoma grabbed an NCAA tournament-record 72 rebounds.

First round or not, we have to take notice. And those kinds of numbers add extra intrigue in a reevaluation of the 32 remaining teams — even if no teams seeded 11 or lower won a game in the first round for the first time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994.

Ahead of the second round, which opens at noon ET Sunday (ESPN), we rank every team remaining. And there’s plenty of movement, starting at the very top.

How the round of 32 was set:
Friday | Saturday

1. South Carolina Gamecocks
Original seed: No. 1 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 16 Tennessee Tech 108-48 (Friday)

The Gamecocks should have been the No. 1 overall seed coming into the NCAA tournament — and now they are (at least in this exercise). No team was more overwhelming in the first round. Their 108 points and 60-point victory were the best in an NCAA tournament game in program history. So were 12 3-pointers and 43 field goals. The 66 points the Gamecocks got from their reserves were the most in tournament history. Their top three scorers — Joyce Edwards (22), MiLaysia Fulwiley (15) and Tessa Johnson (11) — all came off the bench. All 12 Gamecocks scored. After a dominant win over Texas in the SEC championship game, Friday’s performance and a 26.8-point scoring margin over the past eight games, South Carolina must be considered the best team in the country.

Up next: vs. Indiana (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)

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Tessa Johnson buries the 3 from the wing for South Carolina

Tessa Johnson gathers the rock and knocks down the three from the wing to pad the Gamecocks’ lead.

2. UCLA Bruins
Original seed: No. 1 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 16 Southern 84-46 (Friday)

UCLA was the No. 1 overall team on Selection Sunday but drops slightly to No. 2 overall because South Carolina looked so good — and because it took UCLA a half to get completely in sync against the Jaguars. Once they did, the Bruins were the same precision team they have been all season. They assisted on 23 of their 26 field goals. On the other end, they held Southern to 20 second-half points. No UCLA starter played more than 26 minutes, and nine got into the scoring column, led by Lauren Betts‘ 14 points.

Up next: vs. Richmond (Sunday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

3. UConn Huskies
Original seed: No. 2 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 15 Arkansas State 103-34 (Saturday)

Arkansas State got the full effect of what makes UConn’s offense the most efficient in the country. The first half was a clinic that resulted in 66 points and the second-largest margin (50) in NCAA tournament history. The best news for the Huskies might have been the performance of Azzi Fudd: 27 points (6-of-9 from 3-point range, 7 assists, 6 steals. Fudd hadn’t played in an NCAA tournament game since the 2023 Sweet 16. An even better sign: Fudd has made 55.8% of her 3-point attempts in UConn’s past nine games. Her shooting to go along with the play of Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong is why UConn has the second-best odds behind South Carolina to win the title.

Up next: vs. South Dakota State (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)

4. USC Trojans
Original seed: No. 1 (Spokane)
First round: Defeated No. 16 UNC Greensboro 71-25 (Saturday)

While it’s notable that USC allowed only 25 points Saturday, tied for the second-lowest total in an NCAA tournament game, JuJu Watkins‘ health is the real news coming out of the Galen Center. The sophomore came out of this win with 22 points, eight rebounds, a banged-up left wrist and a sore left ankle. She remained in the game after short absences and played 28 minutes, but her physical status will be watched closely in Round 2. Despite the 46-point win, USC didn’t play its best offensive basketball. Kiki Iriafen was the only other Trojan in double figures with 13.

Up next: vs. Mississippi State (Monday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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JuJu Watkins drills a three before exiting with ankle injury

JuJu Watkins sinks a deep three despite rolling her ankle. She returned to the game after receiving treatment in the locker room.

5. Texas Longhorns
Original seed: No. 1 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 16 William & Mary 105-61 (Saturday)

Considering the low points totals allowed by USC, UConn, Duke and South Carolina, Texas allowing 61 points to Williams & Mary is high. That it was an 18-16 game with under a minute left in the first quarter was also surprising. The Tribe entered this game as the only team in the NCAA tournament with a losing record. The Longhorns were still dominant, just not as dominant as the rest of the top teams. A game against William & Mary doesn’t say anything about Texas’ national championship potential, but it shakes up the rankings. The bar had been set high on Friday and earlier Saturday. Madison Booker‘s shooting efficiency (8-of-11 from the field) and 20 points were a good sign after her tough, 10-point showing against South Carolina in the SEC tournament finals.

