SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Cotie McMahon had 16 points and six rebounds leading six players in double figures scoring, and No. 11 Ohio State beat Stanford 84-59 on Friday night in the Invisalign Bay Area Women’s Classic.
McMahon, who came in averaging at team-high 18.6 points per game, missed eight of her first nine shots and wound up 5 for 15 for the unbeaten Buckeyes (12-0).
Nunu Agara scored 17 points to lead Stanford (8-4).
The Cardinal ended the first quarter missing five straight shots and eight of nine during a drought covering the final 4:02 without a field goal and 6:47 without a basket spanning the two periods.
The game featured two of the former teams coached by retired Hall of Fame Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, who was introduced on the big screen during a first-quarter timeout.
Ohio State and Stanford hadn’t played since the Cardinal’s 71-52 victory on Dec. 15, 2019, at home.
ALABAMA 82, NO. 15 MICHIGAN STATE 67
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Aaliyah Nye scored 18 points, Zaay Green added 17 and Alabama put all five starters in double figures and beat No. 15 Michigan State in the West Palm Beach Classic, ending the Spartans’ record start.
The Crimson Tide (11-1) dominated the third quarter and led by as many as 22 before Michigan State (11-1) surged back to get within eight with just under three minutes to go. Alabama made 11 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter, 9 of 10 in the last three minutes.
Essence Cody scored 16 points, Karly Weathers had 12 and Sarah Ashlee Baker 11 for the Crimson Tide, who played their first ranked opponent, although California, which beat Alabama by four, is now ranked.
Julia Ayrault scored 18 points to lead the Spartans. Theryn Hallock added 14 and Grace VanSlooten had 10 points and nine rebounds.
The teams combined for 54 turnovers, 45 fouls and 46 free-throw attempts, making 35.
NO. 16 KENTUCKY 84, BELMONT 78
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Georgia Amoore scored 20 of her 23 points in the second half, Amelia Hassett added 16, including a clutch 3-pointer with 30.1 seconds to go, and No. 16 Kentucky held on to defeat Belmont.
The Wildcats saw a 12-point lead with barely three minutes to go shrink to 79-76 with 53 seconds left after Tuti Jones and Kendal Holmes hit back-to-back 3 pointers. That’s when Hassett, who also had 11 rebounds, beat the shot clock with a step-back 3 to make it 82-76..
Dazia Lawrence had 15 points for the Wildcats (10-1), who trailed 39-33 at halftime. Clara Strack and Teonnni Key both had 12. Amoore, who surpassed 2,000 career points in her last game, had seven 3-pointers, six in the second half. It’s the first game Kentucky won by less than double figures.
Jailyn Banks scored 23 to lead Belmont (5-6), who have lost six games to Power 4 teams, including ranked Kansas State, Ohio State and Duke and Michigan, which is now ranked. Holmes added 18 points, Emi La Chapell had 12, Jones 11 and Kendal Cheesman 10.
Banks had 11 points and Cheesman 10 as the Bruins took a 39-33 halftime lead.
NO. 18 TENNESSEE 92, RICHMOND 67
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Talaysia Cooper scored 17 of her 24 points in the second half and No. 18 Tennessee pulled away from Richmond for a win in the West Palm Classic.
Ruby Whitehorn added 15 points and Samara Spencer had 11 for the Lady Vols (10-0), who came up short of their nation-leading average of 97.4 points and 12.9 3-pointers. In their second game after setting an NCAA record with 30 3s, Tennessee went 9 of 31.
Rachel Ullstrom had 19 points to lead Richmond (9-3). Maggie Doogan added 13 points, Ally Sweeney had 13 and Addie Budnick 12.
The Spiders had three points from their reserves and Tennessee had 35.
Tennessee’s relentless pressure eventually wore down Richmond in the second half as the Lady Vols increased a 47-39 halftime lead to as much as 25 in the third quarter.
NO. 20 MICHIGAN 96, AKRON 55
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Greta Kampschroeder scored a career-high 23 points and made five 3-pointers to help No. 20 Michigan beat Akron.
Kampschroeder guided Michigan to a 51-29 lead at halftime after making five 3-pointers and setting a career high with 17 points. The Wolverines were 9 of 15 from distance and 10 of 10 at the free-throw line while shooting 57% overall. Akron had 16 turnovers, that Michigan turned into 17 points, and 12 made field goals by halftime.
Akron was held to 11 points in the first and third quarters. The Zips finished with 29 turnovers.
Jordan Hobbs added 13 points and Yulia Grabovskaia had 12 points and nine rebounds for Michigan (10-2), which wrapped up the nonconference portion of its season with its first true road contest. Freshman Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway each scored 11.
Shelbee Brown scored 14 of Akron’s 29 first-half points after making six of the team’s 12 field goals. She did not score in the second half. Liisa Taponen grabbed 11 rebounds to go with six points for Akron (5-6).
NO. 22 IOWA 92, NORTHERN IOWA 86
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Lucy Olsen scored 21 points, Addison O’Grady had 18 and No. 22 Iowa held off Northern Iowa.
The Hawkeyes led by 16 at the half but had to make 11 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold off the Panthers, who shot 55% in the second half.
Northern Iowa got within one possession on numerous occasions in the fourth quarter, the last time when Elise Jaeger made a layup with 1:07 to play to make it 85-83.
Hannah Stuelke answered for the Hawkeyes with a a strong move in the lane late in the shot clock. A few seconds later she blocked a shot. Sydney Affolter grabbed the loose ball and was fouled, her free throws pushed the lead to 89-83 with 20.2 seconds left
Shateah Westering drilled a 3-pointer but Olsen secured the win from the foul line, giving the Hawkeyes a sweep of in-state rivals Drake, Iowa State and Northern Iowa for the 12th time since 2000.
Stuelke and reserve Taylor McCabe, who had five 3s, both had 15 points for the Hawkeyes (10-2). Iowa finished 20 of 22 from the foul line.
Maya McDermott scored 30 points, 17 in the second half, for Northern Iowa (5-6). Kayba Laube had 20 points and Ryley Goebel and Westering both added 11.
The Associated Press
