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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.