Three upsets headline day two in otherwise chalk-filled first round

SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 22: {ARKANSAS VS WRIGHT STATE} during the Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament held at Frank Erwin Center on March 22, 2021 in Austin, TX. (Photo by Rudy Gonzalez/NCAA Photos)

After the first day of the NCAA Tournament saw all 16 higher seeds prevail, day two provided a trio of upsets.

The biggest upset was No. 13 Wright State defeating No. 4 Arkansas 66-62. It marks the first time a team seeded 13 or lower advanced to the second round since 2012 when 13-seed Marist topped No. 4 Georgia.

The victory for Wright State is the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in its third trip to the Big Dance. The Raiders were led by junior guard Angel Baker, who had 26 points and 12 rebounds. She also knocked down the eventual game-winning 3-pointer with 30 seconds left.

“I think we love the idea of a David vs. Goliath,” Wright State coach Katrina Merriweather said, according to ESPN. “I think Angel Baker is one of the best guards in the country. I know people may be surprised she’s at Wright State, but there’s a lot of really good guards in the country. It’s all about recruiting and identifying the players that fit your system the best. And every once in a while, you get an Angel Baker at Wright State.”

Meanwhile, No. 12 Belmont also claimed its first NCAA Tournament win with a 64-57 victory over No. 5 Gonzaga. The Bruins scored seven of the final nine points of the contest after the Zags pulled within 2 with four minutes to go.

Earlier in the day, No. 11 BYU edged No. 6 Rutgers 69-66. The Scarlet Knights led by nine in the fourth quarter, but then the Cougars reeled off a 12-0 run to take the lead. Paisley Harding tallied 28 points in the win. Arella Guirantes recorded 30 points for Rutgers.

A pair of programs picked up their first NCAA Tournament wins this millennium. No. 7 Northwestern picked up its first victory since 1993 with a 62-51 triumph over 10th-seeded UCF. No. 7 Alabama prevailed 80-71 over No. 10 North Carolina to pick up its first win since 1999. Jordan Lewis led the way for the Tide with a career-high 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

On day one, No. 12 Stephen F. Austin pushed No. 5 Georgia Tech to the brink, but the Yellowjackets prevailed 54-52 in overtime. Avery Brittingham had three tries at a game-tying layup at the end of the extra session, but the first two missed and the final try went in but left her hand a half a second too late. GT overcame a 17-point halftime deficit.

The first day was also headlined by the star freshmen. The nation’s leading scorer Caitlin Clark posted 23 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to lead No. 5 Iowa past No. 12 Central Michigan 87-72. UConn’s Paige Bueckers scored 24 points as the top-seeded Huskies rolled over High Point 102-59.

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