Los Angeles >> JuJu Watkins was carried off the floor with a right knee injury in the first quarter of top-seeded Southern California’s game against Mississippi State in the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night.

USC won 96-59.

Watkins, one of the biggest stars in the women’s game, was streaking to the basket between two defenders when her knee bent awkwardly as she planted her right leg, causing her to crumple to the floor with 4:43 remaining. She grabbed her knee and writhed in pain as her teammates surrounded her.

The crowd in Galen Center went silent as coach Lindsay Gottlieb and two other USC staffers attended to the 19-year-old Watkins, a 6-foot-2 sophomore who averages 24.6 points. She was carried off the court by multiple people and the game went to a media timeout with the Trojans leading 13-2.

Watkins was 0 of 2 shooting, with three free throws, one rebound and two assists in five minutes.

Texas 65, Illinois 48 >> Madison Booker scored 20 points and No. 1-seed Texas used a smothering defense to earn a victory over No. 8 Illinois.

Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda added 19 points for Texas (33-3), which will meet Southeastern Conference rival No. 5 Tennessee (24-9) in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday.

Texas outscored Illinois 18-6 in the second quarter, then broke the game open at the start of the third when the Longhorns stretched the lead to 24 after steals by Booker and Rori Harmon led to quick baskets.

Texas’ relentless ball pressure harassed Illinois (22-10) the entire game, and the Longhorns scored 23 points off 20 Illini turnovers.

Maryland 111, Alabama 108 (2 OT) >> Sarah Te-Biasu made a tying 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter, then scored eight of her 26 points in the second overtime to help fourth-seeded Maryland outlast fifth-seeded Alabama.

The Terrapins (25-7) advance to play top-seeded South Carolina, but to get there they had to overcome a career-high 45 points by Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker — and a 17-point Crimson Tide lead in the third quarter.

After Te-Biasu forced the first overtime with her 3-pointer, Barker was fouled shooting a 3 with 0.7 seconds left in OT. She calmly swished all three attempts to tie it at 96 and send the game to a second extra session.

It was surely the game of the tournament so far, and the only time in four second-round matchups that a No. 4 seed was able to take advantage of home court and beat the No. 5 seed.

N.C. State 83, Michigan State 49 >> Aziaha James scored 26 points and second-seeded N.C. State made an NCAA Tournament program-record 15 shots from 3-point range in an victory over seventh-seeded Michigan State.

James connected for six 3s and Madison Hayes, who had 17 points, drilled five 3-pointers. Saniya Rivers added 17 points and 11 assists and Zamareya Jones had 12 points for the Wolfpack (28-6).

N.C. State will meet either Florida State or LSU in a Sweet 16 matchup on Friday in Spokane, Washington. The Wolfpack will be in the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in coach Wes Moore’s 12 seasons.

Grace VanSlooten scored 15 points for Michigan State (22-10), which was 4-for-15 on 3s. The Spartans were trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.

Oklahoma 96, Iowa 62 >> Skylar Vann scored 17 points, Payton Verhulst added 16 and No. 3 seed Oklahoma cruised into the Sweet 16, dispatching No. 6 seed Iowa.

Raegan Beers had 11 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in just 18 minutes for the Sooners.

Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk beat her alma mater and advanced past the second round for the first time in her four years with the Sooners.

Iowa ran out to a 10-4 lead, but the Sooners closed the first quarter on a 16-1 run. The Sooners led 38-27 at halftime, despite Beers sitting out most of the half with two fouls.

LSU 101, Florida State 71 >> Mikaylah Williams scored 28 points and Aneesah Morrow added 26 points and 11 rebounds, leading Flau’Jae Johnson and LSU to a runaway victory over Florida State.

Sa’Myah Smith had a season-high 20 points and 12 rebounds for LSU (30-5), which blew open what had been a 50-49 game at halftime by outscoring the Seminoles 31-6 in the third quarter.

Johnson, who played just seven minutes in the first half after apparently reaggravating a right shin injury, returned to start the second half and stirred the home crowd into a frenzy with a series of electrifying plays.

West Virginia 58, UNC 47 >> Alyssa Ustby scored 16 of her 21 points after halftime to help North Carolina beat West Virginia.

The fifth-year senior’s big night included 10 third-quarter points for the third-seeded Tar Heels (29-7), who reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022. North Carolina will face Duke in a regional semifinal in Birmingham, Alabama — the first meeting between the rivals in the women’s March Madness bracket.

UConn 91, South Dakota State 57 >> Paige Bueckers matched her career high with 34 points in her home finale, and second-seeded UConn reached its 31st straight Sweet 16, beating No. 10 seed South Dakota State.

Having said goodbye to her adoring fans at Gampel Pavilion, Bueckers, a senior who is expected to be the top overall pick in the WNBA draft, turns her attention toward trying to bring UConn its 12th national title and first since 2016.