Albany Region Sweet 16 Game Breakdowns
#1 Connecticut vs. #5 Duke
Connecticut did not quite reach the offensive heights that they did in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but they still managed to beat Quinnipiac 71-46. Napheesa Collier led the way again with 23 points. Fueled by a second quarter in which they outscored Georgia 20-2, Duke cruised into the Sweet 16 without much problem. The Blue Devils hit half of their shots from the field and held the Lady Bulldogs to just 23.5 percent shooting from the floor.
Connecticut is going to get tested from here on out. However, they are always the team to beat and it is Duke that must have their best performance of the year to advance to the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils can play very good defense, as they have proven so far this tournament. If they can contain Connecticut’s offense and be efficient shooting the basketball, mostly from Lexie Brown and Rebecca Greenwell, Duke can keep this game close.
#2 South Carolina vs. #11 Buffalo
Once again the Gamecocks found themselves in a closer than expected contest. They slipped past Virginia 66-56 thanks to 25 points by A’ja Wilson. Buffalo pulled off a huge upset against Florida State as the program heads to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. The Bulls pulled away from the Seminoles in the second half and ended up with an impressive 86-65 victory.
Buffalo struggled from beyond the arc against FSU, but was superb at attacking the basket and making their free-throws. To keep their impressive run going, the Bulls will need to remain aggressive. Hitting some more outside shots would be helpful too. In the end the talent of Wilson, Alexis Jennings and Tyasha Harris should be able to put an end to Buffalo’s season, but the Bulls have a lot of momentum right now and the Gamecocks are not playing their best basketball.
