UConn makes it 25 straight Sweet 16s

Napheesa Collier scored 23 points and top-seeded UConn beat in-state neighbor Quinnipiac 71-46 on Monday night to advance to a 25th straight Sweet 16.

The Huskies (34-0) opened with a 9-2 run and never trailed.

Jen Fay had 12 points to lead the ninth-seeded Bobcats (28-6), who saw their school-record 23-game winning streak snapped.

Quinnipiac got plenty of open looks, but hit just four of 24 shots from 3-point range.

Also in the Albany Regional

NO. 11 BUFFALO 86, NO. 3 FLORIDA STATE 65 >> Cierra Dillard scored 22 points and the Bulls advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.

The Bulls (29-5), who were one of the last four to earn an at-large berth in the 64-team field, shot 47.4 percent from the field and went 24 of 26 from the line. NO. 5 DUKE 66, NO. 4 GEORGIA 40 >> Leaonna Odom scored 16 points and the Blue Devils’ defense was dominant, holding the Bulldogs to two second-quarter points on 1-of-19 shooting.

Lexie Brown and Erin Mathias each had 14 points for Duke (24-8), which will play UConn on Saturday.

SPOKANE REGIONAL

NO. 11 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 95, NO. 3 OHIO STATE 78 >> Presley Hudson scored 28 points and the Chippewas earned the school’s first ever trip to the Sweet 16.

Central Michigan (30-4) won its first tournament game ever in a first-round upset of No. 6 Louisiana State, and now faces No. 2 Oregon on Saturday.

All-American guard Kelsey Mitchell ended her storied career as the second-leading scorer in NCAA history, passing Jackie Stiles and finishing with 3,402 points

KANSAS CITY REGIONAL

NO. 1 MISSISSIPPI STATE 71, OKLAHOMA STATE 56 >> Victoria Vivians scored 23 points and Teaira McCowan added 21 points and 18 rebounds as the Bulldogs (34-1) held on to reach the Sweet 16.

Oklahoma State (2111) was hurt when starting guard Loryn Goodwin picked up her fourth foul with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter.

NO. 3 UCLA 86, NO. 11 CREIGHTON 64 >>Jordin Canada scored 21 points and Japreece Dean added 16 points as the Bruins (26-7) reaches the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year and will face Texas on Friday.

NO. 2 TEXAS 85, NO. 7 ARIZONA STATE 65 >> Lashann Higgs scored 19 points and Brooke McCarty scored 15 as Texas booked its fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16.

Kianna Ibis scored 27 to lead Arizona State (22-13).