UConn tops Providence, Auriemma hits milestone
No. 3 UConn 87, Providence 50: Freshman Paige Bueckers scored 23 points and host UConn (7-0, 6-0 Big East) overcame a sluggish start to rout Providence (5-7, 3-4) on Saturday and give coach Geno Auriemma his 1,098th win, tying the late Tennessee coach Pat Summitt for the second most wins in Division I women’s basketball history.
Aubrey Griffin added a season-high 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds off the bench for the Huskies.
Kyra Spiwak and Alyssa Geary each had 10 points to lead Providence. Mary Baskerville, the Friars’ leading scorer at 14 points per game, spent much of the game in foul trouble and finished with eight points.
West Virginia 92, No. 17 Texas 58: Kysre Gondrezick scored 14 of her 24 points in the first half and West Virginia (8-2, 2-2 Big 12) routed visiting Texas (8-2, 2-1), snapping the Longhorns’ five-game win streak.
Gondrezick posted on her Twitter account on Friday that her father, 57year-old Grant Gondrezick, had died. He played at Pepperdine in the mid-80’s and spent two seasons in the
NBA with the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers.
No. 18 South Florida 80, Houston 51: Maria Alvarez scored a career-high 23 points with six 3-pointers and Bethy Mununga scored 12 with 14 rebounds and South Florida (9-1, 6-0 American Athletic Conference) blitzed Houston (5-4, 2-3).
Crump scored 16 and Julia Blackshell-Fair 10 for Houston.
No. 21 Gonzaga 75, Portland 43: Senior Jenn Wirth scored 21 points, twin sister LeeAnne added 12 and host Gonzaga (10-2, 5-0 West Coast) rolled to a win over Portland (6-4, 3-1).
The Bulldogs were never challenged after scoring the first 11 points of the game, cruising to their eighth-straight win this season and 22nd-straight at home. Alex Fowler scored 11 points for the Pilots, who shocked the Bulldogs in their last meeting.
No. 22 Northwestern 77, Iowa 67: Jordan Hamilton scored 19 points, Veronica Burton had 18 points and seven assists, and Northwestern (6-2, 4-2 Big Ten) beat visiting Iowa (8-1, 4-1).
Monika Czinano scored a careerhigh 28 points to go with a season-high 12 rebounds for Iowa.