WASHINGTON (AP) — Sarah Strong scored 25 points, Azzi Fudd had 19 in her final collegiate appearance before a hometown crowd, and top-ranked UConn overwhelmed Georgetown 83-42 on Thursday night.
The defending national champion Huskies are 20-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 squad won its first 36 games before losing in the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament. UConn (10-0 Big East) has won 36 straight dating to last season and has only one ranked foe left on its regular-season schedule — the Huskies host No. 17 Tennessee on Feb 1.
Fudd grew up across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, and was a prep star at St. John’s College High School in Washington. Her parents — mom Katie played at Georgetown — and Georgia Amoore of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics were among a pro-UConn crowd at CareFirst Arena, the Mystics’ home.
Fudd missed her first seven 3s as UConn began 1 of 13 from deep, but the Huskies made their next four — two by Fudd and two by Strong. Fudd finished 8 of 19 from the field and 3 of 12 from 3.
UConn forced seven turnovers in the first seven minutes and jumped to a 20-2 lead. The Huskies then went nearly five minutes without a basket before Fudd found Strong for a layup to start a 21-2 run for a 41-12 advantage.
The Huskies had 15 steals in the first half, five by Ashlynn Shade, as they led 51-20 at halftime. Strong had 21 points at the break.
Brianna Scott scored eight points for Georgetown (11-8, 4-6), which has lost 41 straight against UConn, with its last victory coming on Feb. 27, 1993.
NO. 16 OKLAHOMA 94, NO. 2 SOUTH CAROLINA 82, OT
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Aaliyah Chavez scored 15 of her 26 points in overtime, and Oklahoma stunned South Carolina.
The freshman guard made 4 of 14 field goals in regulation before hitting 5 of 5 shots in overtime.
Payton Verhulst scored 19 points and Raegan Beers had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Sooners (15-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference), who had lost three straight to ranked opponents Ole Miss, Kentucky and LSU since rising to No. 5 in the AP Top 25.
It matched the highest-ranked opponent Oklahoma has ever beaten. Most recently, the Sooners beat No. 2 Kansas State in 2024.
Tessa Johnson scored 19 points and Raven Johnson added 16 for South Carolina (19-2, 5-1), which had its 12-game win streak snapped. Joyce Edwards, who had averaged 20.6 points, finished with 12 on 3-for-12 shooting. The Gamecocks shot just 37% from the field.
NO. 5 VANDERBILT 81, AUBURN 53
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mikayla Blakes scored 20 points for her 15th 20-plus point performance of the season as Vanderbilt remained undefeated with a win over Auburn.
Sacha Washington had 18 points and 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.
Vanderbilt went on an 8-0 run in the first quarter and shot 52.6% (10 of 19) from the floor to build a 23-12 lead after the first quarter.
Vanderbilt’s Aiyana Mitchell and Auburn’s A’riel Jackson led all scorers with eight points each in the first half.
Auburn (13-7, 2-4) was led by Harissoum Coulibaly, who finished with 13 points, and Kaitlyn Duhon with 11.
NO. 6 LSU 98, TEXAS A&M 54
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Milaysia Fulwiley had 23 points and five steals and LSU took advantage of a mistake-filled performance by Texas A&M and cruised to a victory.
LSU (18-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) was up by 21 points with about six minutes left in the third quarter before using an 18-0 run to push the lead to 74-35 with two minutes left in the quarter.
Grace Knox got the run going by scoring the first five points and Fulwiley scored seven points to keep it going. Knox had 19 points on 9-for-9 shooting.
The Aggies had four turnovers and missed five shots during that time to help the Tigers, who lead the nation in scoring, put the game out of reach.
The Tigers’ defense harassed Texas A&M (8-7, 1-5) into 25 turnovers, which they turned into 41 points.
It’s the fourth straight victory for LSU after the Tigers lost their only two games of the season in back-to-back contests against No. 11 Kentucky and No. 12 Vanderbilt.
Fatmata Janneh scored 14 points and Ny’Ceara Pryor added 13, but had six turnovers, for the Aggies. Texas A&M lost its third straight and for the fifth time in six games.
NO. 7 MICHIGAN 94, RUTGERS 60
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Syla Swords and Olivia Olson each scored 16 points to help Michigan rout Rutgers.
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Mila Holloyway and Te’Yala Delfosse both had 15 for the Wolverines (16-3, 7-1 Big Ten), who jumped all over the Scarlet Knights (9-10, 1-7). Michigan hit 13 of 18 shots (72%) in the opening quarter to go up 31-13.