Up next: vs. Illinois (Monday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

6. Duke Blue Devils
Original seed: No. 2 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 15 Lehigh 80-57 (Friday)

During its run to the ACC tournament title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, Duke’s defense was outstanding. It’s the calling card of the program under Kara Lawson. On Friday against Lehigh, it was almost unfair. The Blue Devils forced 30 turnovers and allowed the Mountain Hawks to make just nine field goals (19.6 FG%). Stifling might not be a strong enough description. Perhaps even better news for Duke’s long-term tournament aspirations, the Blue Devils made 11 3-pointers and Oluchi Okananwa continued her outstanding play off the bench with a team-leading 15 points. Oregon played methodically against Vanderbilt with success. That might be playing right into Duke’s hands.

Up next: vs. Oregon (Sunday, noon ET, ESPN)

7. TCU Horned Frogs
Original seed: No. 2 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 15 FDU 73-51 (Friday)

With Sedona Prince in foul trouble and Hailey Van Lith struggling from the field, it took the Horned Frogs a little time to get established after a 12-day layoff, and they trailed by three after the first quarter. Then they settled in and by halftime, TCU’s first NCAA tournament win since 2006 was inevitable. So much of Sunday’s second-round meeting with Louisville will be about Van Lith playing against her former team, but the Horned Frogs in just their second year under coach Mark Campbell will be playing for their first trip to the Sweet 16.

Up next: vs. Louisville (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)

8. NC State Wolfpack
Original seed: No. 3 seed (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 15 Vermont 75-55 (Saturday)

NC State was outscored 47-26 in the second half of the ACC tournament final against Duke and then was only six points better than Vermont over the first 30 minutes in the Wolfpack’s NCAA tournament opener. Concern might have been setting in before the Wolfpack cranked it up in the fourth quarter. NC State outscored the Catamounts 23-9 in the final 10 minutes behind six points from Aziaha James. It marked the Wolfpack’s highest scoring quarter since the regular-season finale against SMU. Of course, the offense got off to a slow start in the first round last year against Chattanooga — and then carried NC State to the Final Four.

Up next: vs. Michigan State (Monday, noon ET, ESPN)

9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Original seed: No. 3 (Birmingham)
First round: Defeated No. 14 SFA 106-54 (Friday)

A 52-point NCAA tournament win is something to celebrate, especially for an Irish team that struggled in the final weeks leading into March Madness. But much of that was muted when Olivia Miles appeared to sprain her left ankle with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter Friday. She had to be helped off the floor and didn’t return. Coach Niele Ivey said after the game that her point guard “should be OK,” but any momentum Notre Dame established behind 24 points each from Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron and 56.3% shooting from the field is stalled until Miles’ health and status are known.

Up next: vs. Michigan (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)

10. LSU Tigers
Original seed: No. 3 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 14 San Diego State 103-48 (Saturday)

With Flau’Jae Johnson leading the way with 22 points and Aneesah Morrow posting her 28th double-double of the season, the questions around their health were answered Saturday. Johnson showed no rust after missing the SEC tournament and the last two games of the regular season. Morrow wasn’t hampered by the ankle injury she sustained in the SEC semifinals. The Tigers put six players in double figures and scored 100 points for the sixth time this season. The 103 points were a school record in the NCAA tournament. The Tigers jumped to a 9-0 lead and never looked back. LSU, the sixth-highest-scoring team in the country, now faces the third-most-prolific team, Florida State.

