UConn routs Butler, Auriemma passes Summitt with 1,099th win
STORRS, CONN. » UConn coach Geno Auriemma says he would rather still be coaching against the late Pat Summitt than moving past her on the all-time wins list.
The Huskies routed Butler 103-35 on Tuesday, giving Auriemma his 1,099th win. The victory leaves him just behind Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer (1,105) and gives him one more than his former rival, Summitt, who died in 2016 at the age of 64. It comes just two days before the Huskies visit Knoxville to take on the Lady Vols.
“I wish she were still coaching and I wish I had to work a lot harder to catch her,” Auriemma said. “It’s ironic that it plays out the way it played out, because to be honest with you, I didn’t think I’d be coaching long enough to be in this position.”
Olivia Nelson-Ododa led a balanced attack with
18 points for the Huskies, who were playing for the first time in 10 days. Christyn Williams and Aubrey Griffin, who made her first start, each scored 17 points for unbeaten UConn (8-0,
7-0 Big East).
Tennessee transfer Evina Wesbrook chipped in with 14 points and freshman Paige Bueckers had 13 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals.
Okako Adika scored 18 points for Butler (1-9, 1-8), despite spending most of the game in foul trouble, and Genesis Parker added
15 points.
The Huskies led 25-15 after a quarter, and used a stifling defense to hold Butler to just 20 points the rest of the game.
(23) SYRACUSE 88, NORTH CAROLINA 76 » Kiara Lewis scored 10 of her 23 points in the fourth quarter and freshman Tiana Mangakahia had 19 points and 13 assists in a come-from-behind win for Syracuse (7-1,
4-1 ACC) over North Carolina (7-5, 2-5).
Men
FLORIDA 75, (6) TENNESEE
49 » Noah Locke scored
14 points, Tyree Appleby added 13 and short-handed Florida (7-4, 4-3 SEC) stunned Tennessee (10-2,
4-2).
Tre Mann chipped in 12 points for the Gators, who got unexpected help from several bench guys to offset being without three of their best four players. Guard Scottie Lewis (COVID-19 protocols) and forward Colin Castleton (ankle) missed the game.
But forward Omar Payne, starting for the first time in nearly a year, finished with nine points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots for Florida. Seldom-used subs Jason Jitoboh, Osayi Osifo, Niels Lane and Ques Glover also delivered quality minutes against the SEC’s top team.
PURDUE (15) 67, OHIO STATE 65 »
Jaden Ivey scored 15 points and made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 5 seconds remaining, and Purdue (11-5, 6-3 Big Ten) rallied to beat Ohio State
(11-4, 5-4).
Trevion Williams scored
16 points for the surging Boilermakers, who have won four straight, three of them on the road. Sasha Stefanovic also had 15 points.
Purdue led for less than three minutes overall and rallied from six points down in the final 3 ½ minutes. Ivey scored eight points during the decisive stretch.
(7) MICHIGAN 87, MARYLAND
63 » Mike Smith made three early 3-pointers as Michigan (12-1, 7-1 Big Ten) raced to a 17-3 lead, and the Wolverines had little difficulty beating Maryland (8-7, 2-6).
Michigan made its first five 3s — Isaiah Livers had the other two — in an opening flurry that put the Wolverines in immediate control. Michigan led 42-25 at
halftime and stretched its advantage to as many as 25 points in the second.
(19) MISSOURI 81, SOUTH CAROLINA 70 » Jeremiah Tilmon had 19 points and
10 rebounds in another efficient performance, and Missouri (9-2, 3-2 SEC) beat South Carolina (3-4,
1-2).
Tilmon, who came in shooting an SEC-leading
74% from the floor, improved on that mark by going 8 of 11. Missouri had its best shooting performance overall at 58.3%. SYRACUSE 83, MIAMI 57 » Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard each scored a season-high 23 points to lead Syracuse (8-4, 2-3 ACC) to a rout of Miami (6-7, 2-6).
Bonner-Prendergast AllDelco Isaiah Wong scored
16 points and Anthony Walker had 13 for Miami.