South Carolina wins 1 vs. 2 battle

Dawn Staley’s top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks turned up their defense in the fourth quarter to turn away UConn.

Aliyah Boston had 22 points and 15 rebounds and the Gamecocks held the No. 2 Huskies to three points in the final 10 minutes of a 73-57 victory in the championship game of the inaugural Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

“Our players are determined. They are resilient,” said Staley, South Carolina’s Hall of Fame coach. “We knew exactly what we had to do especially on the defensive side of the ball. We had to disrupt. UConn’s a team that’s a well-oiled machine. If you allow them to run their stuff, they’ve made teams look stupid. We had the personnel to disrupt and force them into contested shots.”

This was the 61st meeting between the top two teams in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll and the sixth time it has happened in November. The No. 1 team holds a 38-23 advantage. The last meeting of the top two teams before Monday was between these same squads back in February. UConn was the No. 2 team and won 63-59 in overtime.

The Gamecocks (6-0) wouldn’t let the Huskies (3-1) beat them in the Bahamas, outscoring them 16-3 in the final quarter, setting off a postgame celebration that had South Carolina swaying alongside a Bahamian dance group.

Baseball: The Giants and RHP Anthony DeSclafani agreed to a three-year contract worth $36 million. DeSclafani, 31, went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in a career-high 31 starts last season . ... Five-time All-Star reliever

Doug Jones died. He was 64. The cause of death wasn’t yet known. Jones spent seven seasons with the Indians and ranks third on the club’s career saves list with 129. He also earned All-Star nods with the Astros (1992) and Phillies (1994), and retired following the 2000 season with the A’s.

NFL: The Saints and Taysom Hill agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $40 million if he remains in his current multi-faceted role as backup quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end, ESPN reported. Hill, 31, could earn up to $95 million if he becomes the Saints’ starting QB over the next four years . ... Former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs III received a stern talking-to from a Las Vegas judge but was allowed to remain under house arrest with a continuous alcohol monitor on one ankle and a GPS monitor on the other following a recent fatal crash he’s accused of causing by driving drunk. Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum told Ruggs and his lawyers she was “comfortable with a higher level of monitoring” after a hearing about a delay in Ruggs providing a remote breath alcohol test with a hand-held device Nov. 13.

Soccer: Portuguese authorities raided Porto’s headquarters as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities related to players’ transfers. Porto said in a statement authorities were in its facilities throughout the day gathering material related to the probe. It said authorities were investigating “suspected” irregularities that could include tax fraud and money laundering stemming from financial movements related to transfers. It said it collaborated with authorities during the search and seize operation.