The 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament Continued Friday with the first day of Sweet 16 Action.

[Read more: 2025 Women’s March Madness Schedule: Dates, locations, channels, how to watch]

Duke started the day with a vintage defensive performance when the second -seeded blue devil strangled third seed North Carolina.

Now No. 1 Seed South Carolina continues her title defense as Gamecocks undertakes fourth seed Maryland.

Later, third-seeded Louisiana State is trying to make its third straight elite 8 look, but will have to review No. 2 Seed North Carolina State to get there.

The top seed of NCAA Women’s Tournament, UCLA, throws the night with his matchup against Ole Miss as Bruins tries to return to Elite 8 for the first time since 2018.

Here are all the greatest moments from day 1 sweet 16:

Oluchi Okananwa recorded her third double-double in the season to lead the ACC Tournament Master Duke past North Carolina 47-38 Friday and into Elite 8 in Women’s NCAA tournament.

Blue Devils will make their 12th elite 8 performance in the program history and will play either # 1 seed and defense champion South Carolina or fourth seed Maryland, which was scheduled to play later Friday in Birmingham.

Okananwa scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half with 10 rebounds from the bench for Duke, which got 26 points from his bench compared to North Carolina’s Six. Ashlon Jackson ended with 10 points, and Toby Fournier, Duke’s leading goal scorer this season, missing out on the second round with a disease was kept to three points.

Fifth -year senior Alyssa Ustby had nine points on 3 out of 10 shoots for Tar Heels, who came short in their attempt to move on to their first elite 8 since 2014.

No team shot the ball well. Duke shot 31% after missing his first nine field goals. North Carolina went 28% from the field.

Part of it could have been because of confidentiality. The teams played each other for the second time this season less than a month ago. North Carolina -coach Courtney Banghart said this week there is an extra level of comfort going against a team they have just played.

But these were also two of the top defense in the country that went on it, forced turns, wrong shots and desperate Heave late in the shooting clock at the start of the game.

It was the first meeting ever in the NCAA tournament between the two teams that have played each other 111 times. North Carolina still has a small 56-55 edge.

Reporting Associated Press

Want good stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or Sign in to your FOX SPORT’s account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personal newsletter daily!