SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Satou Sabally scored 23 points in her first game of the season, Sabrina Ionescu and Erin Boley each added 19, and top-ranked Oregon beat No. 17 Syracuse 81-64 on Sunday.
It was the first real test of the season for both teams and the first road game for the Ducks (4-0). Syracuse (3-1) hadn’t hosted the No. 1 team in the country in nearly a decade and has failed to register a victory in 18 games against the top-ranked team.
The teams met last season in Eugene, Oregon, and the Orange led by six with two minutes to play before the Ducks rallied for a 75-73 victory. No rally was needed in this one for the Ducks, who took control with a dominant third quarter, outscoring the Orange 31-16 to break open a one-point game.
Ionescu, who finished with seven rebounds, hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Ducks a commanding 62-46 lead heading to the final quarter.
Kiara Lewis led Syracuse with 23 points and Emily Engstler had 10 points and nine rebounds. Gabrielle Cooper and Amaya Finklea-Guity, who each scored 11 points last year against Oregon, combined for six points.
No. 3 STANFORD 88, BUFFALO 69
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Lexie Hull scored 21 points, her third 20-plus game, and Stanford beat Buffalo.
Ashten Prechtel added 17 points and had 10 rebounds for the Cardinal (5-0), who hosted the Bulls for the first time. Kiana Williams added 14 points and Haley Jones had 10.
Dyaisha Fair scored 24 points to lead the Bulls (4-2), who lost their second straight after opening with four wins.
Freshman Elea Gaba scored 16 points, her first double-figure contest. Theresa Onwuka had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Loren Christie added 12 points.
No. 4 UCONN 73, OHIO STATE 62
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Crystal Dangerfield scored 23 points and Christyn Williams added 20 to lead UConn over Ohio State.
Megan Walker added 19 for the Huskies (5-0), who had a rare tight game with the Buckeyes.
Neither team led by more than single digits for the first 36:47 of the game, but UConn went on a 9-4 run to go up 67-56 with 2:53 to go. A Kierstan Bell 3, quick steal and layup by Jacy Sheldon made it a six-point game with 2:20 to play.
But the Huskies held on, with a pair of Dangerfield baskets sealing the victory.
Kierstan Bell led Ohio State with 16 points and Aaliyah Patty had 11, and Dorka Juhasz had 11 rebounds.
No. 5 SOUTH CAROLINA 84, CLEMSON 48
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) - Freshman Aliyah Boston had 13 points and South Carolina started the second half on a 19-4 run to rout state rival Clemson.
It was the Gamecocks’ 10th straight win in the series and the second-highest margin of victory in that span. They have won by an average of 26.1 points.
South Carolina had six in double figures, led by Boston and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan with 13 points each. Kobi Thornton led Clemson with 10 points.
The Gamecocks (6-0) took control in the first half by turning 12 Clemson turnovers into 16 points. But their offense, with Boston having to sit down for much of the first quarter after being poked in the eye, was stagnant.
South Carolina kept missing 3-pointers to keep Clemson (2-4) close, but an 8-2 run gave the Gamecocks a comfortable lead.
No. 8 LOUISVILLE 98, BOISE STATE 82
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Jazmine Jones scored 22 points, Dana Evans added 20 and Louisville built a cushion with a hot shooting start and outlasted Boise State.
The Cardinals (5-0) shot 71% in the first half, including 12 of 16 in the second quarter, for a 58-34 lead. A quick pace on both ends helped them own most statistical areas. Louisville won the rebounding battle 34-25 and scored 25 points off 20 turnovers.
Louisville cooled off significantly in the second half to finish 54% from the field. Meanwhile, Boise State (3-3) awoke from the field to shoot 85% after the break and 61% overall. The Broncos got within 91-77 with 2:39 remaining before the Cardinals answered with several late baskets.
Jones provided the initial spark with 10 first-quarter points and finished three points below her career best. Kylee Shook and Elizabeth Dixon added 15 points apiece for the Cardinals.
Braydey Hodgins and Rachel Bowers each scored 16 points and A’Shanti Coleman had 15 for the Broncos, who lost consecutive games for the first time since January 2018 and fell to 0-3 all-time against the Cardinals.
No. 9 MARYLAND 107, QUINNIPIAC 52
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Shakira Austin scored all 16 of her points in the first half, and Maryland dominated the inside against Quinnipiac.
