2023 NCAA Women's Tournament first round results: March Madness scores from Day 2 of the Big Dance on Saturday

Indiana, UConn and Louisville were among the teams to punch their tickets to the Round of 32 on Saturday

By Austin Nivison

& Isabel Gonzalez

Mar 19, 2023 • 1 min read

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The first round of the 2023 Women's NCAA Tournament has officially ended after a jam-packed weekend of thrilling games.

Among the teams that punched their tickets to the Round of 32 were No. 2 seed UConn and No. 5 seed Louisville, two teams that went to the Final Four last season. The Huskies, led by Aaliyah Edwards, are trying to win their first national championship since 2016. Edwards put together a championship-calibre performance in the Huskies' first-round victory over Vermont, recording 28 points on 13 of 15 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks.

The Cardinals aren't a No. 1 seed like they were last season, but they are still a threat to make a run, especially if Hailey Van Lith is playing at the top of her game. Van Lith has put together a monster season, averaging 19.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. In the opening round against Drake, Van Lith played up to her reputation by recording a team-high 26 points and two steals in a narrow victory.

The only No. 1 seed in action on Saturday was Indiana, which took on No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech in Bloomington, Ind. Indiana predictably won in blowout fashion with Sydney Parrish recording 19 points and eight rebounds. Indiana is hoping to keep the momentum going and advance past the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.

Here is how you can tune into the first round of the 2023 Women's NCAA Tournament.

2023 Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament

Date: Wednesday, March 15-Sunday, April 2 | Time: Varies
Location: Varies
TV: ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, and ABC | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

Brackets are here! Get back in your pools and join our Women's Bracket Challenge for the chance to win a new SUV and a college basketball dream trip!

2023 Women's NCAA Tournament first round schedule

All times Eastern | Greenville Schedule | Seattle Schedule | LIVE bracket

CBS Sports will be with you the entire way updating this story with the latest from every first round game on Friday. Keep it locked here for scores, analysis and highlights throughout the afternoon and evening.

(1) Indiana 77, (16) Tennessee Tech 47 Greenville 2	(4) Tennessee 95, (13) Saint Louis 50 Seattle 3
(3) Ohio State 80, (14) James Madison 66 Seattle 3	(9) Miami 62, (8) Oklahoma State 61 Greenville 2
(12) Florida Gulf Coast 74, (5) Washington State 63 Greenville 2	(2) UConn 95, (15) Vermont 52 Seattle 3
(12) Toledo 80, (5) Iowa State 73 Seattle 3	(6) North Carolina 61, (11) St. John's 59 Seattle 3
(4) Villanova 76, (13) Cleveland State 59 Greenville 2	(7) Baylor 78, (10) Alabama 74 Seattle 3
(6) Colorado 82, (11) Middle Tennessee 60 Seattle 4	(5) Louisville 83, (12) Drake 81 Seattle 4
(5) Oklahoma 85, (12) Portland 63 Greenville 1	(3) Duke 89, (14) Iona 49 Seattle 4
(4) Texas 79, (13) East Carolina 40 Seattle 4	(4) UCLA 67, (13) Sacramento State 45 Greenville 1

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End of 3Q: No. 4 Villanova 63, No. 13 Cleveland State 34

The Maddy Siegrist Show continued in the third quarter. She added nine points to her total, and she's up to 31 points on the game. Junior Bella Runyan has come off the bench to provide some offense, and she is in double figures at the end of the third quarter. Cleveland State is having a miserable day offensively as the Vikings are shooting just 28.9% from the field. One more quarter until Villanova punches its ticket to the next round.

End of Q1: No. 10 Alabama 22, No. 7 Baylor 4

The Bears have had a rough start, taking five minutes to get their first basketball. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs needed her hand taped, but she responded after the timeout with Baylor's first bucket as the clock read 5:11. She also hit the only other field goal for her team so far. Alabama is shooting at 50% while Baylor is 12.5% from the field. Brittany Davis leads the Crimson Tide offense with 15 points.

