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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Women’s Top 25 roundup: No. 8 Baylor beats UConn 68-57 for 1st win over No. 1

Baylor forward Lauren Cox (15) yells after making a basket and drawing a foul against Connecticut during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, in Waco, Texas. Baylor defeated No. 1 Connecticut 68-57. (Ray Carlin / Associated Press)
Associated Press

WACO, Texas – Kalani Brown had 20 points and 17 rebounds and No. 8 Baylor beat a top-ranked team for the first time, topping UConn 68-57 on Thursday night to hand the Huskies their first regular-season loss in more than four years.

The Huskies (11-1) hadn’t lost a regular-season game in regulation since a 76-70 home loss to Baylor in a Nos. 1 vs. 2 matchup on Feb. 18, 2013 – a span of 163 games. Their only regular-season loss since then was 88-86 in overtime at Stanford on Nov. 14, 2014. They had won 126 consecutive regular-season games, 58 of them nonconference matchups.

UConn is the only No. 1 team Baylor has ever faced in coach Kim Mulkey’s 19 seasons. The Lady Bears had lost each of the previous three such meetings, including UConn’s last visit to Waco nearly five years ago.

The Huskies had their only lead at 2-0 when Crystal Dangerfield scored in the opening minute.

Chloe Jackson added 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Baylor (10-1).

Napheesa Collier had 16 points and 11 rebounds for UConn.

No. 2 Notre Dame 100, Pittsburgh 44

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Marina Mabrey scored 20 points, Arike Ogunbowale had 18 and Notre Dame routed Pittsburgh for its sixth straight victory.

The Fighting Irish (13-1) rolled in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Ogunbowale reached double figures for her 35th straight game, and Mabrey added seven assists.

Notre Dame used two 21-0 runs in the first and second quarters to lead 60-14 at halftime and reached 100 or more points for the fifth time this season.

Jackie Young had 16 points to become Notre Dame’s fifth starter with 1,000 or more points. Notre Dame shot 52.3 percent and had 24 assists on 34 field goals while holding Pittsburgh (9-6, 0-1) to 26.6 percent (17 of 64) for the game. Jasmine Whitney led Pitt with nine points.

No. 3 Louisville 73, North Carolina 66

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jazmine Jones scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, Arica Carter added 14 points and No. 3 Louisville beat North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both schools.

Louisville (13-0) led by 19 points late in the first half, but the Tar Heels (9-6) made it interesting with a couple third-quarter runs. Stephanie Watts’ layup with 38 second left in the quarter cut it to 55-47.

Janelle Bailey and Watts led the Tar Heels with 16 points apiece.

No. 7 Mississippi State 93, Arkansas 69

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Jordan Danberry scored a career-high 26 points and Mississippi State opened Southeastern Conference play with a victory over Arkansas.

Danberry, from Conway, Arkansas, transferred from the Razorbacks to the Bulldogs (13-1) as a sophomore. The senior guard scored 14 of her points in the first quarter and finished 11 of 21 from the field, topping her previous scoring mark of 20 points, against Washington last month.

Teaira McCowan added 16 points and 22 rebounds for Mississippi State.

Chelsea Dungee led Arkansas (11-4, 0-1) with 25 points.

No. 9 N.C. State 63, Duke 51

RALEIGH, N.C. – Grace Hunter scored 14 points and North Carolina State beat Duke in their Atlantic Coast Conference to match the best start in program history.

Aislinn Konig also had 14 points with four 3-pointers, and Erika Cassell and Elissa Cunane finished with 11 points apiece, with Cunane scoring seven straight points in the final 3 minutes. That helped the Wolfpack (14-0) join late Hall of Famer Kay Yow’s 1999-2000 team as the only ones at the school to begin a season with 14 straight wins.

Haley Gorecki scored 19 points and Mikayla Boykin finished with 13 for the Blue Devils (8-5).

No. 10 Tennessee 78, Auburn 69

AUBURN, Ala. – Meme Jackson scored 27 points and Rennia Davis had 23 points and 14 rebounds in Tennessee’s victory over Auburn in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

The Lady Vols (12-1) took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, watched it slip away and then took control again. The Tigers (12-2) came in riding a nine-game winning streak and flirted with the upset into the final minutes. Unique Thompson led the Tigers with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

No. 14 Syracuse 84, Clemson 75

CLEMSON, S.C. – Miranda Drummond had 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting and Gabrielle Cooper added 22 points to help Syracuse beat Clemson in an Atlantic Coast Conference opener.

Drummond made five 3-pointers, and Cooper hit seven. The Orange (12-2) were 16 of 38 on 3-pointers.

Kobi Thornton led Clemson (9-5) with 20 points.

Northwestern 70, No. 15 Michigan State 62

EVANSTON, Ill. – Lindsey Pulliam scored 18 points, Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah had had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Northwestern pulled away in the final minute to beat Michigan State.

After a 3-point play by Mardrekia Cook pulled the Spartans within one heading into the final minute, Kunaiyi-Akpanah had a 3-point play at 48 seconds and a free throw 20 seconds later. Cook made a free throw for Michigan State, but Northwestern made four free throws down the stretch.

Abi Scheid added 13 points for the Wildcats (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten). Shay Colley, in her second game back from an injury, had 28 points for the Spartans (11-2, 1-1).

No. 16 Kentucky 77, Vanderbilt 55

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Rhyne Howard scored 16 points, Maci Morris added 14 and Kentucky rolled past tVanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference opener for both schools.

The Wildcats (14-1) won their fifth straight and improved to 11-0 at home.

Cierra Walker had 17 points for Vanderbilt (5-9).

No. 17 Gonzaga 74, Saint Mary’s 62

SPOKANE, Wash. – Chandler Smith scored 17 points, Zykera Rice added 16 and Gonzaga pulled away from Saint Mary’s for its 10th straight win.

Saint Mary’s was within four midway through the fourth quarter but Jessie Loera turned her steal into a 3-point play at 3:37 and just over a minute later Smith hit a 3-pointer from the corner to help the Bulldogs pull away.

Gonzaga (14-1, 3-0 West Coast Conference) made its last six shots and the Gaels (7-6, 0-2) had six turnovers in the fourth quarter. Megan McKay scored 28 points for Saint Mary’s.

No. 19 Iowa 77, Nebraska 71

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Megan Gustafson had 28 points and 17 rebounds and Hannah Stewart had two offensive rebounds off missed free throws on the same late possession to help Iowa hold off Nebraska.

Stewart scored 14 points, and Davis and Kathleen Doyle had 11 points each for the Hawkeyes (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten). Gustafson has an NCAA best 12 double-doubles this season and 67 in her career.

Leigha Brown had 20 points for Nebraska (7-7, 2-1) and Hannah Whitish had 14.

No. 23 South Carolina 60, No. 21 Texas A&M 57

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Te’a Cooper scored 16 of her 24 points in the second half and South Carolina overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Texas A&M in their Southeastern Conference opener.

Mikiah Herbert Harrigan had 11 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks for the Gamecocks (9-4).

Chennedy Carter scored 19 points for Texas A&M (11-3), and Ciera Johnson had 13 points and 17 rebounds.