S. Carolina’s Staley defends team after Auriemma comments

COLUMBIA, S.C. » South Carolina coach Dawn Staley strongly defended her topranked Gamecocks on Tuesday following critical comments by UConn coach Geno Auriemma two days earlier.

Auriemma said after the top-ranked Gamecocks’ 81-77 victory that Huskies guard/ forward Lou Lopez Senechal had bruises on her body from the game.

“It’s just appalling what teams do her now,” he said. “It’s not basketball anymore. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not basketball.”

Staley fired back Tuesday on her radio call-in show, saying when her team has success, “we’re called something other than players that are locked in.”

“They play the right way,” she continued, “and approach it the right way whether they win or lose. We don’t denounce anybody’s play. They are always uplifting the game of women’s basketball and when we were getting our heads beat in by UConn for all those years, I said nothing.”

South Carolina’s victory Sunday was its fourth in the past five meetings between the schools, including the national championship game last April.

Men

(18) INDIANA 66, (24) RUTGERS 60 » Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 20 points and had 18 rebounds while reaching yet another major milestone in leading Indiana (17-7, 8-5 Big Ten) past Rutgers (16-8, 8-5).

The fourth-year forward became the sixth player in school history with 2,000 career points and the first among them who also had 1,000 rebounds.

Jackson-Davis now

has 2,004 points, 1,035 rebounds and a school-record 242 blocks. He’s hit all three milestones during a stretch in which Indiana has won seven of eight. He also had six assists against Rutgers.

Miller Kopp added 18 points for the Hoosiers, who moved into a tie for second place in the conference.

Clifford Omoruyi had 15 points to lead the Scarlet Knights, who had won six straight over the Hoosiers. Cam Spencer finished with

14.

• Junior forward Mawot Mag will miss the rest of the season for Rutgers after tearing the ACL in his right knee.

Rutgers announced the injury hours before the Scarlet Knights played Indiana. Mag was hurt Saturday in the first half of a game against Michigan State, a 61-55 win.

Mag, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, started every game for Rutgers this season, averaging 7.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and a steal. (21) CONNECTICUT 87 (10) MARQUETTE 72 » Jordan Hawkins scored 20 points and Tristen Newton recorded his second triple-double of the season as UConn (19-6, 8-6 Big East) beat Marquette (19-6, 11-3).

Newton had 12 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for the Huskies, who won their third straight game after losing six of eight.

Adama Sanogo added 18 points, while Alex Karaban and Nahiem Alleyne each chipped in with 13 for Connecticut, which never trailed.

Tyler Kolek had 17 points to lead Marquette, which had its five-game winning streak snapped. Ben Gold and Stevie Mitchell each scored 12.

The Huskies outrebounded Marquette 48-24.