Bulldogs find bite in win over Gators

GAINSVILLE, Fla. — Jessika Carter scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and No. 14 Mississippi State turned back Florida 68-54 on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs took the lead for good when six different players scored, three of them hitting three-pointers, in a 15-2 run in the first quarter. But the Gators hung around by getting to the foul line while the Bulldogs only shot 44% (23 of 63) from the floor, hitting 5 of 18 behind the arc.

Rickea Jackson added 14 points for Mississippi State (7-2, 2-1 SEC), which has won eight in a row in the series. Carter was 11-of-18 shooting while her teammates combined to go 17 of 45 (38%).

Lavender Briggs scored 23 points for the Gators (7-4, 0-3), who played their third-consecutive Top 15 opponent to open league play. Kiara Smith and Faith Dut added 10 points apiece

The Bulldogs led 19-11 after one quarter and Carter scored 11 points in the second quarter when the lead increased to 36-25.

The lead was still a dozen heading into the fourth quarter when Briggs scored the first five points. She had backto-back buckets to pull Florida within 56-49 with 3:23 to play. But Jackson hit a three-pointer, ending a streak of six Carter points, and Carter scored again before Sidney Cooks iced it with a three-pointer.

Mississippi State was only 5 of 5 from the foul line, four coming in the fourth quarter, while Florida was 12 of 16. The Gators only had five assists and 16 turnovers that were turned into 16 points.

NO. 2 LOUISVILLE 71, VIRGINIA TECH 67

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Dana Evans scored 22 points, including four in the final 1:07, and No. 2 Louisville slipped past Virginia Tech.

Evans hit 11 of 22 shots from the floor and made a critical steal in the waning moments for the Cardinals (9-0, 2-0 ACC), who survived their toughest test of the season. Hailey Van Lith added 15 points, including two free throws with 4.2 seconds left to seal the win.

Aisha Sheppard paced Virginia Tech (6-3, 1-3) with 20 points. The Hokies rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit to take the lead, but couldn’t hold on and lost their third in a row.

NO. 12 MARYLAND 93, NO. 23 MICHIGAN STATE 87

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Ashley Owusu and Chloe Bibby each scored 20 points, Katie Benzan added 19 points and No. 12 Maryland beat No. 23 Michigan State.

Maryland led by as many as 13 points early in the fourth quarter before Michigan State cut it to 83-81 with 1:46 left after a 9-0 run. Bibby answered with a three-point play, and Owusu, Benzan and Bibby combined to make 7 of 8 free throws in the final 48 seconds to seal it.

Diamond Miller scored 14 points and Mimi Collins 13 for Maryland (8-1, 4-0 Big Ten).

Nia Clouden scored a career-high 32 points, reaching the 1,000-point club, for Michigan State (8-1, 3-1).

NO. 15 MICHIGAN 64, NEBRASKA 62

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Naz Hillmon matched her career best with 35 points, Akienreh Johnson added two clutch free throws and No. 15 Michigan held off upset-minded Nebraska.

Hillmon scored 18 points by halftime in something of a one-on-one duel with Nebraska’s top scorer, Sam Haiby, who scored 19 and had the Huskers ahead 35-34 at the break.

But Hillmon scored nine in the third quarter, 17 after halftime and pulled down a career- best 22 rebounds as Michigan turned the one-point gap into a nine-point lead going into the final period.

The Wolverines are off to the program’s best start at 8-0 and rise to 3-0 in Big Ten play and are 5-0 at home. Nebraska (5-4, 3-3) had won its last two, including knocking off then-No. 15 Northwestern.

NO. 16 OHIO STATE 78, ILLINOIS 55

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Jacy Sheldon scored 20 points, Aaliyah Patty added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 16 Ohio State won its first road game of the season.

Sheldon made a career- high four three-pointers, and the Buckeyes (60, 2-0 Big Ten) had a season-high 10 three-pointers on 25 attempts.

Kennedi Myles had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Fighting Illini (2-5, 0-4).

NO. 19 INDIANA 85, PENN STATE 64

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mackenzie Holmes scored 27 points and Ali Patberg added 24 to help No. 19 Indiana beat Penn State.

Indiana (6-3, 4-1 Big Ten), which shot 50.7% from the floor and had 24 assists on 35 field goals, has won seven of the last eight meetings in the series dating to the 2014-15 season. Johnasia Cash had season highs with 19 points and 17 rebounds to lead Penn State (3-5, 0-4).