Saturday’s First Round Gameday Guide: Women’s March Madness Preview, Picks & Analysis
After an exciting tipoff to this year’s Women’s March Madness tournament, Saturday brings us the second portion of first-round matchups. Another 16 games are on tap over eight cities, and although the favorites ran the table Friday, there’s always the potential for that trend to be reversed on the Day 2.
Top teams such as the defending champion UConn Huskies, Vanderbilt Commodores, Iowa Hawkeyes, UCLA Bruins and Louisville Cardinals will be in action Saturday, looking to stave off hungry underdogs with their eye on an upset.
There will be no shortage of talented players taking the floor, including the country’s top scorer, Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and UConn’s Sarah Strong, to name but a few.
Here’s a closer look at all 16 games, including a preview with relevant metrics for each first-round clash.
Saturday First Round Locations & Schedule
Below is a list of today’s games sorted by location, tip-off time, and tv channel.
Games at Value City Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
- Howard vs. Ohio State – 11:30 a.m. ET. (ESPN2) |
- Fairfield vs. Notre Dame – 2:00 p.m. ET (ESPN) |
Games at KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, Kentucky)
- Vermont vs. Louisville – 12:00 p.m. ET (ESPN) |
- Rhode Island vs. Alabama – 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPNEWS) |
Games at Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, South Carolina)
- Southern vs. South Carolina – 1:00 p.m. ET (ABC) |
- USC vs. Clemson – 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2) |
Games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa)
- Virginia vs. Georgia – 1:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2) |
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Iowa – 4:00 p.m. ET (ESPN) |
Games at WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, West Virginia)
- James Madison vs. Kentucky – 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU) |
- Miami (OH) vs. West Virginia – 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU) |
Games at Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, Connecticut)
- UTSA vs. UConn – 3:00 p.m. ET (ABC) |
- Syracuse vs. Ohio State – 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2) |
Games at Memorial Gymnasium (Nashville, Tennessee)
- High Point vs. Vanderbilt – 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPNEWS) |
- Colorado vs. Illinois – 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2) |
Games at Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, California)
- Princeton vs. Oklahoma State – 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2) |
- California vs. UCLA – 10:00 p.m. ET (ESPN) |
Howard vs. Ohio State Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The Bison are making their first tournament appearance in four years and check in off a 26-7 season that saw them take their last loss way back on Jan. 10. Howard won the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference tournament crown as well, but they’re facing a No. 3-ranked Ohio State squad that that went 26-7 in its own right against a higher caliber of competition and averaged 81.7 points on 46% shooting.
Vermont vs. Louisville Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The Catamounts are now back-to-back America East tournament champions and rolled to a 27-7 regular season, one in which they allowed the third-fewest points in the country (51.6) and minuscule 37% shooting. On the other side of the floor, Vermont put up a minuscule 65.8 points per game, although center Nikola Priede (17.4 points) and guard Keira Hanson (14.1 points, 42.6% three-point shooting). Louisville counters with its own 27-7 regular season and a much more potent offense (79.9 PPG), along with an impressive 9.4 steals per contest and 38.9% shooting allowed on the other side of the floor.
Southern vs. South Carolina Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: This 16 vs. 1 matchup features a likely overmatched Southern team that was just 7-11 away from its home floor this season and averaged a middling 62.0 points per game while shooting an abysmal 38.0%. The Jaguars did win the SWAC regular-season and tournament titles, but the Gamecocks represent a major step up in competition after a 31-3 regular season that saw them secure their 10th SEC regular-season crown and overcame significant personnel loss from last year’s Final Four squad.
Virginia vs. Georgia Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The Cavaliers make their return to the tournament for the first time since 2018 and do so on the back of a solid 20-11 regular season in which they did a little bit of everything well. Virginia averaged 74.7 points per game while also ranking in the top 10 with 42.5 rebounds per contest. However, the scoring is a bit top-heavy, with guard Kymora Johnson (19.0 points per game) the only double-digit scorer. The Bulldogs went 22-9 but had started the season 14-0, so they do come into Saturday on somewhat shaky ground. However, Georgia does have solid scoring depth, with a quartet of players led by Dani Carnegie (18.1 PPG) averaging double-digit points.
Fairfield vs. Notre Dame Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The Stags may be a bit underrated as a No. 11 seed, going 28-4 during the regular season while making their presence felt on both ends of the floor. Fairfield’s 55.8 points per game allowed ranked 13th in the country, while the Stags also averaged a solid 75.5 points per contest behind the talented junior duo of Kaety L’Amoreaux and Meghan Andersen. The Fighting Irish had a bit of a rough mid-season patch before righting the ship to win seven of their last eight, and they’re spearheaded by guard Hannah Hidalgo, who averaged 25.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and a nation-high 5.4 steals.
James Madison vs. Kentucky Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The Dukes are a feisty underdog that could give the Wildcats a challenge in this first-round battle. James Madison finished its 26-8 regular season with 12 consecutive victories and put together solid numbers on either end of the floor while displaying some suffocating defense (9.1 steals per game). Kentucky’s 23-10 regular season saw center Clara Strack lead the way with 17.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.6 blocks per contest.
