No. 3 seed Michigan outlasted No. 10 seed South Dakota on Saturday night to advance the first Elite Eight appearance in program history.

Freshman Laila Phelia was the game-changer for Michigan down the stretch, sinking a layup with 23.5 seconds left on the clock to put the Wolverines up 50-48.

From there, Michigan relied on its solid defense to put South Dakota away, defeating the Coyotes 52-49.

Neither team led by more than six points throughout the game, with both sides deploying disciplined game plans. Michigan and South Dakota had to work for their baskets, with the Coyotes shooting 36.5 percent from the floor and the Wolverines shooting 38.5 percent as a team.

Naz Hillmon led Michigan with 17 points and ten rebounds behind 50 percent shooting, while Phelia added 14 points, including her critical late bucket. Leigha Brown also contributed 10 points off the bench for the Wolverines.

Hannah Skerven was dominant for South Dakota, notching 17 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 2:20 left on the clock.

Michigan’s gritty performance earns the team an Elite Eight meeting with No. 1 Louisville on Monday in Wichita, KS.

South Dakota became the latest double-digit seed to upset a national powerhouse in the NCAA Tournament, defeating Baylor 61-47 in the second round on Sunday.

Baylor had been seeking its 12th consecutive Sweet 16 appearance, the fourth-longest streak in NCAA Tournament history. Instead, the Coyotes will advance to their first in school history after also upsetting 7-seed Oregon in the first round for their first tournament win.

South Dakota went 8-for-16 from 3-point range Sunday, compared to Baylor’s 19.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc, to dominate the matchup from beginning to end. The Coyotes also capitalized on points off of turnovers, outscoring the Bears 22-2 in that category.

South Dakota held the Bears scoreless for the first seven minutes of the game and went ahead by as much as 16 in the third quarter. South Dakota coach Dawn Plitzuweit called her squad, which has yet to trail in a game during the tournament, “fearless.”

“I just kept thinking, ‘We’ve just got to kind of hang tight,'” Plitzuweit told reporters after the game. “Been thinking about it a lot the last couple days with the draw that we have, two Power 5s … to now be able to see, ‘OK, maybe it didn’t come right away, but now we have a chance to do something really special.’”

South Dakota center Hannah Sjerven led all scorers with 16 points, four rebounds and four steals. Chloe Lamb and Liv Korngable had 15 and 11 points, respectively. The trio combined for nearly 70 percent of South Dakota’s points in the contest.

“Just doing everything at a very high, 100 percent level, not doing anything half-heartedly,” Korngable said of the effort. “Pulling from coaches and players and each other, that’s a big, big part of our fearlessness and confidence.”

Queen Egbo led Baylor with 13 points and seven rebounds. Top WNBA Draft prospect NaLyssa Smith had 10 points and eight rebounds on 4-for-11 shooting from the field.

The NCAA Tournament is officially underway, and the first-round matchups Friday provided plenty of drama to kick off March Madness.

No. 1 South Carolina charged to a staggering 79-21 win over Howard, holding the Bison to the fewest points ever in a women’s NCAA Tournament game. As the Gamecocks dominated, other top teams wavered, with early upsets shaking up tournament brackets.

No. 10 Creighton stunned No. 7 Colorado, downing the Buffaloes 84-74 in their first-round matchup. Morgan Maly led the Bluejays with 20 points, while Molly Mogensen and Lauren Jensen added 16 points each. Creighton moves on to face No. 2 Iowa in the second round Sunday in Iowa City.

No. 10 South Dakota recorded the first Division I NCAA Tournament win in program history on Friday, defeating No. 7 Ole Miss 75-61. Hannah Sjerven and Chloe Lamb each notched 20 points in the victory, while South Dakota as a team outshot Ole Miss 55.8 to 39 percent. The Coyotes will take on No. 2 Baylor at the Ferrell Center on Sunday.

No. 12 FGCU took down No. 5 Virginia Tech, 84-81, in a tight first-round matchup. Four Eagles players finished in double digits to overcome Elizabeth Kitley’s 42 points for the Hokies, and FGCU gave up just three turnovers to Virginia Tech’s 10. No. 4 Maryland awaits FGCU in College Park on Sunday.

No. 9 Gonzaga rounded out Friday’s series of upsets, bouncing No. 8 Nebraska 68-55 in the first round. Kayleigh Truong led the Bulldogs with 20 points, while Melody Kempton and Yvonne Ejim added 14 points each. Gonzaga outshot Nebraska 46.4 to 32.1 percent and out-rebounded the Cornhuskers 40-33. The Bulldogs will face No. 1 Louisville on Sunday.

The first round of the NCAA Tournament continues Saturday, with second-round action tipping off Sunday.