South Carolina opens women’s March Madness with coach Staley’s 500th win

The Gamecocks were national champs in 2017, when the Final Four was last played in Texas. They finished 32-1 last season, spent the final 10 weeks at No. 1 and Staley was the AP coach of the year, but didn’t get a chance to win another title because the NCAA Tournament was cancelled because of the pandemic.

Amoria Neal-Tysor had 15 points for Mercer (19-7). Jada Lewis added 14 points, and Shannon Titus finished with 12.

Staley is 328-102 in her 13 seasons at South Carolina, after going 172-80 in eight seasons at Temple. The SEC Tournament champion Gamecocks are in their ninth consecutive NCAA tourney, winning in the first round each time.

It was Boston’s 28th double-double in 60 career games. The All-American forward from the U.S. Virgin Islands had 15 points and 10 rebounds at break. She made a three-pointer at the buzzer, which came right after Lewis hit a three to end an 11-0 run by the Gamecocks.

After being down 11 points in the first quarter, Mercer opened the second with a 15-4 run. They got even at 27-all on a long jumper by Neal-Tysor, prompting a timeout by Staley, not long after Neal-Tysor had a steal and a breakaway layup.

Georgia Tech rallies in OT to avoid upset

Lorela Cubaj recovered from a scary fall to score 14 points, including the go-ahead free throws in overtime, and fifth-seeded Georgia Tech came back from a 17-point halftime deficit to turn back 12-seed Stephen F. Austin 54-52 at the women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

The Yellow Jackets’ first opening-round victory since 2012 sends them to a Tuesday matchup versus the winner of fourth-seeded West Virginia and No. 13-seed Lehigh in the Hemisfair Region.

Cubaj, of Italy, left the the game in the second quarter after taking a fall while going for a rebound. She appeared to hit the back of her head on the court and after some minutes on the floor was able to leave with assistance. She came back four minutes later to finish the half with SFA leading 34-17 — the lowest-scoring half of the season for Georgia Tech.

After Cubaj’s overtime free throws gave Georgia Tech its first lead since 6-4, Anaya Boyd and Lotta-May Lahtinen sandwiched baskets around an SFA free throw with 1:36 remaining for a five-point lead. SFA freshman Avery Brittingham converted a three-point play with 47 seconds left and had a chance to tie the game at the end but missed twice under the basket before her third try went in after the buzzer.

Cubaj grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots for Georgia Tech. Lahtinen also scored 14 points and Kierra Fletcher added 11 points and nine rebounds.

A 10-2 Georgia Tech run created a 48-all tie with 1:12 remaining in regulation. The teams exchanged misses before Stephanie Visscher was unable to convert a left-handed scoop shot at the buzzer.

Brittingham scored 16 points with 13 rebounds for the Ladyjacks (24-3), who had a 19-game win streak snapped. Visscher added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Baylor crossed century mark against Jackson State

Moon Ursin scored a career-high 24 points to lead the second-seeded Baylor Bears women’s basketball team past the No. 15 Jackson State Tigers, 101-52, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Ursin added six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal.

NaLyssa Smith, the Big 12 Player of the Year, added 18 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. She also made 8 of 9 shots from the floor.

Baylor (26-2) never trailed in winning its 18th consecutive opening round NCAA Tournament game. The Bears are the reigning national champions by virtue of winning the 2019 title before the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jackson State (18-6) was led in overall play by Ameshya Williams, the two-time Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. She had 14 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

Keshuna Luckett led Jackson State in scoring with 15 points.

But the Tigers’ Dayzsha Rogan, the reigning SWAC Player of the Year, was held to 10 points — eight below her scoring average. She made just 4 of 17 shots.

Baylor, shooting 57.9 percent in the opening quarter, led 29-10 at the end of the period.

The Bears stretched their lead to 51-24 at halftime and 80-35 after three quarters.

Baylor, which leads the NCAA in rebounding margin and field-goal defense, was strong in all areas on Sunday. For the game, the Bears outrebounded the Tigers, 59-34, and outshot them 49.4 percent to 30.9 percent.