Women's Top 25 roundup: Virginia upsets No. 20 North Carolina

 

[January 29, 2024]  Kymora Johnson scored 25 points to help Virginia upset No. 20 North Carolina 81-66 on Sunday in Charlottesville, Va.

Sam Brunelle and Paris Clark each supplied 14 points and London Clarkson added 10 as Virginia (10-10, 2-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) notched its second victory against a Top 25 opponent within the past week. The Cavaliers upended then-No. 15 Florida State 91-87 in Tallahassee last Sunday.

Virginia, which entered Sunday shooting 28.1 percent from 3-point range, made 57.9 percent of its treys (11 of 19) despite playing without its top scorer Camryn Taylor (14.1 points per game), who sat out with a left knee injury.

Reniya Kelly scored a career-high 20 points for the Tar Heels (15-6, 7-2), who had their eight-game winning streak against the Cavaliers snapped. Alyssa Ustby had 13 points and eight rebounds and Deja Kelly finished with 10 points on 2-of-13 shooting from the floor for North Carolina, which was outscored 21-9 in the second and the fourth quarters.

No. 1 South Carolina 91, Vanderbilt 74

Kamilla Cardoso led five Gamecocks players in double figures with 23 points and added six rebounds in a rout of the Commodores in Columbia, S.C.

Ashlyn Watkins and Bree Hall chipped in 11 points apiece and Raven Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley 10 apiece for South Carolina (19-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference), which is the nation's only undefeated team.

Sacha Washington and Aga Makurat posted 18 points and seven rebounds apiece for Vanderbilt (17-4, 4-3).

Washington State 85, No. 2 UCLA 82

Bella Murekatete scored 20 points, Eleonora Villa added 18 and Charlisse Leger-Walker contributed 17 as the Cougars preserved a late lead at the free-throw line in knocking off the Bruins in Los Angeles.

Washington State (15-6, 4-4 Pac-12) led by six on layup by Kyra Gardner with 1:31 to play, and it marked the team's last field goal. The Cougars hung on thanks to Villa making 3 of 4 free throws, and it also got two more from Murekatete with 16 seconds left.
 

UCLA (16-3, 5-3) had two chances to tie, as Kiki Rice and Charisma Osborne missed 3-pointers in the final 11 seconds. Rice led the Bruins with 25 points and added six rebounds. Osborne added 20 points, five assists and four rebounds, and Londynn Jones contributed 19 points.

No. 3 Colorado 61, Oregon 48

The Buffaloes shot only 34.6 percent from the floor, but they dominated on the offensive glass and pummeled the Ducks in Eugene, Ore.

Aaronette Vonleh scored 16 points, the only Colorado player in double figures, and added 10 rebounds. Seven of those boards came on the offensive end. The Buffaloes (17-3, 7-2 Pac-12) have gone 2-2 since winning nine straight games.

Grace VanSlooten led Oregon with 16 points, followed by Chance Gray (13) and Phillipina Kyei (12), but the trio went a combined 16=5-for-41 from the floor. The Ducks (11-11, 2-7) shot just 31.6 percent as a team.

No. 6 Stanford 96, Arizona 64

Cameron Brink dominated with 25 points, 19 rebounds and two blocks and Kiki Iriafen was right behind with 21 and nine, respectively, as the Cardinal crushed the Wildcats in Tucson, Ariz.

Stanford (19-2, 8-1 Pac-12) took its first double-digit lead late in the first quarter thanks to a 12-0 run, with Brink scoring six points and Hannah Jump nailing a pair of 3-pointers. Jump finished with 15 points.

Courtney Blake scored 24 points on 11-of-20 shooting for Arizona (11-10, 3-6), which has lost five of its last six games. Jada Williams and Skylar Jones followed with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

No. 7 North Carolina State 82, Boston College 61

Aziaha James scored 24 points and Mimi Collins collected 17 points and seven rebounds as the Wolfpack cruised past the Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Madison Hayes had 14 points and 14 boards, and Saniya Rivers had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists for NC State (18-2, 6-2 ACC), which build a double-digit lead by early in the second quarter and never looked back.

Teya Sidberry paced Boston College (11-11, 3-6) with 18 points, among four Eagles players in double figures, but the team made only 36.1 percent of its shots.

Washington 62, No. 11 Southern California 59

The Huskies led by eight points with 33 seconds to play and survived a surge of 3-pointers to get a much-needed win by edging the Trojans in Los Angeles.

Lauren Schwartz paced Washington with 21 points, and she hit two free throws in the final second to help fend off USC. Dalayah Daniels tacked on 12 points and 13 rebounds. The Huskies (13-6, 3-5 Pac-12) had lost six of their previous seven games.

Kayla Padilla nailed six 3-pointers, including two in the final 27 seconds, en route to a team-high 20 points for the Trojans (14-4, 4-4). JuJu Watkins added 19 points but was 8 of 27 from the floor and had six of the team's 11 turnovers.

No. 12 Ohio State 71, Purdue 68

Rebeka Mikulasikova scored 15 points and Taylor Thierry was right behind with 14 as the Buckeyes hung on to defeat the Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind., for their seventh straight win.