The Terrapins (5-1) led 24-7 after the first quarter and by 21 at halftime in their fourth straight victory.
The 6-foot-5 Austin went 7 for 8 from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds to help Maryland finish with a 41-31 advantage on the boards.
Six players scored in double figures for Maryland, including freshmen Ashley Owusu with 19 and Diamond Miller with 17. The taller Terrapins had 56 points in the paint compared with 16 for the Bobcats.
Cur’Tiera Haywood led Quinnipiac (1-3) with nine points. The Bobcats have reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons but are off to a slow start in coach Tricia Fabbri’s 25th season at the school.
No. 14 N.C. STATE 87, SAINT MARY’S 70
MORAGA, Calif. (AP) - Jakia Brown-Turner scored 16 points, Kayla Jones posted her first double-double and North Carolina State defeated Saint Mary’s to give the Wolfpack their seventh straight 5-0 start to a season.
The Wolfpack, leading by nine at halftime, took command over the first half of the third quarter with a 15-3 run during which Jones scored seven points and Brown-Turner five. The Gaels went 1 of 10 during that stretch.
North Carolina State used an 11-0 run, including a pair of 3-pointers by Kai Crutchfield and another by Aislinn Konig, to take the lead for good in the first quarter.
Jones had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Jada Boyd and Grace Hunter finished with 13 points each, Crutchfield had 12 and Elissa Cunane had 10 with nine rebounds for NC State.
Taycee Wedin made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points to lead the Gaels (2-3). Sam Simons and Emily Codding added 16 points each.
The Gaels made 16 of 34 3-point attempts but NC State sank 11 of their 22 and had a 42-14 edge in points in the paint. NC State shot 55% to 38% for Saint Mary’s.
No. 15 MICHIGAN STATE 79, HARTFORD 34
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Taryn McCutcheon and Julia Ayrault had 14 points apiece, Kayla Belles had a double-double and No. 15 Michigan State cruised to a 79-34 win over Hartford on Sunday.
Nia Clouden added 12 points for the Spartans and Belles had 11 points with a career-high 11 rebounds for her first career double-double.
Michigan State (5-0) closed out the first period with an 11-0 run, nine of the points by Ayrault, for a 19-8 lead. The Hawks (0-6) were down 12 with two minutes left in the second quarter when the Spartans reeled off nine quick points for a 42-21 advantage at the break. MSU shot 65% (11 of 17) in the second quarter and Hartford 27% (4 of 15).
Last season in Hartford, Michigan State pulled out an eight-point win in overtime.
CALIFORNIA 84, No. 20 ARKANSAS 80
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Jaelyn Brown had career highs of 30 points and 12 rebounds and Cailyn Crocker made two free throws with 2.5 seconds left to give California an 84-80 upset over Arkansas.
The Razorbacks had an 8-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter, taking a 78-77 lead on Alexis Tolefree’s jumper with 3:52 to play. Cal responded with a CJ West layup and a 3-pointer from Brown to take an 82-78 lead into the final minute.
The Bears had a chance to stretch the lead but missed a shot and Arkansas got possession on a held ball. Tolefree’s layup cut the deficit to two with 39.5 seconds to go. Sara Anastasieska missed a shot as the clock dipped under 10 seconds but Brown got the rebound. Her putback bounced off but the Bears kept possession because of a held ball. It took two fouls to get Crocker on the line where she swished both opportunities.
West finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Bears (3-2), who have won three straight.
Chelsea Dungee led the Razorbacks (5-1) with 24 points. Taylah Thomas added 16 points and Amber Ramirez 15.
No. 22 SOUTH FLORIDA 62, SAINT FRANCIS, Pa. 23
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Shae Leverett had 12 points and 13 rebounds and South Florida’s defense completely stymied Saint Francis (Pa.).
Elena Tsineke led the Bulls (5-1), who were coming off a 12-point loss at No. 2 Baylor, with 13 points and Tamara Henshaw had 10.
The Red Flash (1-5) shot 13.5%, missed 24 straight shots and did not score a field goal in the second and third quarters. They also had 25 turnovers with only two assists.
Karson Swogger and Jenna Mastellone closed the first quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to pull Saint Francis within 16-11. The second 3 came with 1:14 left and made the Red Flash 4 of 9. The fifth, and final, field goal came with 3:33 left when Halie Murphy hit a 3-pointer.
Swogger led Saint Francis with 10 points.
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