No. 1 Gamecocks slow down, romp
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA 75, CLEMSON 46
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Dawn Staley saw a South Carolina offense she didn’t recognize in the opening half against Clemson. Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke made sure the final 20 minutes were little more to their coach’s liking.
Henderson scored 16 points off 3 three-pointers and Cooke added 13 points as the top-ranked Gamecocks pulled away in the second half for their 11th consecutive win over rival Clemson 75-46 on Wednesday night.
“We were faster than we needed to play. We played too fast that we couldn’t read the floor,” Staley said. “It was some real ugly play.”
Staley, in her 14th season with the Gamecocks (3-0), made sure her players got that message at halftime.
Did Staley yell at the break? “Nooo,” All-America Aliyah Boston said in a sing-songy voice. However, her players got the point and started the third quarter on an 18-6 run to lead 45-23 that Clemson could not dent.
Cooke had a jumper and two three-pointers in the surge.
“I think we just have to remain confident, [play] within ourselves,” Cooke said. “Moving the ball, having fun with each other.”
South Carolina hit just seven field goals the first 20 minutes to lead 27-17. Cooke played only six minutes in the opening half as she picked up two quick fouls. But she lit things up after the break.
South Carolina has dominated the Tigers (1-2), winning almost all by lopsided scores with the closest coming the last time they played here, 69-57, in Nov. 2018.
Gabby Elliott had 11 points to lead the Tigers, who fell to 2-16 all-time against No. 1 ranked opponents.
NO. 8 IOWA 87, SOUTHERN 67
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Caitlin Clark had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her second career triple-double, McKenna Warnock had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 8 Iowa beat Southern.
Monika Czinano added 16 points and seven rebounds, and Tomi Taiwo scored 12 for the Hawkeyes (4-0). Czinano, who led the nation in field-goal percentage last season, was 6 of 8 from the floor despite going scoreless in the first quarter.
Clark, a sophomore guard who was an Associated Press preseason All-American, struggled with her shooting, going just 2 of 9 overall, 1 of 6 on three-pointers. But she was 11 of 12 on free throws.
Genovea Johnson led Southern (0-3) with 19 points. Kayla Watson had 12 points and Nakia Kincey had 10.
NO. 10 LOUISVILLE 62, TENNESSEE-MARTIN 30
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Emily Engstler scored 18 of her 20 points in the first half, Kianna Smith added 10 and Louisville cruised past Tennessee-Martin.
Louisville also shot 7 of 13 on three-pointers, including two by Smith, and finished at 44% from the floor. Olivia Cochran had six points and six rebounds, and Liz Dixon and Ramani Parker added six points each for Louisville (2-1).
Paige Pipkin had 12 points on 5-of9 shooting for UT Martin (2-2), which shot just 28% and had its two-game winning streak stopped.
NO. 12 TEXAS 88, SE MISSOURI STATE 47
AUSTIN, Texas — Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 13 points, Lauren Ebo had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Texas beat Southeast Missouri State.
Rori Harmon, Aliyah Matharu, and DeYona Gaston each scored 11 points for Texas (3-0).
Jaliyah Green scored 12 points and Taelour Pruitt added 10 for SE Missouri State (1-2)
Ebo started a 14-0 run in the first quarter and Allen-Taylor scored the final four points as Texas led 18-4. Allen-Taylor and Harmon combined to score Texas’ final 12 points of the second quarter for a 42-18 lead.
NO. 18 GEORGIA TECH 65, EAST TENNESSEE STATE 42
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Nerea Hermosa scored 10 of her 17 points in the first quarter to lead Georgia Tech.
Lorela Cubaj, fresh off of joining the 1,000 point club in the previous game, had 12 and nine rebounds points. Hermosa finished with 10 rebounds to help the Yellow Jackets (4-0) to a 48-30 rebounding advantage and a difference of 22-8 on points in the paint.
Jaila Roberts scored 11 points for ETSU (1-3). The Buccaneers shot 19% in the second half, 23% for the game. NO. 21 OHIO STATE 94, BOWLING GREEN 63
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Taylor Mikesell and Rebeka Mikulasikova each scored 19 points, the 21st-ranked Ohio State women shot 57% from the floor and outpaced Bowling Green.
Mikulasikova made eight of 13 shots whole Mikesell made four of the Buckeyes eight 3-point shots. Jacy Sheldon added 17 points and Kateri Poole 11 for Ohio State (3-0).
Morgan Sharps came off the bench and got hot late scoring 14 of her 21 points for Bowling Green (1-2) in the final 10:42. Zoe Miller added 12 points. NO. 25 VIRGINIA TECH 85, COPPIN STATE 32
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Aisha Sheppard scored 17 points and Elizabeth Kitley scored 13 with 13 rebounds and No. 25 Virginia Tech overwhelmed Coppin State.
The Hokies (4-0) led 26-4 after the first quarter and 42-12 at halftime. Virginia Tech limited the Eagles (2-2) to 1-for-14 shooting in the first quarter and they missed 23 of 27-shot attempts before halftime.
Kayana Traylor scored 15 points for Virginia Tech shooting 6 for 7 and Georgia Amoore scored 11. Virginia Tech outrebounded Coppin State 55-30.