No. 16 Arkansas runs by Gardner-Webb

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Connor Vanover scored 19 points and helped lead a big run that ended the first half to send No. 16 Arkansas over Gardner-Webb 86-69 on Saturday.

Vanover had eight points during a 27-5 burst. The Razorbacks (2-0) turned a six-point deficit into a 16-point halftime lead.

JD Notae had nine of his 18 points during the run. Vanover also had seven points while playing just 17 minutes.

Vanover, a 7-foot-3 center, was a starter for most of last year, but didn’t play in Arkansas’ final three games as the Razorbacks made the Elite Eight. He also didn’t play in Arkansas’ season opener against Mercer.

Coach Eric Musselman wanted to give him another chance and said after the game that Vanover has re-earned his spot in the rotation.

“He practiced hard every day. He had great body language the night he didn’t play. He’s in the rotation now,” Musselman said. “There’s going to be some nights defensively where we’ve got to figure stuff out. We’re going to keep working with Connor because I feel like we’re going to need him this year.”

NO. 21 MARYLAND 68 VERMONT 57

Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell each scored 22 points, and the host Terrapins rallied to beat the Catamounts.

Ben Shungu scored a careerhigh 27 points and Isaiah Powell added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Catamounts (1-1), who have not defeated a Big Ten team since 1977.

Maryland is off to a 3-0 start for the eighth consecutive season after allowing just eight points in the final 8:57.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and that last 10 minutes was as good as one of my teams has ever played defensively,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. “I’ve had a lot of good defensive teams, and that was something else.”

The Terrapins trailed by nine in the first half and 39-32 early in the second before Ian Martinez’s 3-pointer finished a 12-2 run that gave them the lead for good with 12:48 left.

Maryland struggled to fully put away Vermont until late. Ayala and Russell combined for nine points during a 10-0 run in the final minutes to push the lead to 13.

Shungu scored 20 points in the first half, including a pair of 3pointers in the final minute to give the Catamounts a 36-32 lead at the break.

“He got going in the first half,” Ayala said. “I came in at halftime and was telling the guys, ‘If we stop him, we win the game.’ He had most of their points in the first half and I think he got tired. In the second half, we were wearing him down.”

NO. 24 CONNECTICUT 89 COPPIN ST. 54

Adama Sanogo kept up his sharp shooting, tying his career high with 20 points as Huskies defeated the Eagles at Hartford, Conn.

R.J. Cole added 16 points and Tyrese Martin 15 for the Huskies (2-0).

Sanogo made 10 of 13 shots and had nine rebounds. The sophomore forward is shooting 19 for 24 this season.

Alex Rojas, playing his first game for Coppin State (0-4), had nine points for the Eagles.

Women

NO. 11 MICHIGAN 82

ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN 46

Naz Hillmon scored 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting and the Wolverines rolled to a win at home.

The Wolverines (2-0) raised the banner from last season’s Sweet 16 trip and then Hillmon got the game rolling with a pair of layups in the first 45 seconds.

Michigan led 21-4 on Hillmon’s layup with just under four minutes to play in the first quarter.

Freshman Laila Phelia scored a season-high 11 points for the Wolverines, Maddie Nolan had 10 and Emily Kiser had 12 rebounds to go with nine points.

The Wolverines had a 47-30 rebounding advantage and forced 22 turnovers.

Fruzsina Horvath scored 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting for St. Francis (0-2).