No. 2 seed Baylor women fall to South Dakota as second 10th seed rolls to Sweet 16
Another of the mighty have fallen.
South Dakota became the second 10th seed to reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament this year, knocking off second-seeded Baylor 61-47 on Sunday in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. The Coyotes never trailed, and led by as many as 16 in the third quarter.
It’s the first Sweet 16 appearance for South Dakota. For Baylor coach Nicki Collen, who was hired after Kim Mulkey left for LSU, it’s a brutal end to her first season. This is the first time since 2008 that the Bears, a three-time national champion, have failed to reach the Sweet 16.
Six double-digit seeds, one shy of the record, won in the first round, and the chaos has continued in the second round. Earlier Sunday, 10th-seeded Creighton upset Iowa on a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left by Lauren Jensen, who transferred from Iowa after last season.
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South Dakota didn’t need any last-minute heroics. The Coyotes opened the game with an 11-0 run, and despite having two-time All-American NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo, Baylor never looked as if it was going to take control of the game. South Dakota went scoreless for the first seven-plus minutes of the fourth quarter, yet Baylor couldn’t get closer than within seven.
Hannah Sjerven led South Dakota with 16 points, one of three Coyotes in double figures. Egbo, who was on the bench for much of the third quarter because of foul trouble, led Baylor with 13.