SPOKANE, Wash. — Paige Bueckers knows how to throw a going-away party.

A day after confirming she’ll enter next month’s WNBA draft, where she is all but guaranteed to be the No. 1 pick, Bueckers dropped a career-high 40 points on Oklahoma on Saturday and sent UConn into the Elite Eight for the fourth time in her career.

“Honestly, we just wanted to keep our season going as long as possible,” Bueckers said after the 82-59 win. “We all love playing together, we love playing here. We just love this program and everything it means, so we want it to keep going as long as possible.”

The 40 points is a UConn record in the NCAA tournament, mind-boggling when you consider the players who have come before Bueckers. Diana Taurasi. Sue Bird. Maya Moore. Breanna Stewart. Napheesa Collier. And on and on.

Still, even that milestone can’t convey how sublime ‘Paige Buckets’ was. With UConn trailing Oklahoma at the half, Bueckers simply took over. She single-handedly outscored the Sooners in the second half, 29 to 23. She had 19 in the fourth quarter, on 8-of-9 shooting, despite playing only seven minutes.

She shot almost 60% for the game, including 6 of 8 from 3-point range. Bueckers also had six rebounds, three steals and an assist.

“Paige was spectacular,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “That was as good a game as I’ve seen her play the whole time she’s been here. At the most important time.”

Again, given the Who’s Who of UConn’s former players, that’s about as high praise as it gets.

But that’s Bueckers.

She arrived at UConn as one of the most heralded prospects in the school’s history and has done nothing but meet the expectations and then some. On and off the court.

She was the first freshman ever to win player of the year honors. She has taken UConn to the Final Four in each of her previous three seasons. (She missed the 2022-23 season with a torn ACL.) Before Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins took the country by storm, it was Bueckers who showed there could be a market and a mania for female athletes.

She has used her platform to lift up not only other women, but people of color. She is humble, aware of her spotlight but not enthralled by it. She is more comfortable sharing the credit with her teammates, even when she could claim all of it for herself.

She is, in every sense of the word, a real one. And she’s not going to waste a second of whatever she’s doing.

“We see this every day at practice, right? Every day at practice there’s long stretches of exactly what you saw today and little by little it’s dawned on her, I think, that there is no next year. There is no, ‘I can get this anytime I want,” Auriemma said.

“You’re going to have to get it now or it won’t be available anymore.”

That this is Bueckers’ last season was always assumed. She has another year of eligibility because of the knee injury but, at 23, she’s been at UConn for five years now. WNBA teams are salivating over her the same way they did Clark last year. UConn honored her at its final home game.

But Bueckers didn’t make it official that she’s headed for the W until Friday, which automatically made the expectations on her and UConn, already outsized, even larger.

‘Paige is held to a different standard than a lot of other kids,’ Auriemma said. ‘Paige can do things during the course of a game that most people can’t do. But she’s certainly not going to win tonight’s game or Monday’s game by herself. And if we lose, it’s not because she lost it.

‘So we’ve been talking about that a lot these last couple of weeks to just kind of put her at ease, because the outside pressure just keeps growing and growing and growing.”

That pressure, though, pales in comparison to the prospect of not ever playing for UConn again. Bueckers knows the day is coming. She knows she has, at most, three games left with Auriemma and her teammates. She knows her college career is now measured in minutes rather than months or years.

And while she is ready for whatever comes next, as a player and a person, she’s not ready to go just yet. As a result, this last ride might wind up being Bueckers’ best yet.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

ATLANTA – Bruce Pearl had an interesting framing for overall No. 1 seed Auburn’s matchup with Michigan State on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four.

And by interesting, we mean utterly nonsensical.

“We’re a team made up of only one five-star (recruit),” Pearl said Saturday. “One of the things I reminded my guys of, there are several guys on the Michigan State roster that are McDonald’s All-Americans. I have one, and that’s Tahaad Pettiford. He’s pretty good.

“Most of our guys are guys that were mid-major (transfers) or junior college or Division II. I’m not going to let Michigan State play the underdog card even though we’re the No. 1 seed and they’re the No. 2 seed. No, they’re Michigan State. They’re Kansas, they’re Duke, they’re North Carolina, and we’re Auburn. We know our place.”

These blatant mind games are disingenuous on multiple levels, but that’s no surprise. We are talking about Pearl, after all, who has been the sport’s preeminent carnival barker (in addition, of course, to being a great coach) since he hit the big time 20 years ago.

