The Guru’s Local/National NCAW Roundup: Penn Flames Out on Harvard After Hot Start While No. 22 Princeton Still Rolls; Texas Tech Falls From the Unbeatens

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA – Penn’s Mataya Gayle opened the Quakers’ Ivy contest against Harvard here in in The Palestra Saturday afternoon firing a couple of threes and the home team’s Tina Njike and Katie Collins followed scoring a layup and off a Crimson turnover in the paint for a quick 10-0 lead on the defending Ivy Madness tourney champions.

At the end of the quarter a 14-7 lead still offered the prospect of maintaining the look Penn showed in non-conference play and considering Harvard’s next stop Monday afternoon is at No. 22 Princeton up the road in Jadwin Gym in Central New Jersey, the five-for-four race for this season’s tourney at Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y., might be a wide-open hunt behind the league-leading Tigers who have won 13 straight overall suffering just a loss at Big Ten heavyweight Maryland.

Unfortunately, the beancounters were able to smile over a budget savings on highlight video the rest of the way courtesy of a series of scoring dry spells enabling Harvard to consecutively dominate the next two quarters 12-2 and 22-12 on the way to 53-42 victory.

“How cold was it?” quoting a common response made by the audience when the late comedian Johny Carson would comment during his opening monologue on the after hours Tonight show on NBC.

Cold enough that after tough but competitively losses here to Princeton and on the road in double overtime to Brown, the Quakers (10-6, 0-3) are now winless in the Ivies the first three games for the first time since 2010, the year Mike McLaughlin arrived in West Philly from coaching Division II powerhouse Father Judge in the city’s Northeast and turned the program into one consistently housed in the upper portion of standings in the Ancient Eight.

“Anytime you win in The Palestra it’s a good day,” said Harvard coach Carrie Moore echoing Princeton coach Carla Berube escaping a fourth quarter challenge here two weeks ago.

While one can say a lot of basketball remains, the Ivies are not an equal opportunity situation for everyone unlike the Coastal Athletic Association that several years ago saw nearby Drexel take the league tourney as a seventh seed.

An Ivy education is not necessary to count to four – the number that allows a shot at the NCAA tourney or two which gets one to the title game and a shot at consolation play in the newer WBIT given that access to the WNIT, a place Penn would have been the previous two seasons, is a persona non participationa  ruling by the league presidents.

Given Penn’s chance to get to the number one seed is no longer a sports book betting item, it’s going to take a little help from the Quaker’s friends in the bottom half of the league and a lot of self-help that begins here Monday afternoon (2 p.m., ESPN+) when Dartmouth (9-7, 0-3) arrives also winless and in the wake of a 69-41 blowout at Princeton (15-1, 3-0) which the same time as here will entertain a potential upset threat from Harvard (9-7, 2-1).

“Our mentality is every game is basically your championship, your playoff game,” said Gayle, who had a game-high 16 points and Collins finished with 12 points and 9 boards. “This is very disappointing. We wanted this win.

“All I can do is look to the next game. With a quick turn around, so just recovering and getting ready for that, going in with a fresh mentality and ready to win.”

Harvard’s Abigail Wright had a double double 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Karlee White and Saniyah Glenn each scored 11.

“Defensively, we are good enough to win,” McLaughlin said. ‘“Offensively, you can't finish around the rim. We didn't get to the foul line. Just these two big valleys on the offensive side. Peaks and valleys are a part of the sport, but you can't go that dial.”

In the Princeton game, Ashley Chea scored 16 points for the Tigers while Fadima Tall scored 15 points and Skye Belker scored 14.

Defensively, Dartmouth was held to 14-of-51 for 27.5 percent from the field and forced into 17 turnovers.

 Beyond the two Ivy locals, Columbia (11-5, 2-1), which was part of an Ivy record three particpants with Harvard and Princeton in the NCAA tournament, slammed Yale (4-12, 0-3) with an 85-58 home rout off Broadway in New York City’s upper west side as Riley Weiss scored 22 points with eight boards, Perri Page scored 18, Hilke Feldrappe, in place of the injured Susie Rafiu, had a career-high 13 points, but the big highlight was was Nasi Simmons with a school record 10 steals with 10 points.

It’s the first time since 2019 an Ivy player against a Division I opponent had a double double that included steals.

Brown (11-4, 3-0) won on the road 64-48 at Cornell (7-9, 2-1), but Monday goes to Columbia.

In the Patriot League Lehigh for “health and safety” forfeited its game at preseason favorite Navy which counts as a non-game on overall record but in the conference standings the Midshipmen get a win, and the defending champion Mountain Hawks get a loss.

Lehigh next on Wednesday is at Loyola, Md., in Baltimore at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).

Lafayette (7-10, 3-3) also suffered from cold shooting and fell 70-48 at Holy Cross (10-7, 4-2) as Teresa Kiewet scored 11, the only Leopard in double figures.

Kendall Eddy led three teammates in double figures with 15 points for the Crusaders.

Lafayette on Wednesday at 11 a.m. (ESPN+) in a school day game hosts Boston U. at the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa.

