LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins scored 38 points to lead sixth-ranked Southern California over No. 1 UCLA 71-60 on Thursday night, handing the crosstown rival Bruins their first loss of the season.
The Trojans rallied with a huge fourth quarter after being held to nine points in the third when they trailed 52-47.
Kiki Iriafen added 13 points for the Trojans (22-2, 12-2 Big Ten). It was the program’s first win over a top-ranked team since 1983.
Lauren Betts, the Big Ten’s No. 2 scorer behind Watkins, had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Bruins (23-1, 11-1). They were the nation’s last unbeaten Division I team.
USC outscored the Bruins 24-8 in the fourth, including an 11-2 run to end the game as the sold-out crowd at Galen Center was on its feet roaring.
The Trojans blew a 14-point lead in the second quarter when Watkins scored all of their 14 points. They were outdone by the Bruins 17-9 in the third only to come back in the fourth.
NO. 2 NOTRE DAME 88, PITTSBURGH 57
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Olivia Miles tied a Notre Dame record with eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points, leading the second-ranked Fighting Irish to a win over Pittsburgh.
Notre Dame (13-0, 22-2 ACC) won its 17th consecutive game, the second-longest streak in the nation behind undefeated UCLA’s 23-game run.
Sonia Citron hit four 3-points and had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Former Pitt forward Liatu King scored 11 points against her former team.
Hannah Hidalgo, who ranks second in the nation in scoring at 25.9 points per game, scored a season-low 11 points for Notre Dame. She score less than 20 points for the first time since Nov. 30, a streak of 14 games.
Khadija Faye had 23 points and 16 rebounds for Pitt (3-10, 11-15), her 12th double-double of the season. Mikayla Johnson scored 15 points and Marley Washenitz 13.
NO. 3 TEXAS 67, NO. 8 KENTUCKY 49
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kayla Oldacre and Madison Booker scored 19 points apiece to lead No. 3 Texas to a win over eighth-ranked Kentucky.
The Longhorns followed their four-point win over second-ranked South Carolina on Sunday by extending their winning streak to nine games. Texas (25-2, 9-2 Southeastern Conference) has defeated eight ranked teams this season, including five in the top 10.
Taylor Jones added 15 points for Texas.
Georgia Amoore led Kentucky (19-4, 8-3) with 14 points. Teonni Key had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Dazia Lawrence scored 11.
NO. 4 SOUTH CAROLINA 101, FLORIDA 63
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Freshman Joyce Edwards scored a career-high 28 points as No. 4 South Carolina bounced back from its loss at No. 3 Texas last week with a blowout of Florida.
The Gamecocks (23-2, 11-1 Southeastern Conference) pulled away early, up 36-15 after one quarter, and cruised to their 71st straight win at home and their 17th in a row over the Gators (12-13, 3-8).
Edwards surpassed her previous best of 21 points set against Alabama last month. It was a welcome performance by the team’s leading scorer, who had a combined 15 points in South Carolina’s previous two games.
Te’Hina Paopao finished with 14 points including four of the team’s eight 3-pointers. She also had seven rebounds and led the Gamecocks with seven assists, her best showing against an SEC opponent in two seasons in the league.
Liv McGill led Florida with 15 points.
NO. 9 OHIO STATE 87, MINNESOTA 84, OT
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Cotie McMahon scored 25 points and Elsa Lemmila finished with six points and a pivotal last-second block as No. 9 Ohio State beat Minnesota in overtime.
Ava Watson scored 16 points, and Jaloni Cambridge and Taylor Thierry added 10 apiece for Ohio State (21-3, 10-3 Big Ten), which squandered a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Sophie Hart scored 21 points for Minnesota (19-7, 7-7), well above her season average of 8.5 points. Alexsia Rose added 17 as Minnesota got double-digit scoring from five players.
NO. 10 NC STATE 76, MIAMI 74
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Zoe Brooks drove for a tiebreaking basket with 45 seconds left and No. 10 N.C. State held on to beat Miami.
Madison Hayes scored 19 points, Aziaha James had 15 points and Tilda Trygger added 10 points for N.C. State (20-4, 12-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which won its ninth straight game.
The Wolfpack needed pair of defensive stops to avoid the loss. Miami’s Haley Cavinder missed a 3-point attempt with 35 seconds to play and then was off the mark on a drive to the lane following a timeout with four seconds left.
Cavinder led Miami (13-11, 3-10) with 20 points and Natalija Marshall had 17 points.
NO. 12 NORTH CAROLINA 67, VIRGINIA TECH 62
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Reniya Kelly scored 20 points, Lexi Donarski added 15, including a driving layup with 27 seconds left and No. 12 North Carolina beat Virginia Tech for their fourth win in a row.
Alyssa Ustby finished with 16 rebounds to go with four points for North Carolina (22-4, 10-3 ACC). In her fifth year, Ustby has 1,210 career rebounds and moved past Charlotte Smith (1,200 from 1992-95) into second in program history and sixth all time in the ACC.
