LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA’s three-guard lineup of Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice and Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens each scored 20 points or more in the third-ranked Bruins’ 85-47 rout of UC Santa Barbara on Thursday.
Jaquez shot 7 of 11 from the floor for 21 points and had six rebounds, Rice made all seven of her free throws for 20 points to go with eight rebounds, and Kneepkens finished with 20 points. Jaquez and Kneepkens each hit four of UCLA’s 10 3-pointers.
The last time at least three players scored 20 or more for the Bruins was on Nov. 12, 2023, against Bellarmine. In that 113-64 win, Jaquez had 30 points, Charisma Osborne 24, Lauren Betts 22 and Londynn Jones 21.
The Bruins (2-0) got 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists from Betts in their home opener at Pauley Pavilion. They were coming off a 24-point win over San Diego State in their season opener Monday.
Rice and Jaquez combined for 26 points the last time the teams played on Dec. 3, 2022. The Bruins have won eight in a row and are 17-2 all-time against coach Cori Close’s alma mater.
Olivia Bradley led UCSB with 11 points. Julia Puente-Valverde added 10 while in foul trouble.
NO. 5 LSU 115, SE LOUISIANA 26
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Flau’Jae Johnson scored 17 points to lead LSU to a rout of Southeastern Louisiana.
Freshmen ZaKiya Johnson scored 16, Bella Hines added 14 and Grace Knox had 11 for the Tigers (2-0). Notre Dame transfer Kate Koval added 16 points and a team-best nine rebounds.
Southeastern Louisiana (1-1) didn’t reach double figures until 3:42 remained in the third period. Mari Dangerfield led the way with eight points.
LSU stayed in attack mode throughout as Southeastern Louisiana shot just 19.2% from the field (10 of 52) and committed 29 turnovers.
The Tigers, who had 29 layups among their 50 field goals, outscored the Lions 42-0 in fast-break points and 42-9 on points off turnovers. LSU had a 22-5 edge in second chance points, a 74-8 advantage in points in the paint and held a 58-14 edge in bench points.
NO. 11 NORTH CAROLINA 71, ELON 37
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Indya Nivar had 13 points, seven rebounds and six steals, Ciera Toomey added 12 rebounds and eight points, and North Carolina used a big second half to rout Elon.
The Tar Heels (2-0) extended their win streak against unranked non-conference foes in Carmichael Arena to 30 games dating to the 2019 season.
The game was close in the first half, with North Carolina needing a 7-0 run at the end of the half to take a 29-20 lead. The Tar Heels were just 10 of 33 from the field in the first half, including 1 of 14 from 3-point range.
North Carolina took the first double-digit lead of the game in the opening 10 seconds of the third quarter. The Tar Heels pulled away during a 23-4 stretch in the third for a 52-23 lead. Nivar scored six of her points in the frame and six different players scored during the run.
NO. 17 TCU 82, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 43
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Marta Suarez scored 19 points, Olivia Miles had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists in her TCU debut, and the Horned Frogs began their season with a victory over North Carolina A&T.
TCU, the defending Big 12 champion, won its 25th consecutive home game — the third-longest streak in the nation, trailing only Florida Gulf Coast (37 games) and No. 9 NC State (35) entering Thursday.
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Suarez started in every game across two seasons at Cal from 2023-25, averaging 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Miles, a three-time All-American point guard, entered the season as the active Division I leader in career assists per game (6.5), career assists (654) and triple doubles (six) across a four-year run at Notre Dame from 2021-25.
Donovyn Hunter added 17 points, Clara Silva had 13 and Taylor Bigby scored 10 off the bench for TCU, which has won 13 straight season openers. The Horned Frogs are 16-0 in November home games under Mark Campbell.
Chaniya Clark scored eight points for NC A&T.
NO. 10 MARYLAND 87, UMBC 54
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Oluchi Okananwa and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu scored 15 points apiece and Maryland pulled away from UMBC in the second half for a victory.
Indiana transfer Yarden Garzon had 12 points for the Terrapins (2-0), who got scoring from 12 players. Saylor Poffenbarger added 11 points.
Jade Tillman led the Retrievers (1-1) with 17 points.
Maryland remained without injured guards Kaylene Smikle (leg) and Bri McDaniel (knee), returnees who have yet to play this season. Graduate guard Mir McLean, another holdover from last year’s Sweet 16 team, departed in the third quarter while holding her left shoulder and did not return.
UMBC never led, but was pesky for much of the first half. Kennedy Austin banked in a 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter to get the Retrievers within 21-14, and she then beat the halftime buzzer with another 3 to make it 40-28.
NO. 22 OKLAHOMA STATE 105, LANGSTON 35
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Lena Girardi scored 29 points and set a program record for most 3-pointers in a game by a freshman with nine, and Oklahoma State routed NAIA-member Langston.
Girardi went 9 of 16 from 3-point range, while Langston was 8 of 41 as a team.
Micah Gray and Amari Whiting each scored 15 points, Haleigh Timmer had 13 and backup Jadyn Wooten added 10 for the Cowgirls (3-0), who led 35-4 after the first quarter, 60-13 at halftime and 88-21 after three.
Oklahoma State shot 53.7% (36 of 67) with half its makes coming from beyond the arc where the Cowgirls made 18 of 39. As a team, Oklahoma State distributed 26 assists and outrebounded Langston 47-18.
Reserve Areyanna Hunter led Langston in scoring with eight points. The Lions, which advanced to the final round of 16 in last year’s NAIA national tournament, shot 21% (9 of 43).
NO. 24 KENTUCKY 104, MONMOUTH 49
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Lexi Blue set career highs with 18 points and six 3-pointers, Amelia Hassett had 17 points and seven rebounds, and Kentucky made 17 shots behind the arc in a victory over Monmouth.
The Wildcats started the game on a 21-1 run and Monmouth hit its first field goal, a 3-pointer, with 1:43 left in the first quarter. Kentucky closed the half on an 8-3 run for a 55-18 lead and then scored nine consecutive points to open the third.
Kentucky has started 2-0 for the 13th straight season. The Wildcats were coming off a 75-59 victory over Morehead State despite going 4 of 24 from 3-point range.
Kentucky responded by going 17 of 36 from distance against Monmouth, one short of a program record. Blue made her first six 3-pointers and the Wildcats made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
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