Ohio State women to face Notre Dame in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 21: Guard Kaety L'amoreaux (4) of the Fairfield Stags loses there ball as guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defends during a first round game of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Jerome Schottenstein Center on March 21, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jay LaPrete/NCAA Photos/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images In game one of two NCAA Tournament matchups hosted in Columbus, No. 3 Ohio State women’s basketball defeated the Bison 75-54 behind a stifling defensive performance that held Howard to 33.

9% shooting. That put the Buckeyes into the Second Round for the fourth season in a row. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side did not have to wait long to find out its next opponent when the No.

6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish took on the No. 11 Fairfield Stags. Notre Dame led from the opening tip in a 79-60 victory over the MAAC champions.

Fairfield, a side built on strong three-point shooting and team basketball, struggled to hit shots from beyond the arc in the first half, going 2-for-11 from the field. By the time Fairfield hit 4-for-7 in the third quarter, the Notre Dame lead was still at 19 points because the Stags defense could not stop the Fighting Irish consistently. Notre Dame’s defense closed down shooters and forced 19 turnovers, over the Stags 13 turnovers per game average headed into Saturday.