South Carolina routs Arkansas
NO. 9 SOUTH CAROLINA 90, ARKANSAS 42
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A’ja Wilson had 27 points, 13 rebounds and 7 blocks in her return to the starting lineup to power No. 9 South Carolina to a 90-42 victory over Arkansas on Thursday night.
The Gamecocks (17-3, 6-2 SEC) looked quick, powerful and eager to end things in a hurry with the 6-foot-5 senior Wilson back in the middle at the start for the first time since spraining her right ankle against Auburn on Jan. 11.
For a while, it looked like the Gamecocks might score at will against overmatched Arkansas (11-10, 2-6). South Carolina led 25-6 after one quarter and 44-12 at the break as it gradually increased the lead throughout for its most lopsided SEC victory since defeating Alabama 93-45 on New Year’s Day 2017.
Alexis Jennings had her fifth double-double this year with 22 points on 9-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds.
Malica Monk had 12 points off 6-of-20 shooting to lead the Razorbacks, who’ve lost six of their past seven games.
In other Top 25/SEC women’s games Thursday, Teaira McCowan scored 23 points, Victoria Vivians added 17 and No. 2 Mississippi State (21-0, 7-0 SEC) earned its best start to a season in program history with a 90-53 victory over Florida (10-11, 2-6). … Kristy Wallace scored a career-high 27 points, big posts Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox both had double-doubles and No. 3 Baylor (18-1, 8-0) won its 15th consecutive game by overwhelming No. 6 Texas (15-4, 6-2) 81-56 in a matchup of the Big 12’s top two teams. … Myisha Hines-Allen had 26 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 4 Louisville (21-1, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) bounce back from its only loss of the season by beating Miami (14-7, 4-4) 84-74. … Jessica Shepard scored 28 points and No. 5 Notre Dame (19-2, 7-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference) routed Pittsburgh (9-12, 1-7) 87-53. At 6-foot-4, Shepard is three inches taller than every Pitt regular and she used her height and reach to go over and around the Panthers. … Rennia Davis matched a career high with 18 points and Jaime Nared had a double-double as No. 10 Tennessee (17-3, 5-2 SEC) pulled away down the stretch for a 75-66 victory over Mississippi (11-9, 1-6). … Iowa’s Megan Gustafson scored 29 points, winning a shootout with Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell, and the Hawkeyes (16-5, 4-4 Big Ten) ended a three-game losing streak with a 103-89 victory over the No. 12 Buckeyes (16-5, 5-3), who have now lost three consecutive. … Caliya Robinson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and No. 21 Georgia (18-2, 6-1 SEC) celebrated its return to the Top 25 by beating No. 11 Missouri (17-3, 5-2) 62-50. … Kaila Charles scored 17 points and Brianna Fraser scored 9 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter to help No. 14 Maryland (18-3, 7-1 Big Ten Conference) hold off Northwestern (9-13, 2-6) 68-65. … Lexie Brown tied a school record with 14 points in the first quarter when she joined an exclusive club and finished with 19 points to lead No. 18 Duke (16-5, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) to a 75-50 victory over Boston College (6-14, 1-6).