Women’s March Madness Day 3: Second-round scores, analysis

The second spherical of the 2026 girls’s NCAA event is underway as groups look to advance within the bracket.

We’re monitoring how each group received Sunday, reserving their tickets to the Sweet 16.

Here is ESPN’s information to all of the Day 3 outcomes, with analysis from reporters of how every recreation was received, and our specialists’ takes on every winner’s probabilities to advance.

How North Carolina received: The Tar Heels’ win was a real survive-and-advance affair. Far from a creative success, North Carolina’s win was constructed on aggressive driving to the rim, opportunistic capturing and bodily protection. A pair of sophomores led the best way. Elina Aarnisalo scored 21 factors and Lanie Grant had 20; the 2 mixed to attain or help on 51 of North Carolina’s 74 factors. But the largest shot of the sport got here from freshman Nyla Brooks. His 3-pointer with 1:43 left pushed the result in 68-62 and out of attain for a Maryland group that struggled for the whole recreation to make pictures. The Terps made simply 3 of 23 3-point makes an attempt and can remorse a 17-of-31 efficiency on the free throw line. Maryland shot 32.4% from the sphere.

Playing of their final recreation in Maryland uniform, Saylor Poffenbarger and Yarden Garzon mixed to shoot 3-of-23 from the sphere and 0-of-16 from 3-point vary.

How the Tar Heels can advance to the Elite Eight: Back within the Sweet 16 for the second 12 months in row, the Tar Heels may have lots to enhance upon if their first journey to the Elite Eight since 2008 is feasible. They allowed 21 Maryland offensive rebounds and turned over the ball 16 occasions. North Carolina will be unable to depend on UConn or Syracuse lacking the type of open pictures Maryland did.

One factor that labored: reversing the technique of capturing 40 3-pointers within the first spherical towards Western Illinois. North Carolina launched 11 3s towards Maryland, making 4, and as a substitute routinely took the ball to the basket, scoring 44 factors within the paint. Moving the ball higher and getting extra open appears to be like from the perimeter will probably be an space to deal with. — Charlie Creme