End of 3Q: No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels 46, No. 11 St. John's 41

Jayla Everett is leading the Red Storm's comeback effort with 17 points, including three 3-pointers. North Carolina is outshooting St. John's 44.2%-30.6% and had found a 12-point lead, however, the Red Storm is persistent and it will all come down to the fourth quarter. Kennedy Todd-Williams and Deja Kelly are leading the Tar Heels' offense with 12 points each.

Halftime: No. 4 Villanova 42, No. 13 Cleveland State 21

The good news for the Vikings is that they more than doubled their first-quarter point total in the second quarter. The bad news is that Villanova's lead only ballooned to 21 points. Maddy Siegrist has completely taken over this game now, and she has 22 points for the Wildcats at halftime. Christina Dalce has been a force on the boards as well with 11 rebounds already. Villanova has been totally locked in so far.

Final: No. 12 Toledo 80, No. 5 Iowa State 73

Toledo is headed to the Round of 32 after winning its first NCAA Tournament game since 1996. The Rockets built their lead with a 23-point second quarter, and the Cyclones couldn't muster the necessary momentum to complete the comeback. Jayda Jansen proved to be the spark Toledo needed for its upset, scoring 17 points -- two off her career high -- off the Rockers' bench. For Iowa State, third-team AP All-American Ashley Joens will end her senior season on a down note: the third-team AP All-American went 5 of 19 from the field, but got to 23 points by virtue of nailing all 11 of her free throw attempts.

End of 1Q: No. 4 Villanova 19, No. 13 Cleveland State 7

Villanova's defense was absolutely stifling in the first quarter. The Wildcats limited the Vikings to just 14.3% from the field as they opened up a 12-point lead. On offense, Maddy Siegrist was the star for Villanova with eight points and four rebounds in the opening frame. The Wildcats are already rolling toward a comfortable first-round win.

The No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 7 Baylor Bears are meeting for the first time ever. Brittany Davis leads Alabama in points, rebounds and steals, but the Crimson Tide has a lot of other weapons. They can be a dangerous team from 3-point range, making 38% of their shots from beyond the arc. One of the main contributors is Aaliyah Nye, who shoots 3-pointers at 44.7%. Meanwhile, Jada Rice is a tough defender, ranking 17th nationally in total blocks (66).

The Bears have made every NCAA Tournament since 2004. Baylor has had ups and downs this season, but its resume includes beating four ranked teams on the road and another on a neutral site. Four Bears average double figures, led by Sarah Andrews' 15 points per game.

Halftime: No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels 29, No. 11 St. John's 20

The Red Storm only registered five points in the second quarter, and went the last 5:48 of that period without hitting a field goal. The Tar Heels have outshot them 44.4%-24.1% from the field, but St. John's has still not fallen into a double-digit deficit all game. UNC's Deja Kelly is leading all scorers with 10 points going 4-of-8 from the field.

No. 4 seed Villanova has tipped off in its game against No. 13 seed Cleveland State. The Wildcats fell to Michigan in the second round last year, but this season's run comes with a little added pressure. U.S. President Joe Biden selected Villanova as the national champions on his bracket this year. First, the Wildcats have to take care of business against the Vikings.

End of 3Q: No. 12 Toledo 61, No. 5 Iowa State 45

It's now or never for Iowa State. Toledo continued its push for an upset in the third quarter, outscoring the Cyclones 18-17 after dominating the second quarter. Toledo's Quinesha Lockett exploded for eight points in the third quarter, bringing her total for the game to 19. Lockett also has a team-high 13 rebounds. Iowa State closed the period on a strong 7-0 run, though, so the Cyclones aren't out of this quite yet.

Final. No. 2 UConn 95, No. 15 Vermont 52

UConn leading scorer Aliyah Edwards reached a career-high today with 28 points on 13-of-15 shooting, along with seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks. Dorka Juhasz and Caroline Ducharme also registered double figures with 15 and 12 points, respectively. The Huskies shared the ball well, registering a total of 27 assists. UConn was strong as a whole, shooting 61.9% from the field while holding Vermont to 33.3%. The Catamounts hit 11 3-pointers and had three players register double figures, but their effort was not enough against a UConn team that has made the Final Four 14 consecutive times and is looking to reach the final weekend again this year.