Carys Baker made 7 of 9 from the field, 3 of 4 from behind the arc, and led Virginia Tech (16-9, 7-7) with 15 points. Matilda Ekh added 13 points, including three 3s, and Mackenzie Nelson scored 10 points.
Ekh hit a 3-pointer and Carleigh Wenzel made two free throws to give the Hokies a four-point lead — matching their biggest of the game — just over three minutes into the fourth quarter. Virginia Tech was 1-of-6 shooting with three turnovers the rest of the way as the Tar Heels scored 13 of the final 17 points.
NO. 13 DUKE 72, WAKE FOREST 47
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Freshman Toby Fournier scored 17 points, Oluchi Okananwa added 15 points and No. 13 Duke beat Wake Forest 72-47 on Thursday night.
Duke (20-5, 11-2 ACC) secured its third straight 20-win season — with five games remaining in the regular season. It was the Blue Devils’ 10th win in the last 11 meetings with the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest was undone by 33 turnovers, leading to 41 points. Twenty of those turnovers came in a first half, but Duke only led 29-19.
Fournier put Duke ahead by double figures for good with 5:58 left in the second half. Okananwa gave the Blue Devils a 46-28 lead after three quarters and the lead didn’t drop below 17 points from there.
Ashlon Jackson, who averages 13 points per game, was held to seven points after making 2 of 7 shots for Duke. Jackson did set a career-high with seven assists. Reigan Richardson, at 10.1 ppg, was also 2 of 7 and finished with four points.
Rylie Theuerkauf scored 11 points for Wake Forest (8-16, 1-12), which has lost four straight.
NO. 15 TENNESSEE 99, AUBURN 61
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jewel Spear scored 17 points, Ruby Whitehorn added 15 in a balanced attack and No. 15 Tennessee pulled away from Auburn.
Zee Spearman added 14 points, Kaniya Boyd had 11 and Talaysi Cooper 10 for the Lady Vols (18-6, 5-6 Southeastern Conference).
Tennessee shot 56%, going 14 of 28 from 3-point range. Spear had five 3s, three in a 17-0 run over the last half of the fourth quarter.
Deyona Gatson had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers (12-13, 3-9), who were 2 of 8 on 3-pointers and shot 43% overall while going just 11 of 20 from the foul line. Yuting Deng added 13 points. Auburn had 21 turnovers that turned in 22 points.
NEBRASKA 91, NO. 17 MARYLAND 71
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Alexis Markowski had 20 points and 11 rebounds for her ninth double-double, Alberte Rimdal added 15 points off the bench and Nebraska beat No. 17 Maryland to snap a three-game losing streak.
Nebraska (17-8, 8-6 Big Ten) beat an AP top-17 team on the road for the first time since 2013.
Nebraska trailed by as many as 14 points in the first quarter before going on a 17-2 run to take the lead at 39-36. The game was tied at 45-all at the break.
The Cornhuskers made four 3-pointers in the third quarter and closed the frame on a 9-2 run for a 73-59 lead. Britt Prince made a 3-pointer with 3:28 remaining in the fourth for a 28-point lead.
Nebraska finished 12 of 21 from 3-point range and shot 51% overall. The Cornhuskers also outrebounded Maryland 42-25.
Prince finished with 13 points and eight assists for Nebraska, which has won four of the last five meetings with Maryland. Jessica Petrie and Logan Nissley each scored 11 and Callin Hake added 10.
Shyanne Sellers was the lone double-digit scorer for Maryland (19-6, 9-5) with 23 points — 19 coming in the first half.
CLEMSON 68, NO. 19 GEORGIA TECH 61
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Tessa Miller scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Clemson past No. 19 Georgia Tech to snap a four-game losing streak.
Maddi Cluse scored all 14 of her points in the first half and Hannah Kohn chipped in with all 13 of hers in the second for Clemson (12-13, 5-9 Atlantic Coast Conference). Cluse and Kohn each made four of the Tigers’ nine 3-pointers.
Kara Dunn scored 18 points and made four from long range to lead Georgia Tech (20-5, 8-5), which ended a three-game win streak. Kayla Blackshear and Tonie Morgan added 11 points apiece.
Cluse and Miller scored six points apiece as Clemson outscored Georgia Tech 23-14 in the second quarter. Cluse finished 4 of 5 from distance in the first half and Miller put up 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting as the Tigers shot 60% (15 of 25) overall and led 37-26 at the break.
LOUISVILLE 83, NO. 23 FLORIDA STATE 69
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Tajian Roberts scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Jadya Curry also had 17 points and Louisville defeated No. 23 Florida State.
Nyla Harris had 14 points and nine rebounds and Imari Berry added 11 points for the Cardinals (18-7, 11-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Oliva Cochran reached 1,000 rebounds for her career.
Ta’Niya Latson surpassed her nation-leading average of 26 points with 29 moving into second on the Florida State career list and is eight points shy of reaching 2,000 for her career. O’Maria Gordon added 15 points for the Seminoles (19-6, 9-4).
The Associated Press
