College Basketball | T25 results | Friday
Top 25 Men No. 5 UConn 76, No. 10 Gonzaga 63
SEATTLE — Donovan Clingan scored 21 points, Cam Spencer had 15 and No. 5 UConn ran away in the second half again, beating No. 10 Gonzaga.
The final nonconference game of the regular season for the defending national champs was another example of why the Huskies could repeat, thumping the Bulldogs in a similar fashion to last season’s Elite Eight.
Clingan controlled the middle. Spencer hit some key 3-pointers during UConn’s big first half, and the Huskies built an 18-point lead in the second half and withstood every run by the Zags.
Clingan hit 8 of 11 shots and grabbed eight rebounds. Alex Karaban added 11 points for UConn (10-1), and Tristen Newton and Hassan Diarra both finished with nine.
Anton Watson led Gonzaga (8-3) with 20 points. Ryan Nembhard added 15, but the rest of Gonzaga’s supporting cast struggled. Leading scorer Graham Ike finished with five points after averaging 14.2 points through the first 10 games. Key bench contributor Braden Huff, averaging 11.7 points, made just one free throw.
Gonzaga was also 2 of 12 on 3-pointers.
Two free throws from Nolan Hickman with 4:04 left got Gonzaga within 68-58, but a dunk from Clingan and a layup off a turnover from Diarra gave the Huskies a 72-58 lead with 3:26 left and sent Gonzaga fans for the exits.
Gonzaga lost for the second time in three games – both in Seattle and both to teams nicknamed the Huskies. Gonzaga lost 78-73 at Washington last Saturday.
Top 25 Women No. 9 Stanford 81, Portland 51
STANFORD — Cameron Brink had 23 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots, and No. 9 Stanford bounced back from its lone defeat this season with a win against Portland.
Brink made 11 of 13 free throws and also dished out four assists. Brooke Demetre added 10 points as Stanford (9-1) returned to the court for its first game after a two-week break for final exams. The Cardinal lost 96-78 at Gonzaga on Dec. 3.
Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer notched her 1,195th career victory to move within eight of passing Mike Krzyzewski’s 1,202 to become the winningest coach in the men’s or women’s college games.
Emme Shearer scored 12 points for Portland (6-6).
No. 12 Ohio State 73, Grand Valley State 49
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jacy Sheldon scored 15 points, Taylor Thierry added 11 and No. 12 Ohio State coasted to the win over Division II Grand Valley State.
Sheldon and Thierry were the only starters to play 20 minutes, both checking in at 21, and 13 Buckeyes saw action in a tuneup for Monday’s home game against No. 2 UCLA.
The Buckeyes (9-1), who have won nine straight, forced 32 turnovers, 22 of them steals, and turned those into 34 points.
Ellie Droste had 17 points for the Lakers (7-1), the second-ranked D-II team.
No. 25 North Carolina 96, Western Carolina 36
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Alyssa Ustby matched her career high with 23 points, helping North Carolina to the runaway victory.
Ustby also had nine rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks. Paulina Parris scored 16 points for the Tar Heels (7-4), and Indya Nivar had 15.
North Carolina had a 50-24 rebounding advantage and turned 24 turnovers into 37 points.
Audrey Meyers had 13 points for the Catamounts (2-9).