UConn gets unexpected test from Golden Hurricane

Geno Auriemma watched top-ranked UConn beat Tulsa by 18 points on Thursday night, then called his team's effort the most disgraceful he's seen in the 32 years he has been coaching Connecticut.

The final score didn't matter to Auriemma, who watched the Golden Hurricane cut the deficit to 10 points in the final quarter, before the Huskies closed the game on an 8-0 run to win 78-60.

"(Tulsa) made shots, they were able to take the ball where they wanted to take it," Auriemma said. "We won because we have AllAmericans and they don't."

Azura Stevens came off the bench to score 22 points to lead UConn (17-0, 6-0 American Athletic Conference), but drew her coach's ire for allowing easy baskets on defense.

Napheesa Collier had 19 points and Kia Nurse added 17 for the Huskies, who have never lost in the American Athletic Conference. UConn has won 76 straight regular-season games and all four conference tournaments.

Shug Dickson had 17 points and Erica Wakefield scored 13 to lead Tulsa (8-11, 2-4), which had lost its previous seven games to the Huskies by an average of just under 49 points.

No. 5 Notre Dame rallies against No. 6 Tennessee

Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points, and No. 5 Notre Dame completed its largest-ever comeback to beat No. 6 Tennessee 84-70 on Thursday night in South Bend, Indiana.

The Irish (17-2) trailed by 23 points early in the second quarter but rallied with an aggressive defense that forced 28 Tennessee turnovers, 15 in the second half.

No. 15 Duke defeats Virginia Tech

Haley Gorecki scored a career-high 28 points, Lexie Brown added 23 to surpass 1,000 for her career and No. 15 Duke defeated Virginia Tech 86-75 on Thursday night.

Gorecki made 7 of 10 3-pointers while Brown reached 1,000 points in 53 games, the second-fastest in history for the Blue Devils (15-4, 4-2 ACC), who won their fourth straight. Brown has 1,013 points with Duke and 1,841 for her career, which includes two seasons at Maryland.

Taylor Emery had 30 points, going 6 of 8 from 3-point range, to lead the Hokies (13-6, 2-4).

No. 10 South Carolina downs Vandy

Alexis Jennings scored a season-high 27 points and 10th-ranked South Carolina beat Vanderbilt 95-82 Thursday night despite the banged-up Gamecocks' injury list growing longer.

The Gamecocks (15-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) again played without two-time SEC player of the year A'ja Wilson, who has a sprained right ankle, and minus her backup Mikiah Herbert-Harrigan, out with a bone bruise in her left knee. No. 2 Louisville rips Pitt

Once Myisha Hines-Allen and No. 2 Louisville recognized how they were being guarded, the rest came easy.

Hines-Allen got 13 points and a career-high 18 rebounds as the Cardinals stayed undefeated, beating Pittsburgh 77-51 Thursday night for their NCAA-leading 20th win of the season. MEN’S BASKETBALL

No. 2 Virgina rolls past Georgia Tech

De’Andre Hunter scored 17 points and No. 2 Virginia won its ninth straight game, 64-48 over Georgia Tech on Thursday night.

It was another defensive masterpiece by the Cavaliers (17-1, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who limited Georgia Tech to 40.5 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers.

Virginia snapped a fourgame winning streak for the Yellow Jackets (10-8, 3-2).