Up next: vs. Florida State (Monday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)

11. Oklahoma Sooners
Original seed: No. 3 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast 81-58 (Saturday)

Getting out of the SEC seems to have been refreshing for the Sooners. Against the Eagles, Oklahoma got to be the big, physical team, and the Sooners made it count, collecting a single-game NCAA tournament-record 72 rebounds. Much like last year in the first round, FGCU played Oklahoma tough. Last year it ended up a three-point Sooners win. This time, Oklahoma pulled away in the fourth for a more comfortable finish. The addition of Raegan Beers was the difference. Oklahoma’s 6-foot-4 center had 25 points and 18 rebounds, with nine points in the final quarter. The lower part of the Spokane 4 Regional was loaded with good offensive teams. The Iowa-Oklahoma second-round game has the potential to be the highest-scoring of the tournament.

Up next: vs. Iowa (Monday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

12. North Carolina Tar Heels
Original seed: No. 3 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 14 Oregon State 70-49 (Saturday)

Health was North Carolina’s biggest issue late in the season, but Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly both returned for the ACC tournament and are now back to their full roles. Ustby led North Carolina in minutes on Saturday against Oregon State, and Kelly’s 28 minutes were more than her season average. The duo, along with the hot shooting of Lexi Donarski, led the Tar Heels to their fifth straight first-round win. Ustby is a top-20 individual defensive player in the country, one of the best defensive rebounders and is generally Courtney Banghart’s most vital player. Against West Virginia’s press, however, Kelly and Donarski might be even more important.

Up next: vs. West Virginia (Monday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

13. Kentucky Wildcats
Original seed: No. 4 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 13 Liberty 79-78 (Friday)

The Wildcats created a scare of their own making, going cold in the final quarter Friday, nearly blowing a 17-point lead to the Flames. Liberty pulled within one point twice late in the fourth quarter, but Georgia Amoore made three free throws in the final 10 seconds for Kentucky’s first NCAA tournament win since 2021. It was, however, the seventh NCAA tournament victory for Amoore, who helped Virginia Tech and coach Kenny Brooks reach the Final Four in 2021. Posts Clara Strack and Teonni Key each fouled out, and the Wildcats once again relied heavily on Amoore. Her 34 points and eight assists accounted for 55 of Kentucky’s 79 points, and she tied the program mark for most points in an NCAA tournament game.

Up next: vs. Kansas State (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

14. Baylor Bears
Original seed: No. 4 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 13 Grand Canyon 73-60 (Friday)

Senior center Aaronette Vonleh continued her outstanding end-of-season play with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Baylor needed all of her dominance to hold off Grand Canyon. Largely because of Vonleh (22.5 PPG in her past six games), the Bears have played their best basketball in the past few weeks. And that had been without Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double (13.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG) this season. Littlepage-Buggs returned against the Lopes after missing seven games with a knee injury but is still on a minutes restriction and scored two in 18 minutes.

Up next: vs. Ole Miss (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

15. Tennessee Lady Vols
Original seed: No. 5 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 12 South Florida 101-66 (Friday)

For only the second time in NCAA tournament history, three teams scored more than 100 points in a single day. The Lady Vols joined South Carolina and Notre Dame by forcing 24 turnovers and making 16 3-pointers, categories in which Tennessee was in the top 10 in the country this season. The 16 3-pointers and 37 attempts were both NCAA tournament records for the program, a testament to the change first-year coach Kim Caldwell has brought to Rocky Top. As the Lady Vols are apt to do with their nonstop press, they turned a one-point lead after the first quarter into a 45-32 advantage five minutes later. The Bulls never got closer.

Up next: vs. Ohio State (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)

16. Ohio State Buckeyes
Original seed: No. 4 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 13 Montana State 71-51 (Friday)

After a 29-point loss to UCLA in the Big Ten tournament semis and a slow start against the Bobcats in the first round, there was reason to be concerned. But following a Kevin McGuff technical foul, the Buckeyes responded and scored 32 of the next 35 points. Ohio State’s press was the catalyst. The Buckeyes’ full-court pressure caused 14 turnovers, which tied their next opponent, Tennessee, for the second most in an NCAA tournament over the past five years. The team that plays the more effective press Sunday could decide the game. On the season, the Lady Vols turn over the ball slightly more than Ohio State, but the Buckeyes had 16 miscues against Montana State, an area they will have to tighten up.

