No. 1 Gamecocks roll through Tigers

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Bree Hall scored a career-high 21 points, Te-Hina Paopao added 15 and top-ranked South Carolina pulled away in the second half for a 81-57 victory over short-handed Missouri on Thursday night.

The Gamecocks (15-0, 3-0 SEC) led by just five points midway through the third quarter before the Tigers (9-7, 0-3) finally went cold from the perimeter, allowing Coach Dawn Staley’s team to run its regular-season winning streak to 65 games.

The last time South Carolina lost was an overtime setback at Missouri on Dec. 30, 2021.

Hayley Frank and Ashton Judd had 16 points apiece to lead the Tigers.

Missouri, already playing without starting guard Mama Dembele and two others due to injuries, was made even thinner by foul trouble that forced Tigers Coach Robin Pingeton into some freshman-heavy lineups in the first half.

Frank picked up her second foul with 8 1/2 minutes left in the first half, then her third a few minutes later. Judd got her second foul before the end of the first quarter, and Hannah Linthacum had her fourth by midway through the third.

The Gamecocks took advantage by using a 17-2 run late in the first half to take a 41-28 lead at the break.

NO. 7 LSU 87, TEXAS A&M 70

BATON ROUGE — Angel Reese had 20 points and 18 rebounds, Aneesah Morrow scored 21 points and No. 7 LSU beat Texas A&M.

Defending national champion LSU (16-1, 3-0 SEC), which had with all five starters score in double figures, hasn’t lost since a season-opening defeat to Colorado.

Mikaylah Williams scored 16 points, Hailey Van Lith had 14 and Flau’Jae Johnson finished with 11.

Endyia Rogers led the Aggies (13-3, 1-2) with 27 points. Aicha Coulibaly added 16 points and Lauren Ware had 13.

With Reese and Morrow combining for 17 points, LSU led 22-14 at the end of the first quarter. The Tigers closed with a 9-0 run in the final 3:04.

NO. 11 VIRGINIA TECH 76, MIAMI 47

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Elizabeth Kitley matched her season high with 31 points, the eighth 30-point game of her career, and No. 11 Virginia Tech rolled over Miami for its eighth straight victory.

Coming off a 63-62 win over No. 3 North Carolina State when Kitley hit a last-second basket, she picked up where she left off. Kitley had 13 of the Hokies’ 14 points in the first quarter and had 23 at the half when they took a 40-24 lead.

Georgia Amoore had 16 points and six assists for the Hokies (13-2, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), whose last loss to an unranked team was at Miami last season. Matilda Ekh added 12 points on four three-pointers. Kitley had 11 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season and 68th of her career.

Shayeann Day-Wilson had 19 points for the Hurricanes (11-4, 1-3) and Ja’Leah Williams had 10 points and eight rebounds.

NO. 15 LOUISVILLE 74, PITTSBURGH 44

PITTSBURGH — Sydney Taylor scored 13 points, Olivia Cochran and Kiki Jefferson each added 10 and No. 15 Louisville beat Pittsburgh.

Louisville (14-2, 3-0 ACC) has won the past 22 matchups against the Panthers.

Starters Nyla Harris and Nina Rickards each added eight points for Louisville.

NO. 17 OHIO STATE 90, RUTGERS 55

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Madison Greene scored 16 points and No. 17 Ohio State blitzed Rutgers, the seventh-straight loss for the Scarlet Knights.

Celeste Taylor added 12 points for the Buckeyes (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) and Cotie McMahon and Jacy Sheldon both had 11.

Ohio State had 10 players play at least 15 minutes and none played more than 25. Along the way they had 20 assists on 30 baskets with Greene having five and Taylor four. Taylor Thierry had five rebounds and five others had four. Among the 28 Rutgers turnovers, the Buckeyes had 13 steals, eight by Sheldon, and scored 36 points on miscues.

Despite a 0 for 5 fourth quarter, the Buckeyes made 11 of 26 three-pointers (42.3%), led by Greene going 4 of 6.

Destiny Adams had 18 points for Rutgers (6-12, 0-5) and Mya Petticord had 10 with Chyna Cornwell grabbing 13 rebounds.

NO. 18 NOTRE DAME 98, BOSTON COLLEGE 48

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Freshman Hannah Hidalgo scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Maddy Westbeld added a double-double and No. 18 Notre Dame rolled to a victory over Boston College.

Hidalgo, who entered play leading the Atlantic Coast Conference and fourth in the nation with a 23.9 scoring average, made 9 of 15 shots with a three-pointer for the Fighting Irish (11-3, 2-2). She sank 8 of 11 free throws, adding 4 assists and 4 steals. She also leads the nation with 78 steals this season.

All four of Hidalgo’s double-doubles have come in the past six games. Westbeld finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds in her second game back from a concussion. It was her seventh double-double this season.

Dontavia Waggoner led the Eagles (98, 1-3) with 12 points and six rebounds.

NO. 21 FLORIDA STATE 70, NO. 20 NORTH CAROLINA 62

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Sara Bejedi made five three-pointers and scored 23 points, Mikayla Timpson was clutch down the stretch on her way to a double-double and No. 21 Florida State held off No. 20 North Carolina.

Bejedi made 5 of 9 shots from beyond the arc but just 1 of 6 from inside it for the Seminoles (13-4, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). She made 6 of 7 at the free-throw line and grabbed six rebounds. Timpson finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Timpson had a basket and a three-point play in the final 1:28 after the Tar Heels (11-5, 3-1) trimmed a 20-point deficit to 6562. O’Mariah Gordon scored 12 with 4 assists and 3 steals.

Deja Kelly scored 23 points to lead North Carolina. Indya Nivar pitched in with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench.

TOP 25 MEN

NO. 22 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 85, TULANE 84

NEW ORLEANS — Alijah Martin hit two of three free throws after being fouled by Tulane’s Jaylen Forbes on a desperation 3-point attempt that was not close to going in with less than a second left, and No. 24 Florida Atlantic escaped with a victory over the Green Wave.

Martin missed the second free throw, but made the third to secure a result that helped FAU avoid what would have been a second straight loss after being upset at Charlotte — where they fell 70-68 on free throws with 1.7 seconds left.

Nick Boyd tied a career high with 21 points to lead FAU (12-4, 2-1 American Athletic), which led 83-74 after Brandon Weatherspoon’s 3 with 3:03 left, but nearly collapsed.

Tulane responded with a stunning 10-0 run that included Forbes’ 3 and a pair of contested driving layups by Collin Holloway, the second giving the Green Wave an 84-83 lead with 28 seconds left.

FAU then missed twice but rebounded both times to set up the third shot on which the decisive foul was called.

Vladislav Goldin had 19 points and 11 rebounds for FAU, while Johnell Davis and Martin each scored 14 points.

Forbes scored 28 points and Kevin Cross added 20 points and 11 rebounds for Tulane (10-5, 1-2), which dropped its second straight league game.