UC Santa Barbara Upsets Vanderbilt

Stacy Clinesmith scored 20 points and had five three-point baskets for the Gauchos, but weighing on her mind were two free throws she missed near the end of overtime at Champaign, Ill.

Not that they mattered, because UC Santa Barbara teammate Erin Buescher, who was fouled rebounding Clinesmith’s free throws, made two of her own.

“That was the plan,” Clinesmith said, once the issue was settled and she could joke about it a bit. “They just didn’t fall. I’m lucky to have such great teammates to go in and rebound for me.”

UC Santa Barbara, seeded 11th, made five of eight free throws over the last 50 seconds of the overtime in upsetting the sixth-seeded Commodores (20-9), who did not advance to the round of 16 for the first time in Jim Foster’s seven years as coach.

It was the 16th consecutive win for the Gauchos (27-5), who trailed, 23-5, early but tied the score, 67-67 on a free throw by Nicole Greathouse with 27 seconds to play in regulation.

Kristi Rohr scored 17 points for Santa Barbara and Buescher had 17. Greathouse scored 12 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.

Illinois 82, Wisconsin Green Bay 58--Ashley Berggren scored 16 points and Nicole Vasey 15 for the third-seeded Illini (19-9), who beat Wisconsin Green Bay (21-9) and will play UC Santa Barbara in the second round.

Tennessee 102, Liberty 58--Chamique Holdsclaw scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the top-seeded Volunteers (34-0), who beat 16th-seeded Liberty (28-1) at Knoxville, Tenn., in a game between the only two unbeaten teams in women’s college basketball.

Western Kentucky 88, Stephen F. Austin 76--Leslie Johnson scored 24 points and Danielle McCulley added 22 for the eighth-seeded Hilltoppers (26-8), who pulled away from ninth-seeded Stephen F. Austin (25-4) in the second half to win at Knoxville and earn the right to face No. 1 Tennessee in the second round.

Iowa State 79, Kent 76--Stacy Frese scored 19 of her 25 points in the first half and Jayme Olson had 16 of her 18 points in the second to lead the fourth-seeded Cyclones (25-7) to a win over 13th-seeded Kent (23-7) at Ames, Iowa, after which Iowa State Coach Bill Fennelly hyperventilated and had to be helped to the locker room.

Rutgers 79, Oregon 76--Tomora Young made an NBA-range three-point basket with 25.5 seconds left for Rutgers (21-9) in a win over Oregon (17-10) at Ames that earned the Knights a date with Iowa State in the second round.

WEST

Arkansas 76, Hawaii 70--Karyn Karlin scored 24 points and the Razorbacks (19-10) got clutch long-distance shooting from Wendi Willits in the second half of an upset of Hawaii (24-4).

Karlin was nearly unstoppable in close for Arkansas, making 12 of 17 shots and pulling down six rebounds.

Willits made three consecutive three-point shots early in the second half, when Arkansas fought back from a five-point halftime deficit to take a 43-40 lead.

The Razorbacks took the lead for good, 50-48, on a medium-range jumper by reserve Treva Christenson, who scored all 10 of her points in the second half. Karlin, Willits and Christenson had all but 11 of their team’s points in the second 20 minutes.

Hawaii shot 70% in the first 20 minutes in taking a 36-31 halftime lead. Arkansas, intent on shooting from the deep perimeter, made only one of 11 three-point shots in the half.

Florida 85, Montana 64--Tonya Washington and Tamara Stocks each scored 19 points for the third-seeded Gators (22-8), who shot 60% on their home floor at Gainesville, Fla., in beating 14th-seeded Montana (24-6).

Virginia Tech 75, Wisconsin 64--Freshman Amy Wetzel scored 28 points to key the 11th-seeded Hokies’ upset of Wisconsin (21-10) at Gainesville, Fla., which earned Virginia Tech (22-9) a second-round game against home-standing Florida.

Louisville 69, Utah 61--Sharon Bellamy scored six of her 19 points during a decisive 13-0 run early in the second half for 10th-seeded Louisville (22-8), which overcame an NCAA tournament-record eight three-point baskets by Julie Krommenhoek of Utah (21-6) to win at Durham, N.C.

Duke 92, Middle Tennessee State 67--Michele VanGorp scored 19 points to lead five Blue Devils (22-7) in double figures in a win over Middle Tennessee (18-12) that set up a second-round matchup with Louisville at Durham, N.C.

MIDWEST

Purdue 88, Washington 71--Stephanie White scored 30 points and Ukari Figgs added 29 for the fourth-seeded Boilermakers (21-9), who beat the 13th-seeded Huskies (18-10), who got 30 points in a losing cause from Jamie Redd in a game at West Lafayette, Ind.

Colorado State 81, Drake 75--The 12th-seeded Rams (24-5) got 33 points from Becky Hammon and 22 from Katie Cronin in upsetting fifth-seeded Drake (25-5) to advance to a second-round game against Purdue at West Lafayette.

Louisiana Tech 86, Holy Cross 58--Alisa Burras had 29 points and 13 rebounds for the Techsters (27-3), who had no trouble with 14th-seeded Holy Cross (21-9) at Ruston, La.

Clemson 60, Miami 49--Itoro Umoh scored 15 points for the sixth-seeded Tigers (25-7), who led early and stayed there against Miami (19-10) while shooting only 32% to win at Ruston and reach a second-round game against Louisiana Tech.