Princeton Upsets NC State, Staley Praises NSU

The Sixteen teams advanced Friday after first round wins in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament. The first round so far has been far from chalk, or a guarantee that the higher seed would advance. Take a look at the first round scores, biggest storylines, and upcoming schedule for the women’s bracket.

Princeton Stuns NC State

The biggest upset from the first portion of the opening round came in the form of a 64-63 Princeton win over NC State. Senior guard Grace Stone knocked down the game-winning three pointer with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

“We been in tight games all year and that’s a play that we practice over and over. That’s a shot that I’ve taken in a game before,” Stone said in the postgame press conference with a slight laugh. “I think my teammates have all the confidence in the world in me and I knew if I missed that shot, they would get an offensive rebound.”

No boards needed, as Stone drained the three and finished her night with 22 points, tied with Kaitlyn Chen for the team leading tally. Princeton had a one point edge after the first quarter, but took the second and had a 41-35 lead heading into halftime.

The Wolfpack, who advanced to the Elite Eight last season, entered the NCAA Tournament as a seven seed, their lowest since the 2016-17 season. NC State had 20 turnovers in the game and only four offensive rebounds in the contest.

“Our kids, I thought, played hard. They battled and I’ve got to do a better job, to be honest, down the stretch and make better decisions to put us in a better position to finish that game off,” NC State head coach Wes Moore said postgame.

The Princeton Tigers will take on Utah Sunday at 7:00 pm ET.

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Put Some Respect on Norfolk State

Reining NCAA champions South Carolina were one of three one seeds to advance, alongside Virginia Tech, and Stanford. Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley had high praise for opponents and the lone Historically Black College or University (HBCU) team in the tournament.

“I’m gonna say it today so we can prep for next year,” Staley said on the dais during her postgame press conference, “Norfolk State is not a 16 seed. Just want you to know, they’re not,” Staley said. The basketball legend also visited the NSU locker room to lift up sophomore forward Kierra Wheeler. Wheeler and NSU kept Aaliyah Boston to seven points and nine rebounds.

The Gamecocks will play South Florida (8) Sunday, who advanced after a 67-65 win over Marquette (9).

The Clark Show

Iowa(2) defeated Southeastern Louisiana (15) 95-43 in the first round. Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist Caitlin Clark finished the contest with 26 points, 12 assists, and three rebounds short of a triple-double in the first three quarters of the contest. ESPN women’s basketball report Alexa Phillipou reported Clark is the first player to amass 20+ points and 10+ assists in the NCAA Tournament in 23 years.

Overall, 16 teams advanced to the second round on Friday, here is a list of all the scores:

South Carolina (1) over Norfolk State – Final Score: 72-40

South Florida (8) over Marquette (9) – Final Score: 67-65

Virginia Tech (1) over Chattanooga (16) – Final Score: 58-33

South Dakota State (9) over Southern California (8) – Final Score: 62-57

Notre Dame (3) over Southern Utah (14) – Final Score: 82-56

Stanford (1) over Sacred Heart (16) – Final Score: 92-49

Ole Miss (8) over Gonzaga (9) – Final Score: 71-48

Georgia (10) over Florida State (7) – Final Score: 66-54

Iowa (1) over Southeaster Louisiana (16) – Final Score: 94-43

Michigan (6) over UNLV (11) – Final Score: 71-59

LSU (3) over Hawaii (14) – Final Score: 73-50

Mississippi State (11) over Creighton (6) – Final Score: 81-66

Arizona (7) over West Virginia (10) – Final Score: 75-62

Maryland (2) over Holy Cross (15) – Final Score: 93-61

Princeton (10) over NC State (7) – Final Score: 64-63

Utah (2) over Gardner-Webb (15) – Final Score: 103-77