Greensboro Region Round of 32 Game Breakdowns
#1 South Carolina vs. #8 Syracuse (Columbia, South Carolina)
South Carolina had to work a little bit more than expected against Savannah State in their first round game as they only led 49-39 before pulling away for a 81-48 victory. The Gamecocks have played Syracuse earlier in the season on a neutral floor in the Bahamas and pulled out a victory. While the Orange should be able to bring plenty of confidence from that game into Colonial Life Arena the thing is playing in front of an incredibly rabid fan base like South Carolina is a game changer. Look for Tiffany Mitchell and the Gamecocks to cap off their historic season at home in style with a solid eight to twelve point win and punch their ticket to Greensboro and the Sweet 16.
#4 North Carolina vs. #5 Ohio State (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
The Tar Heels had all the wanted in a battle with the number 13 seed Liberty in the first round as ground their way to a 71-65 win on Saturday in Chapel Hill. North Carolina started out strong by racing out to a 39-25 lead at halftime but they failed to put the Flames away and the game got very interesting late. Allisha Gray and Latifa Coleman combined for 32 points to pace the Tar Heels offensively and Stephanie Mavunga did a nice job down low with 12 points and nine rebounds. Ohio State did just enough defensively in a 90-80 win over James Madison to earn a shot at North Carolina. Guard Ameryst Alston stepped up and led the Buckeyes with 28 points and Kelsey Mitchell chipped in 23 points to carry them offensively. The shooting as a whole was excellent for Ohio State as they shot just under 50 percent in the victory over the Dukes. This will be another high octane offensive type of game that if the Buckeyes take care of the basketball they will pull the upset and move on to the Sweet 16.
#3 Arizona State vs. #11 Arkansas-Little Rock (Tempe, Arizona)
Arizona State took care of business at home in the first round having little trouble with Ohio in a 74-55 victory over the Bobcats. Katie Hempen led a balanced Sun Devil offensive attack with 23 points and Sophie Brunner chipped in 14. Overall, Arizona State pretty much did what they wanted offensively as they shot 55.6 percent from the field including an outstanding 8 of 16 from behind the three-point line. This type of efficiency offensively will set the Sun Devils up nicely for a long run in the NCAA Tournament if they can keep this going against Arkansas-Little Rock and beyond. The Trojans pulled off a nice upset win over Texas A&M in the 6-11 matchup in the Greensboro Region. Head Coach Joe Foley picked up his 700th win in style as Arkansas-Little -Rock defeated the Aggies 69-60 to move on to the round of 32 and a shot at Arizona State. Seniors Taylor Gault and Kiera Clark were outstanding as they willed their teammates to victory on Saturday afternoon. Gault scored 25 points and was lights out shooting the basketball while Clark added 22 points and had 12 rebounds. The Trojans shot 52 percent against a Texas A&M team that is usually stout defensively, so if Arkansas-Little Rock can shoot anywhere near 50 percent against the Sun Devils on Monday they will have a chance, but it will be very a tall task to pull it off in Tempe.
#2 Florida State vs. #7 Florida Gulf Coast (Tallahassee, Florida)
A battle of Sunshine State foes highlights the round of 32 in the Greensboro Region on Monday. Florida Gulf Coast continued its winning ways by knocking off Oklahoma State 75-67 to secure the 30th win of the season for the Eagles. It was guard Kaniesha Atwater’s turn to carry things offensively as she scored 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting as the Cowgirls just could not find an answer for her all game long. The defense was solid for Florida Gulf Coast as well as they held Oklahoma State to just 37.1 percent shooting overall but they are going to have defend the three point shot better if they are going to beat Florida State on Monday night. Florida State did what you would expect in a 2-15 matchup and that was to leave no doubt in a 91-49 victory over Alabama State. Maegan Conwright scored 16 points to lead the Seminoles’ offensive attack that had three players score in double-figures. The efficiency at the foul line on Saturday was another very encouraging sign for Florida State as they were 25 of 29 shooting free throws, a great example of staying focused in a blowout win. The home court advantage should push the Seminoles through but it would not be a total shock if the Eagles won a close one on Monday night.
