Day 1 of the 2025 women’s NCAA tournament is in the books. Chalk dominated Friday, as only one double-digit seed advanced to the second round. We tracked all the action, breaking down how all 16 games were won and looking ahead at what’s next as teams advance in the bracket.
From blowouts to every host holding court, here’s your guide — complete with analysis from on-site reporters — to Friday’s games as half of the second round was set.
Final: Oregon 77, Vanderbilt 73 (OT)
How did Oregon pull off the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament so far?: As the first double-digit seed to win a game in the tournament, the Ducks survived a blown second-half lead and poor free throw shooting to upset Vanderbilt in Durham, North Carolina. For 3½ quarters, Oregon expertly executed its game plan of slowing the pace, controlling the boards and making shots in its half-court offense — the Ducks were in complete control. But Vanderbilt, which trailed by as many as 19 points and was down nine with 3:22 left in the game, brought more defensive pressure, forced turnovers and got big plays from Mikayla Blakes and Leilani Kapinus to force overtime. Twelve missed free throws by the Ducks (15-of-27 for the game) also helped Vanderbilt get back into the game.
But Oregon’s defense, which had held the seventh-best scoring team in the country to 43 points through the first three quarters, came alive again in the extra five minutes, holding Vanderbilt to six points. Peyton Scott (13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) came up big in overtime, drawing a key charge that marked Blakes’ fifth foul, and she scored four points, including the clinching free throws. Blakes led Vanderbilt with 26 points before fouling out with 54 seconds left in the extra period. Khamil Pierre, the Commodores’ second-leading scorer with 17 points, and Kapinus, also fouled out.
What it means for Oregon: This marks the Ducks’ first NCAA tournament win since 2021. A No. 10 seed in Cameron Indoor Stadium seems to be a friendly spot for Oregon. In 2017, also as a 10-seed playing in Durham, the Ducks upset No. 7 seed Temple in the first round and then stunned No. 2 seed Duke. Oregon, with Sabrina Ionescu as a freshman, advanced to the regional final in Bridgeport, Connecticut, before losing to UConn. These Ducks will likely get another chance to face the Blue Devils in the second round on Duke’s home floor. Deja Kelly, who played four seasons at North Carolina and appeared at Cameron Indoor three times.
How did UCLA dominate Southern?: Any 1-16 matchup is bound to be lopsided, but the Bruins showed off their depth against the Jaguars on Friday: Six players scored in double-digits and the bench contributed 28 points in a dominant win. UCLA star Lauren Betts didn’t have to score in bunches (she finished with a team-high 14 points, adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks), but her presence against an undersized Southern team helped set the tone for the victory.
What’s next for UCLA?: Bruins coach Cori Close isn’t prone to overlooking any team or matchup, so she will use any kind of shortcoming or mistake she saw on the floor Friday to her team’s advantage. Richmond awaits in the second round and the Spiders present a tougher test. (Watch out for the Spiders’ 3-point shooting!) After clearing the first hurdle with ease, Betts and Co. will have to be better to continue to fulfill the expectations that the committee put on them when awarding UCLA the top overall seed in the bracket. — Paolo Uggetti.
Final: South Carolina 108, Tennessee Tech 48
How did South Carolina roll to its first-round win? The Gamecocks’ win in the first round in Columbia was their most impressive NCAA tournament performance in program history: 108 points, 43 field goals, 12 3-pointers, 63.2% shooting on 3-pointers, a 60-point margin — all of which were program records. Their 66 bench points were the most in NCAA tournament history for any team. South Carolina scored more points in the paint (58) than the Eagles totaled. The Gamecocks also outrebounded Tennessee Tech 47-15 and outscored the Eagles in transition 32-4. As a No. 1 seed, they have now outscored their first-round opponents by an average margin of more than 40 points per game. South Carolina led the country in bench points this season (41.5 per game) and that depth keyed an early run Friday to put the game away. Joyce Edwards, Tessa Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley scored all the points in a 21-4 first quarter that put the score out of reach nine minutes into the game. All 12 Gamecocks who played scored. Edwards led the way with 22, Fulwiley scored 15 and had five assists while Johnson had 11 points and six assists.
What it means for South Carolina: The 12 days off since the SEC tournament title win didn’t slow down a South Carolina team that appears to be playing its best basketball of the season. Since their 29-point home loss to UConn on Feb. 16, the Gamecocks have outscored opponents by an average of 26.8 points. That time frame includes wins over Texas, LSU, Oklahoma and Kentucky, which are all top-four seeds in this NCAA tournament. Up next: Indiana, the same team South Carolina met in the Sweet 16 a year ago. The Hoosiers were a second-half team in their win over Utah and did the same against the Gamecocks last March, outscoring South Carolina 43-30 after halftime and nearly comibrate.
Day 1 of the 2025 women’s NCAA tournament is in the books. Chalk dominated Friday, as only one double-digit seed advanced to the second round. We tracked all the action, breaking down how all 16 games were won and looking ahead at what’s next as teams advance in the bracket.
From blowouts to every host holding court, here’s your guide — complete with analysis from on-site reporters — to Friday’s games as half of the second round was set.
How did Oregon pull off the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament so far?: As the first double-digit seed to win a game in the tournament, the Ducks survived a blown second-half lead and poor free throw shooting to upset Vanderbilt in Durham, North Carolina. For 3½ quarters, Oregon expertly executed its game plan of slowing the pace, controlling the boards and making shots in its half-court offense — the Ducks were in complete control. But Vanderbilt, which trailed by as many as 19 points and was down nine with 3:22 left in the game, brought more defensive pressure, forced turnovers and got big plays from Mikayla Blakes and Leilani Kapinus to force overtime. Twelve missed free throws by the Ducks (15-of-27 for the game) also helped Vanderbilt get back into the game.
But Oregon’s defense, which had held the seventh-best scoring team in the country to 43 points through the first three quarters, came alive
