COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Aaliyah Wilson scored 17 points and N’dea Jones added 16 to lead No. 3 Texas A&M to a 65-57 win over fifth-ranked South Carolina on Sunday to give the Aggies their first regular-season Southeastern Conference title.
It’s the 10th straight victory for the Aggies and their ninth win over a ranked opponent this season, which leads the nation. Texas A&M (22-1, 13-1 SEC) finished the season 13-0 at home.
The Gamecocks trailed by as many as 14 in the fourth quarter but cut the lead to 3 on a 3-pointer by Aliyah Boston with about three minutes to go.
Wilson pushed Texas A&M’s lead to 62-57 on a basket with less than 90 seconds remaining and Kayla Wells added two free throws with 12 seconds left to secure the victory.
The Aggies outscored South Carolina (19-4, 14-2) 19-8 in the third quarter to take a commanding lead before the Gamecocks get back in it late.
No. 2 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 68, SYRACUSE 61
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Elissa Cunane had 17 points and nine rebounds, Jada Boyd added 16 points and North Carolina State held off Syracuse for its fifth consecutive win.
The Wolfpack (17-2, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) have won their last four games against the Orange and handed Syracuse (12-7, 9-7) its first loss of the season in the Carrier Dome.
The game had special meeting for both teams because it was part of the Play4Kay campaign. The Orange donned pink uniforms to honor former N.C. State coach Kay Yow, who battled breast cancer for 22 years until her death in 2009. It also marked the first time Orange star guard Tiana Mangakahia wore the pink uniform since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2019 and missed all of last season after a bilateral mastectomy and several rounds of chemotherapy.
No. 4 STANFORD 72, CALIFORNIA 33
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Tara VanDerveer presented flowers to each of her Stanford three seniors and told them sorry their parents or family members couldn’t be at Maples Pavilion for senior day as is usual custom.
Kiana Williams scored 12 points in her final home game and defensive stopper fifth-year senior Anna Wilson added three steals playing for the final time on The Farm, and the fourth-ranked Cardinal used a big second half to beat California.
Hannah Jump added 14 points with four 3-pointers for Stanford (22-2, 19-2 Pac-12), which won its 11th straight game since a rare two-game skid in January.
Freshman leading scorer Dalayah Daniels had 11 points and seven rebounds for Cal (1-15, 1-12), coming off its lone victory of the season against Arizona State last Sunday.
No. 6 LOUISVILLE 78, NOTRE DAME 61
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Dana Evans and Louisville took care of business quickly and wrapped up their fourth straight regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference title with a victory at mistake-prone Notre Dame.
Evans, a senior point guard and the reigning ACC Player of the Year, had 26 points and five assists for coach Jeff Walz’s Cardinals (21-2, 14-2 ACC), who prevented No. 2 North Carolina State from overtaking them for first place in the league. N.C. State won 68-61 at Syracuse earlier Sunday.
Sam Brunelle came off the bench to score 13 points and reserve Olivia Miles, playing in her fifth game after skipping her senior season at Blair Academy (New Jersey), added 11 points for the Irish (10-9, 8-7).
No. 8 MARYLAND 62, NORTHWESTERN 50
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Mimi Collins had 18 points and 10 rebounds to help Maryland beat Northwestern.
Diamond Miller also finished with a double-double, scoring 17 points and adding 10 rebounds for the Terrapins (19-2, 15-1 Big Ten)
Veronica Burton scored 15 points and Lindsey Pulliam added 13 for Northwestern (13-6, 11-6).
ARIZONA STATE 66, No. 9 ARIZONA 64, OT
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Taya Hanson scored 19 points, including hitting five 3-pointers, and Jaddan Simmons added 15 points to lead Arizona State to an overtime victory over Arizona.
Maggie Besselink had seven points and 13 rebounds for the Sun Devils (11-9, 6-9), who lost 65-37 at Arizona on Dec. 10.
Aari McDonald scored 30 points and Bendu Yeaney had 14 points for the Wildcats (15-4, 13-4), who have their first two-game losing streak of the season.
OREGON STATE 88, No. 14 OREGON 77
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Aleah Goodman scored 20 points, leading six into double figures as a deep and balanced Oregon State offense knocked off Oregon in the annual rivalry game.