Up next: vs. Tennessee (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)

17. Ole Miss Rebels

Original seed: No. 7 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 12 Ball State 83-65 (Friday)

Three years ago, Ole Miss was making its first NCAA tournament appearance in 15 years and was set to play Baylor in the second round in Waco. Then South Dakota stunned the Rebels in the first round. Ole Miss didn’t miss a second chance and will meet the Bears at Foster Pavilion on Saturday. Double-doubles from Starr Jacobs and Kennedy Todd-Williams led the way, as well as a plus-22 rebounding margin. That is where the matchup with Baylor might be won. Both teams rank in the top 25 in the country in rebound rate, and both dominated the glass on Friday.

Up next: vs. Notre Dame (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

18. Kansas State Wildcats
Original seed: No. 5 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 12 Fairfield 85-41 (Friday)

Ayoka Lee might have played only 15 minutes Friday in her return from a foot injury that caused her to miss most of the past six weeks, but her impact was immeasurable. The Wildcats put together one of their best performances of the season, shooting 53.1% from the field and completely shutting down the smaller Stags. Lee had 17 points and 10 rebounds and said she could have played longer if necessary. She will likely have to against a Kentucky team with 6-foot-4 Teonni Key, 6-6 Clara Strack and 6-7 Clara Silva.

Up next: vs. Kentucky (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

19. Maryland Terrapins
Original seed: No. 4 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 13 Norfolk State 82-69 (Saturday)

The Terps were seeded in the top 16 and got to host despite getting blown out by Michigan in their regular-season finale. That might be their biggest edge against Alabama in Round 2. Maryland coach Brenda Frese rebuilt her team this season with transfers, and two of them led the Terps in a tougher-than-expected win over Norfolk State. Sarah Te-Biasu (VCU) and Kaylene Smikle (Rutgers) combined for 43 points and eight of Maryland’s nine 3-pointers. The key for Maryland is getting to the free throw line and converting. The Terps are fifth in the country in made free throws and were 23-of-25 from the line against the Spartans.

Up next: vs. Alabama (Monday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

20. Alabama Crimson Tide
Original seed: No. 5 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 12 Green Bay 81-67 (Saturday)

When Zaay Green decided to make Alabama the fourth stop in her college career, the Crimson Tide had their version of a big three. Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye have been mainstays in Tuscaloosa since each transferred in themselves, and Kristy Curry has a trio that accounts for 62% of Alabama’s scoring. Green, who played at Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas Pine-Bluff before playing this final season with Alabama, has become the Tide’s point guard. Against Green Bay, she was their most important player. Green had 22 points and five assists, and her drives to the basket eventually wore down the Phoenix. Then Nye (23 points) finished things off with three late 3-pointers.

Up next: vs. Maryland (Monday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

21. Iowa Hawkeyes
Original seed: No. 6 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 11 Murray State 92-57 (Saturday)

Murray State was a trendy upset pick, and the Racers were hanging with Iowa deep into the first half with the Hawkeyes in foul trouble. Then Iowa exploded. Over the last four minutes of the second quarter and the first five of the third, the Hawkeyes went on a 33-8 run that included a stretch in which they made nine shots in a row. Katelyn Young, Murray State’s leading scorer and all-time great player, went down early in the second half with a lower leg injury and the game was effectively over. The emergence of freshman post Ava Heiden has given Iowa another dimension and makes the Hawkeyes more dangerous going forward. She didn’t score in double figures all season, then did it twice in the Big Ten tournament and was Iowa’s best player in the first half against Murray State. She scored 13 in the first 20 minutes and finished the game with a team-high 15 points.

