2023 NCAA Women's Tournament Sweet 16 scores: Iowa, Louisville, Miami, LSU punch their tickets to Elite Eight

Iowa's Caitlin Clark, Louisville's Hailey Van Lith and LSU's Angel Reese led the way in their teams' victories

The 2023 NCAA Women's Tournament Sweet 16 began Friday, and after four thrilling games half of the Elite Eight field is set. 

Friday's action started strong with a game between No. 9 seed Miami and No. 4 seed Villanova. When the underdog Hurricanes opened up a 21-point lead in the third quarter, it looked like the game would be a blowout. However, the Wildcats clawed their way back to take a lead in the fourth quarter.

From there, it was back-and-forth with both teams exchanging blows until Jasmyne Roberts converted a clutch and-1 for the Hurricanes with under a minute left in the fourth quarter. Miami's defense got the necessary stops from there, and the Hurricanes' incredible run will continue with the first Elite Eight berth in program history.

The rest of the Sweet 16 matchups had some big shoes to fill after an exhilarating tilt between Villanova and Miami. LSU and Utah accepted the challenge.

No. 3 seed LSU is heading to its first Elite Eight since 2008 after a 66-63 victory over a tough No. 2 seed in Utah. Angel Reese registered her 31st double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds, tying the SEC single-season record. However, she fouled out late in the fourth quarter. Alexis Morris -- who finished with 15 points -- lifted the Tigers to victory with four key free throws in the last 10 seconds of the game. It took multiple contributors to get past the Utes, and LaDazhia Williams also stepped up by leading all scorers with 24 points.

No. 2 seed Iowa raced to an 87-77 win against No. 6 seed Colorado after being down at halftime for just the seventh time this season. Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano stepped up after the break to guide the Hawkeyes to their first Elite Eight since 2019. Clark finished the night with a game-high 31 points, making it her 87th consecutive game in double figures.

No. 8 seed Ole Miss didn't get to continue its inspiring run in the tournament, but the Rebels left it all out on the floor against a well rounded No. 5 seed in Louisville. The Cardinals are advancing to their fifth consecutive Elite Eight after an 82-72 victory led by Hailey Van Lith, who scored 21 points. Van Lith was great, per usual, but other players stepped up too -- including Michaela Robinson, who was scoreless in the first half but added 11 in the next two quarters. Louisville's bench outscored the Rebels' bench 27-6.

2023 NCAA Women's Tournament Sweet 16 scores

(9) Miami 70, (4) Villanova 65 Greenville 2	(3) LSU 66, (2) Utah 63 Greenville 2
(2) Iowa 87, (6) Colorado 77 Seattle 4	(5) Louisville 72, (8) Ole Miss 62 Seattle 4

[Mar 25, 2023 at 12:20 am ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final: No. 5 Louisville 72, No. 8 Ole Miss 62

The Rebels stayed in the game thanks to their defense and were able to make it a five-point game following a 9-2 run with under three minutes remaining. However, Louisville held on to advance to its fifth consecutive Elite Eight.

It was a true team effort with six Cardinals scoring at least eight points. Per usual, Hailey Van Lith was the top scorer with 21 points. Michaela Robinson was scoreless in the first half but she got 11 points in the last two quarters. The Louisville bench outscored Ole Miss' bench 27-6. Morgan Jones got 11 of those points.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 11:49 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

End of 3Q: No. 5 Louisville 52, No. 8 Ole Miss 42

Louisville found its largest lead of the game so far after a quarter in which Ole Miss saw a long scoring drought. Hailey Van Lith is leading the Cardinals with 13 points, while Morgan Jones follows closely with 11 points from the bench. Ole Miss is led by Marquesha Davis and Myah Taylor's 13 and 12 points, respectively. Louisville is sharing the ball more with an 11-5 assists advantage. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 11:41 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Ole Miss in the middle of a scoring drought