End of 1Q: No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels 19, No. 11 St. John's 15

The Tar Heels started out strong and found a nine-point lead, however, the Red Storm didn't back down and continued to push through the first period to avoid falling into a double-digit deficit. Overall, North Carolina outshot St. John's 56.3%-27.3% from the field. Deja Kelly lets the Tar Heels with eight points, while Jayla Everett leads the Red Storm, also with eight points.

Final: No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast 74, No. 5 Washington State 63

The Eagles trailed by one at halftime, but they came out of the locker room with their hair on fire in the second half. FGCU dropped 30 points on Washington State in the third quarter, and that gave it all the cushion it needed in the fourth quarter. Sha Carter was a superstar for the Eagles as she racked up 24 points and six rebounds. Maddie Antenucci and Kierra Adams also provided pop off the bench. They combined for 23 points in this one. Now, FGCU will take on the winner of No. 4 seed Villanova and No. 13 seed Cleveland State.

End of 3Q: No. 2 UConn 75, No. 15 Vermont 41

UConn dominated the first two quarters and continued that momentum after the break. Although Azzi Fudd is still rusty from a knee injury, the Huskies are taking care of business. Aliyah Edwards is dominating with 26 points on 12-of-13 shooting from the field, as well as seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. Dorka Juhasz is also contributing with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Overall UConn is outshooting the opponent 63.8%-34% from the field.

No. 11 St. John's Red Storm vs. No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels

The Tar Heels — led by the First Team All-ACC selections Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby — are dancing for the fourth consecutive year. They've dealt with injuries, but their 21-10 overall record in the regular season was solid as it includes beating six teams ranked in the NET's Top 20.

St. John is back in the tournament for the first time since 2016. The Red Storm didn't make a deep run in the Big East tournament, but one of their strongest wins was beating then-No. 4 UConn on Feb. 21. Jayla Everett leads the team with 15.8 points per game and shooting 42.4% from 3-point range, which is top 16 in the nation.

Halftime: No. 12 Toledo 43, No. 5 Iowa State 36

Toledo stormed to a halftime lead after stifling the Iowa State offense in the second quarter, allowing only 13 points while scoring 23 of its own. Sophia Wiard has stood out for Toledo, scoring 10 points on 4 of 7 shooting to go along with a pair of assists, a steal and a block. Third-team AP All-American Ashley Joens has been uncharacteristically quiet for Iowa State, missing nine of her 12 shots in the opening half.

Final: No. 9 Miami 62, No. 8 Oklahoma State 61

In one of the best games of the tournament so far, Miami roared back from a 17-point deficit at halftime and pulled out a thrilling victory over Oklahoma State. Hurricanes star Haley Cavinder had a big second half, and she knocked down a couple of big three-pointers that shifted the momentum in her team's favor. This was a crushing loss for the Cowgirls, who looked like they would cruise to a win at halftime. Now, Miami will take on No. 1 seed Indiana in Bloomington on Monday.

Early 2Q: No. 5 Iowa State 25, No. 12 Toledo 24

This 5-12 matchup has been a great battle so far. Sophia Ward has been tremendous for the Rockets with 10 points already, and the Cyclones have gotten contributions from all their starters. Hopefully Toledo can hang with Iowa State for the rest of the game and force a dramatic finish in Knoxville.

Halftime: No. 2 UConn 53, No. 15 Vermont 20

This game has been all UConn since the opening tip. Aaliyah Edwards is now up to 18 points on the afternoon, and the Huskies are shooting 66.7% from the field as a team. As a result, UConn outscored Vermont by 18 points in the second quarter, and they take a massive lead into the locker room at halftime.

