No. 2 UConn takes control early, rips No. 1 Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Freshman Christyn Williams scored a career-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, and No. 2 Connecticut never lost the lead after the 6:36 mark of the first quarter in dominating top-ranked Notre Dame 89-71 on Sunday.

All-American Katie Lou Samuelson, who was held scoreless by the Irish in the first half, had 15 points, including a three-point play that gave Geno Auriemma’s Huskies a 74-64 lead with 6:08 remaining. Connecticut’s biggest lead was 19 points late in the game.

Napheesa Collier added 16 points with 15 rebounds. Crystal Dangerfield scored 13 points and Megan Walker had 12 as the Huskies (7-0) ended a 28-game winning streak at home by Muffet McGraw’s Irish, who beat Connecticut 91-89 in overtime in last season’s NCAA semifinals on the way to their second national title.

In its last 100 games at home, Notre Dame is 97-3, with all the losses coming against the Huskies.

Jackie Young, who scored 32 against UConn last March, led the Irish with 18 points. Arike Ogunbowale had 17 points and 10 rebounds but only five points after halftime. Jessica Shepard scored 13, Marina Mabrey 11 and Brianna Turner 10 for the Irish (7-1).

Williams scored 16 points — one off her career high of 17 against Purdue on Nov. 24 — in the first 10 minutes on 7-of-8 shooting as UConn forged a 27-22 lead. Her basket put the Huskies up 8-6 with 6:36 to go in the quarter — a lead they would not relinquish.

“Christyn adds a big dimension to our team,” Auriemma said of his 5-11 guard from Little Rock, Ark. “She’s fearless.I wish she was 6-3. She is one of the rare individuals that comes along that know who they are. She knows who she is.”

BAYLOR 94 SOUTH CAROLINA 69

Kalani Brown had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the No. 4 Lady Bears to an easy victory over the No. 18 Gamecocks at Columbia, S.C., in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

MISSISSIPPI ST. 67 TEXAS 49

Jazzmun Holmes scored 17 points as the sixthranked Bulldogs defeated the No. 10 Longhorns at Austin in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Mississippi State (8-0) ended the first quarter with a 10-0 run and coasted the rest of the way as Texas (7-1) time and again booted the ball around with 22 turnovers or surrendered offensive rebounds for put-back baskets.

The Bulldogs led by 17 at halftime, stretched it to 24 in the third quarter and never were threatened.

Mississippi State’s Teaira McCowen grabbed 12 rebounds to set the school record with 1,109 for her career.

Sug Sutton scored 16 points for the Longhorns.

GONZAGA 79, STANFORD 73

Chandler Smith scored 20 points, including two late free throws, to lead the Bulldogs to an upset of the eighth-ranked Cardinal at Spokane, Wash.

Katie Campbell and Jill Townsend each scored 15 points each for Gonzaga (8-1), which won for the second time in 10 games against Stanford. The Bulldogs’ only loss this season is to Notre Dame.

Kiana Williams scored 18 for the Cardinal (6-1).

Men TENNESSEE 79 A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 51

Admiral Schofield scored 16 points to help lead the No. 6 Volunteers past the Islanders at Knoxville, Tenn.

Grant Williams had with 14 points and nine rebounds for Tennessee (6-1).