Final Four bound: Michigan men smash Tennessee to punch ticket; UConn and UCLA women secure their spots

By Kevin Dotson, Wayne Sterling, CNN

(CNN) — The men’s Final Four will be set after a pair of regional finals, while the first two women’s teams to reach the Final Four will be decided in a quartet of scintillating March Madness matchups.

Michigan demolishes Tennessee, puts the rest of the field on notice

The final set of men’s Elite Eight games started with an intriguing matchup in the Midwest Region between No. 6 seed Tennessee – making its third straight Elite Eight appearance – and top-seeded Michigan, which has looked indestructible so far in the tournament.

The game was very evenly matched in the early minutes, with two talented, physical squads testing each other for weaknesses as the Wolverines and Volunteers traded the lead back-and-forth.

But at the midway point of the first half, Michigan caught fire and went on a 21-0 run that put Big Blue firmly in control as a two-point deficit became a commanding 19-point lead and Tennessee went on a 5:43 scoring drought.

As usual, star forward Yaxel Lendeborg was leading the way for the Wolverines with the standout basket of the scoring run on an acrobatic reverse lay-up. By the time halftime arrived, Michigan had grown their lead to 22 points at 48-26.

After the intermission, the Wolverines showed no signs of letting up. Michigan continued to turn the screws on the Volunteers, running up the score and in the process sending a message to the remaining teams that Big Blue will be a force to be reckoned with at the Final Four in Indianapolis.

With the 95-62 win, Michigan becomes the first team ever to win its first four games of the NCAA tournament by double digits while scoring 90+ points in each game. All-American senior Lendeborg had a game-high 27 points as he propelled Michigan to their first Final Four since 2018.

The Wolverines’ triumph sets up a mouth-watering matchup Saturday against the Arizona Wildcats, the top seed from the West Region.

Men’s Elite Eight games on Sunday

• Michigan 95, Tennessee 62
• No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Duke, 5:05 p.m. ET, CBS

UConn March Madness dominance continues

The overall No. 1 and defending national champion UConn secured the school’s third consecutive Final Four appearance and 25th overall. The Huskies comfortably dispatched No. 6 Notre Dame 70-52 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

With the victory, the Huskies extend their remarkable winning streak to 54 games and improve their all-time Elite Eight record to 25-5.

UConn sophomore sensation Sarah Strong anchored the team’s effort, pouring in 21 points, including 15 in the second half, while adding seven rebounds, five steals and three blocks.

Next up for UConn: a Friday night semifinal showdown against either No. 1 South Carolina or No. 3 TCU.

Notre Dame star junior guard Hannah Hidalgo turned in a gritty performance in the defeat, finishing with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds.

UCLA rallies past Duke in the 2nd half to reach Final Four

In the second women’s Elite Eight game of the day, No. 1 UCLA Bruins had their hands full with the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils in Sacramento, California.

Duke played exceptional basketball in the first half, boosted by senior guard Taina Mair, who led the team with 21 points in the game. The Blue Devils led the half nearly wire-to-wire and enjoyed a 39-31 advantage at the intermission.

But the Bruins came out of the locker room swinging in the second half. UCLA held Duke to just eight points in the third quarter, allowing the Big Ten champs to finish the quarter with a lead.

UCLA continued to smother Duke in the fourth quarter as the Bruins extended their lead and ultimately punched their ticket to Phoenix with a 70-58 win.

All-American center Lauren Betts was key to UCLA’s dominance. The senior had a game-high 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.

The Bruins now await the winner of Monday’s Elite Eight showdown between No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 seed Michigan.

Women’s Elite Eight games on Sunday

• UConn 70, Notre Dame 52
• UCLA 70, Duke 58

The women’s Final Four field will be finalized Monday night following these two Elite Eight matchups:

• No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 1 Texas, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
• No. 3 TCU vs. No. 1 South Carolina, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

The road to the title runs through the desert, where the women’s national semifinals tip off Friday at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.

The week of championship energy culminates with the national title game next Sunday.

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