Louisville leads 46-38 with 2:35 remaining in the third quarter. Ole Miss — shooting at 34.1% from the field — has not seen a field goal in almost six minutes. The Rebels had found a lead in the second quarter, but they are being outscored 12-9 in this period so far.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 11:34 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Louisville is successful because of players who do little things that don't necessarily show up on the stat sheet. Senior guard Mykasa Robinson only has four points tonight but is helping her team in other ways.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 11:15 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Halftime: No. 5 Louisville 34, No. 8 Ole Miss 29

The Rebels were gaining momentum early in the second quarter and briefly took the lead. However, they couldn't hold on to it as the Cardinals fought back and scored the last seven points of the period. Louisville is outshooting Ole Miss 46.4%-36.4% from the field. Hailey Van Lith reached double figures with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including two of Louisville's four 3-pointers so far. Louisville's bench has been productive, outscoring Ole Miss' bench 17-2. Morgan Jones is responsible for eight of those bench points. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 10:58 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Ole Miss takes the lead 

Myah Taylor made her second 3-pointer of the night as the clock read 3:42 in the second quarter to give Ole Miss a 29-27 lead over Lousville. She has reached 10 points, the same amount as her teammate Marquesha Davis, who is a perfect 4-of-4 from the field so far.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 10:47 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

End of Q1: No. 5 Louisville 20, No. 8 Ole Miss 15

The Cardinals are up after hitting six of their last eight field goal attempts. They also held the Rebels on a scoring drought of over three minutes long toward the end of the first quarter. The Rebels have to do better defensively as they have allowed their opponents 14 points in transition. Marquesha Davis has been the key to the Ole Miss offense with eight points, but as a whole the Rebels are being held to under 30% shooting from the field.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 10:16 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said a lot of people turned down the Ole Miss head coaching job, but Coach Yo walked towards it and has been a "change agent" for the program.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 10:10 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

The No. 8 seeded Ole Miss Rebels reached their first Sweet 16 since 2007 after upsetting No. 1 seed Stanford Cardinal  -- a team that hadn't missed a Sweet 16 since 2007. Their defense has been solid this season, holding opponents to just 56.3 points per game and 35.2% shooting from the field. They'll need that defense against a strong Louisville team that counts with Hailey Van Lith, a player who is not afraid to take over and help her team succeed. She averages 19.5 points per game, and has six NCAA Tournament games with 20+ points.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 9:47 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final: No. 2 Iowa 87, No. 6 Colorado 77

The Iowa Hawkeyes are heading to their first Elite Eight since 2019 after an 84-74 win over the Colorado Buffaloes. Colorado gave Iowa a headache in the first half, but the Hawkeyes found their rhythm in the second period behind solid performances by Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano. Clark led all scorers with 31 points — her 87th consecutive game in double figures. Czinano contributed with 15 points going 7-of-9 from the field. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 9:10 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

End of Q3: No. 2 Iowa 64, No. 6 Colorado 53

The Hawkeyes started really taking over in the last 10 minutes, as they held Colorado scoreless for four and a half minutes and outscored them by 12 points in the third quarter. Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano are leading the team with 24 and 13 points, respectively. However, they are both in foul trouble. Czinano has four personal fouls and Clark has three. Colorado is also struggling in this area with four players having three or more personal fouls — including Frida Formann who is leading the Buffaloes offense with 21 points. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 8:30 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Halftime: No. 6 Colorado 40, No. 2 Iowa 39

Iowa is shooting at 50% from the field but the Buffaloes hold a 39-28 shot attempt advantage. Colorado junior guard Frida Forman has been outstanding so far with 19 points in the first half going 7-of-11 from the field, including four 3-pointers. Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes with 13 points, but she was in foul trouble early with two personal fouls.

