N.C.A.A. Women’s Tournament: Creighton Upsets Iowa State in Round of 16

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Creighton took down a No. 6 seed, Colorado. It defeated second-seeded Iowa. Now it has become the rare No. 10 seed to reach the round of 8.

Creighton delivered its third consecutive upset by beating the No. 4 seed Iowa State, 76-68, on Friday night in the N.C.A.A. women’s tournament. The Bluejays will play South Carolina on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four.

Iowa State left path after path open for Creighton, and the Bluejays’ young, sharp offense moved right in. On defense, Creighton denied inside baskets for Iowa State.

This was already Creighton’s first trip to the round of 16 in program history. Creighton was one of two No. 10 seeds still in the field in the round of 16 after an upset win over second-seeded Iowa in the second round. The other No. 10 seed, South Dakota, plays No. 3 Michigan on Saturday in the Wichita region.

The Cyclones and Bluejays relied heavily on their outside shooters: Combined, the two teams attempted 50 3-pointers.

Creighton pulled away in the third quarter and led by as many as 13 points in the fourth. Guard Morgan Maly led the Bluejays with 21 points.

Ashley Joens, a senior guard for Iowa State who was a second team all-American, sat out much of the first half after committing two fouls. Emily Ryan instead led the Cyclones with 22 points.

The Bluejays let the clock run out and greeted a small but ecstatic group of Creighton fans, sealing their win with a ceremonial spritz of bubbles on the court.

“This team continues to amaze me,” Coach Jim Flanery said. “We’re so proud of how they’ve grown, what kind of fight they have and how they play for each other.”

The crowd was much diminished after the Greensboro Coliseum drew local fans for the South Carolina vs. North Carolina game. An energetic Iowa State band had distractions ready for Creighton at every drive.

But one fan favorite stuck around: Dawn Staley, South Carolina’s coach, greeted fans in the stands before taking a seat courtside to measure up the team that her Gamecocks would be facing on Sunday.

— Remy Tumin

Aliyah Boston dominates for the Gamecocks.

There could be only one winner in the battle of the Carolinas.

No. 1-seeded South Carolina, hungry for its first national championship title in five years, edged fifth-seeded North Carolina in the round of 16 in the N.C.A.A. women’s tournament, defeating the Tar Heels, 69-61, on Friday night.

While the Tar Heels have been on a disruptive path in the Greensboro region, sending fourth-seeded Arizona packing on its home court in the second round, the young team was no match for the depth of the Gamecocks. Aliyah Boston, the star junior forward who has been the centerpiece of her team, secured her 27th consecutive double-double with 28 points and 22 rebounds, and the senior forward Victaria Saxton delivered when her team needed her most with 14 rebounds and two key blocks.

Boston secured all 13 points for South Carolina in the fourth quarter.

But the win did not come easily. South Carolina struggled to keep up with the speedy Tar Heels in the first half as they repeatedly drove downcourt, staying low and fast down the lane. The Gamecocks allowed 23 points in the first quarter. Deja Kelly, North Carolina’s sophomore guard, danced around South Carolina’s defense to lead her team with 23 points.

But Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke responded with the speed and scoring the Gamecocks needed to stay afloat. Henderson finished with 13 points and Cooke scored 15, ending the second quarter on her back after a successful jump shot. When they missed a basket, Boston came in and finished it off with two, three, sometimes four Tar Heels nearly hanging off her.

“That was a tough game — hats off to North Carolina for playing an extremely efficient basketball game,” Coach Dawn Staley said. “They pushed us to the limit.”

The game was the third Sweet 16 matchup between the programs since 2014, and North Carolina’s first appearance in the third round since 2015, when it lost to South Carolina. The Gamecocks will next face Creighton.

Gamecock and Tar Heel fans alike filled the Greensboro Coliseum, just a three-hour drive from Columbia, S.C., and an hour’s drive from Chapel Hill, N.C., creating a sea of light blue and red against South Carolina’s neon green and pink sneakers.

The Gamecocks were looking for redemption after losing to Stanford last year in the semifinals by two points. But coming into Friday’s game, a Gamecock win was far from a sure bet. While their ferocious defense, one of the best in the tournament, has denied its competition again and again, the Gamecocks’ offense has struggled to convert drives to points.

“This shows it’s only going to get tougher and tougher,” Cooke said after the game. “We have keep our foot on the gas the whole time.”

— Remy Tumin

Texas elbows past Ohio State in a physical game.

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