Swords hit all three of her 3-point attempts to score nine points in the first 10 minutes. Michigan was able to work the ball around efficiently for virtually any shot the team wanted, getting 11 assists on the 13 baskets.
Kaylah Ivey did her best to try and keep Rutgers in the game, hitting three consecutive 3-pointers, including one from the Jersey Mike’s Arena logo about 28 feet from the basket. The Scarlet Knights trailed 43-24 at the half.
NO. 10 IOWA 85, NO. 15 MARYLAND 78, OT
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Ava Heiden scored 20 points, and Iowa recovered in overtime to beat Maryland after the Hawkeyes blew a 17-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation Thursday night.
Iowa (17-2 8-0) remained unbeaten in Big Ten play, but not without a scare. The Terrapins trailed 66-49 in the fourth quarter before coming all the way back and tying the game at 73 on Oluchi Okananwa’s 3-pointer with 9.3 seconds remaining.
Maryland (17-4, 5-4) briefly led in overtime, but its offense dried up late and the Hawkeyes pulled away again. Maryland lost its second straight after the Terps were beaten 97-67 at UCLA last weekend.
Chazadi Wright scored 18 points for the Hawkeyes, who have won seven in a row. Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Maryland.
NO. 12 OHIO STATE 81, INDIANA 67
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jaloni Cambridge scored 22 points and Chance Gray and Kennedy Cambridge each added 13 for Ohio State in a comeback win over Indiana.
The Buckeyes (18-2, 7-1 Big Ten) were down 42-32 at halftime. But a 14-1 run in the third quarter, lasting almost three minutes, gave the Buckeyes the lead they would not relinquish. It is the fifth time this season Ohio State has gone into halftime trailing before going on to win the game.
Jaloni Cambridge scored 13 points in the second half and Gray added 10.
Lenée Beaumont scored 20 for Indiana (11-9, 0-8) and Shay Ciezki, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, added 19 before fouling out. Zania Socka-Nguemen had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Ciezki was 7 of 11 from the field, including five made 3-pointers.
Indiana committed 26 turnovers, 15 in the second half, which turned into 34 Buckeye points. The Hoosiers shot 56.4% from the field, including 11 of 17 from 3-point range.
NO. 13 MICHIGAN STATE 74, SOUTHERN CAL 68
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Kennedy Blair scored 21 points, and Michigan State women held off Southern California’s late surge for a victory.
Michigan State opened the fourth quarter on a 13-5 run to stretch its lead to 66-54 with 5:15 remaining. Jazzy Davidson scored the last five points in a 10-0 run to help pull USC to 66-64 with 4:10 left before the Spartans sealed it from the free-throw line. Blair led the Spartans with eight points.
Blair shot 8 of 15 from the floor overall, made 5 of 6 free throws and had five steals. Grace VanSlooten scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds for Michigan State (18-2, 7-2 Big Ten), which rebounded from a 75-68 loss to then-No. 10 Iowa. Rashunda Jones scored 16 points and Ines Sotelo added 12 to go with seven rebounds for the Spartans.
Michigan State scored 25 points from 24 USC turnovers.
Kara Dunn scored 23 points and Jazzy Davidson added 21 to lead USC (11-8, 3-5). Kennedy Smith scored 15 points.
NO. 17 TENNESSEE 60, NO. 11 KENTUCKY 58
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mia Pauldo scored 21 points and Tennessee beat Kentucky 60-58 on Thursday night for its seventh victory in a row.
Pauldo, who hit the 20-point mark for the second time this season, shot 9 of 22 from the field and 2 of 11 from beyond the arc for the Lady Vols (14-3, 6-0 Southeastern Conference).
Ameila Hassett scored 16 points for Kentucky (17-4, 4-3). Jordan Obi had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Tonie Morgan scored 13. Clara Strack added 14 rebounds and nine points.
NO. 18 MISSISSIPPI 82, MISSOURI 61
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Cotie McMahon scored 33 points to tie a career-high, and she added 12 points and five assists to help Mississippi beat Missouri.
McMahon, who was held to nine points in an 82-59 loss to Georgia on Sunday, was 13 of 23 from the field and 6 of 11 at the free-throw line to match her previous scoring high set on Jan. 21, 2024, against Iowa.
Sira Thienou also had a double-double for Ole Miss (17-4, 4-2 SEC) with 17 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. Latasha Lattimore added 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
Grace Slaughter led Missouri (13-9, 1-6) with 21 points and seven rebounds. Shannon Dowell added 15 points. The Tigers have lost the last five matchup in the series.
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