Bueckers injured in UConn's win over Notre Dame
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn won its rivalry game against Notre Dame but may have lost last year's national player of the year to a knee injury in the process.
Paige Bueckers scored 22 points before going down with just seconds left in No. 2 UConn's 73-54 victory over No. 24 Notre Dame on Sunday.
Bueckers, who is averaging a little more than 20 points per game, was dribbling up the court in the final minute of this one when she stumbled, twisting her ankle and coming down awkwardly on her left leg. She went to the floor a few seconds later and had to be carried off the court.
Coach Geno Auriemma said she injured her left knee but did not appear to twist it. He said the extent of the injury won't be known until scans are completed on Monday.
“The initial report is, she might have hyperextended it,” Auriemma said. “But I think the first thing that goes through your mind is the worst thing.”
Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Huskies (5-1), who dominated underneath, outrebounding Notre Dame 45-32 and outscored the Fighting Irish 28-16 in the paint.
UConn freshman Caroline Ducharme scored a season-best 14 points and Aaliyah Edwards chipped in with 10.
Freshman Sonia Citron, coming off a 29-point game against Michigan State, scored 19 points for Notre Dame (7-2), which had its final lead at 10-9 in the first quarter.
The Huskies led by 10 points at halftime and by 12 early in the second half. But Notre Dame used a 6-2 run to cut the lead to 51-44 headed into the fourth quarter.
The Huskies took over from there. A 3-pointer from Bueckers made it 56-44 and UConn scored the first 13 points of the final quarter to put the game away.
“We played competitively for three quarters," Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said. “And in the fourth quarter they ran away with it. I think it's a credit to UConn. They are a really great team. Unfortunately, we got outrebounded and I thought that was the difference.”
UConn fell behind early, before going on a 7-0 run to take the lead for good. The Huskies ended the first quarter leading 16-12.
A 3-point play by NelsonOdoda after an offensive rebound gave UConn a 28-23 lead and sparked a run that saw the Huskies score 10 of the final 12 points in the half.
A long pass from Bueckers to Christyn Williams, who laid the ball in just before the buzzer, sent the Huskies into halftime leading 35-25.
UConn had 14 of its 18 second-chance points in the first half, while holding the Irish to just four during the game.
“We definitely celebrated the win, but we were definitely more concerned about Paige and just how she was feeling and her status right now,” Nelson-Ododa said. “You know, we're praying for the best and praying for good news and just kind of waiting for the outcome.”
Auriemma was asked why Bueckers was on the floor in the final minute of what turned out to be a 19-point win. He said there is no good explanation for that.
“She never wants to come out,” he said. “She's a pain in the (behind) to have on the bench, ‘cause all she does is complain about why she's not playing and we've made a concerted effort in the last three or four games to get her some rest during the game.”
NO. 8 MARYLAND 74, RUTGERS 59
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Angel Reese scored 18 points to lead No. 8 Maryland over Rutgers 74-59 on Sunday.
Katie Benzan added 15 points, Chloe Bibby had 14 and Ashley Owusu 12 for Maryland (7-2, 1-0 Big Ten).
Shug Dickson scored 18 points for Rutgers (4-6, 0-1), which has lost five straight. Lasha Petree had 11 and Tyia Singleton and Osh Brown each each had 10.
Brown's layup midway through the fourth quarter brought Rutgers within 56-52. The Terrapins scored the next seven points to stay in control.
Sayawni Lassiter responded with a straightaway 3 for Rutgers, but Maryland managed the clock in the final four minutes. The Terrapins began to methodically bring the ball up the court, forcing the Scarlet Knights into fouling.
Mimi Collins, Reese, and Benzan each made two free throws in the final 3:47.
The Terrapins led 38-23 at the end of a first half in which they never trailed. Bibby opened the game with a layup 13 seconds into the first quarter, and Maryland extended its lead 26-16 on Reese's layup two minutes into the second quarter.
NO. 11 TENNESSEE'S 64, VIRGINIA TECH 58
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Sara Puckett scored 15 points off the bench and led a decisive scoring run in the fourth quarter as No. 11 Tennessee defeated Virginia Tech 64-58 on Sunday.
Tennessee trailed 55-48 with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before going on a 12-0 run to build a 60-55 lead with two minutes left. Puckett scored six consecutive points in the run and Jordan Horston finished it off with the last four.
Tennessee overcame a 30-point game by Virginia Tech's Aisha Sheppard, who made six of her first nine 3-point attempts as Virginia Tech took a 42-39 lead into the fourth quarter. Sheppard finished 7 of 16 from 3-point distance.
Both teams' scoring leaders were held in check. Horston, who averages 17.7 points and 10 rebounds, scored nine points on 3-for-13 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. The Hokies' Elizabeth Kitley (19.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg) scored four points on 1-for12 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.
Jordan Walker made all four of her 3-point tries and led Tennessee with 17 points. Tamari Key had 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Georgia Amoore scored 12 points for the Hokies.
The Lady Vols improved to 8-0 for the first time under thirdyear coach Kellie Harper.
NO. 12 MICHIGAN 93, AKRON 54
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Emily Kiser scored a season-high 19 points and Naz Hillmon added 18 points and five assists as the No. 12 Michigan women steamrolled Akron in the first half and cruised to a 93-54 win Sunday afternoon.
The Wolverines (8-1) returned home for the first time in nearly two weeks and rebounded from their first loss of the season, 70-48 to No. 10 Louisville in the Big Ten/ACC challenge.
Michigan opened the game on a 25-4 run through the first quarter, held a 55-21 lead at the half and 74-28 to start the fourth quarter.
Kiser was 8 of 12 from the field and Hillmon 7 of 9 the Wolverines shot 33 of 51 (65%) and 21 of 26 from the line and collected 22 assists on 33 made baskets. The Wolverines dominated the boards by a 35-17 margin. Michelle Sidor added 12 points, Laila Phelia contributed 11 and Leigha Brown chipped in 10 points off the bench.
Layne Ferrell scored 13 points to lead Akron (3-3) and was the lone Zips shooter to reach double digits. Akron shot 21 of 54 (39 %) from the field, including 6 of 20 (30%) from 3-point range.
LOUISVILLE 80, BELMONT 66
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Hailey Van Lith has had some struggles early this season for Louisville, but she believes she's hitting her stride now.
The sophomore guard considered one of the country's best players scored 16 points for the No. 10 Cardinals, who beat Belmont 80-66 on Sunday.
That was the most she's scored since dropping 19 in the season-opening loss to Arizona. Even as the Cardinals (7-1) have rebounded from that loss, Van Lith struggled to find her offense, entering Sunday shooting just 34.8% and averaging 9.4 points per game.
She had arguably her best game of the season. After missing her first two shots, she finished making 7 of 15.
Patience, she said, has been the key.
“I tried not to get freaking out, too over my head, ‘cause it is a young season, and I trust myself and I trust my skills. … So, we're ready to roll from here on out, and my team can rely on me a little bit more now that I've got my flow back,” she said.