Postseason WNIT | 3/17/2023 7:47:56 PM

KANSAS 86, WESTERN KENTUCKY 72
 
LAWRENCE, KS – Led by Taiyanna Jackson and Zakiyah Franklin, the Kansas Jayhawks opened up the 2023 Postseason WNIT in impressive fashion with an 86-72 victory over Western Kentucky.
 
Jackson paced the Jayhawks with 21 points and 15 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds, while Franklin chipped in with an all-around game of 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Chandler Prater also registered a double-double for Kansas with 13 points and 13 rebounds to go along with six assists.
 
As a team, Kansas scored 50 points in the paint. Kansas will take on Missouri in the second round of the 2023 Postseason WNIT; KU will play host, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, March 20.

RHODE ISLAND 46, BOSTON 40
 
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI – A difficult night of shooting troubled both teams in this Round 1 game of the Postseason WNIT, but Rhode Island scored 19 points in the third quarter to build a lead as the Rams held on to advance.
 
After shooting just 23 percent from the floor overall, Rhode Island (25-6) will host Richmond in Round 2 – the game is set for Monday, March 20 with tipoff at 6 p.m. ET.
 
Both teams got off to ragged starts offensively; they were a combined 5-for-32 from the field in the first quarter, and Boston had six turnovers in the frame as Rhode Island took an 11-4 lead. The Terriers found more of a stride in the second quarter, hitting some shots late and taking a 19-17 lead into halftime despite going 0-for-10 overall from the 3-point line. 
 
The Rams saw their lead cut to 40-36 after two free throws by Sydney Johnson with 3:12 to go, but layups from Tenin Magassa and Dolly Cairns made it 44-36 with 2:40 remaining. Magassa closed with 12 points and eight rebounds; Maye Toure scored eight points and Anaelle Dutat had 11 rebounds. Rhode Island was 3-for-28 from 3-point range.
 
The Terriers (24-9) had a 56-48 edge in rebounds but committed 25 turnovers and hit one 3-pointer in 19 attempts, which came with nine seconds left in the contest. Caitlin Weimar closed with 13 points and 15 rebounds.

COLUMBIA 69, FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 53
 
NEW YORK – Abbey Hsu scored 25 points to go with eight rebounds, and both Kaitlyn Davis and Sienna Durr reached the 1,000-point career mark as Columbia eased past Fairleigh Dickinson in the Postseason WNIT.
 
The Lions (24-5) took control after outscoring the Knights (24-8) by a 33-19 margin in the middle two quarters; Columbia will host Fordham in Round 2; tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Monday, March 20.
 
Jaida Patrick scored 13 points for the hosts, and Durr added11 points. The Lions were just 6-for-32 from 3-point range but led in rebounds (50-37) and forced 16 turnovers.
 
Chloe Wilson scored 22 points to go with eight rebounds for FDU, which shot just 31 percent from the field.

UMASS 73, UALBANY 48
 
AMHERST, MA – UMass held UAlbany to just 23.2 percent shooting and flexed its defensive muscles over the final three quarters to pull away with a 73-48 victory in the first round of the 2023 Postseason WNIT.
 
Angelique Ngalakulondi paced the Minutewomen with a massive double-double effort, registering 17 points and pulling down 15 rebounds, including seven offensive. Sam Breen also recorded a double-double for UMass with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
 
As a team, UMass outscored UAlbany 40-20 in the paint. The Minutewomen will take on Harvard in the second round of the Postseason WNIT.

AUBURN 73, TULANE 58
 
AUBURN, AL – Honesty Scott-Grayson paced Auburn with 18 points to go with six rebounds, and the Tigers started off the 20^th anniversary of their 2003 Postseason WNIT title with a win over Tulane.
 
Next up for Auburn is a Round 2 road game against Clemson, set for Monday, March 20 at 7 p.m. ET.
 
The Tigers (16-14) got a big lift from their defense, which forced 22 turnovers. Tulane had cut the lead down to 10 points after 30 minutes, but Auburn responded by scoring the first eight points of the final quarter.
 
Freshman Sydney Shaw tied her career high with 15 points, and freshman Kharyssa Richardson scored 14 points.
 
The Green Wave (18-14) saw Kyren Whittington and Dynah Jones each register 13 points, and Marta Galic finished with 10 points.

WYOMING 75, TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 41
 
LARAMIE, WY – The Wyoming Cowgirls asserted their dominance early and often on Friday night in the opening round of the 2023 Postseason WNIT, knocking off Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 75-41.
 
Wyoming stifled Texas A&M-Corpus Christi defensively, holding the Islanders to just 41 points on 25 percent shooting. A 24-7 second quarter helped the Cowgirls turn a seven-point game into a comfortable 24-point game heading into the halftime break.
 
Allyson Fertig led Wyoming with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Malene Pedersen and Tess Barnes each added 11. The Cowgirls were particularly effective from 3-point range, going 10-of-25 from beyond the arc and outscoring the Islanders by 21 points on 3-pointers.
 
Wyoming will next take on Kansas State in the second round.

RICE 71, BYU 67
 
PROVO, UT – Rice made a double-digit lead at halftime stand up and became the first team in the 2023 Postseason WNIT to win on the road in Round 1.
 
The Owls (23-8) saw their lead cut to 60-58 with 4:20 to go after BYU’s Nani Falatea hit a 3-pointer. A huge 3-pointer from Katelyn Crosthwait pulled Rice back up, 68-62, at the 1:41 mark, and Kaylee Smiler made it interesting with a 3-pointer for BYU at :43 to make it 68-65.
 
After a Rice miss, BYU missed two 3-pointers, and freshman Dominique Ennis hit two free throws to seal the win. Ennis closed with 13 points; India Bellamy had 12 points, freshman center Shelby Hayes added 10 points, as did Crosthwait.
 
The Cougars (16-17) got a huge night from Lauren Gustin, who had 20 points and 20 rebounds. Falatea closed with 20 points and five assists, and Arielle Mackey-Williams and Smiler each tallied 10 points.

UC IRVINE 55, SAN DIEGO STATE 45
 
SAN DIEGO, CA – Deja Lee hit two big shots in the final minutes of Friday’s Round 1 game against host San Diego State, allowing UC Irvine to advance in the 2023 Postseason WNIT.
 
Lee finished with 18 points for the Anteaters (25-6), who will play at San Diego in Round 2; the game is set for Monday, March 20 at 9 p.m. ET.
 
Lee’s shot at the 2:31 mark pushed UCI up, 50-43, and the Anteaters protected the late lead after Nevaeh Parkinson hit a shot to make it 52-45 with 1:27 to go. Diaba Konate added 10 points and six rebounds.
 
The Aztecs (23-10) got 16 points and five rebounds from Mercedes Staples.

OREGON 96, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 57
 
EUGENE, OR – Te-Hina Paopao scored 24 points as host Oregon took a 19-point lead at halftime and never looked back in Round 1 of the Postseason WNIT, with six players reaching double figures in scoring.
 
The Ducks (18-14) shot 57 percent from the floor; they will host Rice in Round 2, with tipoff set for 9 p.m. ET on Monday, March 20.
 
Chance Gray had 16 points for Oregon. Grace VanSlooten had 12 points, Ahlise Hurst added 11 points, Endyia Rogers closed a big night with a triple-double (10 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), and Taya Hanson had 10 points.
 
The Bison (18-12) got 16 points and six rebounds from Heaven Hamling; Elle Evans added 15 points and Taylor Brown closed with 10 points.