Still, it’s worth pointing out that Auburn is rated higher than Michigan State in the predictive metrics like KenPom.com (No. 4 versus No. 7) and the Torvik ratings (No. 3 versus No. 12). The oddsmakers have made Auburn a 4½-point favorite. And as far as the McDonald’s All-American hit, he’s wrong about that one, too.

The Spartans have two former Burger Boys on the roster, and one of them – Xavier Booker – averages 12.8 minutes and didn’t even play in their Sweet 16 victory over Ole Miss.

And while it’s true that Auburn’s roster is heavily influenced by transfers from places like Morehead State (Johni Broome), Florida International (Denver Jones) and Alabama-Huntsville (Chaney Johnson), Pearl can’t exactly play the poverty card when it comes to recruiting. Since 2020, he’s had five former McDonald’s All-Americans in his program while Izzo has had just three.

So the idea that Auburn, a team that stands at 31-5 and mowed down arguably the toughest regular season schedule in the history of the sport, has now flipped to underdog status is ridiculous on its face. And in response, Izzo brought out an old story from his time as a 28-year old assistant when former Spartans great Kevin Willis was trying to get out of class.

“I remember (then-MSU coach Jud Heathcote) saying, ‘Kevin, I’ve been conned by the very best in the world. So don’t try it.’”

One of the great things about Izzo is that, even if he can come off at times as a whiny old guy lamenting how much better things used to be in college basketball, he’ll always give it to you straight.

And he’s secure enough in who he is as a coach that he doesn’t need to lower himself to engage in head games or misdirection. Because it’s all baloney.

“Listen, Bruce and I are friends,” Izzo said. “We’ve been friends since he was (a young assistant) at Iowa. He’s done an incredible job there. I’ve been through so many of these, I’ve been the 2 seed got beat by a 15. I’ve been a No. 1 seed that hasn’t gotten out of the first weekend. So I don’t buy any of that stuff. But if it makes him feel better, I’ll be the favorite. Whatever they want me to be, I’ll be, but the game will be won by the players. Not the bettors, not the media, not even the coaches. The game will be won by the players who play the game.”

In other words, when it comes down to one 40-minute basketball game with a chance to reach the Final Four, none of that stuff matters. The expectations, the pedigree of the program, how many stars the recruiting analysts gave players two or three years ago – it’s all irrelevant.

The simple test is this: Would you rather have Auburn’s roster or Michigan State’s roster to play this game? And would you rather play it in Atlanta or Detroit?

On both counts, advantage Tigers – everywhere except in the vicinity of Pearl’s lying lips.

“Auburn. Auburn,” Pearl insisted when he was asked directly who the underdog is in this game. “This is the third time in our history we’ve gone to the Elite Eight. This is uncharted water for us. We’re talking about Michigan State. We’re talking about Tom Izzo.”

And that’s where, to be slightly fair to Pearl, you can do enough mental gymnastics to at least find an advantage for Michigan State. Izzo is 8-2 in Elite Eight games. He specializes in these exact scenarios, particularly in the short 40-hour turnaround coaching staffs have to navigate to get a team prepared for a completely different opponent than the one they played in the Sweet 16.

Pearl is just 1-1 in Elite Eight games, and that loss came in 2010 when his Tennessee team lost to Michigan State 70-69.

So, yes, Izzo’s experience in these scenarios matters. And if Michigan State pulls the upset – yes, upset – we will get a whole week of “Izzo did it again” storylines after it looked like his program had declined a bit the previous four years.

But it’s strange that Pearl believes he needs to pump up his team by sending a message that Michigan State is the big bully on the block this time. All season long, Auburn was right around the No. 1 ranking and seemed to take great pride in being college basketball’s best team.

Now, suddenly, they’re the Little Sisters of the Poor playing against a so-called blueblood that hasn’t won a national title in 25 years and mostly recruits from the bottom end of the top-50?

It doesn’t make sense. But it also isn’t going make much difference, other than giving Izzo a reason to laugh.

“You get to this point, there are no underdogs,” Izzo said. “If he wants to make us a favorite, I’m cool with that. And he wants to make us an underdog, I’ve been in that role before, too. I think that’s the advantage of being where I’ve been. I don’t know if seed matters. I don’t know if the underdog matters. I think the players matter. The players play the game.”

The first ticket to the 2025 men’s Final Four has been booked. Florida is headed to San Antonio, Texas.

No. 1 seed Gators overcame a 10-point second half deficit with clutch shooting down the stretch to beat No. 3 seed Texas Tech 84-79 and advance to the Final Four for the first time in 11 years. 