Rhode Island vs. Alabama Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: Rhode Island set a new school record with 28 wins and leveraged an elite defense that gave up the sixth-fewest points per game (53.8) and stingy 37.3% shooting. The Rams weren’t quite as sharp on offense, however — they shot just 43% — although the Crimson Tide may not pose as significant a threat as other first-round opponents could have. Alabama managed 70.1 points per game but shot only 44% in its own right, although the Tide certainly has tournament experience after making the tournament in five of the last six years.
UTSA vs. UConn Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: UTSA is an even bigger underdog than Southern to the defending champs, as the 18-15 Roadrunners are getting a whopping 55+ points for Saturday’s matchup. The Huskies are absolutely dominant on both ends of the floor, averaging the second-most points per game in the country (88.8) while allowing the fewest points per contest (50.4) and lowest shooting percentage (33.3). Strong, Azzi Fudd, Blanca Quiñonez, KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade lead what is arguably the country’s deepest talent pool
USC vs. Clemson Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The Trojans were an Elite Eight team a year ago before falling short to UConn, and this year’s USC squad is led by freshman Jazzy Davidson. However, USC comes into the tournament on a four-game losing streak and faces a Clemson squad that went 21-13 during the regular season while allowing just 58.7 points per contest despite having significant roster turnover.
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Iowa Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: Fairleigh Dickinson steamrolled throughout most of the regular season, as they come into the tournament on a 22-game winning streak and went 30-4 overall while winning the Northeast Conference regular-season title and tournament crown. The Hawkeyes put together a 26-6 mark and shot an ultra-efficient 49% while averaging 76.8 points per contest. Iowa does come in trying to overcome a 51-point loss to UCLA in the Big Ten Conference Tournament, but it’s still favored by over 30 points for Saturday’s showdown.
Miami (OH) vs. West Virginia Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: Miami’s 28-6 mark was built partly on the back of a defense that allowed just 58.5 points per game and recorded 10.6 steals per contest as well. The Mid-Atlantic Conference Tournament champs boast the conference’s best player in Amber Tretter, and they come against a Mountaineers squad whose 27-6 mark saw them excel on both ends of the floor while featuring four players with double-digit scoring averages.
Syracuse vs. Iowa State Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The Orange finished the regular season 23-8, exceeding preseason expectations after managing just 12 wins a year ago. Syracuse got big contributions from freshman Uche Izoje, as well as the trio of Laila Phelia, Dominique Darius and Sophie Burrows. Iowa State’s 22-9 season ended on a bit of a cold spell with three losses in the final four games, although the Cyclones are led by one of the nation’s best players in junior center Audi Crooks.
High Point vs. Vanderbilt Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The Panthers are coming off a noteworthy 27-5 season and prevailed in six of their last seven games, and they averaged 74.2 points per game while allowing just 58.8 per contest. Aaliyah Williams and company will have a tall task on their hands, however, as the Commodores are heavy favorites after a 27-4 regular season fueled by the eighth-most prolific scoring in the country (84.7 PPG on 46.9% shooting).
Princeton vs. Oklahoma State Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The 26-3 Tigers are an intriguing underdog against the Cowgirls, which are battle-tested after going 23-9 despite facing some tough Big 12 competition. Princeton does have plenty of tournament experience after making the Big Dance every year since 2019, but OK State wields a capable offense that averaged 81.5 points per game with the help of respectable 35.1% shooting from behind the arc.
Colorado vs. Illinois Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: The Buffaloes’ 22-11 record is one win better than that of the Fighting Illini, which are slim 3.5-point favorites for this Saturday night battle. Colorado sports a less potent offense than even some teams seeded below it, however, and the Buffaloes’ ragged 42% shooting could become a liability against an Illinois squad that averaged nearly 10 more points per game (77.5, compared to 67.8) and shot 36.1% from three-point range.
California Baptist vs. UCLA Game Odds & Notes
Game Note: California Baptist is in almost as big a hole on paper as UTSA is against UConn earlier in the day. The Lancers put together a strong 23-10 record in the regular season and won six straight to wrap up the campaign, including the WAC Tournament championship game against the Abilene Christian. However, the Bruins won 31 of 32 games and decimated a quality Iowa team by 51 in the Big Ten Tournament title game, a fitting example of the dominance they exhibited on both ends of the floor while ranking sixth in scoring (85.1 PPG) and second in shooting percentage (51.3), while also surrendering only 57.0 points per game and a 36.1% success rate from the floor.
Saturday First Round Best Bet
As alluded to earlier, the Stags enjoyed an excellent season and boast a legitimate defense that could cause some trouble for the Hidalgo-led Fighting Irish attack. While slowing down the dynamic scorer will be a tall order, Fairfield has the offense to keep pace with Notre Dame and was particularly effective moving the ball around the floor to create good shots. The Stags come into the tournament running hot, and they should have what it takes to keep any defeat to 11 points or fewer.
Best Bet: Fairfield +11.5
