WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: TOP 25 ROUNDUP S. Carolina opens with win over NC State
No. 1 South Carolina 66, No. 5 NC State 57: Zia Cooke scored 17 points and South Carolina never trailed in its win over host North Carolina State on Tuesday night, earning an impressive road win in a marquee season-opening matchup of Final Four contenders.
The Gamecocks scored the first six points and offered a composed response any time the Wolfpack tried to make a move. Cooke paced an offensive team effort that shot 49%, while preseason Associated Press All-American Aliyah Boston controlled the paint and helped shut down Elissa Cunane – N.C. State’s star and the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year.
Raina Perez and Jakia Brown-Turner were the only Wolfpack players to find any type of offensive rhythm, each finishing with 18 points.
No. 4 Maryland 97, Longwood 67: ;Angel Reese had 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead host Maryland to a victory over Longwood in both teams’ opener.
The Terrapins return all five starters from a season ago, although one of them, guard Diamond Miller, missed this game with knee soreness. Maryland still had five players in double figures.
Freshman Shyanne Sellers scored 17 points and Ashley Owusu and Mimi Collins had 16 apiece.
Kyla McMakin scored 22 points for Longwood.
No. 9 Iowa 93, New Hampshire 50: Caitlin Clark had 26 points and Monika Czinano added 14 points as host Iowa opened the season with a win over New Hampshire.
Clark and Czinano were 1-2 in the nation in field goals last season, and both began this season with strong offensive performances.
McKenna Warnock had 12 points and Tomi Taiwo added 10 for the Hawkeyes.
No. 11 Michigan 67, IUPUI 62 (OT): Naz Hillmon scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, Leigha Brown added 18 points and host Michigan held off IUPUI for an overtime win.
Hillmon, the concensus Big Ten player of the year last season, scored five points in a 7-0 run to open the extra period and Michigan held on from there.
Rachel McLimore had 21 points, Macee Williams added 17 and Anna Mortag scored 10 for IUPUI.
No. 12 Iowa State 65, Omaha 38: Lexi Donarski scored 18 points, making six 3-pointers, Ashley Joens added 15 points and host Iowa State beat Omaha in a season opener for both teams.
Donarski, the Big 12 freshman of the year last season, was 6 of 12 from distance and Joens, who led the conference and ranked fifth nationally with 24.2 points per game last season, went 3 for 9. Omaha didn’t make its first 3pointer until early in the fourth and finished 2 for 10.
Mariah Murdie led Omaha with 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
No. 13 Kentucky 81, Presbyterian 53: Dre’una Edwards scored 20 points, Treasure Hunt added 18 off the bench and host Kentucky overcame a slow start to defeat Presbyterian.
The Blue Hose led 25-15 after one quarter, hitting 9 of 11 shots, but Kentucky’s preseason All-American Rhyne Howard it a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put the Wildcats on top 38-37 at halftime.
Howard finished with 15 points. Presbyterian was led by Trinity Johnson with 11 points.
No. 16 Florida State 78, North Florida 50: Bianca Jackson scored 13 points, freshman Makayla Timpson added 10 in her collegiate debut and host Florida State beat North Florida.
Morgan Jones added eight points, 10 rebounds and four assists and Valencia Myers had nine points and eight rebounds for Florida State.
Tiffany Tolbert, Jazz Bond and Rhetta Moore each scored 10 points for North Florida.
No. 17
Georgia
Tech 74,
Central
Michigan 40: Digna Strautmane and Derea Hermosa combined for 37 points on 17-of-20 shooting and visiting Georgia Tech rolled over Central Michigan.
Strautmane, a fifth-year player who transferred from Syracuse, was 8-of-10 with two 3-pointers for 19 points and Hermosa went 8 of 10 for 18.
Jahari Smith scored 14 Central Michigan, which 25.5% (12 of 47).
No. 22 Arizona 87, Cal-State Northridge 44: Cate Reese and Aaronette Vonleh both scored 14 points and host Arizona coasted over Cal State Northridge.
Sam Thomas added 13 points for the Wildcats, who lost to Pac-12 Conference rival Stanford in the NCAA championship game last season. The Wildcats are the first team to make the Final Four after missing the previous 10-plus NCAA Tournaments. points for shot just
Jordyn Jackson and Kayanna Spriggs each had nine points for Northridge.
No. 24 Virginia Tech 76, Davidson 57: Aisha Sheppard hit 7-of-10 3-pointers and scored 25 points to lead host Virginia Tech to a win over Davidson in the season opener for both teams.
Purdue transfer Kayana Taylor added 18 points for the Hokies, who have won 61 straight nonconference home games and eight straight season openers.
Adelaide Fuller paced the Wildcats with 15 points.
No. 25 Texas 131, New Orleans 36: Kydall Hunter hit seven 3-pointers in her collegiate debut and host Texas went on to rout New Orleans.
Aliyah Matharu added 18 points, Joanne Allen-Taylor had 15, DeYona Gaston 12 and Latasha Lattimore 11 for the Longhorns.
Brianna Ellis led New Orleans with 19 points.