Facing a double-digit deficit early in the second half did not shake the confidence level of a South Dakota State women’s basketball team that starts all juniors and seniors.

Using a more aggressive mindset after halftime, the 10th-seeded Jackrabbits won their NCAA tournament opener for the fifth time in program history with a 74-68 win over No. 7 seed Oklahoma State.

Madison Mathiowetz scored all 17 of her points in the second half while Brooklyn Meyer finished with 19 points as the Jackrabbits advance to play second-seeded UConn on Monday in the second round.

“The chance to play again is great,” South Dakota State women’s basketball coach Aaron Johnston said. We are looking forward to it. It is going to be a good challenge against Connecticut but I am happy that our team can come together and celebrate something that we worked really hard for.”

South Dakota State was limited to 24 points as the Jackrabbits had 11 first-half turnovers. The Jackrabbits had just five turnovers and shot 56% from the field in the second half.

“I feel like we just had to dig in on defense and keep rebounding,” Meyer said. “On offense, I feel like we had to move a little better without the ball and just play better together. Once it got a little smoother, I think that’s when things started to work for us.”

Connecticut 103, Arkansas State 34 >> The second-seeded UConn women’s basketball team wasted little time in dashing any hopes of an upset by No. 15 seed Arkansas State.

After the Red Wolves’ Crislyn Rose scored the game’s first basket in the NCAA Tournament first-round game, UConn ripped off the next 22 points en route to a convincing victory.

Azzi Fudd had 21 of her 27 points in the first half as the Huskies led 66-16 at halftime to win their 31st consecutive tournament opener.

Fudd also had six steals and seven assists in 22 minutes. Sarah Strong finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots in her first March Madness game.

Rose led Arkansas State with seven points. The Red Wolves shot 17.1% from the floor and were 6 of 40 on 3-pointers.

All-American Paige Bueckers didn’t need to be the focus of the offense with Fudd and Strong dominating in the early going. She finished with 11 points and four assists in 22 minutes to guarantee her one last game at Gampel Pavilion in Monday’s second-round game.

Southern California 71, UNC Greensboro 25 >> JuJu Watkins scored 22 points and top-seeded Southern California led all the way in routing 16th-seeded UNC Greensboro in the first round.

The Trojans (29-3) advanced to the second round to play either eighth-seeded California or ninth-seeded Mississippi State on Monday at Galen Center.

Watkins appeared to hurt her left hand early in the second quarter, occasionally shaking out her fingers. Then in the third, the star sophomore came up limping on her left leg and winced. She hit a 3-pointer and sat for the final 3:39 before returning briefly in the fourth.

“It’s the end of the season, body is a little banged up,” Watkins said. “On to the next. Nobody cares. I’m all good.”

Oklahoma 81, Florida Gulf Coast 58 >> Raegan Beers had 25 points and 18 rebounds, and No. 3 seed Oklahoma dominated the fourth quarter to beat 14th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast in the first round.

The Sooners led 55-48 entering the fourth, then outscored the Eagles 26-10 in the final period.

Beers, a 6-foot-4 center, towered over a team with no starter taller than 5-9. She helped the Sooners set a tournament record with 72 rebounds (the Eagles had 35).

Oklahoma advanced to play No. 6 seed Iowa on Monday for a spot in the Sweet 16.

Oklahoma defeated FGCU 73-70 in the first round of last year’s tournament. Emani Jefferson, the Atlantic Sun Player of the Year who had 22 points and 12 rebounds against the Sooners last year, had 12 points and eight rebounds in the rematch while spending much of the day in foul trouble.

North Carolina State 75, Vermont 55 >> Zoe Brooks scored 19 points and N.C. State finally took control in the second half to beat Vermont in the first round.

Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James added 15 points apiece for the second-seeded Wolfpack, who reached the Final Four last year.

N.C. State (27-6), which has won 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament games at home, meets Michigan State in Monday’s second round.

Maryland 82, Norfolk State 69 >> Sarah Te-Biasu and Kaylene Smikle led a 12-2 run in the fourth quarter, and fourth-seeded Maryland held off 13th-seeded Norfolk State to advance to the second round.

