No. 1 South Carolina experiences rare sting of defeat, seeing 43-game winning streak end
UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) fights for the ball against South Carolina forwards Chloe Kitts (21) and Ashlyn Watkins (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Top-ranked South Carolina felt something it hasn’t known in over 2 1/2 years.
The sting of defeat after being thoroughly dominated in a 77-62 loss to No. 5 UCLA on Sunday.
Gone was the overall 43-game winning streak. Done was the run of 33 consecutive road victories. And the No. 1 ranking it’s held for 23 consecutive polls will disappear Monday.
South Carolina hadn’t lost since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat the Gamecocks in the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.
The Bruins (5-0) shot 47% from the floor and 3-point range, hit 11 of 14 free throws and had five players in double figures.
The Gamecocks (5-1) were held to 36% shooting, had just two players in double figures and neither was leading scorer Chloe Kitts, who was held to 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting.
NO. 8 IOWA STATE 80, DRAKE 78
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Audi Crooks scored the winning shot as time expired and a season-high 33 points as No. 8 Iowa State survived with a win over Drake.
Addy Brown added 13 points and eight rebounds, Emily Ryan scored 11 points with 12 assists and Kenzie Hare had 10 points as the Cyclones (5-1) avoided a second consecutive loss.
The Bulldogs (2-3) were led by guard Katie Dinnebier, who scored 39 points on 13-of-16 shooting and went 8 of 10 from 3-point range. Dinnebier went 5 of 6 from the charity stripe.
Anna Miller added 18 points in Drake’s attempt to dethrone Iowa State, and Abbie Aalsma scored 11 off the bench.
NO. 11 MARYLAND 107, ST. FRANCIS (PA) 35
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Kaylene Smikle scored 25 points and No. 11 Maryland won its sixth straight game to start the season, racing to a win over St. Francis of Pennsylvania.
Smikle hit 3 of 5 from long range and was 8 of 13 from the field while dishing four assists and making three steals. Allie Kubek scored 20 points, Shyanne Sellers had 11 points and nine assists. Bri McDaniel had 10 points and Mir McLean added 10 points and 10 rebounds, both off the bench. Christina Dalce had nine points, 10 rebounds and three assists. The Terrapins shot 39 of 71 from the field, including 9 of 26 from beyond the arc.
St. Francis scored the game’s first points on a Julianna Gibson layup a half-minute into the contest but did not reach double-figure scoring until Yanessa Boyd knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:18 left in the third quarter to make it 72-12. Maryland led 32-3 after a quarter and 66-9 at intermission.
The Red Flashes (1-6) were just 12 of 53 from the field (22.6%), including 5 of 28 from beyond the arc. Boyd finished with 10 points after hitting 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
NO. 12 OHIO STATE 96, BOWLING GREEN 53
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Freshman guard Ava Watson came off the bench to hit six 3-pointers and score 20 points and Chance Gray made three 3-pointers and scored 18 to lead No. 12 Ohio State to a victory over Bowling Green.
Watson made 6 of 10 shots from beyond the arc and 1 of 4 from inside it for the Buckeyes (5-0). She added a pair of steals and has scored 30 of her 37 points this season in the last two games. Gray sank half of her 14 shots — 3 of 8 from distance.
Taylor Thierry totaled 17 points on 6-for-6 shooting with two 3-pointers, six rebounds and three steals for Ohio State. Jaloni Cambridge pitched in with 17 points, six assists and five boards. Kennedy Cambridge added 10 points, six rebounds and three steals.
Amy Velasco finished with 24 points to lead the Falcons (2-4), who have lost all four of their road games. She made 8 of 16 shots with a 3-pointer and all seven of her free throws.
No. 16 NORTH CAROLINA 53, VILLANOVA 35
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski scored 14 points apiece, and Ustby added 14 rebounds to lead No. 16 North Carolina to a victory over Villanova in a semifinal game at the Women’s Battle 4 Atlantis.
The Tar Heels (5-1) play Indiana in the championship game on Monday. The Hoosiers upset No. 18 Baylor 73-65 in Sunday’s first semifinal.
Ustby made 6 of 8 shots from the floor with a 3-pointer for North Carolina on the way to her first double-double of the season. Donarski hit 6 of 10 shots with a pair of 3-pointers.
Maddie Webber led the Wildcats (4-2) with 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Lara Edmanson pitched in with 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Tar Heels held Villonova’s leading scorer Jasmine Bascoe to two points after she came in averaging 16.6 per game. Bascoe missed all seven of her shots — three from distance — and made 2 of 4 at the free-throw line.
INDIANA 73, NO. 18 BAYLOR 65
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Shay Ciezki scored a season-high 34 points and Indiana knocked off No. 18 Baylor in a semifinal at the Women’s Battle 4 Atlantis.
The Hoosiers (4-2) will play the winner of Sunday’s second semifinal between No. 16 North Carolina and Villanova for the championship on Monday. The Bears (4-2) will play the loser for third place on Monday.
Ciezki made 9 of 16 shots from the floor for the Hoosiers (4-2). She hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range and 12 of 13 at the free-throw line. The junior finished six points shy of her career high — set last season in a 101-73 victory over Central Connecticut.
Chloe Moore-McNeil had 10 rebounds to go with seven points for Indiana. Karoline Striplin added eight points off the bench.
Yaya Felder came off the bench to hit five 3-pointers and score a season-high 20 to lead Baylor. Jada Walker scored 15 but missed 13 of 16 shots and all three of her shots from distance. She was 9 for 11 at the foul line. Aaronette Vonleh totaled 11 points and eight rebounds but had six of the Bears’ 18 turnovers.
No. 19 TCU 86, IDAHO ST. 46
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Hailey Van Lith scored 27 points, Sedona Prince added 19, and No. 19 TCU shut down Idaho State in the second half, defeating the Bengals.
Madison Conner added 17 points for TCU, making 5 of 7 3-pointers. Van Lith had four 3-pointers and the Horned Frogs
Halle Wright scored 15 points and Maria Dias had 11 for Idaho State (2-4).
NO. 25 LOUISVILLE 64, SOUTH FLORIDA 60
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Olivia Cochran and Imari Berry scored 13 points each and No. 25 Louisville held off South Florida in the WBCA Showcase.
After trailing by 10 points at halftime, South Florida got within 53-46 heading to the fourth quarter. The Bulls went on an 8-0 to take the lead at 59-58 with 1:48 remaining.
A layup by Ja’Leah Williams put Louisville back in front and Jayda Curry went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line to wrap it up for the Cardinals. Louisville held South Florida to two shots — both misses — in the final minute.
Curry finished with 12 points for the Cardinals (4-2).
Vittoria Blasigh scored 19, Carla Brito 11 and Sammie Puisis 10 for South Florida (4-3). Brito had 10 rebounds.