NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament 2018: Regional Quarter Finals, Day 1

Friday, Day 1 of the Round of 64, was not exactly overpopulated with upsets. Virginia, Minnesota, and Villanova, that’s it. Otherwise pretty much what you would expect. Tennessee got a Century, good for them. Doesn’t look quite so impressive now, does it?

Unfortunately Lady’s Basketball does not have the financial support and development it deserves and that results in a wide range of teams appearing in the tournament. This is good and bad. Good because it makes the game more egalitarian and eclectic and provides encouragement to teams that are not rigid program factories of dismal similarity, and bad because they tend to be one and done cannon fodder.

I really liked St. Francis and I’ll bet Geno did too. They played their game which is run and gun and UConn didn’t grind them down with D (something they are fully capable of, take a look at some of the other results and you’ll see what I mean). They too got a NCAA record for number of 3 Point Attempts and had a game plan that might have worked against another team.

Geno likes Quinnipiac, last year’s Cinderella. Their draw is… unfortunate because Geno won’t let sentiment stand in the way and they looked really good against Miami.

Friday’s Results

Seed Team Record Score Seed Team Record Score Region
5 Maryland 26 – 7 77 12 Princeton 24 – 6 57 Mid West
5 DePaul 27 – 7 90 12 Oklahoma 16 – 15 79 West
1 Louisville 33 – 2 74 16 Boise State 23 – 10 42 South
6 Oregon St. 28 – 3 82 11 Western Ky. 24 – 9 58 South
4 NC State 25 – 8 62 13 Elon 25 – 8 35 Mid West
4 Texas A&M 25 – 9 89 13 Drake 26 – 8 76 West
8 Marquette 24 – 9 84 9 Dayton 23 – 7 65 South
3 Tennessee 25 – 7 100 14 Liberty 24 – 10 60 South
7 California 21 – 11 62 10 *Virginia 19 – 13 68 East
1 Notre Dame 30 – 3 99 16 CSUN 19 – 16 81 West
7 Green Bay 29 – 4 77 10 *Minnesota 24 – 8 89 West
7 Michigan 23 – 9 75 10 Northern Colo. 26 – 7 61 South
2 South Carolina 27 – 6 63 15 N.C. A&T 23 – 9 52 East
8 South Dakota St. 26 – 7 74 9 *Villanova 23 – 8 81 West
2 Oregon 31 – 4 88 15 Seattle U 18 – 5 45 West
2 Baylor 31 – 1 96 15 Grambling 19 – 13 46 South

Do we have favorites? Of course we have favorites.

Marquette because Michigan. DePaul and Maryland because program. Oregon State because Tennessee. Villanova because Muffy. Michigan because… well, Michigan.

I have given up wondering about how and why ESPN is screwing with the schedule and am simply taking everything the NCAA is saying on faith at this point. It makes my head ache less.

Good luck to your teams. It’s much more competitive in this round and unlikely you’ll see any Century blowouts.

Except from UConn.

Today’s Games

Time Network Seed Team Record Seed Team Record Region
12:00 pm ESPN 2 1 Louisville 33 – 2 8 Marquette 24 – 9 South
2:00 pm ESPN 2 4 Texas A&M 25 – 9 5 DePaul 27 – 7 West
2:30 pm ESPN 2 4 NC State 25 – 8 5 Maryland 26 – 7 Mid West
2:30 pm ESPN 2 3 Tennessee 25 – 7 6 Oregon St. 28 – 3 South
7:00 pm ESPN 2 1 Notre Dame 30 – 3 9 Villanova 23 – 8 West
8:30 pm ESPN 2 2 Baylor 31 – 1 7 Michigan 23 – 9 South
9:00 pm ESPN 2 2 South Carolina 27 – 6 10 Virginia 19 – 13 East
10:30 pm ESPN 2 2 Oregon 31 – 4 10 Minnesota 24 – 8 West