UConn gets No. 82
Geno Auriemma and his Connectictu Huskies are finding new ways to win each game. It seems that a different player steps up every game, and it was Napheesa Collier’s turn Sunday. Collier scored 24 points and No. 2 UConn won its 82nd consecutive game with a 7254 victory over No. 14 Texas.
TOP 25 WOMEN
NO. 2 CONNECTICUT 72, NO. 14 TEXAS 54
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Geno Auriemma and his Connecticut Huskies are finding new ways to win each game.
It seems that a different player steps up every game. It was Napheesa Collier’s turn Sunday.
Collier scored 24 points and No. 2 UConn won its 82nd consecutive game with a 72-54 victory over No. 14 Texas in the annual Jimmy V Classic.
“It’s really hard to pinpoint or put a label on this team,” Auriemma said. “They just seem to do what they need to do. That’s what it appears to me right now. We don’t appear to be a team that imposes their will on the other team like we’ve been doing the last couple years. What do we have to do today? We figure it out and just do it.”
Kia Nurse added 15 points for the Huskies (7-0), who are in the midst of the second-longest winning streak in women’s basketball history, trailing only their 90-game run from 2008-2010.
Next up is top-ranked Notre Dame.
“It’s going to be fun the next couple days preparing,” Auriemma said. “That’s still one of my favorite things to do, prepare for a really good team on the road. … Sometimes more fun than the actual game. I’m looking forward to seeing how as a team, what kind of look the players have these next two days. I think they’ll be pretty excited. It’s the first time in a while you’re going in and someone else is No. 1 in the country.”
UConn led by nine at the half before Texas (2-4) closed to 51-49 with 3:18 left in the third quarter on a three pointer by Brooke McCarty. The Huskies then scored the next 12 points, including the final six of the quarter to get some breathing room. Collier capped the burst with a nifty reverse layup off a rebound that made it 63-49.
Texas couldn’t get within single digits the rest of the way.
McCarty led the Longhorns with 15 points.
The Huskies trailed 17-15 after one quarter but took command in the second behind Nurse. She scored the first seven points of the quarter to give UConn a 22-17 advantage. Texas (2-4) got within 26-24 before the Huskies closed the half on a 13-6 spurt. Collier had the final seven points of that burst as UConn led 39-30 at the half.
Texas lost second-leading scorer Ariel Atkins in the first quarter when she was hit in the head inadvertently. She came in averaging 13.6 points and had just four in six minutes.
“We’re not sure yet,” Texas Coach Karen Aston (Bryant, UALR) said of the extent of the injury. “That was obviously a difficult loss for us. … So I’m not sure of her status.”
In top 25 games Sunday involving SEC women, Alexis Jones had a career-high 30 points and added 10 assists and 9 rebounds for No. 4 Baylor in its 88-66 victory over No. 22 Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn. Nina Davis added 20 points and nine rebounds for Baylor (9-1). Mercedes Russell had 22 points and 12 rebounds for Tennessee (4-3). … Asia Durr scored four points in overtime, including a key free throw with 2:47 remaining for a five-point lead, and Myisha Hines-Allen had 26 points for No. 7 Louisville’s 69-67 overtime victory over No. 17 Kentucky in Louisville, Ky. Louisville (7-2) ended a five-game losing streak in the annual Bluegrass rivalry. Makayla Epps had 22 points for Kentucky (6-2). … Kristina King matched her career high with 16 points and had a career-best nine rebounds for No. 16 West Virginia in its 66-61 victory over Mississippi in Morgantown, W. Va. Alexis Brewer added 12 points for West Virginia (9-0). Taylor Manuel led the Rebels (6-2) with 13 points. … Sophie Brunner had 14 points with 10 rebounds and Arizona State made its last nine shots and scored the last six points to win the ASU Classic 69-63 over No. 19 Florida in Tempe, Ariz. Quinn Dornstauder added with 13 points and eight rebounds, and Kianna Ibis had 12 points for Arizona State (5-2).
TOP 25 MEN
S.C. wins without star
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Duane Notice scored 27 points and P.J. Dozier had 20 as No. 20 South Carolina beat Florida International 70-54 on Sunday.
The Gamecocks (8-0) were without leading scorer Sindarius Thornwell, who before the game was suspended indefinitely for violating an athletic department policy.
FIU, which also played without its leading scorer, Donte McGill, never led. Eric Nottage scored 20 points for the Panthers (3-6), while Michael Kessens had 12 and Anthony Bowell added 10.
South Carolina was outrebounded 35-34 but connected on eight of 21 3-point shots
(38.1 percent). The Gamecocks dished out 16 assists and forced 23 turnovers while committing only nine.
In other men’s Top 25 games Sunday, Kenny Williams III had 14 of his career-high 19 points in the opening 5 minutes and No. 3 North Carolina routed Radford 95-50 in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Tar Heels (8-1) were coming off a loss at No. 13 Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. They had no trouble in this one, though they lost guard Joel Berry II to a sprained left ankle in the second half. Justin Cousin scored 14 points for the Highlanders (35). … Robert Johnson had 17 points and seven rebounds and De’Ron Davis added 14 points for No. 13 Indiana in its 83-55 victory over Southeast Missouri State in Bloomingdale, Ind. The Hoosiers (7-1) have won four consecutive, all in the last seven days.