Betts delivers 16 points, 16 rebounds as No. 2 UCLA edges No. 8 Michigan 69-66
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Lauren Betts had 16 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and three blocks to help No. 2 UCLA hold off No. 8 Michigan for a 69-66 win on Sunday.
The Wolverines trailed by 11 points with less than two minutes left and with a chance to tie the game, Syla Swords shot an airball on a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left.
UCLA (23-1, 13-0 Big Ten) took a two-game lead over Michigan (20-4, 11-2) in the conference with its 17th straight victory since losing to No. 4 Texas in November.
The Bruins outscored Michigan by 14 over the second and third quarters, leading by as much as 13 points, and finished with their NCAA -high ninth win over an AP Top 25 team.
The Wolverines’ school-record, nine-game winning streak in Big Ten games was snapped by a big and experienced team that plays stifling defense and is led by a 6-foot-7 preseason All-America center that does it all.
NO. 3 SOUTH CAROLINA 93, TENNESSEE 50
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Ta’Niya Latson scored 21 points, Joyce Edwards added 20 and South Carolina ran past Tennessee for its ninth straight victory over the Lady Vols.
The Gamecocks (24-2, 10-1 Southeastern Conference) pulled away midway through the second quarter and never let up after that, finishing with a single-game program SEC shooting mark of 69% (36-52).
Tennessee has struggled, like most other SEC teams, against South Carolina the past few years, although the Lady Vols’ previous three games — all Gamecock wins — were decided by single digits.
And the Lady Vols matched the Gamecocks energy early on as things were tied at 16 last in the first quarter. That’s when South Carolina took control with a 9-2 run as Latson had five points and Edwards four.
Tennessee faltered again right before half, missing six of its final seven shots. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks were on fire, hitting six of their last eight to lead 47-32 at the break.
Things only got worse the rest of the way as the Lady Vols were outscored 46-18. Tennessee was held 28 points below its season average. The 43-point defeat was the worst in program history, surpassing a 31-point loss to Texas in 1984.
NO. 5 LSU 77, AUBURN 44
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — ZaKiyah Johnson scored 16 points, Mikaylah Williams added 12 and LSU bounced back from a midweek loss to rout Auburn.
LSU’s defense proved to be the key, holding Auburn to 25% shooting from the field and 14.3% from 3-point range.
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU’s leading scorer, finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Amiya Joyner notched a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
LSU (22-3, 8-3 Southeastern Conference) jumped out to an early lead after holding Auburn (13-12, 2-9) to just six points in the first quarter and took a 36-13 lead into the half. Auburn made 5 of 30 shots from the field and missed all 14 from behind the arc in the first half.
LSU built its advantage with a 10-0 run that lasted nearly eight minutes during the first half, then closed out the half with an 8-0 spurt.
Once again, size proved to be an issue for Auburn. The Tigers were outrebounded 54-30, and LSU held a 34-24 advantage in points in the paint.
NO. 6 LOUISVILLE 84, SYRACUSE 65
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Laura Ziegler scored 22 points and Louisville raced out to a quick lead it never gave up in a win over Syracuse.
The Cardinals (22-4, 12-1 ACC) were coming off a one-point loss to Duke that snapped the team’s 14-game winning streak. They scored the first 12 points against Syracuse, holding the Orange without a field goal in the first quarter. Louisville built the lead to 28-6 over the Orange (19-5, 9-4) as Syracuse missed all 13 of its field goal attempts in the first 10 minutes.
Syracuse didn’t score its first basket until a jumper by Dominique Darius with 10 seconds gone in the second quarter, but the Cardinals went on to build a 36-14 lead.
The Orange stormed back, closing the first half on a 22-6 run to narrow the margin to 44-36 at the break. Darius fueled the comeback, scoring all her 16 first-half points in the quarter and going 6-of-6 from the field, including two 3s.
Syracuse closed to within five at 59-54 on a layup by Burrows off a Louisville turnover with two minutes to go in the third, but that’s the closest Syracuse would get. The Cardinals closed the game on a 25-11 run.
NO. 9 OHIO STATE 80, OREGON 64
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Elsa Lemmila scored a career-high 23 points to help Ohio State beat Oregon.
Kennedy Cambridge added 20 points, hitting five 3-pointers, for the Buckeyes (22-3, 11-2 Big Ten), who won their fourth straight game and 11th in 12 games. Jaloni Cambridge scored 19 points to surpass 1,000 points in her career.
