Elina Aarnisalo set a career high for the second straight game with 22 points, and No. 21 North Carolina completed the regular season by handing No. 12 Duke its second loss in three games in a 74-69 home victory Sunday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Tar Heels (25-6, 14-4 ACC) trailed by two at halftime, but Aarnisalo went 3-for-3 from the arc in the third quarter to power the hosts into the lead. Aarnisalo also had seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Nyla Harris added 19 points and seven rebounds and went 9-for-10 from the foul line. After North Carolina slipped behind 60-59 with 4:53 to play, Aarnisalo and Harris fueled an 8-1 Tar Heels run that featured six foul shots. UNC outscored Duke 20-10 on free throws and outrebounded the visitors 45-33 to split the season series.
Ashlon Jackson had 17 points with five 3-pointers and Riley Nelson scored 13 for the Blue Devils (21-8, 16-2), who had already clinched at least a share of the ACC title. Both Delaney Thomas and Toby Fournier had 12 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
No. 1 UConn 85, St. John’s 49
Azzi Fudd scored 14 points as the visiting Huskies ran away from the Red Storm in New York.
Allie Ziebell added 13 points off the bench for undefeated UConn (31-0, 20-0 Big East), while Sarah Strong and Serah Williams each scored 11 points. Jailah Donald had eight points for St. John’s (21-10, 11-9).
UConn led from start to finish and put on an offensive clinic, shooting 57% from the floor and notching 25 assists on 36 made baskets. The Huskies also scored 25 points off 22 Red Storm turnovers.
No. 2 UCLA 73, Southern California 50
Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 20 points as the Bruins completed an undefeated regular season in the Big Ten with a win over the host Trojans in Los Angeles.
UCLA (28-1, 18-0 Big Ten) also got 14 points apiece from Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens, 11 from Kiki Rice and 15 rebounds, five assists and five points from Lauren Betts. Jazzy Davidson led USC (17-12, 9-9) with 12 points, while Kennedy Smith had 11.
The Bruins led wire-to-wire and by as much as 29 points. They scored 20 points off 15 USC turnovers and won the rebounding margin by 25 (47-22).
No. 3 South Carolina 60, No. 16 Kentucky 56
Madina Okot posted her seventh straight double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds and the SEC champion Gamecocks ended the season on a 10-game winning streak by holding off the Wildcats in Lexington, Ky.
South Carolina (29-2, 15-1 SEC) saw a 13-point lead through three quarters whittled down to two in the final minute, but Okot made her 10th and final basket as time expired. Tessa Johnson scored 12 points and Raven Johnson had 11 as the Gamecocks overcame a 40-34 rebounding deficit.
Clara Strack went for 24 points and nine rebounds for Kentucky (21-9, 8-8), scoring eight points in the final period to forge the attempted comeback. Asia Boone had 11 points.
No. 4 Texas 72, No. 24 Alabama 65
Madison Booker compiled 21 points and nine rebounds as the Longhorns held off the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Jordan Lee and Kyla Oldacre scored 11 apiece for Texas (28-3, 13-3 SEC), which led by as many as 17 points before Alabama opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to get within 49-44. The Crimson Tide shot 9-for-12 from both the field and the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, but Texas held firm, with Booker putting up nine points in the frame.
Jessica Timmons scored 24 points and Essence Cody had 16 for Alabama (21-8, 7-8), which lost 19 turnovers that Texas turned into 21 points.
No. 5 Vanderbilt 87, Tennessee 77
Mikayla Blakes racked up 34 points, six rebounds and four assists and Aubrey Galvan had 24 points and five helpers as the Commodores beat the rival Lady Volunteers in Knoxville, Tenn.
Sacha Washington added 16 points and eight rebounds for Vanderbilt (27-3, 13-3 SEC), which locked up the second seed in the SEC tournament thanks to a head-to-head win over Texas. The Commodores shot 53% overall and 11 for 22 from 3-point range, with Blakes making 6 of 9 and Galvan 4 of 7.
