James and Hayes lead NC State's 3-point splurge in 83-49 March Madness rout of Michigan State

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James and Hayes lead NC State's 3-point splurge in 83-49 March Madness rout of Michigan State

2025-03-25 03:52 Last Updated At：04:01

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Aziaha James scored 26 points and second-seeded N.C. State made an NCAA Tournament program-record 15 shots from 3-point range in an 83-49 victory over seventh-seeded Michigan State in the women’s second round Monday.

James connected for six 3s and Madison Hayes, who had 17 points, drilled five 3-pointers. Saniya Rivers added 17 points and 11 assists and Zamareya Jones had 12 points for the Wolfpack (28-6).

N.C. State will meet either Florida State or LSU in a Sweet 16 matchup on Friday in Spokane, Washington. The Wolfpack will be in the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in coach Wes Moore’s 12 seasons.

Long-range shots were finding the mark at such a dizzying pace that there was no reason for the Wolfpack to back off.

“I’ve learned there are times for me just to get out of the way and let them play,” Moore said. “It was nice to see it because, I’ll be honest, we hadn’t really been shooting the ball as well.”

Grace VanSlooten scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Michigan State (22-10), which was 4-for-15 on 3s. The Spartans were trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.

N.C. State began 5-for-6 on 3-pointers and 10-for-13 overall from the field to lead 25-9. The Wolfpack reached a season high for 3-point baskets with 12 less than five minutes into the third quarter and kept going.

“You don’t really know what to do when a team is doing that,” VanSlooten said.

Michigan State: The Spartans lost by more than 15 points for the only time this season. They finished with a season-low point total.

“We’ve been a team that’s been able to go on runs,” coach Robyn Fralick said. “We’ve typically been able to do it with our defense and being able to kind of be disruptive. We never got that run.”

N.C. State: James and Hayes, both seniors in their final home game, combined for 32 points as the Wolfpack built a 47-23 halftime lead on the way to their 18th home win without a loss this season.

The Wolfpack’s five first-quarter 3s matched their most in any quarter this season. Then they did it again in the second quarter.

N.C. State has won 20 consecutive home NCAA Tournament games. The Wolfpack hasn’t lost in the tournament in Raleigh in 42 years.

It was quite a rousing send-off for the Wolfpack, who’ve won 23 straight home games stretching back to February 2024.

Rivers rushed over to celebrate with the band, while a fan reached over the media to hand Hayes a baby.

“It’s just obviously the relationships that you build with each and every one of them, and you notice their faces,” Hayes said of the fans.

James, the team’s only upperclassman to play for the Wolfpack since she was a freshman, lingered on the court and received a huge final ovation.

There were concerns when the game drew a noon tip-off on a weekday. No worries, as it turned out.

“They showed up and showed out for us, and we did the same for them,” Hayes said.

The Spartans took notice of the atmosphere as well.

“I’ve never seen a crowd like that,” VanSlooten said. “I’ve never played in an environment like that.”

Of 35 all-time wins in the tournament, this marked the largest margin for the Wolfpack.

“We’ve got some veterans that are very talented and step up,” Moore said. “When the lights are the brightest is when they really step up and play.”

N.C. State heads west for regional play for the second year in a row after advancing to the Final Four out of Portland, Oregon, last season.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

March Madness: How to watch the women's Elite Eight and who's now favored to win the NCAA Tournament

2025-03-29 13:26 Last Updated At：13:31

After a series of blowouts to start the women's NCAA Tournament, things got a lot tougher to start the Sweet 16.

Duke reached its 12th Elite Eight by grinding out a 47-38 win over rival North Carolina in the lowest-scoring game in the Sweet 16 or beyond in women's March Madness history.

The Blue Devils move on to face top seed and reigning national champion South Carolina, which had a bit of a grind of its in own in beating Maryland 71-67.

LSU beat N.C. State 80-73, but didn't hit the go-ahead basket until there was 1:07 left. The Tigers are in the Elite Eight for the third straight year, which included a national championship two years ago.

They'll face top-seeded UCLA, which beat Mississippi 76-62 behind Lauren Betts' 31 points.

The second half of the Sweet 16 is Saturday, with UConn, TCU and Southern California among the teams vying for a spot in the Elite Eight.

UConn (33-3) vs. Oklahoma (27-7), Spokane, Washington. All-American Paige Bueckers closed out her final home game at Gampel Pavilion in style, matching a career high with 34 points in a thumping of South Dakota State in the second round. The road to her first national championship gets a bit tougher against the Sooners. Oklahoma rolled through its first two games and has a 136-68 rebounding advantage so far in the bracket.

Southern California (30-3) vs. Kansas State (28-7), Spokane. The big storyline is how the top-seeded Trojans will play without JuJu Watkins. The All-American tore the ACL in her right knee in USC's win over Mississippi State and is out for the season. The Wildcats reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2002 with a 80-79 overtime victory over Kentucky.

TCU vs. Notre Dame (28-5), Birmingham, Alabama. The experienced Horned Frogs are in the Sweet 16 for the first time after beating Louisville 85-71 in the second round. TCU also has a win over Notre Dame already this season, rallying from 14 down to beat the Irish in the Cayman Islands. But that game came with a catch: Notre Dame was down to six healthy players due to injuries. The Irish now have their full complement of players to go against Sedona Prince, who had a monster game against them in the Thanksgiving tournament.

Texas vs. Tennessee, Birmingham. This all-Southeastern Conference Sweet 16 matchup will be a contrast in styles. The Longhorns like to play bully ball and have outrebounded opponents by nearly 10 per game this season. The Vols play a frenetic style and force 22.4 turnovers per game. Texas won the lone regular-season meeting 80-76 despite being outscored 27-3 from the 3-point arc.

Every game of the women’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule — on ESPN's networks and streaming services with select games on ABC.

The top four betting favorites at the start Sweet 16 week are (in order): UConn, South Carolina, UCLA and Texas, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

There were 31 automatic bids that went to conference champions and they were combined with 37 at-large picks by the NCAA selection committee. Selection Sunday unveiled the bracket matchups.

First- and second-round games concluded Monday on campuses across the country. Sweet 16 weekend (March 28-31) put games at two sites once again: Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane, Washington.

The Final Four is in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, April 4, with the championship game on Sunday, April 6. A year ago, the championship game drew a bigger television audience than the men’s title game for the first time, with an average of 18.9 million viewers watching undefeated South Carolina beat Iowa and superstar Caitlin Clark.