Women’s March Madness 2024: Sweet 16 tournament takeaways

Upsets were rare in the opening rounds of the women's NCAA tournament. The Sweet 16 delivered immediately.

Third-seeded Oregon State beat second-seeded Notre Dame in the opening game of the regional semifinals on Friday.

The Beavers advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2018 and the third time in program history. The Irish lost in the Sweet 16 for the third straight tournament.

Oregon State awaits the South Carolina-Indiana winner in Region 1 in Albany.

The Sweet 16 continues Friday with three more games, all on ESPN and the ESPN app.

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Hannah Hidalgo misses start of 2nd quarter due to nose ring removal

Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo misses time in the second quarter to have her nose ring removed.

Can Oregon State's post presence take the Beavers to the Final Four? There were two stories in the game: the Beavers' dominance inside and how they completely eliminated freshman All-American Hannah Hidalgo. Before the game, Oregon State felt good about its chances of taking control of the game with its interior play – mainly because Notre Dame was missing one of its best post players and the Beavers knew the Irish couldn't play as aggressively. so that their team avoids getting into trouble.

The result? Oregon State scored 40 points in the paint as Raegan Beers and Timea Gardiner combined for 32 points and 24 rebounds. The Beavers also dominated Notre Dame 42-24, another huge advantage in the game. When Notre Dame tried to defend better inside – tying the score late – a pair of 3-point baskets helped seal the victory. Oregon State's 60.4% shooting rate from the field was the most Notre Dame has allowed in an NCAA tournament game since at least 1999.

Hidalgo finished with 10 points, going 4 of 17 from the field, and didn't score a point between the first and fourth quarters. She missed more than four minutes in the second quarter after being asked to remove her nose ring, and could never find her rhythm.

There's a lot to clean up for Oregon State, including several stretches where it allowed Notre Dame back into the game when it appeared to be in control. But there's no doubt that coach Scott Rueck can win another game with that type of interior presence and a solid defense.

What this means for Oregon State: Rueck has done a tremendous job rebuilding the program, and now the Beavers are in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2018 with a relatively young team that fought and won everything they got. Waiting, of course, is a potential matchup with South Carolina, if the Gamecocks beat Indiana in their Sweet 16 matchup.

No matter who plays Oregon State, his size and presence inside will be one of the stories to watch as the Beavers showed once again why they have been so effective inside. If it's a Raegan Beers vs. Kamilla Cardoso matchup, even better.

To do this in the Pac-12's final season, with so much uncertainty about what a new West Coast Conference home will look like next season and in the future, has to be even more special. Rueck himself said Thursday that it seemed surreal to think there would be no more Pac-whatever. The Beavers are now one win away from the second Final Four appearance in school history.

What this means for Notre Dame: What the Irish have accomplished this season with a squad depleted by injuries is a testament not only to the work accomplished by Niele Ivey, but also to the endurance and discipline of the six players she had to rely on during this tournament of the NCAA. The Irish won an ACC title and reached a third straight Sweet 16. The good news is that Hidalgo will return to build on what was already a breathtaking debut season. Guard Olivia Miles is expected to return from a knee injury that kept her out for the entire 2023-24 season. Hidalgo and Miles sharing a backcourt together will be fun to watch.

Additionally, Maddy Westbeld has not yet decided if she will return for an additional season. Ivey and the Irish show no signs of slowing down. With Hidalgo back and what should be a healthy team, Notre Dame should once again compete for an ACC title. — Andrea Adelson