The Buckeyes shot 52% from the field and made 17 of its 19 free throws. Senior guard Chance Gray, who played her first two years at Oregon before transferring to Ohio State, had eight points and five rebounds in her return game.
Ari Long made four 3-pointers while scoring 16 points to lead the Ducks (18-8, 6-7), who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Oregon is 2-4 vs. Top 25 teams this year, but 0-3 against those opponents at home.
Sarah Rambus added 13 points for Oregon, which committed 23 turnovers that led to 17 points for Ohio State. Mia Jacobs had 13 points and five rebounds for the Ducks, who shot 37% from the field.
COLORADO 80, NO. 14 TCU 79
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Jade Masogayo’s three-point play with two seconds remaining lifted Colorado to a stunning victory over TCU, denying the Horned Frogs a spot at the top of the Big 12 Conference.
After Donovyn Hunter’s driving layup gave TCU a 79-77 lead with five seconds remaining, Masogayo took a sideline inbounds pass, drove the right side of the lane and made a short bank shot to tie the score. Kennedy Basham was called for a foul on the play and Masogayo sank the and-1 for the win.
TCU led 76-70 after a layup by Olivia Miles with about three minutes remaining. Colorado scored the next five points, then Miles made a free throw for a 77-75 lead with 50 seconds left. Masagayo made two tying free throws with 24 seconds left.
Masaqayo scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting plus 9 of 10 free throws. Desiree Wooten added 19 points, Logyn Greer 17 and Zyanna Walker 15 for the Buffaloes (16-8, 7-5 Big 12). Masagayo topped her previous best of 22 points against TCU last season.
Miles matched her season high with 31 points. Marta Suarez scored 20 and Hunter 17 for TCU (21-4, 9-3). With a win, TCU would have shared first place with 15th-ranked Baylor, which is 10-2 in the conference.
NO. 17 DUKE 95, SMU 36
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Freshman center Arianna Roberson had career highs of 22 points and 16 rebounds off the bench, Toby Fournier added 26 points and Duke routed SMU for the Blue Devils’ 15th straight win.
Duke’s 13th straight ACC victory extends the Blue Devils’ best conference start under head coach Kara Lawson. The 15 consecutive wins are also the most under Lawson, who is in her fifth full season leading the Blue Devils (18-6, 13-0).
Delaney Thomas had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Ashlon Jackson was Duke’s third player with a double-double in the game, scoring 11 points to go with 10 assists.
Fournier and Jackson scored eight points each and the Blue Devils raced out to a 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. They led 5-2 before going on a 19-3 run.
Roberson and Fournier scored eight points each in the second quarter and the Blue Devils continued to dominate, ending the half with a 46-16 lead. The Blue Devils shot 56% in the first half, compared to 22% for SMU.
NO. 24 WASHINGTON 91, WISCONSIN 86, OT
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Avery Howell had a career-high 34 points and 14 rebounds — the 6-foot sophomore’s sixth double-double this season — and Sayvia Sellers scored 23 points to help Washington beat Wisconsin in overtime.
Howell scored eight points in OT, including two of her career-high tying six 3-pointers. Elle Ladine finished with 16 points for Washington (18-6, 8-5 Big Ten). The Huskies had lost back-to-back games for just the second time this season.
Destiny Howell hit five 3-pointers and finished with 28 points for the Badgers. Gift Uchenna had 24 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Laci Steele added 10 points and Ronnie Porter tied her season high with 10 assists to go with eight points and six steals.
Destiny Howell made a 3-pointer and, after Brynn McGaughy hit two free throws on the other end, was fouled as she hit another and the and-1 free throw gave the Badgers a one-point lead with 1:09 to play. Avery Howell answered with a putback off a miss by McGaughy that made it 87-86 with 43 seconds left.
NO. 25 NORTH CAROLINA 84, WAKE FOREST 56
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Nyla Brooks scored 21 points, Nyla Harris added 19 and North Carolina rolled past Wake Forest.
North Carolina (20-5, 9-3 ACC) has won seven straight and reached 20 wins for the 34th time in program history.
Wake Forest led 9-6 through the first five minutes before North Carolina hit four 3-pointers — two each from Brooks and Lanie Grant — in a 16-0 run. The Tar Heels led 22-11 heading to the second quarter. Two more 3s from Brooks helped push the lead to 14 points before the Tar Heels settled for a 39-29 advantage at halftime.
Harris scored 11 points in the third quarter and the Tar Heels extended their lead to 65-42 entering the fourth. Carolina’s lead first reached 30 points at 78-48 on a short jumper by Blanca Thomas with about 3 1/2 minutes to go.