The Terrapins (24-7) will host fifth-seeded Alabama on Monday with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line, but advancing wasn’t easy against a Norfolk State (30-5) team that entered on a 19-game winning streak.

The scrappy Spartans trailed by just four early in the fourth quarter before a series of outside shots by Te-Biasu and Smikle gave Maryland some breathing room.

North Carolina 70, Oregon State 49 >> Lexi Donarski scored 19 points, including 17 in the third quarter, and North Carolina beat Oregon State in the first round.

Donarski also matched a season high with five 3-pointers, all coming during North Carolina’s dominant third quarter when it outscored Oregon State 30-9 in the period. Alyssa Ustby had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Maria Gakdeng added 13 points.

Next up for No. 3 seed North Carolina (28-7) is sixth-seeded West Virginia in the second round on Monday.

Alabama 81, Green Bay 67 >> Aaliyah Nye scored 23 points and Zaay Green added 22 to lead fifth-seeded Alabama to an victory over 12th-seeded Green Bay.

The Crimson Tide (24-8) ended Green Bay’s 22-game winning streak and now advances to the second round to face either Maryland on Monday. Maddy Schreiber scored 14 points for the Phoenix (29-6).

The Crimson Tide — who earned their highest seed since 1999 — now have a chance to achieve another March Madness breakthrough. They haven’t made the Sweet 16 since 1998.

Iowa 92, Murray State 57 >> Freshman Ava Heiden scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and sixth-seeded Iowa rolled past No. 11 seed Murray State in the first round.

Heiden hadn’t scored in double figures all season until Iowa’s final two games in the Big Ten Tournament. Still, March Madness was different.

Lucy Olsen had 12 points and a career-high 12 assists for the Hawkeyes (23-10). They scored a season high in points in the first tournament win for Jensen, a longtime assistant who was promoted after Lisa Bluder retired.

Iowa will play third-seeded Oklahoma on Monday for a spot in the Sweet 16.

West Virginia 78, Columbia 59 >> JJ Quinerly scored 27 points, including the 2,000th of her career, Jordan Harrison matched a career-high with 23 and sixth-seeded West Virginia led wire-to-wire in a victory over 11th-seeded Columbia in the first round.

Quinerly also had seven of the Mountaineers’ 17 steals.

The Mountaineers (25-7) advance to face No. 3 North Carolina on Monday. West Virginia will be looking for its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1992.

Florida State 94, George Mason 59 >> Ta’Niya Latson scored 28 points and sixth-seeded Florida State defeated George Mason in the first round.

Mikayla Timpson had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Seminoles (24-8), who advanced to play either No. 3 seed LSU or 14th seed San Diego State in a second-round game on Monday night.

Michigan State 64, Harvard 50 >> Grace VanSlooten had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Michigan State beat Harvard.

Jocelyn Tate had 13 points as the seventh-seeded Spartans (22-9) advanced to the second round for the first time since 2019. Theryn Hallock added 10 points.

Michigan State meets second-seeded N.C. State (27-6) in the second round on Monday.

Harmoni Turner had 24 points for 10th-seeded Harvard (24-5), which topped two Big Ten teams in November but couldn’t pull off another victory against a power conference opponent.

The Spartans scored the game’s first 11 points.

Mississippi State 59, California 46 >> Madina Okot had 14 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out late and ninth-seeded Mississippi State beat No. 8 seed California in the first round.

Eniya Russell added 14 points for the Bulldogs (22-11), who are back in March Madness for the first time in two years. They lost in the national title game in 2017 and 2018.

Illinois 66, Creighton 57 >> Genesis Bryant scored 17 points and No. 8 Illinois earned its first NCAA Tournament victory in 25 years over No. 9 Creighton.

Kendall Bostic added 12 points and 17 rebounds for Illinois (22-9), which advances to the second round on Monday against the winner of No. 1 Texas (31-3) against No. 16 William & Mary.

Morgan Maly led Creighton (26-6) with 18 points and Lauren Jensen scored 17.