No. 14 Iowa closed on a 16-6 run, pulling away from No. 20 Nebraska 86-76 in Thursday’s Big Ten Conference showdown in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes (12-2, 3-0 Big Ten) scored 10 unanswered points, capitalizing on holding the visiting Cornhuskers scoreless for 4:01. Chazadi Wright capped her team-high 24-point performance with six clutch free throws and a layup late to help Iowa put the game away.
The Hawkeyes also got a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds from Hannah Stuelke, 18 points and seven rebounds from Ava Heiden and nine points from Taylor McCabe.
Eighteen turnovers plagued Nebraska (12-2, 1-2) despite a game-high scoring performance from Britt Prince. Her 27 points set the pace, while Jessica Petrie added 17 points and Eliza Maupin went for a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double in the Huskers’ second straight loss following a 12-0 start.
No. 3 South Carolina 83, Alabama 57
The Gamecocks used an 11-1 run to close out the third quarter, ending the first-half threat issued from the Crimson Tide in the league opener for both teams in Columbia, S.C.
The Gamecocks (14-1, 1-0 SEC) held just a 40-34 halftime lead over a Crimson Tide team that came into Friday’s matchup undefeated on the campaign. Diana Collins scored three of her 17 points on a buzzer-beating triple that capped an 8-0 run to end the half for Alabama (14-1, 0-1).
South Carolina overwhelmed the Tide in the third quarter and ran away over the course of the second half behind tenacious defense and balanced scoring. Joyce Edwards led four Gamecocks in double figures, finishing with 25 points.
Raven Johnson added 17 points, Madina Okot finished with 11 points and nine rebounds and Tessa Johnson chipped in 10 points for South Carolina.
No. 12 Vanderbilt 88, Arkansas 71
Mikayla Blakes matched her season high with 35 points, and the undefeated Commodores held the Razorbacks without a field goal for a pivotal second-quarter stretch that powered them to victory in Fayetteville, Ark.
Vanderbilt (14-0, 1-0 SEC) saw an early 11-point lead whittled down to five midway through the second quarter before shutting down the Razorbacks’ offense during a 14-3 run. Arkansas (11-5) saw the deficit grow to as many as 26 points in the third quarter, struggling to slow Vanderbilt’s trio of Blakes, Aubrey Galvan and Sacha Washington.
When Blakes was not scoring, she set the table for her teammates to the tune of eight assists. Galvan and Washington backed her up with 14 and 13 points — Galvan scoring 12 of hers on 4-of-10 3-point shooting — and Washington grabbed 13 rebounds.
Taleyah Jones led Arkansas with 24 points in the loss.
No. 13 Louisville 91, SMU 58
A 19-3 first-half run put the host Cardinals in control early, and they cruised to remain perfect in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
The crucial spurt, beginning in the first quarter, broke a 14-14 tie. Louisville (13-3, 3-0 ACC) went on to build a 19-point lead by halftime, deluging SMU with 27 second-quarter points.
Four Cardinals scored in double figures, led by Tajianna Roberts’ 15 points. Imari Berry finished with 11 points and nine rebounds off the bench, fellow reserve Skylar Jones added 10 points and Elif Istanbulluoglu went for 11 points.
Reagan Bender scored all nine of her points off the bench on 3-of-3 3-point shooting, leading Louisville to a 9-of-27 performance from deep. Paulina Paris led all scorers with 20 points for SMU (7-8, 0-3).
No. 16 North Carolina 71, Cal 55
Nyla Harris posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double and Indya Nivar went for 16 points and six assists as the Tar Heels returned to ACC play with a win over the Golden Bears in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Tar Heels (13-3, 2-1 ACC) jumped out of the gate, scoring the game’s first nine points, before Cal responded with a 17-5 run to close the first quarter. The Golden Bears (9-6, 0-2) took a 34-32 lead into halftime before North Carolina ratcheted up its defensive intensity after the break.
A 12-2 run through the first half of the fourth quarter gave the Tar Heels breathing room down the stretch, and North Carolina forced Cal into 22 turnovers to disrupt the Golden Bears’ offensive flow. Harris powered the defensive effort with five steals.
Sakima Walker led all scorers with 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Walker was the only Cal scorer to reach double figures.
No. 23 Tennessee 76, Florida 65
A late 12-2 run separated the Lady Volunteers from the Gators in their Southeastern Conference opener in Knoxville, Tenn.
Zee Spearman posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Vols (9-3, 1-0 SEC), helping Tennessee to a 49-26 advantage on the glass. Janiah Barker came off the bench to lead the overwhelming rebounding edge, snaring 12 rebounds to go with her nine points.
Liv McGill exploded for 32 points to lead Florida (12-4, 0-1) and Jade Weathersby knocked down three 3-pointers on the way to 11 points off the bench. No other Gator scored more than eight points.
Tennessee, meanwhile, got 17 points and seven rebounds from Talaysia Cooper, Mia Pauldo added 10 points and Alyssa Latham had nine points and eight rebounds.
No. 24 Michigan State 80, Indiana 60
Grace VanSlooten’s 18 points, 14 rebounds and four assists powered the Spartans to a dominant road win over the Big Ten foe Hoosiers in Bloomington, Ind.
The Spartans (13-1, 2-1 Big Ten) took control in the second half, going on a 15-6 run through the first six-plus minutes out of intermission. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Emma Shumate and Sara Sambolic capped the pivotal burst, part of an 8-of-17 performance from long range for Michigan State.
Jalyn Brown led the Spartans’ long-range barrage, going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc on the way to a game-high 20 points. Shay Ciezki led Indiana (11-4, 0-3) with 16 points, but shot just 1-of-6 from long distance.
The Hoosiers went 6-of-22 from deep as a team.
–Field Level Media
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