The first round of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament is underway as teams look to advance in the bracket.
We’re tracking how every team won Saturday, from upsets to blowouts and big performances.
Here is ESPN’s guide to all the Day 2 results, with analysis from reporters of how each game was won, and our experts’ takes on each winner’s chances to advance to the Sweet 16.
How Virginia won: Virginia clearly thrives under pressure, because the Cavaliers have now won two NCAA tournament games after going down to the wire in both games — and, in their second, became the first lower-seeded team to win this year. The Cavaliers erased an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to take Georgia to overtime, then dominated the extra period to advance to the next round. That performance came on the heels of a 57-55 win over Arizona State in the First Four after Kymora Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 30.6 seconds remaining. It is their first NCAA tournament appearance with multiple wins since 2000.
Over the final 8:20 of the Georgia game, the Bulldogs scored just two points. Georgia had built its big lead thanks to a large discrepancy at the free-throw line; the Bulldogs took 35 free throws, compared to 15 for Virginia. Mia Woolfolk, who dominated the second half for the Bulldogs, had 16 of those free-throw attempts. But in the final 3:20 of regulation, Georgia went scoreless. Romi Levy hit a 3-pointer with 1:29 remaining to tie it up. Woolfolk then missed two free throws with 1:03 left that would have given Georgia the lead. In overtime, Woolfolk appeared to be laboring early, and she was subbed out with 2:54 left and Virginia up four. The Cavaliers never looked back from there, outscoring Georgia 11-2 in overtime.
How the Cavaliers can advance to the Sweet 16: The Cavaliers are playing with confidence and belief right now. Even when they trailed in the fourth quarter, they stayed calm and poised. It helps to have scorers like Johnson, who had 28 points in the win. Sa’Mayah Smith also had a huge game, with 23 points and 11 rebounds in her best game this season. Romi Levy scored 14 and played terrific defense in the second half, shutting down Rylie Theuerkauf, who had 20 points on 5-of-7 3-point shooting at the break. If Virginia can stay out of foul trouble and play more cleanly when defending, the Cavaliers have the scorers to help them advance.
How South Carolina won: The Gamecocks’ size and skills around the rim were too much for Southern from the opening minutes in the routine, 103-34 first-round win. South Carolina scored 44 points in the first half, including 32 in the paint, where Joyce Edwards had 19. Then in the third quarter, 6-foot-6 Madina Okot took control. As if a 44-19 lead at halftime wasn’t comfortable enough, the Gamecocks scored the first 20 points of the third quarter, with Okot contributing seven points. Ultimately, South Carolina outscored Southern 32-2 in the period to become the third team in NCAA tournament history to outscore an opponent by 30 or more in a quarter (joining UConn in 2016 and 2018). Edwards finished the game with 27 points and became the first South Carolina player with more than 25 points on better than 70% shooting (11-of-14) in an NCAA tournament game. Okot had 15. Ta’Niya Latson contributed 17 points and six assists.
How the Gamecocks can advance to the Sweet 16: This was an impressive way for the Gamecocks to begin the NCAA tournament, but even a blowout win here was just a necessary step to the bigger goal of a national championship. The 69-point margin in the first round was the largest in program history. If Dawn Staley has to look for something to address in film sessions, it might be 3-point shooting. South Carolina improved as the game progressed, finishing 8-of-28 from beyond the arc after starting 1-of-13 in the first half, but that remains an area of improvement for a team that ranked eighth in the country at 37.1% during the season. — Charlie Creme
How Louisville won: Louisville used a dominant second half to pull away and beat Vermont. The Cardinals overcame a disjointed first half in which they struggled to make open shots and had trouble slowing down Vermont guard Keira Hanson. But it was a different story after the break as Mackenly Randolph led the offensive charge. Her nine third-quarter points helped Louisville outscore Vermont 23-10 in the quarter, building off what had been just a four-point halftime lead. Vermont, on the other hand, struggled to connect — Hanson went 1-of-4 from the field after scoring 14 first-half points. Louisville shot 55% in the second half.
Randolph led Louisville with a career-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting and a career-high 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double in the last five games. Hanson finished with 22 points to lead Vermont.
How the Cardinals can advance to the Sweet 16: There is no doubt Jeff Walz will want his team to get off to a much better start in the next round after struggling in particular to score off the pass. The ball movement vastly improved in the second half, and the way Randolph has played over the last five games is something for Louisville to build off headed into its next game. There is no doubt Vermont provided a test the Cardinals can learn from as they move forward.
How Ohio State won: The Buckeyes’ 75-54 victory over Howard was sealed in the second quarter, and their full-court press was responsible. Howard had done a good job of handling the press in the opening quarter, but then Ohio State’s defense went to another level. Ohio State outscored the Bison 23-4 in the next 10 minutes, forcing 12 turnovers that the Buckeyes turned into 16 points — and changing the game. The Buckeyes are 17th in the country in turnover rate, forcing 21.4 per game. Other than the rough second quarter, the Bison handled the press well — they had a total of 17 turnovers — but the damage was done.
How the Buckeyes can advance to the Sweet 16: While the press is disruptive against any team, it typically is less impactful the higher the level of competition. That’s where Jaloni Cambridge comes in. She’s one of the best guards in the country. Her ability to penetrate and create fuels anything Ohio State does on offense. The Buckeyes’ hopes for their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2023 rest with Cambridge playing well. She did that against Howard with 21 points, two steals and two blocks. The Buckeyes were also effective from 3-point range (9-of-24), particularly Chance Gray, who made 3-of-6 and finished with 11 points.
Leave a Reply