With a less than four minutes to go, Texas Tech led 75-66, and the situation looked bleak for the Gators. But after 3-point shooting was off all night, the deep shots started to fall at the end to complete the comeback. Florida ended the game on a 18-4 run in the final three minutes, helped by four consecutive 3-pointers.

‘They’ve done it all year,’ Gators coach Todd Golden said. ‘They stayed the course – never too high and never too low. We’re down nine going into the last media (timeout). We just had to dig in and get some stops.’

Walter Clayton Jr. has been the leader for Florida all season and he delivered again. He scored 30 points, 22 of which came in the second half in another signature performance from the guard and his second 30-point game of the season.

Clayton tied the game at 75-all with a three with 90 seconds left. Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams hit a layup to give his team the lead back, but Clayton hit the go-ahead 3-point shot with 59 seconds left, and Florida held the lead for the rest of the way. 

‘I just got all these guys around me,’ Clayton said. ‘We don’t spread apart in adversity. We come together. The whole team, we all did it together.’

Florida is now headed to its sixth Final Four and first since 2014, and are two games away from winning its first national title since it went back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.

Williams finished with team-high 23 points, and JT Toppin added 20 in the loss that denied the Red Raiders their second Final Four trip. They previously made the national semifinals in 2019. The free throw battle greatly hurt Texas Tech. It was just 7-for-13 (53.8%) from the line. Williams and Toppin also missed the front end of 1-and-1 attempts in the final minutes that allowed Florida back in the game. Meanwhile, the Gators were 25-for-27 (92.6%) in free throws.

Florida has one of the best offenses in the country, but Texas Tech was also among the top-scoring teams. The Red Raiders came out of the gates on fire from 3-point land with six makes on their first seven attempts, jumping out to an early lead midway through the first half. 

Florida wasn’t knocking down shots at the same clip for much of the first half, but free throws helped the Gators stay close. It was a big difference to start with a perfect 10-for-10 start from the charity stripe in the first half, while Texas Tech was 2-for-6. The Florida offense eventually found a rhythm and led by three at the break.

After Florida tied the game with 11 and a half minutes to go, Texas Tech went on a 12-2 run, capped with an alley oop from Christian Anderson to Federiko Federiko to give the Red Raiders their largest lead at 10 points. Florida then ended the game on a 27-12 run in the final eight minutes to win.

In 2022, Duke men’s basketball faced something close to an existential crisis when legendary coach and program patriarch Mike Krzyzewski retired and handed the Blue Devils over to then-34-year-old Jon Scheyer.

Three years later, many of those concerns have been quieted, as Duke is returning to the biggest stage in college basketball.

Watch Duke vs Alabama on Sling TV

Behind 21 points from freshman Kon Knueppel, the Blue Devils blew past Alabama 85-65 in the Elite Eight of the 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Knueppel was one of four Duke starters to finish in double figures, a group that included presumptive No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg and his 16 points. Flagg was named the East Region most outstanding player.

The Blue Devils shot 53.6% from the field as a team and 46.2% from 3-point range. Defensively, they held Alabama All-American Mark Sears, fresh off a 34-point explosion against BYU in the Sweet 16, to six points on 2-of-12 shooting. As a team, the 3-point-happy Crimson Tide made only eight of its 32 shots from beyond the arc.

The USA TODAY Network tracked the action live. Follow along below for the score, updates and highlights from Duke’s win.

Duke vs Alabama score updates

Duke outscores Alabama 39-28 in the second half to pull away for an 85-65 victory Saturday in the Elite Eight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, sending it to its first Final Four since Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement three years ago. Four of the Blue Devils’ five starters finished in double figures, led by Kon Knueppel’s 21 points.

Duke vs Alabama live updates

Who does Duke play next?

With its win over Alabama behind it, Duke will face off in the Final Four against the winner of Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup between Houston and Tennessee. The Blue Devils eliminated the top-seeded Cougars from the 2024 NCAA Tournament with a 54-51 victory in the Sweet 16.

Final Four schedule

Here’s a look at where the Final Four schedule stands right now, following the first two Elite Eight games:

No. 1 seed Duke vs. No. 1 seed Houston/No. 2 seed Tennessee
No. 1 seed Florida vs. No. 1 seed Auburn/No. 2 seed Michigan State

It has yet to be determined which teams will be in which game, but the first game of the Final Four is set to tip off at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 5 while the second game follows at 8:49 p.m. ET.

Duke beats Alabama, advances to Final Four

In their third season under coach Jon Scheyer, the Blue Devils are headed to the biggest stage in college basketball. Three years after Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement, Duke is in the Final Four, blowing past Alabama 85-65 in the Elite Eight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Freshman Kon Knueppel led the way for the Blue Devils, with a game-high 21 points.