Tennessee (16-12, 8-8) ended the season on a six-game losing streak after squandering a 43-37 halftime lead. Vanderbilt shot 63.3% in the second half and outscored Tennessee 50-34. Talaysia Cooper had 23 points for the Lady Vols, while Janiah Barker supplied 17 points and eight boards.
No. 6 LSU 72, Mississippi State 63
Mikaylah Williams collected 26 points and a career-high 15 rebounds to power the Tigers to a win over the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss.
LSU (26-4, 12-4 SEC) also got 16 points from MiLaysia Fulwiley and 12 points from Jada Richard. Kharyssa Richardson powered Mississippi State (18-12, 5-11) with 18 points.
The Bulldogs have now lost four straight games and seven of their last 10. Mississippi State enters the SEC tournament in Greenville, S.C. this upcoming week in dire need of resume-boosting wins to improve its chances of inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. LSU won its fourth straight game after outscoring the Bulldogs 40-22 in the paint.
No. 7 Oklahoma 84, Missouri 78
Raegan Beers totaled 23 points and nine rebounds as the Sooners held off the Tigers in Columbia, Mo.
Payton Verhulst added a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma (23-6, 11-5 SEC), while Aaliyah Chavez scored 18 points and Sahara Williams stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, nine boards and five assists. The Sooners won the rebounding battle 54-35.
Shannon Dowell exploded off the bench for Missouri (16-15, 4-12) with a season-high 33 points along with 10 rebounds. Grace Slaughter also chipped in 15 points for the Tigers.
No. 9 Iowa 81, Wisconsin 52
Ava Heiden collected 16 points and 14 rebounds as the Hawkeyes pulled away from the Badgers in Madison, Wis.
Heiden shot an efficient 8-of-11 from the floor, and also had a block and two steals for Iowa (24-5, 15-3 Big Ten). The Hawkeyes — who played without starting forward Hannah Stuelke due to an elbow injury — also got 14 points from Chazadi Wright, 12 points and nine assists from Taylor Stremlow and 10 points apiece from Teagan Mallegni and Layla Hays.
In her final home game, sixth-year senior Destiny Howell scored 23 points for Wisconsin (13-16, 5-13). After a close first half, Iowa used a 26-9 third quarter run to pull away. The Hawkeyes shot 53% from the floor and notched 25 assists on 35 made baskets.
Notre Dame 65, No. 10 Louisville 62
Hannah Hidalgo poured in 30 points and 10 rebounds as the Fighting Irish picked up arguably their most impressive win of the season, defeating the host Cardinals.
The do-it-all guard Hidalgo also had seven assists and five steals in the fifth straight win for Notre Dame (20-9, 12-6 ACC). Vanessa de Jesus added 14 points, Iyana Moore scored 11 and Malaya Cowles had 10 for the Irish. With the win, Notre Dame secures the No. 5 seed in this upcoming week’s ACC Tournament in Duluth, Ga.
Mackenly Randolph led Louisville (25-6, 15-3) with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Tajianna Roberts chipped in 13 points and Imari Berry had 12. Notre Dame led by as many as 12 points after outscoring Louisville 29-12 in the second quarter.
No. 11 TCU 65, No. 18 Baylor 53
Marta Suarez had 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Horned Frogs defeated the visiting Bears in Fort Worth, Texas.
Olivia Miles added 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists while Taylor Bigby chipped in 12 points for TCU (27-4, 15-3 Big 12), which clinched its second straight regular-season Big 12 championship.
Baylor (24-7, 13-5) was led by Taliah Scott’s 17 points, four rebounds and four assists. TCU led for over 37 minutes and outscored Baylor 26-12 in the paint.
No. 13 Ohio State 87, No. 15 Michigan State 68
Jaloni Cambridge dropped 33 points, Chance Gray added 21 and the Buckeyes steamrolled the Spartans in East Lansing, Mich.
