A stunning opening weekend of competition saw three 5th seeded teams upset their 4th seeded rivals. K-State bested Kentucky in overtime, Ole Miss beat Baylor, and Tennessee saw off Ohio State. The only four-seed that survived was Maryland, pulling off a 111-108 win in double overtime against Alabama. Both Tennessee and K-State were favored by the oddsmakers, in spite of their lower seeding.

(5) K-State vs.(4) Kentucky (80-79)

Kansas State and Kentucky faced off first on Sunday, at Kentucky’s home in Lexington where Kentucky beat Liberty by one, 79-78, two days earlier. Kentucky jumped out to a 7-0 lead early, and held a slight lead until just before halftime when K-State took a two point lead. From there the teams dueled for 20 minutes, unable to separate significantly from each other.

Centers Clara Strack and Ayoka Lee dueled, each scoring reliable buckets to keep their teams knotted up. As UK’s Georgia Amoore pulled them away with a few quick buckets, Kansas State made four straight jumpers to take the lead back. Senior Forward Temira Poindexter hit a 3 and then assisted the two that brought the score to a tie at 69.

When Kentucky couldn’t score again, we needed overtime. The two sides continued to trade interior buckets, and whenever Kentucky threatened to pull away, Poindexter made another 3 pointer to keep K-State in it. Her last three gave Kansas State the lead, and they made a staunch defensive stand for the last minute, in spite of missing two layups. Kentucky had four chances to take a lead in the last minute of overtime, and couldn’t get a layup or jumpshot to fall, ending Kentucky guard Georgia Amoore’s outstanding collegiate career with a one point loss.

Ole Miss (5) vs. Baylor (4) (69-63)

Ole Miss and Baylor had a gritty matchup, with the two teams combining to go 4/25 from behind the arc. Baylor had more luck scoring, making an especially strong push to take the lead after halftime. Ole Miss didn’t win this game with artful scoring, but instead won the game by controlling possessions.

The Rebels secured seven more offensive rebounds (16-9) and had eight fewer turnovers (13-21) which meant they got more and more chances as the game progressed. With those extra chances, Ole Miss got fouled. Twenty-one trips to the charity stripe and an 80% conversion rate while there gave the Rebels a significant offensive boost.

Every time the Bears threatened during the fourth quarter, Senior Guard Madison Scott came through with a clutch bucket, with her 13th and 14th point giving Ole Miss the final lead they needed to win. Baylor could only seem to score once they were too far down, keeping the game to two points but still needing to foul each time. Ole Miss held on for a trip to the Sweet Sixteen for their second appearance in the last three years.

Tennessee (5) vs. Ohio State (4) (82-67)

Tennessee went into Ohio State and a hostile environment hunting for their 37th Sweet 16 appearance. The Volunteers struggled in the first quarter, substituting all five players more than once, before finding their rhythm in the final minutes of the first. Ohio State managed to keep their lead with strong shooting from Junior Forward Cotie McMahon. Momentum was already swinging towards Tennessee, but everything changed coming out of halftime in the third quarter.

While Ohio State made their threes and free throws, Tennessee threw a wrench into the rest of their offensive game. They began by extending their halftime lead to double digits, before weathering two Buckeye runs to keep the lead. The Volunteers scored 37 points from a whopping 23 turnovers from Ohio State, while also winning the offensive rebounding battle. Talaysia Cooper carried the day with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 steals coming off the bench. Never count out the legend of Tennessee basketball.

Alabama (5) vs. Maryland (4) (111-108)

It took two extra overtimes but Alabama and Maryland fought tooth and nail until the Terrapins ultimately came away with the victory. Sarah Ashlee Barker’s 45 for Alabama set the tone and a program single game scoring record, and her late shot-making forced overtime. However, Maryland’s consistent free throw shooting carried them through two overtimes to victory. Maryland’s starters combined to miss only three free throws in OT, while Alabama starters missed 8. Aliyah Nye couldn’t get her three point shot going, and was one of three Alabama starters to foul out with one minute left in regulation.

Shyanna Sellers, Kaylene Smikle, and Sarah Te-Biasu combined for 78 points, while Maryland shot significantly better from long range. Despite being outscored by 20 points in the paint, Maryland’s rebounding and better shooting was too much for Alabama.

Each 5th seed is tournament tested and ready now, having gone into a hostile environment and come out victorious with a trip to the Sweet 16. Now every one of them will face a #1 seeded opponent that’s ready to win a championship. A loss in the next round means a pat on the back and a solid season to be proud of. However, one more victory for any of these teams takes them from an exciting tournament team to a true national championship contender.