SPOKANE 1

Williams, Morrow and Johnson shine as LSU beats Florida State 101-71

BATON ROUGE, La.>> Mikaylah Williams scored 28 points and Aneesah Morrow added 26 points and 11 rebounds, leading Flau’Jae Johnson and LSU to a runaway 101-71 victory over Florida State in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Sa’Myah Smith had a season-high 20 points and 12 rebounds for LSU, 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 banging her leg and committing two early fouls, returned to start the second half and stirred the home crowd into a frenzy with a series of electrifying plays.

Ta’Niya Latson scored 30 points for Florida State.

No. 2 NC State 83, No. 7 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 83-49 victory over seventh-seeded Michigan State in Raleigh, N.C.

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 LSU in a Sweet 16 matchup Friday in Spokane, Wash. The Wolfpack will be in the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in coach Wes Moore’s 12 seasons.

USC star JuJu Watkins carried off floor with injury>> JuJu Watkins was carried off the floor in the first quarter of top-seeded USC’s game against Mississippi State in Los Angeles.

Watkins was driving to the basket when she went down between two Bulldogs defenders with 4:43 remaining. She grabbed her right knee with a pained expression on her face.

The crowd in Galen Center went silent as coach Lindsay Gottlieb and two other USC staffers attended to Watkins, a 6-foot-2 sophomore who averages 24.6 points and is one of the biggest stars in the women’s game. She was carried off the court by multiple people.

No. 2 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 91-57 in Storrs, Conn.

Having said goodbye to her adoring fans at Gampel Pavilion, Bueckers turns her attention toward trying to bring UConn its 12th national title and first since 2016.

Azzi Fudd scored 17 points and Sarah Strong finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks for the Huskies, who will face Oklahoma in a regional semifinal in Spokane, Wash.

No. 1 Texas 65, No. 8 Illinois 48>> Madison Booker scored 20 points and No. 1-seed Texas used a smothering defense to earn a 65-48 victory over No. 8 Illinois in Austin. The win sends the Longhorns to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda added 19 points for Texas. 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.

Adalia McKenzie led Illinois with 13 points.

—The Associated Press