Duke and North Carolina will meet in women’s basketball for the third time this season, but this time, a lot more is on the line. The No. 2 Blue Devils (28-7) and

Duke started the day with a vintage defensive performance, as the second-seeded Blue Devils stifled third-seeded North Carolina. After that, No. 1 seed South Carolina continued its title defense as the Gamecocks came back to hold off upset-minded Maryland .

The defending national champion Gamecocks went back-and-forth with Maryland all game before finally doing enough in the final few minutes to put it away.

Experts Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai have revealed their picks for Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 Women's NCAA Tournament on Friday

While some people may decry the lack of upsets in the first two rounds of the men’s NCAA Tournament, the result is a Sweet 16 filled with the best teams in the country. All four No. 1 seeds are still alive, and there’s plenty of talent on the rosters who are trying to upset them en route to the Elite Eight.

In a foul-ridden game, No. 1 Duke survived a Caleb Love-inspired Arizona rally in the second half to oust the No. 4 Wildcats and advance to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite 8.

All four No. 1 seeds have advanced this far, and two will take the court Friday as defending champion South Carolina and UCLA, the No. 1 overall seed, seek a spot in the Elite Eight. The Bruins will face Ole Miss, one of three 5-seeds to reach the Sweet 16, in the final game of the night.