At the beginning of the season, few would have predicted that, by the NCAA Tournament, the lone undefeated team in women's basketball would hail from the Ivy League. But the Princeton Tigers entered the Second Round unblemished, with a game against No. 1 seed Maryland for a spot in the Sweet 16.
NCAA Women’s Tournament bracket results 2015: Maryland ends Princeton’s perfect season
Princeton’s undefeated season came to an end in College Park, while North Carolina won at the buzzer and Arizona State avoided an upset.
The Terrapins put an end to the Tigers’ dream on Monday with an 85-70 win in College Park. Princeton finishes its season 31-1, while Maryland advances to face Duke in an old ACC battle in Spokane.
Laurin Mincy shot 9-of-11 from the field to score 27 points to lead Maryland; she also dished out a team-high seven assists. Lexie Brown scored 23 more, helping the Terrapins’ three starting guards combine for 60 of the team’s 85 points.
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Maryland’s triumph was hardly the only notable result from the Second Round. Arizona State made a late comeback to avoid an upset at the hands of No. 11 seed Arkansas-Little Rock. The Trojans held a double-digit lead late in the second half, but could not hold on as the Sun Devils escaped, 57-54.
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Meanwhile, in Chapel Hill, Jamie Cherry hit a shot at the buzzer to lift North Carolina over Ohio State, 86-84. The Tar Heels blew an 18-point halftime lead in that game, but survive to play No. 1 seed South Carolina in the next round.
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Things weren’t quite as exciting in Storrs, where No. 1 overall seed UConn dismantled old Big East foe Rutgers, 91-55. The Huskies have not missed the Sweet 16 since 1993 and are going for their third consecutive national championship. UConn will face No. 5 seed Texas for a spot in the Elite Eight.
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Stanford, the only team to defeat the Huskies this year, topped Oklahoma, 86-76, and will be rewarded with a game against No. 1 seed Notre Dame in the next round.
Traditional powers Tennessee and Louisville also withstood challenges to advance.
So with the Sweet 16 set, here’s a look at where the bracket stands. Sweet 16 play begins Friday night:
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