Freshman Joyce Edwards scored 22 points in her first women’s NCAA Tournament game as No. 1 seed South Carolina began its run at a second straight national title with a 108-48 victory over Tennessee Tech on Friday.

The Gamecocks (31-3) improved to 17-1 in the past four women’s tournaments, winning in 2022 and 2024. The lone defeat came to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the national semifinals in 2023.

With Edwards, named to the all-Southeastern Conference first-team this season, leading the way, the top seeds of the Birmingham 2 Regional looked poised for another title in a few weeks.

Edwards scored six straight points to open up the game as the Gamecocks went ahead 31-11.

The Golden Eagles (26-6), champions of the Ohio Valley Conference, saw their 17-game win streak come to an end.

Taris Thornton led Tennessee Tech with 13 points.

MiLaysia Fulwiley added 15 points as all 12 Gamecocks who played scored baskets.

duke 86, Lehigh 25 >> Oluchi Okananwa scored 15 points as second-seeded Duke’s defense powered it to a lopsided victory over 15th-seeded Lehigh.

The number of points scored by the Mountain Hawks are 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.

texas christian 73, Farleigh Dickinson 54 >> Madison Conner had 23 points and Sedona Prince overcame two early fouls to have 16 points and 10 rebounds as second-seeded TCU defeated Fairleigh Dickinson in the Horned Frogs’ first women’s NCAA Tournament game at home.

Hailey Van Lith added 13 points and seven assists for the Big 12 champion Horned Frogs (32-3), who made their first NCAA appearance in 15 years. They have won their last 11 games.

Teneisia Brown had 18 points and Ava Renninger 12 for 15th-seeded FDU (29-4), the Northeast Conference champions who had won 22 games in a row and were in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

There were nine early lead changes, the last when TCU went ahead to stay on Conner’s 3 from the top of the key that made it 21-20 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the first half. After Brown missed a shot while defended by Prince, the Frogs center made a short hook shot over her at the other end of the court.

The Frogs finally took a double-digit lead soon after halftime when Conner took a pass from Prince and made a 3 for a 40-29 lead.

FDU had its biggest lead after Prince went to the bench because of her second foul when reaching for an offensive rebound with 2:46 left in the first quarter. Brown then had consecutive layups on assists from Renninger for a 17-12 lead.

kentucky 79, liberty 78 >> Georgia Amoore scored 34 points, including three free throws in the final 10 seconds for fourth-seeded Kentucky, which nearly blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead but held on to beat 13th-seeded Liberty.

The second-team All-America guard made 6 of 10 3-pointers and added eight assists, two steals and two blocks. She scored 23 first-half points for the Wildcats (23-7), who led 67-50 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.

But the Kentucky went cold, going nearly five minutes without scoring, and the Flames (26-7) got within 74-73 on a 3-pointer by Avery Mills — her only basket of the game — with 1:14 remaining. Amoore responded with a driving layup, her first points since the final minute of the third quarter.

Liberty’s Emma Hess drained a 3-pointer for the final points of the game, but Amoore avoided getting fouled in the final 2 seconds to preserve Kentucky’s first tournament win in four years.

Emmy Stout came off the bench to lead Liberty with 20 points. Hess added 17.

baylor 73, Grand Canyon 60 >> Aaronette Vonleh had 25 points and 11 rebounds, leading fourth-seeded Baylor to a win over Grand Canyon.

Jada Walker scored 17 points as the host Bears (28-7) ended the Lopes’ nation-leading winning streak at 30 games in Grand Canyon’s first NCAA appearance. Baylor will play the Mississippi-Ball State winner in the second round Sunday.

Baylor trailed most of the first half before going in front for good on a 9-0 run in the final 3:35 before the break. The No. 13 seed Lopes (32-3) got back within three at halftime on Sydney Erikstrup’s 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Grand Canyon played the last 13 minutes of the first half without Trinity San Antonio after the team’s leader picked up her second foul. She scored 23 of her 27 points after the break, including 14 in the third quarter, to help the Lopes stay close.

The bigger Bears also shut down Grand Canyon’s biggest 3-point threat, holding Alyssa Durazo-Frescas to her second game of the season without a bucket beyond the arc.

