NCAA Women's Tournament 2025: Biggest moments from Sweet 16 Day 1

The 2025 NCAA Women's Tournament continued Friday with the archetypal time of Sweet 16 action.

[Read more: 2025 Women's March Madness Schedule: Dates, locations, channels, however to watch]

Duke started the time with a vintage antiaircraft performance, arsenic the second-seeded Blue Devils stifled third-seeded North Carolina. 

Now, No. 1 effect South Carolina continues its rubric defence arsenic the Gamecocks instrumentality connected fourth-seeded Maryland. 

Later, third-seeded Louisiana State tries to marque its 3rd consecutive Elite 8 appearance, but volition person to spell done No. 2 effect North Carolina State to get there. 

The apical effect successful the NCAA women's tournament, UCLA, caps the nighttime with its matchup against Ole Miss arsenic the Bruins effort to instrumentality to the Elite 8 for the archetypal clip since 2018. 

Here are each the biggest moments from Day 1 Sweet 16:

Oluchi Okananwa recorded her 3rd double-double of the play to pb ACC Tournament champion Duke past North Carolina 47-38 Friday and into the Elite 8 of the women's NCAA Tournament.

The Blue Devils volition marque their 12th Elite 8 quality successful programme past and volition play either No. 1 effect and defending champion South Carolina oregon fourth-seeded Maryland, who were scheduled to play aboriginal Friday successful Birmingham.

Okananwa scored 10 of her 12 points successful the archetypal fractional on with 10 rebounds disconnected the seat for Duke, which got 26 points from its seat compared to North Carolina's six. Ashlon Jackson finished with 10 points, and Toby Fournier, Duke's starring scorer this play who missed the 2nd circular with an illness, was held to 3 points.

Fifth-year elder Alyssa Ustby had 9 points connected 3 of 10 shooting for the Tar Heels, who fell abbreviated successful their effort to beforehand to their archetypal Elite 8 since 2014.

Neither squad changeable the shot well. Duke changeable 31% aft missing its archetypal 9 tract goals. North Carolina went 28% from the field.

Part of it could person been due to the fact that of familiarity. The teams played each different for the 2nd clip this play little than a period ago. North Carolina manager Courtney Banghart said this week that there's an added level of comfortableness going against a squad they conscionable played.

But this was besides 2 of the apical defenses successful the state going astatine it, forcing turnovers, errant shots and hopeless heaves precocious successful the changeable timepiece astatine the commencement of the game.

It was the archetypal ever gathering successful the NCAA tourney betwixt the 2 teams, who person played each different 111 times. North Carolina inactive holds a flimsy 56-55 edge.

Reporting by The Associated Press

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