Cambridge and Gray each made seven 3-pointers, combining to shoot 14 for 23 from distance with Cambridge setting a career high and Gray matching her season best. Elsa Lemmila added 11 points and 10 rebounds while Kennedy Cambridge tallied 10 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and five steals. After a lopsided first quarter, Ohio State (24-6, 13-5 Big Ten) broke the game open with a 15-0 run in the second and led by as many as 30 in the half.
Michigan State (22-7, 11-7) worked back into the game, cutting the deficit to 62-48 after three quarters, but Gray and Cambridge combined for three 3-pointers in the first 3:38 of the final period to quash the rally. Grace VanSlooten led the Spartans with 17 points, seven boards and five assists, and Rashunda Jones had 16 points.
No. 17 West Virginia 118, Cincinnati 60
Four starters dropped at least 20 points and the Mountaineers scored the second-most points in a game in program history, crushing the Bearcats in Morgantown, W.Va.
Sydney Shaw (24 points), Kierra Wheeler (21, 10 rebounds), Gia Cooke (20) and Jordan Harrison (20, 10 assists) steamrolled the visitors, with fifth starter Carter McCray chipping in 12 points and nine rebounds. The starting five alone shot a blistering 35 for 52 (67.3%).
West Virginia (24-6, 14-4 Big 12) also outrebounded Cincinnati 45-28 and had a 25-0 advantage in points off turnovers. Mya Perry had 19 points to pace the Bearcats (11-19, 6-12).
Texas A&M 66, No. 19 Ole Miss 58
Behind 16 points from Ny’Ceara Pryor, the Aggies won their fifth consecutive game with an upset of the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.
Pryor also had six assists, two rebounds and two steals in the third victory over an AP-ranked opponent this season for the Aggies (14-11, 7-9 SEC). Fatmata Janneh added a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Salese Blow chipped in 11 points off the bench for Texas A&M. Texas A&M shot a season-best 66.7% from 3-point land, making 8 of 12 attempts from behind the arc.
Cotie McMahon had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Rebels (21-10, 8-8 SEC) in their fourth straight loss. Tianna Thompson added 12 points.
No. 20 Texas Tech 58, Arizona State 51
Jalynn Bristow scored 18 points to power the Lady Raiders to a win over the Sun Devils in Lubbock, Texas.
Jada Malone added 11 points for Texas Tech (25-6, 12-6 Big 12), while Denae Fritz chipped in 10 points. The victory gives the Lady Raiders their most wins in a single season since 2003-04.
Gabby Elliott scored 15 points for Arizona State (22-9, 9-9) and Heloisa Carrera tossed in 10 points with six rebounds. The loss is a crucial one for the Sun Devils as they desperately needed a resume-boosting win for the NCAA Tournament. Molly Miller’s team is now 0-5 in Quad 1 games this season.
No. 22 Minnesota 78, Illinois 73
Sophie Hart scored 17 points in the Golden Gophers’ win over the Fighting Illini in Champaign, Ill.
Hart — who also had six rebounds and two assists — was one of five players to score in double figures for Minnesota (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten). Amaya Battle had 16 points, Finau Tonga and Mara Braun each scored 11 and Tori McKinney chipped in 10. Minnesota shot 20-of-24 from the free throw line, their third-most makes from the charity stripe in a game this season. The Gophers also outscored the Illini in the paint 46-26.
Berry Wallace totaled 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists for Illinois (19-10, 9-9), while Aaliyah Guyton and Maddie Webber each had 14 points apiece.
No. 23 Georgia 71, Florida 58
Dani Carnegie scored 26 points to lead the Bulldogs to a victory over the Gators in Athens, Ga.
Carnegie shot 5-of-10 from behind the arc and also dished out four assists for Georgia (22-8, 8-8 SEC). The Bulldogs were also powered by Mia Woolfolk, who had a double-double — just her second of the season — of 20 points and 10 boards.
Nyadieng Yiech had 14 points for Florida (17-14, 5-11). The Gators missed 10 free throws and were outrebounded by 12.
–Field Level Media
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