Iowa has only trailed at halftime six times this season, and even statistics can't predict how the next two quarters will go as the Hawkeyes went 3-3 in those games. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 8:13 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Caitlin Clark continues making history

Iowa junior guard Caitlin Clark leads the nation in assists with 8.6 dimes per game. If she gets nine tonight, she will be the first player in Division I basketball history with 900 points and 300 assists in a season. 

She registered 11 points in the first quarter, which makes this her 87th consecutive game registering double figures -- extending the longest streak in the nation.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 8:00 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

No. 2 Iowa 23, No. 6 Colorado 22

Four different Hawkeyes scored in the first five minutes as Iowa found a 12-4 lead. However, the Buffaloes climbed back to make it a one-point game. Frida Formann has led the Colorado effort with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, including three 3-pointers. Iowa star Caitlin Clark is leading the Hawkeyes with 11 points.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 7:38 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final No. 3 LSU 66, No. 2 Utah 63

When it looked like LSU was starting to get comfortable, Utah tied the game for the 10th time after a 7-0 run, then got the lead with two shots from the charity line. This set the scene for an ending that was not for the weak of heart. 

LSU was a bit shorthanded after Flau'jae Johnson and Kateri Poole fouled out in the second half. Angel Reese was doubled team while she looked for the game winner and called a timeout with 15.6 seconds remaining. She tried again soon after but she wasn't successful. Her teammate Alexis Morris had her back and attacked the rim. She got to the free throw line as Alissa Pili fouled out. Morris got a one-point lead for her team.

Utah had the ball with 10 seconds remaining. Reese fouled out with 4.7 left on the clock while attempting a block as she appeared to get Jenna Johnson on the wrist. Johnson missed both attempts and LSU called a timeout with 2.9 on the clock. Morris was again fouled and was clutch with free throws once again. Utah's Dasia Young tried to win it with a 3-pointer but was unsuccessful. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 6:50 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

End of Q3: No. 3 LSU 46, No. 2 Utah 47

Both teams are shooting around 42% from the field. However, Utah has registered seven 3-pointers so far, while LSU is 1-of-1 from beyond the arc. The Tigers are now out rebounding the Utes 29-21 as they try to score inside. Utah's Ladazhia Williams is leading all scorers with 17 points. Angel Reese got nine points in the third quarter and she has officially registered her 31st double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds in this game so far. Three Utes are in double figures, led by Alissa Pili's 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 6:44 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Angel Reese ties SEC double-double record

The sophomore forward has officially registered her 31st double-double of the season, tying the SEC single-season record. She has 14 points and 10 rebounds with under two minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 6:18 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Halftime: No. 3 LSU 29, No. 2 Utah 33

It's a close game so far, but the Utes have done a good job controlling the pace. Utah sophomore guard Gianna Kneepkens is the only player in double figures so far with 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting. She has two of the Utes' five three-pointers so far.

LSU leading scorer Angel Reese — who had to sit down a significant part of the first half due to early foul trouble — has only attempted four field goals so far. She made two of them and has five points. Ladazhia Williams is leading the LSU offense with nine points. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 5:50 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

End of Q1: No. 3 LSU 16, No. 2 Utah 16

LSU took control of the game early, but the Utes eventually settled down and finished the period with a 10-3 run. The Tigers are shooting at 33.3% from the field and saw a five-minute scoring drought. Utah is doing a good job at defending the post, while shooting at 45.5% from the field, including two three pointers. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 5:45 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Angel Reese was the top player in the transfer portal last year after leaving Maryland. LSU was fortunate to get her, as she has been the key to success for the Tigers this season. Reese entered today's game with 30 double-doubles, which is tied for second in SEC history. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 5:23 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

