It took three days for the No. 2 seed in the NCAA women’s tournament to take the No. 2 seed.
On Sunday in Columbus, the Ohio State Buckeyes, the No. 2 seed in Region 3, lost 75-63 to the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils, Duke’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2018.
Reigan (*7*), a 5-foot-7 junior guard, led Duke with 28 points, hitting 11 of 18 shots from the floor. Ashlon Jackson (13) and Taina Mair (11) also scored in double figures for Duke.
Duke’s youth was evident throughout the season, and gaining experience was a process for the Blue Devils. They entered the tournament with just 4 players from last yr’s team, which hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Still, Duke was fearless in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.
In the first round against Richmond, Duke trailed by nine points in the second quarter. They got here back and won 72-61 in the first round.
On Sunday that they had one other comeback. Ohio State jumped out to a 16-point lead five minutes into the second quarter. From there, Duke increased the result in 4 before halftime and outscored the Buckeyes in every quarter for the remainder of the game.
An enormous a part of each games was Richardson’s performance. In total, she scored 53 goals in two games, hitting 21 of 36 shots, and continues to be the leader the Blue Devils needed.
Not only did Duke beat the second-seeded Buckeyes at home, however it showed just how good the Blue Devils may be, despite their young age.
According to BetMGM, Ohio State had a 7.5-point advantage heading into the game. According to Bracket Breakers, the probability of such an event occurring was 31.5%.
The Blue Devils will now enter the Sweet 16 with some momentum, confidence, and their star is on a hot streak. Duke will play the winner of UConn and Syracuse in Portland, while the Buckeyes will look to rebuild their team after Jacy Sheldon’s retirement.
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