No. 2 UConn women dominate No. 1 Notre Dame Kuzma, James shine as Lakers rout Suns for 3rd straight win
SOUTH BEND, Indiana, Dec 3, (AP): Freshman Christyn Williams scored a careerhigh 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting and No. 2 Connecticut never lost the lead after the 6:36 mark of the first quarter in dominating No. 1 Notre Dame 89-71 on Sunday.
All-American Katie Lou Samuelson, who was held scoreless by the Irish in the first half, had 15 points, including a three-point play that gave Geno Auriemma’s Huskies a 74-64 lead with 6:08 to play. The Huskies’ biggest lead was 19 points late.
Napheesa Collier added 16 points with 15 rebounds. Crystal Dangerfield scored 13 points and Megan Walker had 12 as the Huskies (7-0) ended a 28-game winning streak at home by Muffet McGraw’s Irish, who beat UConn 91-89 in overtime in last season’s NCAA semifinals on way to their second national championship. In its last 100 games at home, Notre Dame is 97-3 – with all the losses coming against the Huskies.
Jackie Young, who scored 32 against the Huskies last March, led the Irish with 18 points.
Oregon 110, Long Beach State 48 In Eugene, Oregon, Erin Boley scored 24 points, Sabrina Ionescu set a school record with 17 assists and Oregon rolled past Long Beach State.
Ruthy Hebard added 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Ducks (7-0), and Maite Cazorla and Satou Sabally each had 18 points. After missing nine of its first 11 3-point attempts, Oregon finished 13 of 29 from beyond the arc as Boley and Cazorla each made four.
Ionescu exited with about four minutes to play with 12 points and six rebounds, four shy of her 13th triple-double. She shares the overall NCAA record of 12 with BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth.
Baylor 94, South Carolina 69 In Columbia, South Carolina, Kalani Brown had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead Baylor.
The Gamecocks (4-4) couldn’t account for the size of the Lady Bears (7-0) and it quickly became a mismatch.
Baylor made seven of its first 10 shots to jump out to a 16-3 lead. The Lady Bears scored 32 points in the first quarter – tied for the most ever against the Gamecocks. Baylor ended the first half leading 57-35, scoring the most points South Carolina has ever given up in a first half.
Chloe Jackson had 19 points and seven assists and Juicy Landrum was 3 for 4 on 3s to finish with 15 points for the Lady Bears.
Louisville 107, Tennessee State 52
In Louisville, Kentucky, Asia Durr scored 19 points, Dana Evans added 17 and Louisville used several runs over the final three quarters to blow out Tennessee State.
The winless Tigers (0-9) trailed only 29-25 early in the second quarter. Louisville (8-0) quickly turned up the defense as Sam Fuehring forced the first of six turnovers leading to 12 points during a 14-2 run over 3:16 that provided a 43-27 lead with 3:34 remaining before the half. Louisville led 49-31 at the break.
Louisville then scored the first 16 points during a 37-point third quarter to roll to season highs in points and victory margin.
Mississippi State 67, Texas 49
In Austin, Texas, Jazzmun Holmes scored 17 points, and Mississippi State beat Texas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
The Bulldogs entered the marquee matchup of powerhouse programs coming off a series of early season routs. The result against Texas turned out to be more of the same: The Bulldogs were in complete control, even if the score wasn’t quite so out of hand.
Mississippi State (8-0) led by 17 at halftime, stretched it to 24 in the third quarter and was never really threatened.
Maryland 92, UMBC 61
In College Park, Maryland, Stephanie Jones scored 17 points and freshman Shakira Austin added 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead Maryland.
Sara Vujacic finished with 13 points for Maryland, which led 58-30 at the break. Kaila Charles and Taylor Mikesell had 11 points apiece.
The Terrapins shot 55 percent (34 for 62) from the field, including 7 of 14 from beyond the arc. Every player on the Terrapins roster scored at least a point.
Maryland (8-0) entered the game leading the nation in rebounds (51) and rebounding margin (19.3). That trend continued as the Terrapins out-rebounded the Retrievers 44-28.
Gonzaga 79, Stanford 73
In Spokane, Washington, Chandler Smith scored 20 points, including two late free throws, as Gonzaga beat Stanford.
Katie Campbell and Jill Townsend scored 15 points each for Gonzaga (8-1), which won for the second time in 10 games against Stanford. The Bulldogs’ only loss this season is to No. 1 Notre Dame.
Kiana Williams scored 18 for Stanford (6-1), which was enjoying its best start in six seasons. All six Stanford wins this season were by at least 22 points.
Stanford was hurt by woefully shooting in the first three quarters, as the Zags outshot them 54 percent to 43 percent in the game. Gonzaga also out-rebounded the Cardinal 38-24.
