No. 9 Tennessee avoids colossal upset
10th-ranked N.C. State dominates Hampton
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Rennia Davis had 24 points and nine rebounds, and No. 9 Tennessee overcame a 20-point, second-half deficit to stay unbeaten with a 65-55 victory over Stetson on Wednesday night.
Evina Westbrook added 20 points and shot 9-for-9 from the foul line to help the Lady Volunteers (7-0) avoid a stunning upset against an Atlantic Sun school whose only win this season came against NAIA program Webber International.
Tennessee trailed 42-22 before Davis’ 3-pointer capped a 22-0 run to give Lady Vols their first lead with 2:43 left in the third quarter. Tennessee, which entered the night shooting 58.9 percent from the line this season, made 13 straight free throws during that 22-0 spurt. Stetson is 1-7. No. 10 N.C. STATE 83, HAMPTON 51: In Raleigh, N.C., NCSU made its season debut in the top 10, and the Wolfpack certainly looked the part.
Kiara Leslie scored a season-high 24 points as N.C. State beat Hampton.
Aislinn Konig added 16 points and Grace Hunter had 12 for the Wolfpack (9-0), and Leslie hit a career-best five 3-pointers. It shot 49 percent, hit 10 3s and built a 41-28 rebounding advantage in its first game as a top-10 team since 2014.
Laren Vanarsdale scored 15 points, Ashley Bates had 14 and Kaylah Lupoe finished with 10 to lead Hampton (3-3), but only two other players scored. The Pirates shot 32 percent, yet closed to 13 points on Lashayla WrightPonder’s long jumper with about 2½ minutes left in the third quarter. No. 14 MINNESOTA 75, INCARNATE WORD
39: In Minneapolis, Destiny Pitts scored 15 points and Minnesota stayed unbeaten, topping Incarnate Word.
Pitts made five 3-pointers, Annalese Lamke added 13 points and Mercedes Staples had 11 for the Gophers (8-0).
Angelica Wiggins, sister of Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Andrew Wiggins, scored 13 for Incarnate Word (0-9). No. 15 SYRACUSE 96, MARYLAND-EASTERN SHORE 51: In Syracuse, N.Y., Digna Strautmane led five players in double figures with 17 points and Syracuse hit a seasonhigh 16 3-pointers to cruise to a win over Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Orange (8-2). Strautmane matched her career-high with five 3s.
No. 16 IOWA 73, IOWA STATE 70: In Iowa City, Iowa, Tania Davis made a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds to go and Iowa held off Iowa State, giving the Hawkeyes three straight wins in the series for the first time in over two decades.
Kathleen Doyle scored 22 points in her first game back from a broken hand for Iowa (6-2), which won 10 in a row from 1982-96. No. 20 DEPAUL 76, NORTHWESTERN 60: In Chicago, Mart’E Grays and reserve Dee Bekelja scored 16 points apiece as DePaul overcame a slow start to beat Northwestern.
Bekelja was 7 of 8 from the field for DePaul (6-3). No. 22 SOUTH CAROLINA 80, APPALACHIAN STATE 50: In Columbia, S.C., Bianca Cuevas-Moore scored 12 points on four 3-pointers, and Alexis Jennings sank all five of her shots for 10 points as South Carolina beat Appalachian State.