Duke, NC State, UNC each take round 1 victories in NCAA women's tournament
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Triangle is well-represented in this year's NCAA women's basketball tournament.
Unlike the men's tournament the first and second rounds will be held at the top 16 seeds respective arenas. Duke, NC State, and UNC are all hosting this year.
Duke Blue Devils
Oluchi Okananwa scored 15 points as second-seeded Duke's defense powered it to a lopsided 86-25 victory over 15th-seeded Lehigh on Friday night in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament.
The number of points scored by the Mountain Hawks is the second-fewest in the history of the tournament.
Okananwa, the MVP of the ACC Tournament, also had seven rebounds, three steals and two assists in 20 minutes off the bench for the Blue Devils (27-7). Delaney Thomas and Toby Fournier each added 11 points.
Ella Stemmer led Lehigh (27-7) with eight points.
The Blue Devils' skill and tenacity on the defensive end was apparent throughout the game but shined in the second quarter. They outscored the Mountain Hawks 20-2 to take a comfortable 23-point halftime lead. Lehigh shot 1 of 12 from the floor in that frame and turned the ball over 10 times.
In all, Lehigh had 30 turnovers and shot a season-low 19.6% from the floor.
The Blue Devils have been one of the best defensive teams in the country all season long and leaned on that strength. Duke is now 17-1 this season when forcing 20 or more turnovers.
The Mountain Hawks were beaten in every facet of the game by the Blue Devils. Lehigh entered this game as the nation's best free throw shooting team - making 81.1% of their attempts - but they weren't granted a friendly whistle and shot just 5 of 6 from the foul line.
Duke's Louann Battiston, a 5-foot-5 sophomore guard from Belgium, made the first two 3-pointers of her career in the fourth quarter. Entering this game, she had logged just 51 minutes of playing time in two seasons.
The Blue Devils will host No. 10 Oregon, which defeated No. 7 Vanderbilt in overtime, on Sunday.
NC State
Zoe Brooks scored 19 points and N.C. State finally took control in the second half to beat Vermont 75-55 in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James added 15 points apiece for the second-seeded Wolfpack, who reached the Final Four last year.
N.C. State (27-6), which has won 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament games at home, meets either Harvard or Michigan State in Monday's second round.
Keira Hanson scored 21 points off the bench, Catherine Gilwee had 13 and Nikola Priede added 11 for No. 15 seed Vermont (21-13).
Vermont pulled ahead 27-24 midway through the second quarter on Hanson's 3-pointer. The Wolfpack scored the last six points of the half for a 35-33 edge.
The Wolfpack saved their best stretch for late in the game, outscoring Vermont 23-9 in the fourth quarter.
North Carolina
Lexi Donarski scored 19 points, including 17 in the third quarter, and North Carolina beat Oregon State 70-49 in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
Donarski also matched a season-high with five 3-pointers, all coming during North Carolina's dominant third quarter when it outscored Oregon State 30-9 in the period. Alyssa Ustby had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Maria Gakdeng added 13 points.
Kelsey Rees led Oregon State (19-16) with 15 points and 10 rebounds. AJ Marotte scored 13 points.
Next up for No. 3 seed North Carolina (28-7) is sixth-seeded West Virginia, a 78-59 winner over 11th-seeded Columbia, in the second round on Monday.
North Carolina jumped ahead 15-7, but Oregon State rallied to take a 20-17 lead on a Marotte 3 with 4:41 left in the second quarter. The Tar Heels jumped back in front 26-24 on a Reniya Kelly jumper late in the first half.
North Carolina opened the second half with 11 straight points, all by Donarski. The Tar Heels shot 11 for 17 from the field in the third, including 6 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Duke could face UNC in the Sweet 16 on March 28.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
