SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame junior forward Brianna Turner will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, a major blow to the NCAA Tournament hopes of the top-seeded Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame said Tuesday that Turner tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee Sunday night during a second-round win over Purdue. She leads the team this season with 15.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and also has 86 blocks – sixth-best for a single season in Notre Dame history.

The Fighting Irish (32-3) face fifth-seeded Ohio State (28-6) on Friday night in the Sweet 16 in Lexington, Kentucky.

It’s the eighth straight time Notre Dame has advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, doing so after downing ninth-seeded Purdue in overtime.

“We completely fell apart offensively,” Notre Dame Coach Muffet McGraw said after the close win. “It’s just so different without (Turner) when you’re in the ball screen, because they have to worry about her.”

Turner has been one of the best players for the Fighting Irish for all three of her seasons, starting all but one of her 65 games over her first two years.

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TEXAS A&M: Freshman standout Robert Williams says he is returning for another season in college.

The 6-foot-9 Williams, projected by many to be a lottery pick in June’s NBA draft, averaged 11.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season for the Aggies (16-15).

Williams said the decision will give him “more time to mature and develop my game before moving on to the NBA.”

VCU: Rice Coach Mike Rhoades is returning to VCU to become the Rams’ head coach.

The 44-year-old Rhoades spent five years as an assistant to Shaka Smart at VCU. He replaces Will Wade, who resigned Monday night to take the same position at LSU.

Rhoades told Fox 26 TV in Houston on Tuesday the VCU job is a “dream come true.” VCU has not officially announced the hire, but scheduled a news conference for Wednesday.

Rhoades had a 47-52 record in three seasons with the Owls.

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