Tennessee 76, Oklahoma State 63 In Stillwater, Oklahoma, Evina Westbrook scored a career-high 29 points on 12-for-15 shooting and Tennessee handed Oklahoma State its first loss in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Westerbrook, who made all eight of her shots for 16 points, and Braxtin Miller, who had 22 for the Cowgirls, put on a show in the first half. There were 10 ties and three lead changes with Oklahoma State (6-1) holding a 43-40 lead.
Tennessee (6-0) controlled the third quarter, scoring the first eight points and then following that with an 11-1 run. It was 61-49 entering the fourth quarter.
Syracuse 98, Towson 55 In Syracuse, New York, Miranda Drummond and Tiana Mangakahia had double-doubles and Syracuse rolled past Towson.
Digna Strautmane led the Orange (7-2) with 19 points. Drummond had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Mangakahia 13 points and 12 assists. Gabrielle Cooper and reserve Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi each added 15 points.
Kionna Jeter had 19 points for the Tigers (3-4), who last played Syracuse in 1977. North Carolina St 85, Old Dominion 56 In Raleigh, North Carolina, Grace Hunter had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Aislinn Konig hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 points and North Carolina State rolled past Old Dominion.
Reserve Armaini Hawkins matched Konig, who went 4 of 5 on 3s to run her consecutive game streak with at least one to 41. The Wolfpack (8-0) are off to their best start since opening 14-0 in 1999-00.
Iowa 92, Robert Morris 63 In Iowa City, Iowa, Megan Gustafson scored 32 points with 12 rebounds and Iowa rolled past Robert Morris.
Gustafson, who came in shooting 75 percent, made 13 of 15 shots against the Colonials (1-6) and hit all six of her free throws while posting her 61st double-double.
Hannah Stewart scored 16 points with nine boards as the senior pair, who combine for over 36 points per game, dominated down low with the Hawkeyes (5-2) owning points in the paint 56-20. Makenzie Meyer added 12 points as Iowa shot 64 percent. California 67, Cal State Northridge 42 In Berkeley, California, Kristine Anigwe scored 26 points – including California’s first 12 – to lead the Lady Bears.
Anigwe became the third player in Cal basketball history – male or female – to reach 2,000 career points and the 20th in Pac-12 women’s basketball history. She joins Collen Galloway (1978-81, 2,320 points) and Ashley Walker (2006-09, 2,142) on the list. Anigwe also grabbed 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double in as many games, and 48th overall.
Arizona St 70, Tulsa 52 In Tempe, Arizona, Kianna Ibis scored 14 points and Courtney Ekmark and Robbi Ryan each scored 12 and Arizona State won the Sun Devils’ annual ASU Classic.
The Sun Devils (5-2) led 36-29 at halftime and took further control in the third quarter limiting Tulsa (5-4) to 4-of-14 shooting. Ibis hit a pair of jump shots and Ryan and Ekmark each added baskets in an 8-0 run to start the third and ASU cruised from there.
Minnesota 67, Air Force 50 In Minneapolis, Kenisha Bell scored 27 points and Destiny Pitts added 16 to lead Minnesota.
Pitts had seven points in a late 16-0 run that kept the Golden Gophers (7-0) under first-year coach and former star player Lindsay Whalen.
Miami 73, Colorado 58 In Coral Gables, Florida, Laura Cornelius hit four 3-pointers and scored a career-high 26 points, Beatrice Mompremier added 15 as Miami handed Colorado its first loss.
Cornelius hit a jumper in the final minute of the first half to give the Hurricanes (7-2) at 31-29 lead.
The Buffaloes (6-1) took a one-point lead early in the third quarter before Cornelius hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 10-0 run that proved to be the separation Miami needed.
Marquette 85, Michigan 74 In Milwaukee, Erika Davenport scored 21 points and Allazia Blockton had 18 points, five rebounds and five assists to help Marquette beat Michigan.
Davenport shot 9 for 11 and grabbed eight rebounds and Blockton hit 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Amani Wilborn and Danielle King scored 12 points apiece and Natasha Hiedeman had 11 points, seven assists, three steals and two blocks for Marquette (6-1).
Hiedeman hit back-to-back 3s – the first of which gave the Golden Eagles the lead for good at 13-12 – during a 16-2 run that made it 24-14 with three minutes left in the first quarter.
Hillmon, Priscilla Smeenge and Nicole Munger had 12 points apiece for Michigan and Hallie Thome scored 11.
Iowa State 91, Arkansas 82 In Ames, Iowa, Bridget Carleton scored 24 points to move into Iowa State’s top 10, Kristin Scott added a career-high 21 and the Cyclones turned back Arkansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Iowa State (6-1) led by 14 points late in the third quarter but a 7-0 run by the Razorbacks (5-2) cut the lead to 85-82 with 3:02 to play.