Collier, Dangerfield help No. 2 UConn knock off Temple

PHILADELPHIA >> Crystal Dangerfield did it all for UConn.

Dangerfield had a career-high

26 points with nine assists and no turnovers to help lead No. 2 UConn to an 88-67 victory over Temple Saturday.

“I would like to think that could be a typical game for Crystal, creating a lot of points for us and knocking in her share of points,” Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said. “I think she was on her game tonight. She made shots, she got people shots and she managed the game. That about says it all.”

Dangerfield broke out of a shooting slump by hitting 10 of

14, including 3 of 7 on 3-pointers. She entered having missed 21 of her last 28 shots over three games.

“When you get a couple of them to drop right away, it kind of opens up the floodgates,” Auriemma said. “You just need a couple of them to go and when they go, they go.”

Said Dangerfield, “It’s a confidence boost.”

Napheesa Collier added a season-high 30 points and 12 rebounds for the Huskies (16-1, 5-0 American), who have won five in a row since their lone loss, 68-57 at Baylor Jan. 3. UConn remained undefeated in league play since joining the American Athletic Conference, improving to 106-0.

Aliya Butts had 17 points to lead the Owls (4-13, 0-5), who lost their sixth straight.

“We knew it was going to be definitely tough,” Temple coach Tonya Cardoza said.

The game originally was scheduled for Sunday but pushed up a day due to the expected winter storm for the Northeast.

Temple got within 66-52 early in the fourth quarter, but UConn methodically pulled away.

(11) TEXAS 73, TCU 67 >> Joyner Holmes scored 17 points, Sug Sutton made four free throws in the final 10 seconds and Texas (15-3, 5-1 Big 12) held off TCU (12-5, 2-4).

(13) GONZAGA 86, SAN DIEGO 61>> Katie Campbell had 17 points and Laura Stockton had 10 assists, both career highs, and Jenn Wirth added 13 points and

10 rebounds to lead Gonzaga (172, 6-1 West Coast Conference) past San Diego.

(18) IOWA STATE 104, OKLAHOMA 78 >> Ashley Joens had six

3-pointers and 25 points, both career-highs, as Iowa State (144, 4-2 Big 12) snapped a twogame losing streak with a win over Oklahoma (5-11, 1-4).

CHRIS SZAGOLA — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Connecticut’s Olivia Nelson-Ododa, right, shoots with Temple’s Alexa Williamson, left, reaching for the block. Shantay Taylor, center, fouled Nelson-Ododa on the play.