Basketball On The Internet.

From BOB CRAVEN in Seattle

DEFENDING women's NCAA Division 1 champion South Carolina rolled to its 40th straight win behind Aliyah Boston's 81st career double-double to continue as the white-hot favourite to go back-to-back as March Madness prepared to enter its Sweet Sixteen phase. 

Here's what's been happening.

Round 1 Day 1 of the NCAA women's basketball tournament in the Seattle and Greenville, SC Regions did not have the upsets that the men's side did, the higher seed winning most of the games. 

Overall No.1 seed and undefeated defending champion South Carolina (playing the equivalent of home games until the Final Four is reached), blistered No.16 Norfolk State 72-40 for its 39th straight win, giving coach Dawn Staley the opportunity to give a bit of rest to All-American Aliyah Boston.  The only upset was No.11 Mississippi State's 81-66 win over No.6 Creighton.

Day 1 in the Seattle Region was about the same, with only one relatively minor upset, No.10 Florida State upsetting No.7 Georgia 66-54. 

Most unusual here for Florida State was that the day before the game, the school announced that two young backcourt players were injured and out for the rest of the season.  They only were able to suit up eight players. 

No.1 seed Stanford blew up Sacred Heart 92-49 without 193cm All-American Cameron Brink, who was on the sick list with a stomach virus.  The win was Stanford's 100th NCAA tournament win, third most all-time to Tennessee and Connecticut.

Round 1, Day 2 in the Seattle Region had one upset, as No.12 seed Toledo knocked off No.5 Iowa State 80-73.  One other higher seed narrowly avoided an upset in a squeaker.  No.5 Louisville, a Final Four team last year, stopped No.12 Drake's upset bid 83-81, thanks to All-American Hailey Van Lith. She scored 13 points in the final five minutes, including five in a row in the last 16 seconds.

Round 1, Day 2 in the Greenville Region had no surprises, No.4 seed Villanova not threatened in an easy win over Cleveland State, but their star, two-time Big East Player of the Year, Maddy Siegrist, scored 35 points and surpassed 1,000 points in a season. 

She is the fifth women's player in NCAA history to hit that figure.

Round 2, Day 1 in the Seattle Region had the biggest tourney shocker in a long time:  No.8 Mississippi, in a game that gave offences a black eye, stunned No.1 seed Stanford on Stanford's home court 54-49. 

Mississippi overcame not making a field goal in the last six minutes (going 0-of-8), by playing tough defence the entire game. Stanford never led at any time. In the last 30 years, only four No.1 seeds had lost before the Sweet Sixteen. 

Stanford star, Cameron Brink came back after missing Stanford's first round blowout win with a stomach bug, played valiantly, scoring 20 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking seven shots, but to no avail. 

Other games in the region went according to form, with the higher seeds winning out.

Round 2, Day 1 in Greenville had no such surprises.  Overall No.1 seed and defending champion South Carolina rolled to its 40th straight win behind Aliyah Boston's 81st career double-double, despite a slow start. 

South Carolina is now four wins from a second straight national title and a second consecutive undefeated season. 

In one other notable game, Angel Reese dismantled Michigan on both ends of the court with 25 points, 24 rebounds, six blocks and three steals in leading Louisiana State's win.

Round 2, Day 2 in the Seattle Region saw No.6 Louisville in a 73-51 rout over No.4 Texas on Texas' home court.  Louisville was again led by star guard Hailey Van Lith with 21 points.  Louisville now goes to the Sweet Sixteen for the sixth consecutive year. 

Connecticut swamped Baylor 77-58 and will now go to its 29th consecutive Sweet Sixteen. 

Colorado downed Duke to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 20 years. The Buffalos were led by 193cm post player, Quay Miller, a transfer from the U. of Washington, who had 17 points and 14 rebounds.  Miller lived and went to high school in the Seattle suburbs, about a kilometre from where I live.

Round 2, Day 2 in the Greenville Region saw another big upset as No.9 Miami upended No.1 seed Indiana, who played at home, 70-68, on a short shot in the lane with three seconds left. Form held in the rest of the games with the higher seeds winning out.

Sweet Sixteen games for the women will be played in Seattle and Greenville, South Carolina, with the Regional Semifinals on Friday and Saturday, the Regional Finals on Sunday and Monday.