Kansas state 85, Fairfield 41 >> Ayoka Lee had 17 points and 10 rebounds in her return to the lineup, and fifth-seeded Kansas State beat Fairfield.

Lee went 7 for 10 from the field in her first game since she played just four minutes in a 90-60 victory over Kansas on Feb. 22.

The 6-foot-6 center has been hampered by foot injuries.

She played 15 minutes against the Stags before departing with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter.

Katey L’Amoreaux scored 11 points for Fairfield (28-5), which shot a season-low 29.4% from the field.

Kansas State (27-7) jumped out to a 17-4 lead. The Wildcats used an 11-2 run to make it 50-29 in the second half.

Serena Sundell had 18 points and nine assists for Kansas State, and Taryn Sides added 14 points.

michigan 80, Iowa state 74 >> Jordan Hobbs scored 28 points to help No. 6 Michigan hold off 11th-seeded Iowa State.

Olivia Olson scored 16 points for the Wolverines (23-10).

Michigan fought back from a nine-point deficit with 3:50 left in the third quarter.

Audi Crooks scored 28 points for Iowa State (23-12)and Arianna Jackson added 12.

indiana 76, utah 68 >> Yarden Garzon scored 17 points as No. 9 seed Indiana won its opener for a sixth straight tournament with a victory over eighth-seeded Utah.

The Hoosiers (20-12) reached 20 wins for a sixth consecutive season.

Gianna Kneepkens led Utah (22-9) with 24 points, including a four-point play in the fourth quarter.

Ohio state 71, montana state 51 >> Taylor Thierry had 16 points, and No. 4 seed Ohio State used a balanced attack to beat Montana State.

Ohio State (26-6) shot 50.9% from the field, and each of its starters scored in double figures.

Cotie McMahon and Chance Gray each had 15 points, and Jaloni Cambridge finished with 12. Ajae Petty had 11 points and seven rebounds.

Esmeralda Morales scored 20 points and Natalie Picton had 12 for No. 13 seed Montana State (30-4), the champions of the Big Sky.

oregon 77, vanderbilt 73, OT >> Deja Kelly scored 20 points, and No. 10 seed Oregon recovered in overtime after losing a 19-point lead in the second half to beat No. 7 Vanderbilt.

Nani Falatea added 17 points for the Ducks (20-11)in Oregon’s first March Madness victory since 2021.

Oregon led by 11 points at halftime and then used a 12-4 to open the third quarter to take a 48-29 lead.

Mikayla Blakes, the SEC freshman of the year, finished with 26 points for Vanderbilt (22-11).

Louisville 63, nebraska 58 >> Tajianna Roberts scored 16 points as seventh-seeded Louisville beat 10th-seeded Nebraska.

The Cardinals (22-10) recovered after falling behind when Nebraska opened the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run.

Britt Prince had 14 points to lead Nebraska (21-12).

mississippi 83, ball state 65 >> Starr Jacobs had 18 points and 11 rebounds and No. 5 seed Mississippi rolled to victory over 12th-seeded Ball State.

Madison Scott scored 15 points as the Rebels (21-10).

Ally Becki scored 19 points for the Cardinals (27-8), who were making their second NCAA appearance 16 years after the first.

Georgia tech 74, Richmond 49 >> Maggie Doogan had 30 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, and eighth-seeded Richmond routed ninth-seeded Georgia Tech for the Spiders’ first women’s NCAA Tournament victory.

Addie Budnik added 14 points for Richmond (28-6), which had gone winless in the four previous March Madness appearances by a program that began play in 1981.

Tonie Morgan scored 12 points for the Yellow Jackets (22-11), who lost six of their final seven games. Georgia Tech started cold and never warmed up, making 30% of its shots in the first three quarters.

tennessee 101, south florida 66 >> Talaysia Cooper had 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, Samara Spencer scored 15 points and fifth-seeded Tennessee routed 12th-seeded South Florida.

Zee Spearman added 13 points and for Tennessee (23-9).

The Volunteers held a 26-25 lead after the first quarter. But Tennessee outscored the Bulls 29-9 in the second quarter to seize the game.

Sammie Puisis had 28 points for South Florida (23-11).