Up next: vs. Oklahoma (Monday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

22. Michigan Wolverines
Original seed: No. 6 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 11 Iowa State 80-74 (Friday)

The Wolverines are back in the NCAA tournament because of a youth movement. They are in the second round because of senior Jordan Hobbs. Her career-high 28 points helped Michigan get to the round of 32 for the sixth time in the past seven tournaments by beating Iowa State in one of the most entertaining games of the first round. Michigan took control of the game on a 13-3 fourth-quarter run that included nine points from freshman Olivia Olson. Sunday will mark the fifth game this season the Wolverines will play against a No. 1 seed or a team that was ranked No. 1 this season. They lost the first four (South Carolina, UCLA, USC twice) by an average of 13.5 points.

Up next: vs. Notre Dame (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)

23. Florida State Seminoles
Original seed: No. 6 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 11 George Mason 94-59 (Saturday)

The Seminoles limped into the NCAA tournament with consecutive losses to Duke and North Carolina, scoring just 57 and 56 points in those games. Worse, Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s top scorer, slumped badly, shooting 6-of-35 combined in those games. Florida State found its way against George Mason. Latson scored 28 points and the Seminoles scored their most points since early February, shooting 57% from the field. The win also snapped a five-game NCAA tournament losing streak. O’Mariah Gordon and Makayla Timpson each scored 18 and have been keys to Florida State’s season. But any chance of reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016 rests with Latson playing like her All-American form.

Up next: vs. LSU (Monday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)

24. West Virginia Mountaineers
Original seed: No. 6 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 11 Columbia 78-59 (Saturday)

Defense is supposed to travel well and there are few defenses better in the country than West Virginia’s. However, the Mountaineers are only 5-5 in true road games and now must beat North Carolina in Chapel Hill to get to their first Sweet 16 since 1992. That defense, which ranks second in the country in steals, led the Mountaineers to their second consecutive appearance in the second round. JJ Quinerly, the Big 12 defensive player of the year and West Virginia’s top scorer on the season, had 27 points and seven steals against Columbia. Her 15 points led the Mountaineers in last year’s second-round loss to Iowa.

Up next: vs. North Carolina (Monday, 7 p.m., ESPN2)

25. Michigan State Spartans
Original seed: No. 7 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 10 Harvard 64-50 (Saturday)

The Spartans had an effective game plan to slow down Harvard’s Harmoni Turner and executed it well, holding the Ivy League player of the year to 7-of-22 shooting. She scored 24 points, but Michigan State also found a way to limit the rest of Harvard’s attack. None of Turner’s teammates reached double figures as the Spartans held an opponent below 60 points for the 11th time this season. That defense will be challenged at a much higher level on Monday against an NC State team with multiple scoring options. The Spartans will have to clean up the 23 turnovers they committed against Harvard and get more than the eight points fifth-year senior and second-leading scorer Julia Ayrault had in the first round.

Up next: NC State (Monday, noon ET, ESPN)

26. Louisville Cardinals
Original seed: No. 7 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 10 Nebraska 63-59 (Friday)

Last year the Cardinals were the only first-round upset victim. Veterans Jayda Curry and Olivia Cochran made sure it didn’t happen this March. Curry scored 13 points and delivered key plays late in the fourth quarter and Cochran, playing in her 15th NCAA tournament game with Louisville, had 14 points and five rebounds. Prior to the one-and-done a year ago, the Cardinals had made five straight Elite Eight appearances, and Jeff Walz is now 41-10 all time in the NCAA tournament. Hailey Van Lith was part of three of those trips to the regional finals, but she’s now on the other side of the matchup with TCU on Sunday.

Up next: vs. TCU (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)

27. South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Original seed: No. 10 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 7 Oklahoma State 74-68 (Saturday)

It’s hard to call South Dakota State’s win over Oklahoma State an upset because the Jackrabbits shouldn’t have been a No. 10 seed. That correction is being made now. But getting a 10-seed on Selection Sunday means that a team with Sweet 16 potential (given the right matchup) now draws UConn in the second round. Fundamentals and high IQ drive South Dakota State, which has now won at least one NCAA tournament game for the third time since 2019. Led by Summit League player of the year Brooklyn Meyer‘s 19 points and eight rebounds, the Jackrabbits outrebounded the Cowgirls by 18 and outscored them in the paint 38-26.

