Half of the Elite Eight is set. No. 1 seeds UCLA and South Carolina advanced with wins Friday, as well as No. 2 seed Duke.
But third-seeded LSU Tigers upended No. 2 seed NC State in the Spokane 1 Regional to join the party.
Which teams will join the Bruins, Gamecocks, Blue Devils and Tigers?
The regional semifinals resume Saturday (1 p.m. ET, ABC) when Notre Dame and TCU clash in a rematch from a November nonconference game.
We’re tracking every game as the march to the Final Four continues. Here’s your guide — complete with analysis from on-site reporters in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane, Washington — to Friday’s games.
Jump to: Relive the action | Full results, analysis
Final: LSU 80, NC State 73
How LSU won: In a game with huge momentum swings, LSU threw the final punch. After the Tigers fell behind by five points with 4:29 left to play, Mikaylah Williams and Sa’Myah Smith took over, scoring LSU’s final 16 points to give LSU the lead for good. Williams had a slow start from the floor (4-for-15) but ended the game by making four of her final five attempts. She also was LSU’s primary facilitator, finishing with six assists. She scored or assisted on 30 points. Smith, who has been recovering from a November 2023 knee injury, has been in great form this March, recording her second straight game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds — and providing the Tigers’ frontcourt a huge boost as LSU seeks to return to the Final Four.
But LSU wouldn’t have been in position to win without a stellar outing from Aneesah Morrow, who became the first player with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Sweet 16 game or later since Stanford’s Nneka Ogwumike in the 2010 Final Four. Over half her points came from second-chance field goals (16), and she nearly had as many offensive rebounds (nine) as NC State (10).
Though the Wolfpack guards had their moments, the Tigers held stars Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers to a combined 6-for-21 from the field. Zoe Brooks and Zamareya Jones did all they could to keep up, but NC State fell flat down the stretch, failing to score in the final two minutes.
LSU’s keys to the Elite Eight: With Morrow making a difference early, and Williams and Smith serving as closers late, LSU withstood a quiet performance from Flau’Jae Johnson (1-for-8 from the field, 3 points), who took a hard fall toward the end of the game. LSU is 16-0 this season when Johnson (who was averaging 18.8 PPG coming into the Sweet 16) scores at least 20 points. She is 29-1 over her career when she hits that mark, the third-best record by an SEC player over the past 25 seasons.
Still, the Tigers are headed to their 11th Elite Eight appearance and third straight under Kim Mulkey. Players come and go — Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith from last year’s star-studded squad have moved on. But more often than not, Mulkey finds a way. — Alexa Philippou
MORE: What’s next for NC State: Who’s coming back? Portal priorities?
Final: UCLA 76, Ole Miss 62
How UCLA won: Two words: Lauren Betts. Ole Miss was no match for the junior center and she provided one of the more dominant performances this March, converting 15 of 16 shot attempts for 31 points. And it wasn’t just her play on the offensive end that caused the Rebels problems. Betts limited them to 2-of-16 shooting on shots she contested. Until early in the fourth quarter, Betts single-handedly had more points in the paint than Ole Miss. Betts is the third player in the past 25 seasons with multiple 30-point, 10-rebound games in a single NCAA tournament, and the first since Brittney Griner in 2013.
For as sensational as Betts was, the Bruins needed their guards to step up and take some of the pressure off their center to score. Londynn Jones and Kiki Rice did just that, combining for 20 points in the second half after just two in the first. Those two started the second half with an 8-0 run that gave UCLA momentum. Still, Betts’ presence fuels UCLA. The team was plus-23 with her on the court (minus-7 with her off) and shot 35 percentage points better with her on the floor than off of it.
UCLA’s keys to the Elite Eight: How fitting it is that we will get a rematch from last year’s Sweet 16 — with both teams hungry for a spot in the Final Four after falling short. Last March, the Bruins lost to the Tigers, with Betts getting only nine shot attempts. Can UCLA get her going better this time? And that might not always mean scoring: If Betts can facilitate for her teammates and they can hit their open looks, UCLA will have a good shot of playing in Tampa. But the Bruins will also have to get it done on the defensive end. In particular, by making life difficult for LSU’s big three, and on the glass, where the Tigers have been known to feast. — Alexa Philippou
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Lauren Betts’ powerful finish extends UCLA’s double-digit lead
Lauren Betts finishes strong to extend UCLA’s double-digit lead over Ole Miss.
Final: South Carolina 71, Maryland 67
How South Carolina won: When South Carolina needed a playmaker, MiLaysia Fulwiley stepped up. She hit a huge bucket to cut Maryland’s lead and followed with an assist to give South Carolina a 46-45 advantage late in the third quarter. She also hit a one-legged fadeaway to close the quarter. When South Carolina needed a bucket, Fulwiley delivered. Her 23 points are an NCAA tournament career high. She had help, but South Carolina pulled out this win because big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games.
South Carolina’s keys to the Elite Eight: South Carolina will likely be in a similar struggle against Duke on Sunday: a gritty, low-scoring, slug fest — that’s how Duke will try to play it. The two teams faced off in the SEC/ACC challenge in December, with South Carolina winning 81-70. South Carolina had 17 turnovers against Maryland. The Blue Devils will try to put South Carolina in similar positions and squeeze the life out of the Gamecocks’ offense. South Carolina shot only 38.5% from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc Friday. If the Gamecocks’ offense struggles like that against Duke, the Blue Devils will have a chance. If the Gamecocks handle Duke’s pressure, they’ll be headed to Tampa, Florida, and back to the Final Four. — Katie Barnes
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South Carolina’s late push helps avoid Maryland’s upset bid
MiLaysia Fulwiley leads all scorers with 23 points in South Carolina’s narrow win over Maryland.
Final: Duke 47, North Carolina 38
How Duke won: The Tar Heels struggled to score against the tenacious Blue Devils’ defense, shooting 28.3% from the field. UNC’s 20 first-half points were tied for the second fewest in a first half in an NCAA tournament game in program history. The 85 combined points are the lowest in the Sweet 16 round or later in NCAA tournament history. Offensively, Duke emerged with the nine-point victory through a balanced attack. Sophomore guard Oluchi Okananwa had 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Ashlon Jackson was also in double figures with 10 points.
Duke’s keys to the Elite Eight: Duke will play South Carolina. The Blue Devils’ ability to control the game defensively will dictate whether they make the program’s first Final Four since 2006. But shooting 31% from the field and 20.8% from beyond the arc is unlikely to get the job done, no matter Duke’s defensive performance. In addition to their typical defensive output, the Blue Devils need to make some shots and have a standout offensive performance. — Katie Barnes
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Oluchi Okananwa beats the shot clock with 3 for Duke
Oluchi Okananwa’s pull-up 3 beats the shot clock for Duke vs. North Carolina.
