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NCAAW Tournament Recap (Round 2, Day 2): Missouri State shuts down Iowa State, advances to first Sweet Sixteen since 2001

Just before that mid-major upset, another one took place as South Dakota State downed Syracuse to advance to the second weekend of play for the first time ever.

Missouri State is the lone double-digit seed in the Sweet Sixteen following their 69-60 upset of Iowa State on Monday night.
Courtesy of Missouri State Women’s Basketball via Twitter

Remember when Missouri State began the season 1-7? Neither do they.

The No. 11 Lady Bears, who have now won 24 of their last 26 games, continued their weekend dominance in Ames with a 69-60 win over — and, importantly, at — No. 3 Iowa State.

For a team that may not have made the NCAA Tournament field had they not won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, they’re sure making themselves known now.

Alexa Willard led Missouri State with 17 points, while Abby Hipp added 11 and Danielle Gitzen scored 10. Bridget Carleton had a game-high 31 points for Iowa State, but her individual effort wasn’t enough to carry the Cyclones, whose bench was outscored 20-1.

Though the Lady Bears won every quarter, it wasn’t by much, as Iowa State crept within striking distance several times throughout the game. But the Cyclones’ cold shooting — hampered by Missouri State’s stifling all-around defense — hurt them all night. The home team shot just 35.6 percent from the floor and 2-of-17 from three.

Missouri State last made a Sweet Sixteen — and, later, the Final Four — in 2001. That team was led by senior Jackie Stiles, who entered the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 after solidifying her place as one of the greatest Lady Bears players of all time. Stiles is now an assistant coach for the Lady Bears.

The day’s other big mid-major upset saw No. 6 South Dakota State advance to its first-ever Sweet Sixteen with a 75-64 win over No. 3 Syracuse. The Jackrabbits had the defining burst of energy in a game dominated by runs, outscoring the Orange 16-2 in the final 4:53 minutes. Four South Dakota State players scored in double figures, led by Madison Guebert’s 20 points.

Here are Monday’s complete game results, as well as Sweet Sixteen viewing information:


NCAAW Tournament — Round 2, Day 2

Game results

Albany region

No. 3 Maryland vs. No. 6 UCLA, 85-80

No. 4 Oregon State vs. No. 5 Gonzaga, 76-70

Chicago region

No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Michigan State, 91-63

No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 7 BYU, 72-63

No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 11 Missouri State, 69-60

Greensboro region

No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 8 California, 102-63

No. 3 NC State vs. No. 6 Kentucky, 72-57

Portland region

No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 6 South Dakota State, 75-64


NCAAW Tournament game information

Sweet Sixteen

When: Friday, March 29; Saturday, March 30 (click for times)

Where: Albany, NY; Chicago, IL; Greensboro, NC; Portland, OR

How to watch: ESPN, ESPN2, WatchESPN

Elite Eight

When: Sunday, March 31; Monday, April 1 (click for times)

Where: Albany, NY; Chicago, IL; Greensboro, NC; Portland, OR

How to watch: ESPN, ESPN2, WatchESPN

Final Four

When: Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET

Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

How to watch: ESPN2, WatchESPN

National Championship

When: Sunday, April 7, at 6 p.m. ET

Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

How to watch: ESPN, WatchESPN


More ways to watch the games

Want to watch in person? Tickets for the first two rounds can be purchased on the websites of the 16 hosting teams, listed below as the first through fourth seeds. Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight and Final Four tickets can be found on the websites of the hosting arenas, or here.