Duke will take on the winner of Sunday’s game between Houston and Tennessee in the national semifinals next Saturday.

Cooper Flagg points today

Flagg finished with 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting, along with nine rebounds, three assists, a block and four turnovers. The freshman phenom was named the East Region most outstanding player.

Mark Sears points today

Two days after racking up 34 points in a Sweet 16 win against BYU, Sears was held to six points on 2-of-12 shooting in his final college game, along with six assists and five turnovers. He didn’t make his first 3-pointer of the night until 16:17 remained in regulation. He made 10 3s in the victory against BYU.

Duke up on Alabama in final minutes

Duke is inching closer to a spot in the Final Four in San Antonio next week, with a 69-58 lead with 6:39 remaining. The Blue Devils have been guided by a relatively balanced effort, with four of their five starters scoring between 12 and 17 points.

Grant Nelson blocks Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg made his way to the rim early in the second half looking to end up on a poster by throwing it down on Alabama forward Grant Nelson. Instead, Flagg was on the on the less-desirable end of the exchange, with Nelson meeting him mid-air and sending his shot back.

You can see the play here:

Duke leads Alabama by nine at halftime

Cooper Flagg, Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils are 20 minutes from the Final Four, with a 46-37 halftime lead over Alabama in their Elite Eight matchup. Flagg’s fellow Duke freshman Kon Knueppel leads all scorers with 11 points while Flagg has 10. Mark Sears has been relatively quiet for the Crimson Tide, with only two points on 1-of-4 shooting two days after going off for 34 points in a Sweet 16 win against BYU.

Duke has made 18 of its 32 shots (56.3%), including 5 of its 9 3-pointers (55.6%).

Maliq Brown injury update

After missing Duke’s first three games in the NCAA Tournament, Maliq Brown returned to the court for the Blue Devils late in the first half. Brown, a Syracuse transfer, has been a defensive ace for Duke for much of the season, but has dislocated his shoulder twice in the past two months and is wearing a large black sleeve on his shoulder.

Duke has early lead on Alabama

In a frenetic, fast-paced game, Duke has an early 23-17 advantage over Alabama at the second media timeout of the first half. The Blue Devils are off to a blistering offensive start, making 9 of their first 15 shots, including 3 of their first 4 3-pointers. Tyrese Proctor is leading the way for Duke in the opening minutes, with seven points.

Cooper Flagg stats

As only a freshman, the Duke star and presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft has emerged as one of the front-runners for various national player of the year awards. In what will almost certainly be his only college season, the ACC player of the year and first-team All-American is averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range.

Mark Sears stats

An Alabama native who transferred into the program after two seasons at Ohio, Sears is the catalyst of a high-powered, fast-paced Alabama offense. The Crimson Tide point guard, a first-team All-American this season, is averaging 19 points, 5.1 assists and three rebounds per game this season while shooting 40.9% from the field and 34.8% from 3-point range during the 2024-25 campaign.

Cooper Flagg height

Flagg is listed at 6-foot-9 on Duke’s official roster.

Where is Duke vs Alabama being played?

Duke and Alabama’s Elite Eight game in the 2025 NCAA Tournament is being played at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

What conference is Duke in?

Duke hails from the ACC, and is the conference’s lone representative in the Elite Eight. The SEC leads all Elite Eight teams with four teams (Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee), followed by the Big 12 (Houston and Texas Tech), Big Ten (Michigan State) and ACC.

What channel is the Duke game on?

TV Channel: TBS/truTV
Stream:Sling TV | Max

Duke vs Alabama will stream on TBS and truTV. Viewers and cord-cutters can find the game on Sling TV, which carries the Warner Bros. Discovery family of networks, or Max, which is airing March Madness games live.

Duke vs Alabama live stream

Live stream: Sling TV | Max

Duke’s Elite Eight game against Alabama can be streamed on Sling TV, which carries the Warner Bros. Discovery family of networks, as well as Max.

Duke vs Alabama betting odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday, March 29

Spread: Duke (-7.5)
O/U: 174.5
Moneyline: Duke -325 | Alabama +260

Duke vs Alabama expert predictions

Emilee Smarr, Tuscaloosa News: Alabama 89, Duke 81: The Crimson Tide has never taken down the Blue Devils, but there’s a first time for everything, and another 25-for-51 performance from 3 could do it. Another night like that would be nice against a team of Blue Devils that’s shooting over 38% from 3 while limiting opponents to about 30% around the perimeter, just like Alabama’s defense. …
Rodd Baxley, The Fayetteville Observer: Duke 85, Alabama 79: Both teams have elite bucket-getters, but the Blue Devils are far better at stacking stops. As it has for most of the season, Duke’s defense will be the difference. Jon Scheyer’s Devils will beat the Crimson Tide and cut down the nets in Jersey.

