UConn gets Auriemma’s 999th victory
TOP 25/SEC WOMEN NO. 1 CONNECTICUT 103, DePAUL 69
CHICAGO — Katie Lou Samuelson scored 20 points, Crystal Dangerfield had 18 and No. 1 UConn gave Coach Geno Auriemma his 999th victory with a 103-69 rout of DePaul on Friday night.
Auriemma is on the verge of joining fellow Hall of Famers Pat Summitt and Tara Van-Derveer as the only Division I women’s basketball coaches to reach the 1,000-win mark after the Huskies (8-0) had their way with the Blue Demons (6-3).
Samuelson led six players in double figures, and UConn set a season high for points. Dangerfield was 6 of 7 from three-point range.
Napheesa Collier had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Azura Stevens scored 16 points, Kia Nurse added 13, and Gabby Williams scored 11 to go with 10 rebounds and 7 assists.
Amarah Coleman scored 16 points for DePaul.
All but one of UConn’s victories has been by 18 points or more. The Huskies rallied from 11 down in the fourth quarter to beat No. 3 Notre Dame by nine on Sunday. But they put this one away in the early going, overwhelming DePaul with their athleticism.
UConn led 61-38 at halftime after shooting 60 percent. Samuelson scored 14 through the first two quarters, and Dangerfield nailed 4 threes in a 12-point half. Stevens (12), Collier (11) and Nurse (10) also reached double digits.
Whether they were hitting from the perimeter or going hard at the rim, the Huskies had their way against DePaul’s zone.
In other Top 25/SEC women’s games Friday, Loryn Goodwin had 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, to help Oklahoma State (7-2) to a convincing 87-72 victory over No. 7 UCLA (7-2). Kaylee Jensen had 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Braxtin Miller also scored 19 for Oklahoma State. … Blair Watson had 3 three-pointers and 11 points in the first quarter and finished with 19 points to lead No. 15 Maryland (9-2) to an 80-54 victory over George Washington (3-7), the Terrapins seventh consecutive victory. … Cierra Porter and Sophie Cunningham posted double-doubles and No. 17 Missouri (8-1) made 9 of 10 free throws in the final 63 seconds to hold off Saint Louis (4-7) 70-58. Porter hit 11 of 13 free throws and scored 23 with 18 rebounds, while Cunningham chipped in 15 points and 10 boards for the Tigers. … Rosemarie Julien scored 23 points, including a clutch three-point play and two late free throws, and Florida Gulf Coast defeated No. 20 Kentucky 70-64. The Eagles (9-2) used a 9-0 run to close the second quarter to lead 35-26 at the half and pushed the margin to 14 in the third quarter against the second-highest ranked team ever to visit the school. Taylor Murray led Kentucky (8-2) with 19 points.
TOP 25 MEN NO. 16 ARIZONA STATE 82, ST. JOHN’S 70
LOS ANGELES — Romello White scored 22 points and No. 16 Arizona State held off St. John’s 82-70 on Friday night in the opener of the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic tripleheader at Staples Center.
Shannon Evans II added 18 points for the Sun Devils (8-0), off to their best start since 1980-81.
St. John’s rallied from a 13-point deficit early in the second half to trail 71-70 on a layup by Shamorie Ponds after he stole the ball from White.
After Remy Martin missed a layup for the Sun Devils, Bryan Trimble Jr. threw the ball away near the Red Storm’s bench and they never got any closer.
Kodi Justice hit a three-pointer for Arizona State, launching a game-ending 11-0 run. The Sun Devils made 23 of 27 free throws in the game, including their last eight in a row.
Ponds scored 19 points, Marvin Clark II added 18 points and Tariq Owens had 17 points for the Red Storm (8-2), who had their three-game winning streak ended.
ASU made 9 three-pointers, with Vitaliy Shibel, Evans and Justice hitting three each. Shibel, who fouled out, was 3 of 17 from long range coming in.
St. John’s led 19-18 when the Sun Devils closed the first half on a 28-15 run to lead 46-34. Justice scored 10 points, including 2 three-pointers, and Evans added 7 in the spurt.
OKLAHOMA 85, NO. 25 SOUTHERN CAL 83
Trae Young had 29 points and nine assists for Oklahoma in the Hall of Fame Basketball Classic tripleheader.
Young, a freshman who leads the nation in scoring, topped 28 points for the sixth consecutive game.
Christian James added 19 points, tying his career-high with 5 three-pointers, and Brady Manek had 15 points for the Sooners (7-1), who won their fifth in a row.
Elijah Stewart led five players in double figures with 23 points for the Trojans (4-3), who never led in losing their third consecutive. Chimezie Metu had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Oklahoma missed its last four free throw attempts, including two by Young.