Purdue was within two points with 21 seconds left, but Jacy Sheldon and Thierry hit two free throws apiece and Ohio State (17-3, 8-1 Big Ten) led 71-65 with 10 seconds left. Abbey Ellis hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left, but the Boilermakers were unable to capitalize when the Buckeyes missed two free throws with six seconds to go.

Jan 28, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Jordyn Cambridge (3) drives around South Carolina Gamecocks center Kamilla Cardoso (10) in the second half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Abbey paced Purdue (9-11, 2-7) with 14 points, Rashunda Jones scored 13 and Mary Ashley Stevenson had 12 with seven rebounds. The Boilermakers have lost six straight.

No. 13 Baylor 72, Oklahoma State 60

The Bears pulled away from a close game in the third quarter in Stillwater, Okla., to deal the Cowgirls their third straight loss and fourth in five games.

Dre'Una Edwards led Baylor (16-3, 5-3 Big 12) with 16 points, Bella Fontleroy paired 15 points with eight rebounds and Aijha Blackwell grabbed 19 boards.

Hannah Gusters and Anna Gret Asi netted 16 points apiece for Oklahoma State (11-9, 4-5), which trailed by just three at intermission. Baylor outscored the hosts 22-13 in the third quarter.

No. 14 Indiana 100, Northwestern 59

Mackenzie Holmes finished with 27 points to lead six players in double figures as the Hoosiers routed the Wildcats in Bloomington, Ind.

Holmes made 9 of 14 shots from the floor and added 11 rebounds for Indiana (17-2, 8-1 Big Ten). Yarden Garzon added 15 points and Lilly Meister chipped in 13 in the Hoosiers' third straight win. Melannie Daley led Northwestern (7-13, 2-7) with 16 points, and Caroline Lau scored 12.

Holmes scored eight points as Indiana jumped to a 16-2 lead in the first six minutes and coasted to the victory.

No. 18 Louisville 77, Pitt 58

Jayda Curry netted 15 points and Kiki Jefferson 12 as the host Cardinals had little trouble with the Panthers.

Louisville (18-3, 7-1 ACC) had a 10-point lead after one quarter, and Pitt got within five late in the second quarter before falling back. The lead was back to double digits throughout the fourth quarter.

Jala Jordan and Liatu King did the heavy lifting for the Panthers (7-14, 1-7). Jordan had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and King collected 16 points, 14 boards and two apiece in steals, blocks and assists.

No. 19 Virginia Tech 75, No. 22 Syracuse 62

Georgia Amoore netted 29 points to lead the Hokies past the Orange in Syracuse, N.Y.

Matilda Ekh added 14 points, Cayla King chipped in 13 and Olivia Summiel had five points and 12 rebounds for Virginia Tech (16-4, 7-2 ACC). Virginia Tech's leading scorer Elizabeth Kitley (22.7 points per game) was held to a season-low six points but collected nine rebounds.

Dyaisha Fair and Georgia Woodley each scored 16 points to lead Syracuse (17-3, 7-2), which lost at home for the first time in 12 games this season. Fair's career point total stands at 3,101 after she moved past Minnesota's Rachel Banham for ninth place on the all-time NCAA Division I scoring list.

No. 21 Creighton 57, Seton Hall 49

The trio of Emma Ronsiek, Morgan Maly and Lauren Jensen combined for 50 points as the host Bluejays kept the Pirates at arm's length in Omaha, Neb.

Ronsiek finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Maly contributed 16 points, nine boards and two blocks, while Jensen added 16 points and two steals as Creighton (16-3, 7-2 Big East) won its sixth straight game.

Azana Baines scored 19 points and grabbed nine boards for Seton Hall (12-8, 4-5), which shot just 27.6 percent from the floor.

No. 23 Florida State 78, Georgia Tech 67

The Seminoles overcame a three-point deficit in a big way, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 21-7 in the final seven minutes to prevail in Atlanta.

Ta'Niya Latson scored 17 of her 33 points in the fourth quarter to fuel the burst. She also finished with six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Florida State (15-7, 6-4 ACC) ended a three-game losing streak. Georgia Tech (13-8, 4-5) has lost four of its past five.

Kara Dunn's 19 points led the Yellow Jackets. Tonie Morgan collected 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals, and Ines Noguero contributed 13 points, seven boards and three steals.

No. 25 Oregon State 91, No. 16 Utah 66

The Beavers shot a blistering 69.4 percent from the floor and put five scorers in double figures in annihilating the Utes in Corvallis, Ore.

Raegan Beers hit all eight of her shots and scored 20 points to lead the way, followed by Donovyn Hunter (17 points), Kelsey Rees (15), Timea Gardiner (14) and Lily Hansford (12). Hunter added 10 assists, two blocks and two steals, and Gardiner grabbed 11 rebounds.

Oregon State (17-3, 6-3 Pac-12) twice had a lead of 38 points. Alissa Pili paced Utah (15-6, 5-4) with a game-high 28 points on 13-of-28 shooting.

--Field Level Media

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