What time is Duke vs Alabama today?

8:49 p.m. ET

Duke and Alabama are in the late slot Saturday, getting an 8:49 p.m. tip-off time from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. However, the game could be delayed if the first game of the night, Florida-Texas Tech, runs long.

NCAA basketball schedule today

There are two Elite Eight games taking place in the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Saturday, with the final two matchups of the national quarterfinals being held on Sunday.

West Region: No. 1 seed Florida 84, No. 3 seed Texas Tech 79
East Region: No. 1 seed Duke vs. No. 2 seed Alabama, 8:59 p.m. ET

What a fantastic season for Van Lith, who transferred to TCU after an underwhelming season with LSU. During her tenure with the Tigers, she never really quite found her footing, and by year-end, much to her dismay, she became a March Madness meme. Still, she persisted even with many mental health battles along the way. Van Lith transferred to TCU, and early in the season, you could tell the move would be special. The senior cried happy tears after an early season upset win over NC State, and she never looked back.

A full redemption tour happened this season, silencing any haters who dared to doubt her. Van Lith’s gritty performances began stacking up and earned her multiple Big 12 honors, a Big 12 championship, and, oh yeah ― a date with the Elite Eight. On Saturday, Van Lith dropped 26 big ones all over the Notre Dame Irish, including 18 points in the second half. (Balling!) What a day for her WNBA draft stock, and a bloody knee wouldn’t stop the show.

‘This is why!’ an ecstatic Van Lith shouted after the Horned Frogs upset win over 3-seed Notre Dame.

Angel Reese still supports former teammate Hailey Van Lith

Since being a teammate at LSU, Angel Reese has supported her girl Hailey Van Lith’s journey to TCU. Throughout her season, she’s tweeted about Van Lith several times.

In November, she posted, ‘HVL. That’s all I’mma say,’ and during Saturday’s massive matchup with the Fighting Irish, Reese only shared a fitting three letters.

Hailey Van Lith’s journey from LSU to TCU has been transformational

Looking back on Van Lith’s journey, an old Kim Mulkey quote now carries more weight. Van Lith could have quit, but she never gave in, even when her time at LSU wasn’t the kindest to her. Mulkey shared these words with the media after Iowa beat LSU in the Elite Eight last year:

‘Hailey Van Lith came to LSU after being an abundant shooter. Shot it a lot at Louisville. Had great success. Was on good teams. But she graduated in three years with a finance degree. She wanted to experience all the things I guess she saw from afar with our championship last year.”For her to take that leap of faith and leave her comfort zone at Louisville, you don’t see many players do that when she was that big a piece to their puzzle. She has embraced learning a new position, taking less shots. Our last game against UCLA, I thought her stats were very good, but I’m an old point guard, and I see all that.”Forever indebted to Haley and her unselfish play to come to LSU to play with a lot of great players and learn a new position.’

In their first game without JuJu Watkins, the USC Trojans women’s basketball team survived a tough battle with Kansas State, winning 67-61 to advance to the Elite Eight. They will face Paige Bueckers and UConn on Monday night.

The No. 1 Trojans are in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season, but they had a tough night shooting. A pair of freshmen powered USC: Kennedy Smith put up 19 points while Avery Howell matched her career-high 18 points. Kiki Iriafen struggled, putting up just 7 points on 3-of-13 shooting. She did pull down 8 rebounds, dish out an assist and nab a steal.

‘I think just everybody has confidence in each other,’ Smith said after the game. ‘With JuJu going down, I think everybody stepped up, and I think everybody has confidence in each other.’

The No. 5 Wildcats were trying to get to the Elite Eight for just the second time ever. Serena Sundell had a game-high 22 points, Ayoka Lee added 12 and Jaelyn Glenn added 10. 

USA TODAY Sports brought you live updates, scores, highlights and analysis throughout the game. Check it out.

Who does USC women’s basketball play in Elite Eight?

The Trojans play Paige Bueckers and UConn in the Elite Eight on Monday at 9 p.m. ET. Bueckers is coming off a career-high 40-point performance in the Sweet 16. Here is an early preview of UConn vs. USC women’s basketball.

