Associated Press
The women’s roundup …
EAST LANSING, Mich. ó Joanne P. McCallie was welcomed warmly by former neighbors when she arrived at Duke’s hotel.
The reception in Michigan State’s arena Sunday was different.
When McCallie was introduced before her top-seeded Blue Devils played Austin Peay, boos easily outnumbered cheers.
Fans of the school McCallie left behind didn’t have much to jeer the rest of the afternoon because Duke was dominant in an 83-42 win over the Lady Govs in the first round.
“The mixed reception was fine,” McCallie insisted. “We’re just focused on getting better.”
The NCAA sent Coach P to Michigan State, where she coached from 2000-07, and set up a possible second-round matchup with her former employer.
Now, Duke (27-5) will play the ninth-seeded Spartans (21-10) Tuesday night on their home court.
“I think she’s excited,” Blue Devils forward Carrem Gay said. “She gets to play her old team.”
Old acquaintances tried to make McCallie feel at home again in the Breslin Center, reaching over a water cooler to shake her hands during warmups. McCallie acknowledged one green-and-white clad fan, then stood up and walked away from the bench as others approached.
“I was just trying to focus,” she said. “After the game, it’s easy to talk to people and shake hands. Before the game, it’s not what I wanted to do.”
Maryland 82, Dartmouth 53
COLLEGE PARK, Md. ó Maryland’s opening game in the NCAA tournament can best be summed up by the halftime score: Kristi Toliver 23, Dartmouth 23.
Toliver finished with 27 points on 11-for-14 shooting, and the third-ranked Terrapins extended their winning streak to 13 with an 82-53 victory Sunday.
Top-seeded Maryland (29-4) will next face Utah on Tuesday.
Utah 60, Villanova 30
COLLEGE PARK, Md. ó Kalee Whipple and Utah extended their stay with some dominating defense.Whipple contributed 15 points and eight rebounds, all the while guarding Villanova star Laura Kurz.
Connecticut 104, Vermont 65
STORRS, Conn. ó Tina Charles scored 32 points and Renee Montgomery added 19 ó all in the first half ó to help top-seed Connecticut rout No. 16 seed Vermont 104-65 on Sunday in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
The Huskies (34-0) entered the NCAAs unbeaten for the fourth time in school history. UConn went on to win the national championship in 1995 and 2002. In 1996-97, the Huskies lost to Tennessee in the regional final.
UConn, which is seeking its sixth national title, will face either Florida in the second round Tuesday night.
Florida 70, Temple, 57
STORRS, Conn. ó Florida matched a school record for victories in a season on Sunday. Breaking that record will be a much bigger challenge.
Sha Brooks scored 18 points and the eighth-seeded Gators (24-7) beat Temple 70-57.
Minnesota 79, Notre Dame 71
SOUTH BEND, Ind. ó Notre Dame’s home-court advantage was no match for Minnesota’s fast start and strong finish.
The Gophers started the game by making 11 of 13 shots and opened a 14-point first-half lead, then held off Notre Dame.