LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jessica January scored 18 of her season-high 25 points in the first half and DePaul held off Louisville 73-72 in the second round of the NCAA women’s tournament on Sunday.
The junior guard’s final point was the decisive margin as she made the second of two free throws with 14.5 seconds left.
Ranked sixth in the Dallas Regional, DePaul (27-8) heads to its third Sweet 16 since 2011 and fourth in Coach Doug Bruno’s 30-year tenure. The Blue Demons will face Oregon State.
Third-ranked Louisville (26-8) trailed by 10 with 8:36 to play but fought back to tie the game at 69 with 2:51 remaining.
(1) BAYLOR 84, (9) AUBURN 52: Nina Davis scored 30 points as Baylor advanced to the Sweet 16 for the eighth year in a row, winning at Waco, Texas.
The Lady Bears (35-1) will play Saturday against Texas A&M or Florida State. Auburn ends 20-13.
(2) OREGON STATE 69, (10) ST. BONAVENTURE 40: Jamie Weisner broke out of a slump and scored 23 points as the Beavers took control after halftime at Corvallis, Oregon.
Deven Hunter scored 11 points for the Beavers (29-4). The Bonnies finish their season 23-8.
BRIDGEPORT REGIONAL
(5) MISSISSIPPI STATE 74, (4) MICHIGAN STATE 72: Victoria Vivians scored 24 points and Breanna Richardson hit a crucial 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining to lead the Bulldogs at Starkville, Mississippi.
Mississippi State (28-7) led 51-38 early in the third quarter, but Michigan State (25-9) responded with the next 14 points to take a 52-51 advantage going into the fourth. Top-seed UConn could be up next as the Huskies play Duquesne on Monday.
SIOUX FALLS REGIONAL
(1) SOUTH CAROLINA 73, (9) KANSAS STATE 47: Tiffany Mitchell scored 16 of her 20 points in the first two quarters as the Gamecocks opened a big lead and breezed into the Sweet 16, at Columbia, South Carolina.
The Gamecocks (33-1) face Syracuse on Friday. The Wildcats finish at 19-13.
(4) SYRACUSE 79, (12) ALBANY 59: Brittney Sykes scored nine of her 24 points during a third-quarter surge in leading the Orange (27-7) at Syracuse, New York.
Former Lake Region standout Tiana-Jo Carter scored eight points for Albany.
(3) OHIO STATE 88, (6) WEST VIRGINIA 81: Kelsey Mitchell’s 45 points led the Buckeyes at Columbus, Ohio.
Ohio State will play Tennessee on Friday in South Dakota.
(7) TENNESSEE 75, (2) ARIZ. STATE 64: Diamond DeShields scored 24 points at the Lady Vols (21-13) completed their improbable run to the Sweet 16 with a in at Tempe, Arizona.
Arizona State finishes at 26-7.
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