N.C.A.A. Women’s Tournament: What to Watch as the Field Narrows to 16

The conclusion of the second spherical of the N.C.A.A. ladies’s basketball match on Monday will characteristic established packages like Tennessee and Connecticut, unestablished packages attempting to achieve that stage and gamers reaching out for March stardom.

Video games start at 4 p.m., Japanese time, on ESPN, when the No. 1 seed North Carolina State performs the No. 9 seed Kansas State. Under are 4 video games which are prone to be compelling. Wins don’t come simply at this stage.

All occasions are Japanese.

Villanova vs. Michigan | 6 p.m. | ESPNU

Two productive forwards face off.

The Michigan senior Naz Hillmon and the Villanova junior Maddy Siegrist have quite a bit in frequent. Each are smaller put up gamers who’ve flown underneath the nationwide radar for many of the season regardless of productive scoring and team-defining play.

On Monday, in Ann Arbor, Mich., what makes every participant distinctive will grow to be apparent. Hillmon is a power across the basket, utilizing refined footwork and power to attain and defend effectively. Siegrist has higher vary and 3-point skill and may minimize shortly inside for simple layups.

Each put up good numbers within the first spherical. Hillmon had 24 factors and 11 rebounds and sat within the fourth quarter after steering Michigan to a cushty lead in opposition to American. Siegrist performed 38 minutes to push Eleventh-seeded Villanova into the second spherical for the primary time since 2018.

Michigan, a No. 3 seed, made it to the spherical of 16 final 12 months for the primary time in program historical past, as a No. 6 seed. Villanova has been to the match’s third spherical as soon as earlier than, in 2003. Whether or not Hillmon’s conventional put up play or Siegrist’s quick breaks and deep photographs show more practical, a workforce with restricted match historical past will add an important line to its report e-book.

Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma | 6 p.m. | ESPN2

A chalk matchup of evenly matched groups.

This recreation, in Norman, Okla., is likely one of the extra evenly matched of the second spherical. Fourth-seeded Oklahoma and fifth-seeded Notre Dame struggled to comprise their lower-seeded opponents within the first spherical, counting on 3-point taking pictures and offensive schemes to maintain them in entrance.

Every workforce has a go-to sharpshooter. In Notre Dame’s case, it’s Dara Mabrey, a sister of the W.N.B.A. participant Marina Mabrey. Dara Mabrey, a senior guard, hit 5 triples within the opening spherical, which is greater than her common however an indicator of what she is able to.

Guard Taylor Robertson is combating for a spot within the 3-point-shooting report books, having etched her title throughout Oklahoma’s. She made 4 of 10 3-point makes an attempt within the Sooners’ first-round recreation, which was really beneath her season common of 45 p.c.

The sport might come all the way down to how the groups’ different contributors carry out; neither workforce has a very sturdy protection, so aggressive rebounding could possibly be essential. The Irish freshman guard Olivia Miles recorded her second profession triple-double in factors, rebounds and assists within the first spherical.

Madi Williams, the Sooners’ main scorer and rebounder, had six rebounds within the first spherical. The winner of this recreation will be the one which quells the potential shootout.

Belmont vs. Tennessee | 7 p.m. | ESPN

Belmont seems to be to topple an in-state energy.

It took two overtimes, however for the second consecutive 12 months, Twelfth-seeded Belmont made it to the second spherical.

Belmont performed more durable protection than its opponent was anticipating and hit well timed baskets, buying and selling the lead with fifth-seeded Oregon earlier than outlasting it. The sophomore guard Tuti Jones led the Bruins with 22 factors, whereas Destinee Wells — a 2021 match favourite — had 16 factors and seven assists.

Now, the battle for Tennessee will happen in that state’s ladies’s basketball mecca, Thompson-Boling Area, in Knoxville, the home the Corridor of Fame coach Pat Summitt constructed.

Fourth-seeded Tennessee prevailed over Buffalo within the first spherical, 80-67, however it wasn’t easy. The storied program final made it out of the second spherical in 2016 — earlier than that journey, it had fallen wanting the spherical of 16 solely as soon as, in 2009. The Woman Volunteers, then, are lengthy overdue for a match run, and they’re counting on guards Rae Burrell and Jordan Horston to power the difficulty.

Tennessee’s Tamari Key could possibly be the distinction maker. A 6-foot-6 middle, she has a number of inches on the tallest gamers who play for Belmont. Though they defended Oregon’s 6-foot-7 Sedona Prince effectively, the Bruins could possibly be weak if Key and her teammates discover a strategy to exploit the mismatch. In any other case, Belmont is effectively positioned to slay one other large.

Central Florida vs. Connecticut | 9 p.m. | ESPN

UConn faces a former convention foe.

The No. 2 seed Connecticut will play the No. 7 seed Central Florida for the primary time in N.C.A.A. match play, however the groups are effectively acquainted after competing for years within the American Athletic Convention. The Knights are 0-13 in opposition to UConn.

Central Florida fields an skilled squad in its quest for the upset in Storrs, Conn. Central Florida has refined its protection and permits opponents 47.6 factors per recreation, the bottom in Division I.

UConn will current a formidable problem to that protection given the latest return of its sophomore Paige Bueckers, who missed a lot of convention play with an damage. This Huskies workforce may even take a look at the Knights’ normally low-scoring offense, which caught fireplace in opposition to Florida.

Different video games on Monday.

• No. 11 Princeton vs. No. 3 Indiana, 8 p.m., ESPNU

• No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Louisiana State, 8 p.m., ESPN2

• No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Arizona, 10 p.m., ESPN2