Avery Howell stats

USC freshman Avery Howell turned in a career-high 18 points against Kansas State, providing a much needed boost for the Trojans. She was 4-of-8 from 3, and recorded 8 boards, 4 steals and an assist. On the season, she averages 7.1 points per game.

Kennedy Smith stats

Kennedy Smith scored 19 points (7-of-14 shooting), 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals for the Trojans.

JuJu Watkins injury: What to know

The superstar USC guard suffered a season-ending knee injury in a second-round game against Mississippi State. Here’s everything you need to know about her injury and recovery timeline.

Women’s March Madness bracket

Here’s the Elite Eight schedule.

No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Duke, Sunday, 1 p.m. on ABC
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 3 LSU, Sunday, 3 p.m. on ABC
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 TCU, Monday, 7 p.m. on ESPN
No. 2 UConn vs. USC, Monday, 9 p.m. on ESPN

Serena Sundell stats

Kansas State’s Serena Sundell got to the free throw line 11 times, sinking 10, to go along with 6-of-13 shooting for 22 points.

USC vs. Kansas State score in 3Q

The Trojans went on a 12-0 run in the third quarter to take a 48-45 lead. Kiki Iriafen got up to 6 points for USC, although it was a tough night shooting for her (3-of-13 from the floor). Rayah Marshall had 6 points and 6 boards through three, while Avery Howell had 11 on 4-of-6 shooting. Kennedy Smith led USC with 14 points through three.

For the Wildcats, Serena Sundell recorded 18 points through three quarters and Jaelyn Glenn had 10.

USC vs. Kansas State score at halftime

The Wildcats led the Trojans 30-28 at halftime. For the Wildcats, Temira Poindexter logged 6 points, Serena Sundell had 8, Jaelyn Glenn put up 9, and Zyanna Walker scored 3. For USC, Kennedy Smith scored 11, Avery Howell had 6 and Rayah Marshall and Kiki Iriafen had 2 apiece.

USC women’s basketball vs. Kansas State score after 1Q

The Trojans held a 16-9 advantage after the opening quarter. Kennedy Smith led all scorers with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-3 from 3, in the frame.

USC women’s basketball roster

The Trojans were led all season by JuJu Watkins before she suffered a season-ending knee injury. But Kiki Iriafen showed what she’s capable of with her 36-piece in the second round; she averages 18.6 a game on the season to go along with 8.5 rebounds. Kennedy Smith (9.2), Rayah Marshall (7.4) and Avery Howell (7.1) are also key contributors. Here is the full USC women’s basketball roster.

Kiki Iriafen stats

USC forward Kiki Iriafen stepped up in a big way when JuJu Watkins went down in the second round of the NCAA women’s tournament. Iriafen recorded a team-high 36 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in the 96-59 victory over No. 9 Mississippi State. The senior averages 18.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. She shoots 50.6% from the floor and 30.8% from 3.

How tall is Kiki Iriafen?

Kiki Iriafen is 6-foot-3.

JuJu Watkins shirt

The Trojans are rocking pregame Nike shirts with JuJu Watkins on them.

‘It just was a team decision that we love her, and we know she’s watching at home,’ USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said pregame. ‘We got her back. We know her imprints are all over this program and we are going to channel her energy today and fight for USC.’

Kansas State women’s basketball roster

The Wildcats are led by center Ayoka Lee, Serena Sundell and Temira Poindexter. Lee leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game, to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 2 blocks; Sundell averages 13.9 points, 7.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game while Poindexter, who shoots 40.5% from 3, records 12.7 points per game. Here is the full Kansas State women’s basketball roster.

What grade is JuJu Watkins in?

JuJu Watkins is a sophomore at USC.

Where is JuJu Watkins from?

Watkins is from Los Angeles.

USC vs. Kansas State women’s basketball predictions

Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: USC 
Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: USC 
Meghan L. Hall, For The Win: USC 
Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY: USC 
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: USC 
Cory Diaz, Lafayette Advertiser: Kansas State 
Maxwell Donaldson, The Gadsden Times: USC 

Still part of the team.

JuJu Watkins may not be in Spokane, Washington, as Southern California tries to make its first Final Four since 1986, but the Trojans are keeping their star player’s spirit with them.

The tributes started when USC players donned Nike shirts with her face and signature bun on the front.

The players were greeted by the school’s marching band and cheerleaders as the team departed its hotel and boarded a bus for its women’s March Madness Sweet 16 matchup against No. 5 Kansas State.

‘It just was a team decision that we love her, and we know she’s watching at home,’ said USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who also donned a shirt. ‘We got her back. We know her imprints are all over this program and we are going to channel her energy today and fight for USC.’

