Storrs, Conn.
Stewart also grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked five shots. Tuck added nine rebounds and both she and Jefferson had seven assists as the Huskies (34-0) moved into the regional semifinals for the 23rd consecutive year.
Deva’Nyar Workman scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half and April Robinson added 16 points for Duquesne (28-6), which was playing in its first NCAA Tournament.
The Huskies extended their winning streak to 71 games, making it the second longest in team and Division I women’s history. They own the top three streaks on that list and surpassed the 70-game streak they set between November 2001 and November 2003.
UConn led just 20-17 early in the second quarter before going on a 19-2 run grab control of the game.
UConn dominated the game in the paint, outrebounding Duquesne 51-31 and outscoring them 50-18 in the paint. Duquesne coach Dan Burt wanted his team to weather the first five minutes, and they trailed just 13-9 midway through the first quarter, part of an 8-0 run that saw the Dukes take a 14-13 lead. But they trailed 20-14 after the first quarter.
Stewart had three blocks on a single possession early in the second quarter, forcing one of two consecutive shot-clock violations. With those blocks, she became the first player in Division I women’s history with at least 400 blocked shots (402) and 400 assists (410).
The Huskies held Duquesne to just eight baskets on 34 attempts in the first half (24 percent) and led 42-21 after 20 minutes.
The Dukes shot just 29 percent for the game.
A layup by Jefferson gave the Huskies their first 30 point lead at 62-31 and UConn scored 11 of the quarters final 13 points to take a 69-33 lead.
Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson left the game together midway through the fourth quarter with the Huskies leading 79-40.
Stewart and Jefferson are seniors. Tuck, who came in during the same class, is considering leaving for the WNBA despite having another year of eligibility because of a knee injury that cost her most of her sophomore season.
The Huskies have won 117 of their last 118 games and 108 in a row against unranked teams.
Duquene had its own 15-game winning streak in November and December, but finish the season losing two of their final three games. They were beaten by George Washington in for the Atlantic 10 title before beating Seton Hall in the first round on Saturday.
Stanford, Calif.
McCall swatted Macy Miller’s shot in the key with 1 second left to seal it. Thompson, who missed a 3-point try with 18 seconds to go, made a driving layup with 8.2 seconds left and converted the free throw as the Cardinal erased a five-point deficit over the final 3 minutes.
Briana Roberson hit a 3-pointer with 1:11 left that pulled Stanford within 64-63.
What a finish for Tara VanDerveer’s team in the 1,000th game at Stanford for the Hall of Fame coach.
The Cardinal (26-7) will face Notre Dame on Friday in the Lexington Regional.
South Dakota State (27-7) missed a chance at reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history despite pushing the Cardinal to the very end at Maples Pavilion where they have been so dominant in the NCAAs.
Immediately after Thompson’s missed 3, Miller couldn’t convert the second of two free throws. VanDerveer called timeout before Thompson’s winning play.
Stanford survived for its 14th straight NCAA win at home since Florida State stunned the Cardinal 68-61 at Maples in the second round on March 19, 2007.
Austin, Texas
Lashann Higgs scored 11 points and was a sparkplug off the bench for the Longhorns (30-4), who head to the Bridgeport, Connecticut, Regional looking to make their deepest run in the postseason since a Final Four appearance in 2003. Texas will play UCLA in the Sweet 16.Missouri’s starting lineup is 6-feet or taller and Texas simply turned any matchup problem on its head with aggressive defense on the perimeter that gave the Tigers no easy looks at the basket up close.
Sophie Cunningham scored 23 points for Missouri (22-10), which had made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.
Los Angeles
Nirra Fields added 14 points and Kari Korver added 12 as the Bruins (26-8), who had led by 17 points in the second quarter, needed to make 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch to advance to the Sweet 16, where they will meet Texas.
It’s the first time that the Bruins advanced to the regional semifinals since 1999, when they lost 88-62 to Louisiana Tech in the Elite Eight.
Courtney Williams scored 23 of her 29 points in the second half and Alisia Jenkins added 23 for South Florida (24-10), which lost in the second round for the third time in four years.
South Bend, Ind.
The Hoosiers (21-12) used a 12-1 run, led by three baskets by Alexis Gassion and a pair by Amanda Cahill, to cut the score to 56-54 on a basket by Lindsay Leikem with 2:47 left in the third quarter. But the Irish quickly regained control with a layup by Arike Ogunbowale and a basket by Allen when she stole the inbounds basket by Leikem. Madison Cable then hit a pair of free throws after being fouled hard by Karlee McBride, the younger sister of former Notre Dame standout Kayla McBride, to give the Irish (33-1) a 60-54 lead.
Lexington, Ky.
The Wildcats (25-7) earned their fifth Sweet 16 berth in seven seasons and will play a few blocks away from campus at Rupp Arena, home of the men’s team. Thompson deserves credit for helping her team get there after a tense stretch that featured a big hand from hobbled teammate Makayla Epps.
An injured right shoulder forced Epps to briefly leave the game in the third quarter before she returned to grab a key offensive rebound leading to Thompson’s jumper and a 50-44 lead. Epps (13 points) and Thompson followed with 3-pointers before the senior opened the fourth quarter with six free throws for a 62-49 lead that Kentucky steadily expanded.
Gioya Carter’s 12 points led Oklahoma (22-11).
College Park, Md.
Maryland (31-4) came in with a rich history of success in the postseason and a 10-game winning streak. The two-time Big Ten champions were also playing on their home floor.
None of that mattered to the seventh-seeded Huskies (24-10), who squeezed past Penn in the opening round for their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2006.
Washington led by eight points after the first quarter, gave the lead away by halftime but outscored Maryland 45-31 in the second half to eliminate a team looking for a fifth straight appearance in the Sweet 16 and, ultimately, its third successive trip to the Final Four.
College Station, Texas
The victory puts the Seminoles in the round of 16 for the second straight season and fourth time overall where they’ll meet Baylor on Saturday in the Dallas Regional.
Florida State (25-7) led by just three points at halftime before pulling away for a 72-55 win over Middle Tennessee State in the first round on Saturday. Things were much different on Monday when the Seminoles raced out to a 21-point lead by halftime thanks to six early 3-pointers and withstood a late run to eliminate the Aggies (22-10) on their home court.
College Park, Md.
Maryland (31-4) came in with a rich history of success in the postseason and a 10-game winning streak. The two-time Big Ten champions were also playing on their home floor.
None of that mattered to the seventh-seeded Huskies (24-10), who squeezed past Penn in the opening round for their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2006.
Washington led by eight points after the first quarter, gave the lead away by halftime but outscored Maryland 45-31 in the second half to eliminate a team looking for a fifth straight appearance in the Sweet 16 and, ultimately, its third successive trip to the Final Four.