Postseason WNIT | 3/24/2019 10:00:27 PM

VIRGINIA TECH 82, VCU 72
 
BLACKSBURG, VA – Taylor Emery scored 21 points and Virginia Tech hit 28 free throws, guiding the Hokies past VCU in Round 2 of the WNIT.
 
Virginia Tech (22-11) got 14 points and nine rebounds from Trinity Baptiste; the Hokies outrebounded the Rams, 40-25.
 
VCU (24-10) got 17 points from Tera Reed, and Taya Robinson added 13 points. The Rams were 17-of-25 from the free-throw line.
 
OHIO 59, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 57
 
ATHENS, OH – Ohio had a five-point lead evaporate in the final minute, but Cierra Hooks hit a shot at the buzzer to boost Ohio out of Round 2.
 
Ohio (28-5) started the third quarter on a 7-0 run to claim a 35-34 lead. The game was tied at 57-all on a shot from MTSU’s A’Queen Hayes with five seconds to go.
 
The Bobcats got 18 points from Hooks, a sophomore who topped 1,000 points in career scoring in the contest. Ohio also forced 19 turnovers.
 
Middle Tennessee (22-11) was led by Hayes, who had 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Anna Jones had 15 points.
 
NORTHWESTERN 54, TOLEDO 47
 
TOLEDO, OH – Northwestern’s defense has been strong all season, allowing just 60 points per game, and the Wildcats were able to control Toledo in Round 2, allowing just 18 points in the second half.
 
Northwestern (17-14) had its own troubles, shooting just 33 percent from the field, but the Wildcats had a 19-7 advantage in made free throws. Lindsey Pulliam had 17 points, and Veronica Burton added 13 points.
 
Toledo (21-12) got 12 points and nine rebounds from Kaayla McIntyre.
 
WEST VIRGINIA 64, VILLANOVA 57
 
MORGANTOWN, WV – West Virginia allowed just 19 points in the first half, building a lead and holding on over Villanova.
 
West Virginia (22-10) will play Northwestern in Round 3. Naomi Davenport came through with 25 points and eight rebounds, Tynice Martin had 23 points and nine rebounds, and Kari Niblack closed with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
 
Villanova (19-13) went to the free-throw line just three times, making one. Jannah Tucker had 21 points.
 
CINCINNATI 72, MINNESOTA 65
 
CINCINNATI, OH – Cincinnati muscled up for an impressive fourth-quarter comeback, outscoring Minnesota 24-12 in the final frame to escape Round 2.
 
Cincinnati (23-10) will play Butler next; The Bearcats had a 46-32 edge in rebounds and were paced by Antoinette Miller’s 20 points. Sam Rodgers had 18 points; Angel Rizor scored 11 points and added 14 rebounds.
 
Minnesota (21-11) got 25 points from Kenisha Bell.
 
GEORGETOWN 70, HARVARD 65
 
CAMBRIDGE, MA – After giving up the lead late in the fourth quarter, Georgetown pulled ahead on a Dionna White layup with 33 seconds to go, then hit four key free throws to slip past Harvard in Round 2.
 
White finished with 38 points and 12 rebounds for Georgetown (18-15); White was 15-of-16 from the free-throw line. Nikola Kovacikova added 12 points.
 
Harvard (24-10) got 17 points and eight rebounds from Jeannie Boehm.
 
WESTERN KENTUCKY 68, MOREHEAD STATE 65
 
BOWLING GREEN, KY – Western Kentucky went ahead with about five minutes left in the game and fought off several Morehead State rallies, icing the game with two free throws by Whitney Creech with 26 seconds to go.
 
Dee Givens fueled Western Kentucky (20-14) with 23 points and eight rebounds, and Alexis Brewer added 19 points. The Lady Hilltoppers survived 21 turnovers and held the Eagles to just 3-of-22 from the 3-point line.
 
Morehead State (24-11) got 21 points from Aliyah Jeune, along with 17 points and seven rebounds from Miranda Crockett.
 
