No. 1 South Carolina holds off Gonzaga
No. 1 South Carolina 79, No. 21 Gonzaga 72: Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 23 points and Zia Cooke added 16 to help South Carolina (3-0) top Gonzaga (0-1) on Sunday in the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, S.D. It was the second straight game that the Gamecocks faced a tough challenge from their opponent.
Henderson earned tournament MVP honors as she scored 19 points and had nine rebounds in the opening round win over South Dakota. Against Gonzaga, Henderson was scoreless in the first half before going 6 for 12 in the third and fourth quarters. She was 10 for 13 from the free throw line over that span.
No. 5 Louisville 101, Eastern Kentucky 58: Hailey Van Lith scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to host Louisville (2-0) to a victory in its home opener over Eastern Kentucky (0-2).
The Cardinals used a 16-2 run to start the second quarter, take a 35-14 lead with 5:17 left in the half and put the game away. They would lead by as much as 4016 in the half.
Van Lith, a McDonald’s High School All-American last season, lived up to expectations in her home debut. She made 7-of-13 shots, including five 3-pointers.
Senior guard Dana Evans also scored 20.
A preseason All-American, Evans made just 7-of-16 shots Sunday, but added seven assists.
No. 6 Mississippi State 88, Jackson State 58: Preseason All-SEC player Rickea Jackson was one of four Mississippi State (1-0) players to score in double figures as the host Bulldogs opened up the Nikki McCray-Penson era with a victory over Jackson State (0-1).
The Bulldogs played the Tigers in a game that was scheduled late in the week unexpectedly.
They were slated to play in the Women’s Hall of Fame Challenge in Connecticut before participant UConn shut down team activities for two weeks due to COVID-19 concerns.
No. 7 Arizona 76, Northern Arizona 63: Cate Reese scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Aari McDonald added18 points and host Arizona opened its season with a victory over Northern Arizona (0-2).
McDonald, a preseason AP All-America selection, scored in double figures for a 67th straight game, which is the nation’s longest active streak. She made just 6 of17 of her shots but finished with eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals. The Wildcats struggled from long range, missing their first seven 3pointers before McDonald knocked one down late in the third quarter.
No. 8 N.C. State 108, North Carolina Central 70: Elissa Cunane’s 17 points led six players in double figures for host North Carolina State (2-0) in a rout of North Carolina Central (1-1).
The Wolfpack shot 68.3% from the field in a final tune-up before a game at top-ranked South Carolina. Cunane made all six of her shots.
Jakia Brown-Turner, Raina Perez and Kayla Jones all scored 15 points.
No. 11 Kentucky 70, Belmont 50: Dre’una Edwards scored a career-high 27 points, matched her career best with 15 rebounds and host Kentucky (2-0) pulled away for a win over Belmont (0-1).
Edwards, the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year at Utah two seasons ago, was 11-of-19 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers and had three steals and an assist.
No. 12 Maryland 115, No. 14 Arkansas 96: Katie Benzan scored a careerhigh 28 points, drained eight 3-pointers, led five Terrapins (2-1) into doublefigure scoring and Maryland roared past Arkansas (2-1) in Fort Myers, Fla., for its highest-scoring defeat of a ranked opponent.
No. 20 Ohio State 82, Duquesne 47: Jacy Sheldon scored 20 points, Dorka Juhasz had a double-double and host Ohio State overwhelmed Duquesne in the season opener for both teams.
No. 22 Notre Dame 88, Miami (Ohio) 68: Destinee Walker scored 24 points, Maddy Westbeld added 19 plus nine rebounds and host Notre Dame (1-1) gave new head coach Niele Ivey her first victory, 88-68 over Miami (Ohio).
No. 23 Syracuse 50, Stony Brook 39: Tiana Mangakahia’s return from a battle with breast cancer was impressive as she had 16 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists to lead Syracuse (1-0) past Stony Brook (1-0).
Wake Forest 68, No. 24 Missouri State 59: Ivana Raca scored 10 of her 23 points in the third quarter when Wake Forest (2-1) pulled away and went on to beat Missouri State (2-1).