They did it! Florida Gulf Coast, our statistical model’s favorite underdog in the Women’s NCAA Tournament, pulled off a 12 vs. 5 upset on Saturday, knocking off Washington State, 74-63. The Eagles will now advance to the Round of 32 for the second straight year.
The details are as impressive as the results: Early on, FGCU could not rely on its signature strength, making just one of its first 10 3-point attempts. But they kept shooting smart: Outside the lane, the Eagles launched just a couple of 2-point attempts as they focused on getting close to the basket. And they dominated the Cougars inside, shooting 25-40 (62.5%) on two-point FGAs. They also had seven steals and eventually made up ground from long range, making 35.7% of their bombs (5-14) for the game.
The women’s tournament keeps reminding us that its games are getting more competitive, but a few powerhouses still dominate its field. On the one hand, No. 12 Toledo (No. 7 on our list of the best potential underdogs) beat Iowa State on Saturday. And three teams came back from deficits of at least 16 points to win. Conversely, Tennessee won by 45, UConn by 43, Duke by 40, Texas by 39. Scrape by a favorite in the first round, and you get to meet one of these giants—or South Carolina!—in the second.
