Associated Press ADVERTISING Associated Press STORRS, Conn. — Breanna Stewart and Bria Hartley each scored 20 points to help No. 1 UConn remain unbeaten with a 72-35 victory over No. 24 Rutgers on Saturday. The victory gave the Huskies (30-0,
Associated Press
Associated Press
STORRS, Conn. — Breanna Stewart and Bria Hartley each scored 20 points to help No. 1 UConn remain unbeaten with a 72-35 victory over No. 24 Rutgers on Saturday.
The victory gave the Huskies (30-0, 17-0 American) at least a share of the inaugural American Athletic Conference regular season title. The Huskies will play No. 3 Louisville on Monday with a chance to win the conference championship outright. If Louisville wins, a coin flip would determine the top seed for the conference tournament.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who missed the previous four games with mononucleosis, returned and scored seven points in 27 minutes.
UConn held Rutgers scoreless for a period of 5 minutes, 20 seconds in the first half and gradually extended its lead. Rutgers (21-7, 12-5) missed six shots in that span.
No. 3 LOUISVILLE 75
CINCINNATI 51
CINCINNATI — Tia Gibbs scored 17 points and Louisville pulled away from Cincinnati in the second half.
Antonita Slaughter added 14 points, Asia Taylor finished with 12 and Shoni Schimmel scored 10, helping keep alive Louisville’s bid for a share of the inaugural American Athletic Conference championship.
The second-place Cardinals (28-2, 16-1) went into Saturday’s game trailing top-ranked and conference-leading Connecticut by one game.
The two are scheduled to meet in the regular-season finale on Monday in Louisville.
Before a crowd of 1,088 on Cincinnati’s Senior Day, Bearcats’ senior Jeanise Randolph had 22 points and 11 rebounds — her ninth double-double of the season and 14th of her career.
Alyesha Lovett added 15 points for Cincinnati (12-16, 5-12).
No. 8 PENN STATE 77
MICHIGAN 62
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Ariel Edwards scored 21 points and Penn State beat Michigan to clinch a share of the Big Ten title for the third straight season.
Penn State can win the title outright Sunday if Nebraska loses to Purdue, and Michigan State falls to Indiana.
Edwards’ senior teammates, Maggie Lucas, Talia East and Dara Taylor, scored 17, 16 and 11 points, respectively for Penn State (22-6, 13-3 Big Ten).
The four-woman senior class has won 99 games for Penn State thus far in their careers, and this marks the fourth straight season the Lady Lions have won more than 20 games. Michigan (17-12, 8-8) got 21 points from Shannon Smith and 14 from Madison Ristovski. Siera Thompson added 10 points.
No. 15 OKLA. STATE 67
KANSAS STATE 62
STILLWATER, Okla. — Senior Tiffany Bias scored 17 points in her final home game and Brittney Martin added 13 rebounds as Oklahoma State held on in the last 3 minutes to defeat Kansas State.
Oklahoma State (22-6, 11-6 Big 12) led by 13 at the half but Kansas State went on a 7-0 run, sparked by Kindred Wesemann’s 3-pointer, to take the lead by four points with 2:59 left to play.
Leticia Romero and Ashlynn Knoll scored 19 points apiece to lead the Wildcats (11-17, 5-12), and Wesemann added four 3-pointers.
No. 22 GONZAGA 81
PACIFIC 77
SPOKANE, Wash. — Sunny Greinacher scored a career-high 24 points as Gonzaga held on to beat Pacific to close the regular season.
Lindsay Sherbert added 18 points and Haiden Palmer 17 for the Bulldogs (26-4, 16-2), who wrapped up their 10th-straight West Coast Conference title in their last game and went 16-0 at home.
KiKi Moore kept Pacific (17-11, 12-6), which had a six-game winning streak end, in the game by matching her career-high of 33 points. Hailie Eackles added 20 and Kendall Kenyon 12 with 10 rebounds.
Gonzaga went on a 17-3 tear in the first half to open a 27-10 lead but the Tigers came back to close within 39-34 at the half. Pacific’s last lead was 53-51 with 12:28 to go but Palmer scored the next four, followed by a Sherbert layup.
GU had a 50-34 rebound advantage (24-10 offensive) and 28-2 in bench points.
No. 23 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 68
UAB 58
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Ebony Rowe, kept in check most of the game, scored nine-straight points in a late 12-0 run and finished with 22 as Middle Tennessee rallied to defeat Alabama-Birmingham.
Their seventh-straight win gave the Blue Riders (25-4, 14-1) their sixth-straight Conference USA title outright. KeKe Stewart added 15 points and Shanice Cason 12.
Behind Karisma Chapman, the Blazers (15-12, 7-7) led until Rowe took over. Chapman had 15 points and 13 rebounds but her only bucket of the second half came with 14:05 to play. Chelsee Black led UAB with 16 points.
Middle Tennessee, down by 11 with 11:30 to play, was behind 53-49 at the 4:33 mark before the critical surge. Rowe had a three-point play, two free throws and two layups with Cason capping the run with a 3 with 1:35 left.