Final: No. 3 Ohio State 80, No. 14 James Madison 66

The Dukes gave the Buckeyes a scare for about three quarters, but Ohio State finally flexed some muscle and created separation in the fourth quarter. Cotie McMahon and Jacy Sheldon led the charge for Ohio State with 18 and 17 points, respectively. JMU, especially senior Kiki Jefferson, should be commended for making this an entertaining game in a hostile atmosphere.

End of 1Q: No. 2 UConn 27, No. 15 Vermont 12

Aaliyah Edwards wasted no time finding a rhythm for the Huskies. She drained all five of her field goal attempts and knocked down a pair of free throws to notch 12 points in the opening quarter. UConn is already in full control of this game, and Vermont has to find some offense quickly before it gets run out of the building.

End of 3Q: No. 8 Oklahoma State 42, No. 9 Miami 40

After trailing by 17 points at halftime, the Hurricanes surged from behind to trim the Cowgirls' lead to just four points. Lola Pendande had a big third quarter for Miami by scoring eight points to give her team some life. A big three-pointer from Haley Cavinder also gave the Canes some life. Now, Oklahoma State has to steady itself after taking a counterpunch from Miami.

Halftime: No. 5 Washington State 32, No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast 31

The Cougars and Eagles are providing fans with a thriller, and hopefully that continues well into the second half. Johanna Teder has given Washington State a boost with nine points and two assists, and her team takes a slim lead into the locker room. Sha Carter and Tishara Morehouse continue to run the show for FGCU as those two have combined for 23 of the team's 31 points. Buckle up. This is shaping up to be a classic.

End of 3Q: No. 3 Ohio State 54, No. 14 James Madison 50

Ohio State now has the lead in this game, but James Madison isn't going away. Taylor Thierry has stepped up for the Buckeyes with nine points, five rebounds, and four assists. Ohio State is still ice cold from three-point range, but it has finally found consistent success in the paint. The Dukes are still within striking distance, but they will need to seize momentum back from the home team in order to pull off the upset.

The No. 2 UConn Huskies have taken the floor against No. 15 seed Vermont. Geno Auriemma and the Huskies fell just shy of another national championship last year when they lost to South Carolina in the national championship game. We'll see if they can finish the job this season.

Final: No. 4 Tennessee 95, No. 13 St. Louis 50

It seemed like Tennessee could do no wrong in the friendly confines of Thompson-Boling Arena, and it closed the Billikens out with ease. The Lady Vols emptied the bench and still outscored St. Louis 28-9 in the fourth quarter. 13 different Lady Vols found the scoresheet as they made quick work of their first-round matchup. Tennessee will now host the winner of Iowa State and Toledo on Monday.

End of 1Q: No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast 17, No. 5 Washington State 13

That was a pretty evenly-matched first quarter, but the Eagles got off to a better offensive start, which allowed them to take a lead into the second quarter. FGCU senior Sha Carter is already on her way to a big game with six points and one rebound. If Washington State starts to heat up from the field, this could be a very entertaining matchup.

Halftime: No. 8 Oklahoma State 37, No. 9 Miami 20

The Hurricanes' offense continues to struggle in this game. Miami has shot just 29.4% from the field, and it has missed the only two three-point shots it has attempted. Oklahoma State has had not issues finding the bottom of the basket, and seven different players have scored. To make matters worse for Miami, Oklahoma State's Lior Garzon buried at three at the buzzer before halftime.

No. 5 seed Washington State and No. 12 seed Florida Gulf Coast have tipped off in Villanova, PA. The Eagles have only lost three games all season, but that sparkling record will be put to the test against a Cougars team that won the Pac-12 Tournament.

End of 3Q: No. 4 Tennessee 67, No. 13 St. Louis 42

The Lady Vols have ran away and hid on Rocky Top. Tennessee tacked on another 19 points in that quarter, and Rickea Jackson continued her big game. Jackson is up to 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting. St. Louis did score 17 points in that third quarter, but it wasn't enough to cut into Tennessee's lead.

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