ARKANSAS 100, UAB 52
 
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – Arkansas grabbed a 30-point lead by halftime and kept the offense brewing all afternoon, taking down UAB to advance to Round 3.
 
Arkansas (22-14) will play TCU next. The Razorbacks got 17 points and eight rebounds from Alexis Tolefree; the team hit 15-of-30 3-point shots and also outrebounded the Blazers, 52-37. Malica Monk added 15 points.
 
UAB (26-7) was led by Katelynn Thomas, who had 20 points, The Blazers were just 3-of-24 from 3-point range.
 
PROVIDENCE 64, PENN 54
 
PROVIDENCE, RI – Providence scored just nine points in the third quarter but caught fire in the final 10 minutes, scoring 26 points and moving past Penn in Round 2.
 
Providence (19-15) forced 18 turnovers and held Penn to 31 percent shooting. Mary Baskerville had 20 points and 15 rebounds as the Friars prevailed despite going 3-of-16 from 3-point range.
 
Penn (24-7) was led by Ashley Russell and Princess Aghayere, who both had 15 points.
 
WYOMING 78, SOUTH ALABAMA 71
 
LARAMIE, WY – Wyoming outscored South Alabama in the third quarter by nine points to grab the lead, then played a solid fourth quarter to advance out of Round 2. 
 
Wyoming (24-8) was 19-of-25 from the free-throw line. Marta Gomez had 22 points, and Karla Erjavec added 19 points. Bailee Cotton closed with 16 points and nine rebounds.
 
South Alabama (25-11) got 15 points from Shaforia Kines, and Savannah Jones and Antoinette Lewis each had 14 points.
 
IDAHO 88, DENVER 66
 
MOSCOW, ID – Idaho ended any drama in this one with a 36-point third quarter, forcing 16 turnovers overall and hitting 14 3-pointers to get past Denver.
 
Idaho (22-11) got 33 points from Mikayla Ferenz; Taylor Pierce and Gina Marxen each scored 16 points.
 
Madison Nelson scored 19 points for Denver (18-14), which scored just 25 points in the second half.
 
ARIZONA 64, PACIFIC 48
 
TUCSON, AZ – Pacific began to tighten the margin, but Arizona ran off the first 12 points of the fourth quarter and rolled to the victory in Round 2.
 
Arizona (19-13) got a huge game from Aari McDonald, who had 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Cate Reese added 16 points; the Wildcats held the opposition to 30 percent shooting from the field.
 
Both teams were just 4-of-21 from 3-point range. Pacific (19-12) got 19 points and 10 rebounds from Valerie Higgins.
 
JAMES MADISON 71, USF 54
 
HARRISONBURG, VA – James Madison seized the upper hand with a 25-8 scoring edge in the second quarter, and the Dukes pulled away in the final frame to ease by USF in Round 2.
 
James Madison (27-5) shot 48 percent and held USF to 2-of-14 shooting from 3-point range. Jackie Benitez had 26 points, her season high, hitting seven 3-pointers.  
 
USF (19-16) got 14 points and nine rebounds from Shae Leverett, and Tamara Henshaw added 12 points and seven rebounds.
 
SAINT MARY’S 65, PEPPERDINE 61
 
MORAGA, CA – Yasmine Robinson-Bacote hit two shots in the final 32 seconds to cap a comeback for Pepperdine, which outscored Saint Mary’s 26-14 in the fourth quarter to move out of Round 2.
 
After trailing by 14 points at halftime, Pepperdine got itself back in range; a layup by Deezha Battle and one from Yasmine Robinson-Bacote drew the Waves within 53-48. At the 2:50 mark, the score was tied 55-all after a 3-pointer from Battle and a layup from Robinson-Bacote.
 
Battle hit two more 3-pointers, putting the Waves (22-11) up 61-57 with 1:01 to go. Robinson-Bacote hit another clutch shot, a jumper to make it 63-59 with 32 seconds remaining; she finished with 31 points. Battle had 11 points.
 
Playing in its 10th consecutive Postseason WNIT, Saint Mary’s (21-12) got 15 points from Sydney Raggio and 13 points from Sam Simons.