The women’s NCAA tournament promises plenty more excitement with the Sweet 16.
The No. 4 Gonzaga Bulldogs attempt to knock off the No. 1 Texas Longhorns in a regional semifinal game.
The Longhorns breezed past No. 16 Drexel 82-42 to start the tournament and then flexed their defense to beat No. 8 Alabama 65-54. Freshman forward Madison Booker has made her impact right away. She averages 16.8 points per game and had a season-high 14 assists in the first-round matchup. The next game, junior forward Aaliyah Moore stepped into the spotlight despite dealing with knee injuries and had 21 points and six rebounds.
The Bulldogs have also looked strong throughout their first two games. They ousted No. 13 UC Irvine 75-56 and No. 5 Utah 77-66. West Coast Conference Player of the Year Yvonne Ejim is averaging 19.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per outing. She is averaging 21 points and 13.5 boards across the tournament matchups so far. Gonzaga is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015.
Here’s what to know about Friday’s Sweet 16 matchup.
Women’s March Madness Sweet 16: Schedule, picks feature usual suspects
Texas vs. Gonzaga predictions
USA TODAY Sports: Gonzaga
USA TODAY Sports experts Nancy Armour and Lindsay Schnell both picked Gonzaga to upset Texas.
Austin American-Statesman: Texas
Texas beat reporter Danny Davis writes: “The Longhorns looked like a No. 1 seed over the first two rounds of the tournament, and that won’t change Friday. But expect Gonzaga, which has beaten Stanford this season, to keep this one close.”
ESPN: Texas holds significant edge in model
ESPN Analytics give Texas a 77.9% chance to advance to the Elite Eight. The same model gives Gonzaga a 22.1% chance to pull off the upset.
More: Women’s NCAA Tournament teams joining men’s counterparts in Sweet 16 of March Madness
Texas vs. Gonzaga: Odds, spread and lines for March Madness
Texas is the favorite to defeat Gonzaga in Friday’s March Madness matchup, according to the BetMGM college basketball odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering sports betting promos in 2024.
Odds as of Thursday.
How to watch Texas vs. Gonzaga: TV, streaming and schedule
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When: Friday, March 29
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Time: 10 p.m. ET
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Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
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Cable TV: ESPN
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Streaming: ESPN+
How to watch NCAA women’s basketball March Madness 2024
All games will be broadcast across ESPN’s family of channels. Here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices.
How to watch March Madness: Watch all tournament games with a subscription to fuboTV
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas vs. Gonzaga: Predictions, picks, odds
