GREENSBORO, N..C (AP) — Aliyah Boston had 28 points and 22 rebounds, and top-seeded South Carolina moved on to the Elite Eight with a 69-61 victory over North Carolina on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament.
The Gamecocks (32-2) will take on 10th-seeded Creighton in the Greensboro Region for a spot in the Final Four on Sunday.
The Tar Heels cut South Carolina’s 13-point fourth-quarter lead to five down the stretch. But each time, Boston got her team back on track with her 27th straight double-double. The All-American also scored her team’s final 13 points.
Deja Kelly led North Carolina (25-7) with 23 points.
GREENSBORO REGION
CREIGHTON 76, IOWA STATE 68
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Morgan Maly scored a career-high 21 points to help 10th-seeded Creighton beat Iowa State, becoming one of the loweste seeds to ever reach a women’s NCAA Tournament regional final.
Tatum Rembao added 19 for the Bluejays (23-9), who entered the Greensboro Region semifinals savoring the program’s first run to the Sweet 16. Creighton has joined Lamar in 1991 and Oregon in 2017 as 10-seeds that pushed to the Elite Eight. Gonzaga in 2011 was the lowest-seeded at No. 11 to reach the Elite Eight.
Creighton shot 55% after halftime with six 3-pointers.
Emily Ryan had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead Iowa State (28-7), which shot just 38%. Ashley Joens had 14 points but made just 3 of 11 shots and got much of her production at the line (7 of 7).
SPOKANE REGION
STANFORD 72, MARYLAND 66
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Lexie Hull scored 19 points in her hometown, Haley Jones added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and top-seeded Stanford rolled into the women’s NCAA Tournament regional final with a win over No. 4 seed Maryland.
Meeting in the NCAAs for the first time since the schools played in the same building in the 2008 Elite Eight, the defending national champion Cardinal (31-3) dominated the Terrapins for the first three quarters. Maryland (23-9) trimmed the deficit to 68-59 with 1:41 left, but couldn’t get much closer.
Stanford will face No. 2 seed Texas in the regional final on Sunday night. It’s Stanford’s 21st Elite Eight under coach Tara VanDerveer.
Angel Reese led Maryland (23-9) with 25 points. Diamond Miller added 11 points but picked up two quick fouls early in the third and fouled out in the fourth.
Stanford will play No. 2 seed Texas on Sunday.
TEXAS 66, OHIO STATE 63
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 17 points, and Texas beat Ohio State to advance to the Elite Eight.
Aliyah Matharu added 10 points for Texas (29-6), which will make its second straight appearance in the Elite Eight. The second-seeded Longhorns have won 14 straight games since their last loss on Feb. 6 — the second-longest active streak behind Stanford.
Taylor Mikesell scored 19 points and Jacy Sheldon had 17 for sixth-seeded Ohio State (25-7), which has not advanced beyond the Sweet 16 since 1993.
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