This is only the third ever Sweet 16 appearance for Utah, and the first one since 2006. The Utes will be fighting for their second ever Elite Eight ticket.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 5:17 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Kim Mulkey took over LSU in 2021. She won three NCAA Tournament trophies with the Baylor Bears, and now she is building something special with the Tigers.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 5:13 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Lots of scoring power will be available during today's battle between the No. 2 Utah Utes and No. 3 LSU Tigers. Both have top five offenses and both are seeing historic seasons. LSU started its 2022-23 campaign with a 23-0 record, which became the longest winning streak in school history. The program had not been in the AP Top 25 polls' top five teams since 2009, but in February the Tigers found themselves at No. 3 — their best ranking since Feb. 27, 2006. They count with one of the strongest candidates for Player of the Year in Angel Reese. The sophomore forward is averaging 23.8 points on 54% shooting, as well as 15.7 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, Utah earned a share of the Pac-12 regular season title with Stanford for the first time in school history. The Utes are led by Pac-12 Coach of the Year Lynne Roberts and Pac-12 Player of the Year Alissa Pili, who is registering 20.3 points per game. They had an ugly win against Princeton in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. However, they set a program record in points scored in a game during their first round matchup with a 103-77 win over Gardner-Webb. 

[Mar 24, 2023 at 4:49 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

Final: No. 9 Miami 70, No. 4 Villanova 65

This game may have given Miami fans some cardiovascular issues, but the team hung on for a win and the first Elite Eight berth in program history. The Hurricanes saw a 21-point lead slip through their hands in the second half, but they managed to regain their composure in the fourth quarter. Jasmyne Roberts was the star of the day for Miami as she converted a late and-1 that wound up being the difference in the game. Maddy Siegrist did all she could for Villanova with 31 points and 12 rebounds, but the Wildcats fell just shy of an incredible comeback victory.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 4:33 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

Villanova now leads in the fourth quarter after a pair of free throws from Maddy Siegrist. This would be a historic comeback if the Wildcats can finish it off.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 4:29 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

Villanova makes it a one-point game

The Wildcats trailed by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, but they have stormed back to make it a one-point game in the fourth quarter. Maddy Siegrist is up to 28 points, and she has led the charge for her team. Miami is going to have to hang on for dear life if it wants to advance to the Elite Eight.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 4:15 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

End of 3Q: No. 9 Miami 57, No. 4 Villanova 51

After a horrendous start to the second half, Villanova has suddenly flipped the script. The Wildcats went on a 14-0 run, thanks in large part to the superhuman effort of Maddy Siegrist and an impenetrable press defense. Now, heading into the fourth quarter, Villanova has trimmed the deficit to single-digits. Miami is starting to collapse and gave the Wildcats a number of free possessions late in that third quarter. Can the Hurricanes regain their composure or will the Wildcats finish an epic comeback?

[Mar 24, 2023 at 3:55 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

Early 3Q: No. 9 Miami 54, No. 4 Villanova 33

The Hurricanes have now scored the first eight points of the second half to extend their lead to 21. Villanova has to turn the tide quickly or it will wind up getting blown out in this matchup. The Wildcats have provided the Hurricanes' offense very little resistance at any point in this game.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 3:34 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

Halftime: No. 9 Miami 46, No. 4 Villanova 33

If you didn't know the seeds of these two teams, you would have though Miami was the higher-seeded of the two teams in that first half. The Hurricanes got almost anything they wanted, and everyone in the lineup contributed. Jasmyne Roberts paced Miami with 12 first-half points, but Destiny Harden and Haley Cavinder shined as well.

On Villanova's side, Maddy Siegrist remained dominant in that first half, but she needs more help. That is especially the case on the boards. The Hurricanes out-rebounded the Wildcats 21-9 in the first half, and Siegrist grabbed five of those nine for Villanova. The good news for the Wildcats is that the Hurricanes have proven double-digit comebacks are possible in this tournament.

[Mar 24, 2023 at 3:24 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

Miami starting to pull away

The Hurricanes have controlled much of this first half, and they have extended their lead to 11 points. The Villanova defense is having all kinds of problems containing Jasmyne Roberts, who has already scored 10 points in the game. The Wildcats need to recapture the momentum in this game because it's starting to get away from them.