- Associated Press - Thursday, December 29, 2016

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Katie Lou Samuelson scored 17 of her 23 points in the second half, and top-ranked Connecticut held off No. 4 Maryland 87-81 on Thursday night for its 87th consecutive victory.

Kia Nurse had 19 points and Gabby Williams fought through foul trouble to add 16 for the Huskies (12-0). They tied an NCAA women’s record with their 30th consecutive road win.

After taking a 36-31 lead at halftime, Connecticut opened the second half with a 14-0 run to seemingly take control. Nurse started and ended the spree with 3-pointers, and Samuelson had a four-point play.

The Terrapins (12-1) closed to 75-70 with 3:40 left before a layup by Napheesa Collier blunted the comeback. Then, after Maryland got within six, Saniya Chong drilled a jumper from beyond the arc to make it 84-75 with 48 seconds remaining.

Brionna Jones had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Terrapins. Destiny Slocum scored 23 points, and Kaila Charles had 18.

The matchup between unbeaten teams drew a crowd of 17,950, the first sellout at a Maryland women’s home game since 2007. The previous high this season 3,958.

N.C. STATE 70, NO. 2 NOTRE DAME 62

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Dominique Wilson scored 18 points to help North Carolina State upset Notre Dame, snapping the Fighting Irish’s 35-game winning streak against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.

Miah Spencer added 17 points for the Wolfpack (11-3), who never trailed and led by 19 in the third quarter in the conference opener for both teams. Notre Dame made a fourth-quarter run behind a flurry of 3-pointers from Marina Mabrey and got within five, but the Wolfpack went 6 for 6 at the line in the final 70 seconds to secure the program’s first win against a top-5 opponent in nearly five years.

Mabrey finished with 22 points for Notre Dame (12-2), which came in with a 47-1 regular-season league record - the only loss coming at Miami in January 2015. The Irish’s 35-game win streak against ACC opponents included three straight ACC Tournament titles since joining the league.

NO. 3 BAYLOR 87, KANSAS STATE 57

WACO, Texas (AP) - Kalani Brown had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Baylor opened Big 12 Conference play with a victory over Kansas State.

The Lady Bears (12-1) outrebounded Kansas State 56-28, and that turned into a 25-5 edge in second-chance points. Baylor also outscored the Wildcats 31-10 off the bench.

Brown had four blocks, and Alexis Prince and Nina Davis both added 14 points for Baylor.

Kindred Wesemann led Kansas State (10-3) with 16 points.

NO. 7 FLORIDA STATE 81, NO. 11 MIAMI 66

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Imani Wright and Leticia Romero each scored 19 points and Florida State pulled away after halftime to beat Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

Shakayla Thomas had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Seminoles (13-1), and Chatrice White added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Florida State has won 12 straight.

Jessica Thomas had 20 points for Miami (11-2).

NO. 8 LOUISVILLE 91, NO. 25 SYRACUSE 76

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Asia Durr scored a career-high 36 points, including 18 during Louisville’s 36-point third quarter, and Mariya Moore had a triple double.

Moore had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the seventh triple-double by a Louisville player and the program’s first since Bria Smith in 2014. Myisha Hines-Allen added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinals (13-2) in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

Alexis Peterson had 31 points for Syracuse (9-5).

NO. 12 WEST VIRGINIA 83, TCU 61

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Tynice Martin scored 21 points, Teana Muldrow added 19 as West Virginia remained unbeaten with a victory over TCU in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Chania Ray matched a career-high with 17 points and had nine assists and six steals for the Mountaineers (13-0). Amy Okonkwo had 17 points for the Horned Frogs (8-4).

NO. 15 DUKE 69, NO. 17 KENTUCKY 54

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Lexie Brown hit four 3-pointers and scored 24 points and Duke used a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter to beat Kentucky.

Rebecca Greenwell had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Duke (12-1). Taylor Murray had 18 points for the Wildcats (9-4).

NO. 16 TEXAS 67, TEXAS TECH 47

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Brooke McCarty scored 16 points to help Texas beat Texas Tech in their Big 12 opener.

Joyner Holmes added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Longhorns (7-4). Recee Caldwell scored 24 points for the Red Raiders (8-4).

NO. 21 CALIFORNIA 74, ARIZONA 64

TUSCON, Ariz. (AP) - Courtney Range scored 17 points and California beat Arizona in the Pac-12 opener for both teams.

Kristine Anigwe had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Penina Davidson added 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for Cal (13-0).

LaBrittney Jones had 24 points for Arizona (9-3).

NO. 24 OKLAHOMA 84, KANSAS 54

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Nancy Walton had career highs of 14 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks and Oklahoma won its 12th straight Big 12 Conference opener.

The 6-foot-9 freshman, who has a block in every game for the Sooners (10-4), made 6 of 9 shots but was 2 of 6 from the foul line in her first start. Maddie Manning led Oklahoma with 17 points, and Peyton Little and Chelsea Dungee had 15 apiece. Jessica Washington led Kansas (6-6) with 22 points.

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