Up next: vs. UConn (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)

28. Richmond Spiders
Original seed: No. 8 (Spokane 1)
First round: Defeated No. 9 Georgia Tech 74-49 (Friday)

Spiders coach Aaron Roussell said after Richmond’s first NCAA tournament win that his players had taken losing in the Atlantic 10 tournament semifinals extremely hard. They played like it, especially leading scorer Maggie Doogan. The A-10 player of the year became just the second Division I player to have 30 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in an NCAA tournament game since 2000 (Baylor’s Lauren Cox did it in 2018). One of the country’s best shooting offenses might challenge UCLA’s defense. The Spiders lead the nation in effective field goal percentage, points per scoring attempt and 2-point field goal percentage.

Up next: vs. UCLA (Sunday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

29. Illinois Fighting Illini
Original seed: No. 8 (Birmingham 3)
First round: Defeated No. 9 Creighton 66-57 (Saturday)

Makira Cook was the Illini’s leading scorer in 2022-23 and 2023-2024. When she went down with an injury after just eight games, the thought of breaking the program’s 25-year NCAA tournament win drought seemed remote. Then Kendall Bostic became one of the best players in the Big Ten. She registered 19 double-doubles on the season and then added another one against Creighton. Her 17 rebounds, to go with 12 points, were the most in program history in an NCAA tournament game. Illinois came into March Madness on a four-game losing streak but shut down a well-shooting Bluejays team. It was the fewest points allowed by Illinois to a team with a winning record since early January.

Up next: vs. Texas (Monday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

30. Indiana Hoosiers
Original seed: No. 9 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 8 Utah 76-68 (Friday)

Of the six teams South Carolina faced in the NCAA tournament in 2024 on its way to an undefeated national championship run, Indiana gave the Gamecocks the closest game. In last year’s Sweet 16, Indiana outscored the Gamecocks 43-30 in the second half and got as close as two points late in the game before falling 79-75. Sydney Parrish, Yarden Garzon and Chloe Moore-McNeil are all starters who played in that game. On Friday, they combined for 37 points, and the Hoosiers pulled away in the third quarter to beat the Utes. The Hoosiers have now won at least one game in all seven NCAA tournaments they have played in under Teri Moren.

Up next: vs. South Carolina (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)

31. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Original seed: No. 9 (Spokane 4)
First round: Defeated No. 8 California 59-46 (Saturday)

In two of his three years as the Bulldogs’ coach Sam Purcell is 3-1 in the NCAA tournament. It’s a long way from the glory days of Vic Schaefer’s teams that reached two Finals Fours, but it’s a good recovery for a program that was only two games above .500 in the two years before Purcell arrived. The win over Cal wasn’t artistic success — 20 turnovers, 2-of-11 on 3-point shooting — but few of Mississippi State’s games are. The Bulldogs’ defense completely shut down Cal, forcing 23 turnovers and holding a team that ranks 10th in the country in 3-pointers made to 3-of-21. Next up is the challenge of JuJu Watkins. The Bulldogs held Madison Booker to just 12 points in their one meeting with Texas. It will take that kind of job on Watkins to pull the upset.

Up next: vs. USC (Monday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

32. Oregon Ducks
Original seed: No. 10 (Birmingham 2)
First round: Defeated No. 7 Vanderbilt 77-73 OT (Friday)

Kelly Graves’ strategy to slow the pace and win with defense was just good enough Friday. The Ducks held Vanderbilt — which ranks fourth in the country in field goal attempts per game — 10 shots below its average. Even with an extra five minutes of overtime, the Commodores scored 10 points below their scoring average. But Oregon still had to survive losing a 19-point third-quarter lead and shooting 15-of-27 from the free throw line to outlast Vanderbilt. The last time the Ducks played NCAA tournament games in Durham was in 2017 — a team that featured freshmen Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard — and they upset Duke in the second round. The Blue Devils await again, and Oregon has a chance at duplicating history on Sunday.

Up next: vs. Duke (Sunday, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN)