Women's NCAA roundup: Avery Howell propels No. 1 USC to Elite Eight

Avery Howell scored 12 of her 18 points in the second half and No. 1 seed Southern California endured the absence of star JuJu Watkins to advance to the Elite Eight with a 67-61 win over No. 5 seed Kansas State in Spokane Region 4 on Saturday in Spokane, Wash.

The win sends USC into Monday's Elite Eight for a matchup with No. 2 seed UConn, which dominated the second half in an 82-59 rout of No. 3 seed Oklahoma earlier Saturday. The Trojans' Kennedy Smith finished with 19 points and three steals and Rayah Marshall chipped in 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

The Trojans (31-3), playing their first full game since Watkins' season-ending knee injury, trailed by two at halftime after struggling offensively. USC shot just 29.7 percent from the floor in the half -- and only 6-of-28 outside of Smith. However, the Trojans forced 16 turnovers and converted them into 18 points, while also limiting Kansas State to 5-of-16 shooting from 3-point range.

The Wildcats (28-8) leaned on Serena Sundell, who scored 22 points. She netted 12 in the second half, while Ayoka Lee notched 10 of her 12 points after intermission, but USC limited the rest of the Kansas State roster to just nine points in the final two quarters.

No. 2 UConn 82, No. 3 Oklahoma 59

Paige Bueckers exploded for 29 of her career-high 40 points in the second half as the Huskies dominated the final 20 minutes to blow out the Sooners in the Spokane Region 4 Sweet 16 matchup in Spokane, Wash.

Bueckers' 40 points also set the UConn program record for the most in an NCAA Tournament game. The All-American also grabbed six rebounds, swiped three steals and blocked a pair of shots. The win sends UConn to a third straight Elite Eight, where the Huskies will face No. 1 Southern California.

The Huskies (34-3) went on a 16-4 run coming out of intermission, flipping a four-point deficit into an eight-point lead in less than five minutes. Payton Verhulst led Oklahoma with 16 points, while Raegan Beers recorded 10 points and 10 boards.

No. 1 Texas 67, No. 5 Tennessee 59

Madison Booker scored 17 points, capped by two key free throws with 35.1 seconds to play, as the Longhorns outlasted the Lady Volunteers in a Birmingham 3 Region semifinal in Birmingham, Ala.

The Longhorns (34-3) advance to the Elite Eight to square off against No. 2 TCU, a 71-62 winner over No. 3 Notre Dame in the region's first semifinal, on Monday. Texas, which hasn't won the national championship since 1986 when it went 34-0, reached the Elite Eight for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

Jordan Lee added 13 points for Texas, with freshmen Jones and Bryanna Preston scoring a dozen each. Ruby Whitehorn led Tennessee (24-10) with 16 points. Zee Spearman had 13 and Samara Spencer scored 12 for the Lady Volunteers, who made only 5 of their 26 3-point shots.

No. 2 TCU 71, No. 3 Notre Dame 62

Hailey Van Lith poured in 26 points, 18 of them in the second half, as the Horned Frogs came from behind to beat the Fighting Irish in Birmingham, Ala., in the other Birmingham 3 Region semifinal.

The Horned Frogs (34-3) advance to the Elite Eight to square off on Monday against No. 1 Texas, which defeated fifth-seeded Tennessee 67-59 in Saturday's second semifinal. It is TCU's first trip to an NCAA regional final in program history.

Sedona Prince added 21 points, six rebounds and six blocked shots for the Horned Frogs while Madison Conner hit for 13 points. Liatu King led Notre Dame (28-6) with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Hannah Hidalgo added 15 points and Olivia Miles had 10 for the Fighting Irish in the loss.

--Field Level Media