COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards scored 21 points and No. 3 South Carolina won its eight straight over Mississippi State with a 88-45 victory on Thursday night.
Edwards surpassed 1,000 points in her career, just third sophomore to accomplish that in program history behind Shelia Foster and career-points leader A’ja Wilson — both who’ve have their jerseys haning in the rafters at Colonial Life Arena.
Edwards had nine of her team’s first 15 points as the Gamecocks (23-2, 9-1 SEC) opened a double-digit lead in the first quarter and were never pressed by the cold-shooting Bulldogs (16-8, 3-7), who’ve lost seven of the past nine after starting the season 14-1.
The Gamecocks played a second-straight game without starters Ta’Niya Latson and Agot Makeer, who had lower-leg injuries in an 81-51 win at Auburn and missed this past Monday’s 71-56 victory at Texas A&M.
South Carolina has had players in and out of the lineup due to injuries and suspensions this year, but like much of the season, has counted on those available players to keep the team winning.
Such was case with the 6-foot-3 Edwards against the Bulldogs, who finished 8-of-11 shooting and tied her career high with six assists.
Freshman Ayla McDowell made her first start for South Carolina and matched her career high with 16 points off four 3-pointers.
Madina Okot had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Gamecocks, her 14th double-double this season.
Madison Francis had 12 points to lead Mississippi State, which was held to its lowest point total of the season and made just three of its 24 3-point attempts.
NO. 17 DUKE 59, NO. 6 LOUISVILLE 58
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Toby Fournier scored 15 points and came up with a huge block late for Duke, which started hot and then rallied to beat Louisville.
The lone regular-season matchup of the Atlantic Coast Conference co-leaders was a defensive battle as the Blue Devils (17-6, 12-0) shot just 42.6% (23 of 54) and committed 19 turnovers, while the Cardinals (21-4, 11-1) shot a season-worst 33.9% (21 of 62).
Louisville’s Imari Berry missed the second of two free throws with 1.1 seconds left. Duke’s Riley Nelson got the rebound.
Istanbulluoglu led Louisville, which saw its 14-game winning streak snapped, with 13. Ziegler and Reyna Scott added 11 each.
NO. 7 VANDERBILT 84, NO. 16 KENTUCKY 83
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Mikayla Blakes scored 37 points, 19 in the fourth quarter, to rally Vanderbilt to a win over Kentucky.
Blakes scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to give the Commodores (22-2, 8-2 SEC) a 59-58 lead and they stretched the lead to double figures with 6:15 left in the game. Four free throws from Aubrey Galvin in the final 19 seconds sealed the win.
It was Blakes’ 12th career game scoring 30 points or more.
Kentucky (18-6, 5-5) had a chance to tie but Amelia Hassett’s potential tying 3-point shot went off the side of the rim and Teonni Key’s putback went in as the buzzer sounded to end the game.
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Key had 27 points and 12 rebounds and Clara Strack added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Wildcats. Hassett scored 19 points.
MINNESOTA 91, NO. 10 IOWA 85
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Grace Grocholski scored 21 points, Mara Braun added 16 and Minnesota beat Iowa for its fifth straight victory.
The Gophers (17-6, 8-4 Big Ten) have the program’s longest winning streak in Big Ten play since the 2018-19 season. The Hawkeyes (18-5, 9-3) lost their third consecutive game since they lost starting guard Taylor McCabe, the team’s leading 3-point shooter, to a season-ending knee injury.
Minnesota led for almost all of the final three quarters, shooting 51.6% for the game while going 10 of 14 in 3-pointers. The Gophers, whose biggest lead was 77-57 with 7:51 to play, had a 41-28 rebounding advantage.
It was Minnesota’s first road win over a top-10 team since 2005.
Tori McKinney added 15 points for Minnesota. Amaya Battle had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Finau Tonga had 10 points.
Ava Heiden led Iowa with 24 points. Chazadi Wright had 20 points and a career-high 12 assists. Journey Houston had 15 points and Hannah Stuelke added 14.
NO. 19 TENNESSEE 82, GEORGIA 77, OT
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Zee Spearman scored 23 points, and Mia Pauldo added 21 for Tennessee in an overtime win over Georgia.
Talaysia Cooper scored 16 points before fouling out in the extra period. Janiah Barker added nine points and 13 rebounds for the Volunteers (15-5, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).
Dani Carnegie was fouled behind the 3-point arc with five seconds left on the clock, sending her to the line to shoot three attempts for Georgia (18-5, 4-5) She sank all three to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Tennessee started overtime on a 5-0 run to jump ahead. Pauldo scored the final baskets of the game from the free-throw line. She shot 5 of 14 from the field and 9 of 10 from the line.
Carnegie led the Bulldogs in scoring, with 25 points before fouling out in overtime. Rylie Theuerkauf added 15, and Mia Woolfolk scored 14, all in the fourth quarter.
NO. 25 NORTH CAROLINA 53, CLEMSON 44
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Nyla Harris notched a double-double to lead North Carolina over Clemson.
Harris scored 17 on 7-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds and two steals. It was her fourth double-double of the season for the Tar Heels (19-5, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Lanie Grant added 16 points, going 6 of 10 from the floor. Indya Nivar added nine points, seven assists and two steals.
Rusne Augustinaite led the Tigers (16-8, 7-5) with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
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