USC’s bench has JuJu Watkins Funko Pop

Watkins and her signature bun could be spotted on the bench during the Sweet 16 game. A Funko Pop of Watkins stood on the sideline with USC and some players held it during the game.

USC calls JuJu Watkins after Sweet 16 win

The Trojans beat the Wildcats to advance to the Elite Eight, and the celebration wouldn’t be complete without Watkins. The team had a FaceTime call with Watkins after the game, and USC posted a photo of Rian Forestier and Brooklyn Shamblin on the phone with her.

The Trojans rallied to win that game 96-59, led by senior forward Kiki Iriafen’s 36 points, and advanced to the Sweet 16. With the win over Kansas State on Saturday, USC will play Connecticut in the Elite Eight on Monday.

In their first game without JuJu Watkins, the USC Trojans women’s basketball team survived a tough battle with Kansas State, winning 67-61 to advance to the Elite Eight. They will face Paige Bueckers and UConn on Monday night.

The No. 1 Trojans are in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season, but they had a tough night shooting. A pair of freshmen powered USC: Kennedy Smith put up 19 points while Avery Howell matched her career-high 18 points. Kiki Iriafen struggled, putting up just 7 points on 3-of-13 shooting. She did pull down 8 rebounds, dish out an assist and nab a steal.

‘I think just everybody has confidence in each other,’ Smith said after the game. ‘With JuJu going down, I think everybody stepped up, and I think everybody has confidence in each other.’

The No. 5 Wildcats were trying to get to the Elite Eight for just the second time ever. Serena Sundell had a game-high 22 points, Ayoka Lee added 12 and Jaelyn Glenn added 10. 

USA TODAY Sports brought you live updates, scores, highlights and analysis throughout the game. Check it out.

Who does USC women’s basketball play in Elite Eight?

The Trojans play Paige Bueckers and UConn in the Elite Eight on Monday at 9 p.m. ET. Bueckers is coming off a career-high 40-point performance in the Sweet 16. Here is an early preview of UConn vs. USC women’s basketball.

Avery Howell stats

USC freshman Avery Howell turned in a career-high 18 points against Kansas State, providing a much needed boost for the Trojans. She was 4-of-8 from 3, and recorded 8 boards, 4 steals and an assist. On the season, she averages 7.1 points per game.

Kennedy Smith stats

Kennedy Smith scored 19 points (7-of-14 shooting), 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals for the Trojans.

JuJu Watkins injury: What to know

The superstar USC guard suffered a season-ending knee injury in a second-round game against Mississippi State. Here’s everything you need to know about her injury and recovery timeline.

Women’s March Madness bracket

Here’s the Elite Eight schedule.

No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Duke, Sunday, 1 p.m. on ABC
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 3 LSU, Sunday, 3 p.m. on ABC
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 TCU, Monday, 7 p.m. on ESPN
No. 2 UConn vs. USC, Monday, 9 p.m. on ESPN

Serena Sundell stats

Kansas State’s Serena Sundell got to the free throw line 11 times, sinking 10, to go along with 6-of-13 shooting for 22 points.

USC vs. Kansas State score in 3Q

The Trojans went on a 12-0 run in the third quarter to take a 48-45 lead. Kiki Iriafen got up to 6 points for USC, although it was a tough night shooting for her (3-of-13 from the floor). Rayah Marshall had 6 points and 6 boards through three, while Avery Howell had 11 on 4-of-6 shooting. Kennedy Smith led USC with 14 points through three.

For the Wildcats, Serena Sundell recorded 18 points through three quarters and Jaelyn Glenn had 10.

USC vs. Kansas State score at halftime

The Wildcats led the Trojans 30-28 at halftime. For the Wildcats, Temira Poindexter logged 6 points, Serena Sundell had 8, Jaelyn Glenn put up 9, and Zyanna Walker scored 3. For USC, Kennedy Smith scored 11, Avery Howell had 6 and Rayah Marshall and Kiki Iriafen had 2 apiece.

USC women’s basketball vs. Kansas State score after 1Q

The Trojans held a 16-9 advantage after the opening quarter. Kennedy Smith led all scorers with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-3 from 3, in the frame.

USC women’s basketball roster

The Trojans were led all season by JuJu Watkins before she suffered a season-ending knee injury. But Kiki Iriafen showed what she’s capable of with her 36-piece in the second round; she averages 18.6 a game on the season to go along with 8.5 rebounds. Kennedy Smith (9.2), Rayah Marshall (7.4) and Avery Howell (7.1) are also key contributors. Here is the full USC women’s basketball roster.

