UNC, Gonzaga move up in poll
North Carolina’s second victory of the season over Duke gave the Tar Heels a nice boost in the Associated Press women’s basketball poll, not to mention a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference title.
The Tar Heels jumped four spots to fourth Monday, the reward for their 77-68 victory over the Blue Devils on Sunday night. Duke fell from second to sixth, the sharpest drop in the poll and the Blue Devils’ lowest ranking since they were 10th the week of Nov. 29.
Gonzaga, which joined the poll last week for the first time in school history, moved up one place to 24th after beating Portland 81-35 for its 21st straight victory. That matches Temple for the nation’s longest winning streak.
LSU remained a unanimous No. 1, the fifth straight week the Lady Tigers have led the poll and the fourth consecutive week they received every first-place vote.
No. 2 Stanford (26-2) and No. 3 Ohio State (27-3) each moved up one spot. North Carolina’s jump to fourth was the biggest in the poll, which had the same teams in the Top 10 for the third straight week. The Tar Heels and Duke both finished 12-2 in the ACC, but North Carolina is the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament because it swept the Blue Devils.
Tennessee (23-4) remained fifth and was followed by Duke, Baylor, Michigan State, Rutgers and Notre Dame. Rutgers would clinch the Big East title outright and its first No. 1 seeding in the conference tournament if wins at Villanova tonight.
Immaculata’s Mooney passes
Maureen Mooney, co-captain of Immaculata College when it won the first national women’s basketball title in 1972 and repeated in 1973, died at 53.
Mooney died Wednesday, the school said.
Immaculata defeated West Chester State 52-48 in 1972 to win the AIAW title. The Mighty Macs won three straight titles and were runners-up in 1975 and ‘76.
On the court
Marquetta Dickens scored all 11 of her points in the second half and No. 19 North Carolina State (21-6, 10-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) welcomed Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow back to the bench with a ragged 69-45 victory over Clemson (8-19, 2-12) in Raleigh, N.C.
Billie McDowell finished with 17 points and Khadija Whittington had 15 for the Wolfpack.
Yow missed the previous game with the flu, the third one she’s sat out this year.
(25) Maryland 87, Northern Colorado 79: Crystal Langhorne scored 33 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the Terrapins (19-8) over the Bears (10-15) in College Park, Md.