The game was a regular-season finale for both teams, who await seeding into the conference tournament March 3-7 in Las Vegas.
Sasha Goforth added 17 points for Oregon State (9-6, 7-6 Pacific-12 Conference), making 9 of 9 free throws.
Sedona Prince paced the Ducks (13-7, 10-7) with 22 points
No. 16 ARKANSAS 94, ALABAMA 76
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Amber Ramirez scored a career-high 35 points with eight 3-pointers and Arkansas beat Alabama.
In building a 52-39 halftime lead, Arkansas (19-7, 9-6 Southeastern Conference) scored 48 outside the paint. The Razorbacks set a team record with 19 3s in 39 attempts.
Alabama (15-8, 8-8) reeled off eight straight to start the third, and later, with 6:20 left in the quarter, Jordan Lewis buried a 3 and the Crimson Tide were within 58-55.
Arkansas held Alabama at bay and then sealed it with a 13-3 run in the fourth quarter.
No. 17 GEORGIA 95, FLORIDA 80
GAINSVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jenna Staiti scored 30 points, Maya Caldwell added 27, both career highs, and Georgia pulled away from Florida.
Combined with No. 19 Kentucky’s loss to Ole Miss, Georgia (18-5, 10-5 SEC) secured a top-four seed and a double-bye in next week’s Southeastern Conference tournament.
Floor Toonders, Jordyn Merritt and Kiara Smith all scored 16 for the Gators (10-12, 3-11) and Nina Rickards added 14. They have lost four straight since leading scorer Lavender Briggs (19.5) was lost for the season with a foot injury.
MISSISSIPPI 73, No. 19 KENTUCKY 69
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Shakira Austin had 22 points and 12 rebounds, Madison Scott also had a double-double and Mississippi upended Kentucky for the second time this season.
Two subpar offensive performances against the Rebels, who won just four conference games, dropped the Wildcats to the fifth-seed — with only one bye — for the Southeastern Conference tournament next week.
Donnetta Johnson scored 14 points for Ole Miss (10-10, 4-10 SEC), Scott and Snudda Collins both had 12. Scott had 10 rebounds and Collins four 3-pointers, including a clutch shot from the left corner with 1:07 to play that made it 64-58.
Rhyne Howard scored 21 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds for Kentucky (16-10, 9-6).
No. 20 TENNESSEE 88, AUBURN 54
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Rennia Davis scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Tennessee rolled to a win over Auburn, clinching the third-seed in the Southeastern Conference tournament next week.
Fellow senior Kasiyahna Kushkituah added a career-high 19 points for the Lady Vols (15-6, 9-4).
Rae Burrell scored 14 points, Jordan Horston added 12 and nine assists and Tamari Key 10 points and 10 rebounds for Tennessee, which will have its best seeding since being No. 2 in 2015.
Alaina Rice scored 11 points and Unique Thompson and Alycia Reese 10 each for the Tigers (5-18, 0-15), who enter the tournament with a 15-game losing streak.
No. 23 MISSOURI STATE 59, LOYOLA CHICAGO 45
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Jasmine Franklin scored 12 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds off the bench and Missouri State fought off a sluggish start to beat Loyola Chicago.
Franklin came off a career-high 25 points set in a win against the Ramblers on Saturday.
The Bears (18-2, 14-0 Missouri Valley Conference) extended their win streak to 17 straight in conference and 14 overall, the eighth-best overall streak in school history and longest since the 2018-19 team won 13 straight.
Loyola Chicago (10-10, 8-8) took advantage of the fact the Bears missed 12 of their first 15 shots and led 11-8 at the end of the first quarter.
No. 25 RUTGERS 60, PENN STATE 55
UNIVERSITY, Pa. (AP) — Tyia Singleton and Tekia Mack led a fourth-quarter rally as No. 25 Rutgers overcame Penn State for the Scarlet Knights’ seventh straight win.
Singleton had a pair of baskets and Mack two 3-pointers in a 10-0 run that gave Rutgers (12-3, 8-3 Big Ten) a 52-45 lead with four minutes remaining. The Lady Lions (9-12, 6-11) got within three on Shay Hagans’ 3-pointer with 19 seconds to go but then had to foul twice to get Arella Guirantes to the line with 5.4 left. Guirantes made the first free throw and missed the second but Singleton got the offensive rebound.
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