Williams has record night, leads top-seeded Stanford in easy win

Kiana Williams scored 20 points while becoming Stanford’s career leader in made 3-pointers, and six teammates also hit from long range as the top-seeded Cardinal overwhelmed women’s NCAA Tournament firsttimer Utah Valley 87-44 in an Alamo Region opener Sunday night.

Stanford never trailed after Williams, who made 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, hit a 3 for the first basket in the opening minute and tied the school mark of 295 held by Candice Wiggins. Playing in her hometown of San Antonio and with her parents in the stands, Williams set the record with her second 3 midway through the first quarter to put the Cardinal up 18-3.

Pac-12 champion Stanford (26-2) is the No. 1 overall seed for the first time since 1996.

Josie Williams had 18 points to lead Utah Valley (13-7). OKLAHOMA STATE 84, WAKE FOREST 61 » Natasha Mack scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Alamo Region’s eighth-seeded Cowboys (19-8) past the No. 9-seeded Demon Deacons (12-13).

Hemisfair Region

SOUTH CAROLINA 79, MERCER 53 » Coach Dawn Staley got her 500th career victory when the top-seeded Gamecocks (23-4) beat the No. 16 seed Bears (19-7).

Aliyah Boston had 20 points and 18 rebounds for South Carolina, which grabbed the lead for good when it closed the first half with a 16-5 run. Victaria Saxton also scored 20 points.

Staley is 328-102 in her 13 seasons at South Carolina, after going 172-80 in eight seasons at Temple. OREGON STATE 83, FLORIDA STATE 59 » Aleah Goodman scored 24 points with five rebounds, five assists and zero turnovers, Taylor Jones added 18 points and eight boards, and the No. 8-seed Beavers (12-7) beat the ninthseeded Seminoles (10-9), who are exiting after the first round for the first time in their last 17 appearances. also going to miss the second-round game against Syracuse on Tuesday.

BAYLOR 101, JACKSON STATE 52 » Moon Ursin scored 24 points, NaLyssa Smith had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and the second-seeded Bears (26-2) routed the No. 15-seeded Tigers (19-6).

SYRACUSE 72, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 55» Emily Engstler scored 18 points and the No. 8-seeded Orange (15-8) pulled away from the ninth-seeded Jackrabbits (21-4).

IOWA 87, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 72 » Caitlin Clark finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Monika Czinano also scored 23 points, and the No. 5 seed Hawkeyes (19-9) beat the 12th-seeded Chippewas (18-9).

KENTUCKY 71, IDAHO STATE 63 » Rhyne Howard and Chasity Patterson scored 14 points apiece and the No. 4-seeded Wildcats (18-8) topped the 13th-seeded Bengals (22-4).

MICHIGAN 87, FLORIDA GULF COAST 66 » Leigha Brown scored 28 points, including 17 straight at one point, and the sixth-seeded Wolverines (15-5) beat the 11th-seed Eagles (26-3). who snapped a’ 25-game winning streak.

TENNESSEE 87, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 62» Rennia Davis scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and the No. 3 seed Lady Vols (17-7) downed the 14th-seeded Blue Raiders (17-8).

VIRGINIA TECH 70, MARQUETTE 63 » Elizabeth Kitley had 23 points and the No. 7 seed Hokies (15-9) built a big lead and held on for a win over the 10th-seeded Golden Eagles (19-7).

Mercado Region

N.C. STATE 79, N.C. A&T 58 (14-2) » Jada Boyd scored 15 of her 18 points in the second half to help the top-seeded Wolfpack (21-2) shake off an early six-point deficit and coast to victory over the No.16-seeded Aggies (14-3) SOUTH FLORIDA 57, WASHINGTON STATE 53 » Elena Tsineke scored 18 points, including the go-ahead basket with 1:32 remaining, to help the eighth-seeded Bulls (19-3) defeat the ninth-seeded Cougars (12-12).

Life Is Good, whose injury Saturday knocked the Kentucky Derby favorite off the Triple Crown trail, has a small chip in his left hind ankle and will undergo surgery at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Kentucky on Friday,

Santa Anita broadcaster Millie Ball reported during the track’s simulcast handicapping show Sunday.

Trainer Bob Baffert, asked by Mike Willman of the Thoroughbred L.A. radio show if Life Is Good could be back in time for the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6, said, “He’ll be ready for that, definitely.”

Royals sign Perez to $82 million deal

The Kansas City Royals have given six-time AllStar catcher Salvador Pérez the richest contract in club history, a four-year, $82 million deal that begins in 2022. The contract includes a club option worth an additional $13.5 million and has a $2 million buyout for 2026.

The deal surpasses the four-year, $72 million contract the Royals gave to outfielder Alex Gordon in 2016.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto returned to camp Sunday after sitting out with COVID-19, but when he might be able to play again is still uncertain.

The 37-year-old Votto left camp after a positive test on March 10 and has been isolated since. After being cleared by Major League Baseball, he was back at the Reds’ spring training, but he will stay on the injured list until he’s in game shape again.

Jets, Rankins agree on 2-year contract

The New York Jets reached an agreement with