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Women’s March Madness Sweet 16 Recap: Duke Outlasts LSU, Notre Dame Upsets Vanderbilt

Sports Illustrated followed the first day of Sweet 16 action with live analysis, updates and highlights throughout Friday’s four games.
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Duke took down LSU, 87–85, in a back-and-forth battle in the Sweet 16.
Duke took down LSU, 87–85, in a back-and-forth battle in the Sweet 16. | Harry How/Getty Images

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Notre Dame Fighting IrishVanderbilt CommodoresUConn HuskiesNorth Carolina Tar HeelsUCLA BruinsMinnesota Golden GophersLSU TigersDuke Blue Devils

The 2026 women’s NCAA tournament resumed Friday with four Sweet 16 matchups and these games certainly did not disappoint. Hannah Hidalgo got the party started doing what she does best: stealing dreams. The guard’s triple-double, in which she had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 steals, powered the Fighting Irish past Vanderbilt. UConn followed this up by dominating UNC, though the Tar Heels came out hot and took a first-quarter lead. UCLA took care of business against Minnesota before the nightcap in Sacramento. And last, but certainly not least, Duke prevailed in a back-and-forth affair with LSU, which ended with a buzzer-beating three from Ashlon Jackson to send the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight.  

Sports Illustrated was here for all of it. Scroll through to look back at the analysis, scoring updates and more from as the action went down.

Live updates, analysis and highlights from Friday’s games

More March Madness from Sports Illustrated

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Gilberto Manzano
SI STAFF

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