In a thrilling overtime finish, fifth-seeded Kansas State edged past fourth-seeded Kentucky 80-79 in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Lexington, Kentucky. Temira Poindexter sealed the win with a corner three-pointer—her eighth of the game—with 56 seconds left in overtime. Kentucky had multiple opportunities to win, but missed four shots in the final seconds, including three by star player Georgia Amoore. Amoore missed a jumper with 21 seconds remaining, a three-pointer with 16 seconds left, and a baseline layup at the buzzer. Amelia Haslett also missed a three-pointer that could have given Kentucky the lead.
Poindexter, despite missing her first six shots, finished with 24 points, hitting 8 of 15 from beyond the arc. Serena Sundell contributed 19 points, including a clutch turnaround jumper with eight seconds left in regulation to force overtime, while Ayoka Lee added 16 points for Kansas State. With the win, Kansas State (28-7) advanced to the Sweet 16 in Spokane, Washington, where they will face either top-seeded Southern California, led by JuJu Watkins, or ninth-seeded Mississippi State.
Meanwhile, in Durham, North Carolina, Ashlon Jackson powered second-seeded Duke to a victory over tenth-seeded Oregon by scoring 14 of her 20 points in the third quarter. Duke (28-7) secured the win despite being without their leading scorer, Toby Fournier, who was sidelined due to illness. Fournier, the Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year, averages 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Jackson was instrumental in Duke’s success, shooting 5 of 9 from three-point range and grabbing four rebounds. Reigan Richardson added 13 points, while Delaney Thomas scored 12. For Oregon (20-12), former North Carolina guard Deja Kelly led with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting in her eighth career game against Duke. Phillipina Kyei also had a strong performance, contributing 14 points and 13 rebounds.
The victories by Kansas State and Duke advanced both teams to the next stage of the NCAA Tournament, where they will face tougher competition as they continue their quest for a national championship.
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