Kiki Iriafen stats

USC forward Kiki Iriafen stepped up in a big way when JuJu Watkins went down in the second round of the NCAA women’s tournament. Iriafen recorded a team-high 36 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in the 96-59 victory over No. 9 Mississippi State. The senior averages 18.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. She shoots 50.6% from the floor and 30.8% from 3.

How tall is Kiki Iriafen?

Kiki Iriafen is 6-foot-3.

JuJu Watkins shirt

The Trojans are rocking pregame Nike shirts with JuJu Watkins on them.

‘It just was a team decision that we love her, and we know she’s watching at home,’ USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said pregame. ‘We got her back. We know her imprints are all over this program and we are going to channel her energy today and fight for USC.’

Kansas State women’s basketball roster

The Wildcats are led by center Ayoka Lee, Serena Sundell and Temira Poindexter. Lee leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game, to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 2 blocks; Sundell averages 13.9 points, 7.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game while Poindexter, who shoots 40.5% from 3, records 12.7 points per game. Here is the full Kansas State women’s basketball roster.

What grade is JuJu Watkins in?

JuJu Watkins is a sophomore at USC.

Where is JuJu Watkins from?

Watkins is from Los Angeles.

USC vs. Kansas State women’s basketball predictions

Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: USC 
Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: USC 
Meghan L. Hall, For The Win: USC 
Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY: USC 
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: USC 
Cory Diaz, Lafayette Advertiser: Kansas State 
Maxwell Donaldson, The Gadsden Times: USC 

SPOKANE, Wash. — Paige Bueckers had the ball at the wing, dribbled to her right off a ball screen and connected on a mid-range jump shot. 

She was officially cooking.

The UConn women’s basketball star scored a career-high 40 points as the No. 2 Huskies (34-3) knocked off No. 3 Oklahoma 82-59 in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 on Saturday at Spokane Arena. It also set a new UConn single-game NCAA tournament scoring record previously held by Kerry Bascom since 1991.

That bucket in the fourth quarter gave Bueckers 30 points and UConn’s first 20-point lead of the game. It was part of a run of 19 straight points scored by Bueckers. 

“Paige was spectacular,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. ‘That was as good of a game as I’ve seen her play the whole time that she’s been here, and at the most important time. When you’re a senior and you’ve been around as long as she has, this is what you’re here to do. It’s why you came here.”

The Huskies, who will play either No. 1 Southern Cal or No. 5 Kansas State in the Elite Eight on Monday, trailed Oklahoma (27-8) by four points at halftime. Bueckers scored 29 points in the second half and shot 12-for-16 from the floor.

It came one game after Bueckers scored 34 points in her final game at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion to tie a career high.

‘We see this every day in practice,’ Auriemma said. ‘Every day at practice there’s long stretches of exactly what you saw today. Little by little it’s dawned on her, I think, that there is no next year. There is no, I can get this any time I want. You’re going to have to get it now or it won’t be available anymore. So, what she does is not a surprise to anybody on our team.”

Corrections: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of Walter Clayton. It also incorrectly referred to the lead Texas Tech had with three minutes left. Texas Tech led by nine.

The 84-79 victory didn’t come easily for the Gators, who needed to rally late to defeat Texas Tech. 

Walter Clayton Jr. finished with 30 points for the Gators after shooting 7 of 14 from the field and making 13 of 14 free throw attempts. Thomas Haugh was particularly clutch, going 4-of-6 from behind the arc and delivering 20 points to the cause.

Florida will play the winner of Auburn vs. Michigan in the South Region final.

Texas Tech collapse as Florida caps off epic comeback

The Red Raiders collapsed down the stretch after leading by nine points with three minutes left in the game. A combination of the Gators’ success from long range and a pair of missed free-throw attempts by Texas Tech benefited Florida.

Texas Tech foul: Late mistake crucial in defeat

The final seconds featured questionable decision-making in the minds of some as Texas Tech fouled a Florida player just before a 10-second violation may have been called on the Gators.

Florida Gators caught from long range

Florida managed to find success down the stretch from the three-point line, leaving the Red Raiders without an answer as the game slipped away from them.

Clayton Jr. played a key role in the Gators’ long-range attack during the final three minutes of the game.

He provided a pair of assists on two of Haugh’s final three-pointers during the period before Clayton scored a pair of three-pointers on his own.

The second of the two shots pushed Florida back in front 78-77 for a lead the team wouldn’t relinquish.

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