Army (14-3, 5-1), picked second under first year coach Katie Kuester, a former Saint Joseph’s star and assistant, won 63-56 in the nation’s capital in Bender Arena at American (4-13, 2-4) under first year coach Kelly Killion, a long-time Penn associate head coach.

Camryn Tade had 20 points for the visiting Black Knights who are tied with Navy for first, unprecedented the two military academies lead the Patriot at this stage of the season.

Their first meeting is Saturday at Navy in Annapolis, Md., at 11 a.m. (CBSSN).

Temple (7-10, 1-4) leading 42-38 at East Carolina (13-6, 5-1) at the half, imploded 24-10 in the fourth quarter and fell 81-65 to the Pirates in the American Conference game.

Four visiting Owls scored in double figures led by Kaylah Turner with 17 points while Tristen Taylor scored 16, Sanniyah Craig scored 14, and Jaleesa Molina scored 11.

The Owls return home to the Liacouras Center Tuesday hosting conference preseason favorite South Florida at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).

There was one game of note Friday among both the locals and nationals in action and Drexel (8-7, 1-3) in the CAA fell short 74-64 at Charleston (13-3, 5-0).

Amaris Baker scored 17 for the visiting Dragons while Laine McGurk scored 15 points and Deja Evans scored 14 points with 12 rebounds.

Drexel finishes its road trip Sunday at UNC Wilmington in North Carolina at 1 p.m. (FloCollege).

There were two other bright spots besides Princeton of the teams among the 13 locals Saturday who played.

Delaware (7-10, 1-4) in its debut season in Conference USA took its first league victory winning 76-69 over visiting Liberty (8-8, 2-3) at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark as Kailah Correa scored 21 points, Lay Fantroy scored 16 with 10 boards, Ande’a Cherisier scored 19 points with nine rebounds and Trinity Vance was 6-for-9 from the field for 14 points.

The Blue Hens next on Thursday travel to Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+).

Rider (4-12, 2-6), which has struggled under first-year coach Jackie Hartzell but was never going to be rebuilt in a day, gained a 64-54 win over Sacred Heart (7-11, 5-3) at home in Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J. in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

“We got contributions from a lot of different people, our bench scored 27 points, and that's going to help with a lot of games,” Hartzell said. “I'm really proud of our effort from start to finish.”

Emmy Roach scored 18 points, Perez Mesquida scored 15, and Aliya McIver scored 10 for the Broncs who next visit Manhattan Monday at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).

The two unbeaten MAAC leaders Quinnipiac and two-time defending champion Fairfield are still perfect in league play after wins on Saturday.

On Sunday beyond the Drexel game, in the Atlantic 10 both LaSalle and Saint Joseph’s coming off losses will be back home.

La Salle hosts Davidson at 1 p.m. (ESPN+) at the John E. Glaser Arena while Saint Joseph’s at 2 p.m. (CBSSN) in Hagan Arena hosts George Mason, the first meeting since the Hawks fell to the Patriots in last season’s A-10 title game.

Villanova coming off the losing rout at No. 1 UConn can enhance its second-place hold in the Big East when the Wildcats host Butler at Finneran Pavilion at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).

For the second time in two years at this stage of the season in what can be termed the Big Ten Basement Bowl, longtime rivals Rutgers and host Penn State meet at 1 p.m. (B1G+) in Rec Hall, each looking for its first conference win.

The visiting Scarlet Knights are 0-6 in the league, and the Lady Lions are 0-7.

The National Scene

The national unbeaten trio is now a duo in No. 1 Connecticut and No. 5 Vanderbilt after No. 17 Texas Tech (19-1, 6-1) dropped its Big 12 game at home in Lubbock, Texas, 65-59 to Kansas State (10-9, 3-3).

Tess Heal scored 12 points with four boards and three steals for the winning Wildcats while Gina Garcia, Jordan Speiser and Taryn Sides each scored 11 in a balanced attack that included a dominating 46-20 advantage on the boards translating to 28-14 in the paint and 14-3 on second chance points.

Bailey Maupin had 18 points for the host Red Raiders who next are at BYU in Provo, Utah, Wednesday the same day Kansas State hosts Houston.

The other two ranked games Saturday were also Big 12 affairs as No. 18 Baylor (17-3, 6-1) got 25 points from Taliah Scott to win 69-58 at BYU (14-4, 3-3) and next hosts UCF Wednesday, while No. 10 TCU (18-1, 6-1) won 78-62 at home in Fort Worth, Texas, over Arizona (10-7, 1-5) as Olivia Miles scored 16 for the Horned Frogs and Clara Silva had 15 points and 11 boards.

TCU is at the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, N.J., Monday with Ohio State, Vanderbilt and Michigan.

On Sunday, highlight games have No. 20 Tennessee at No. 21 Alabama at 2 p.m. (SEC Network), No. 6 LSU at No. 13 Oklahoma at 3 p.m. (ESPN2), in the Big 12 No. 19 Iowa State will try to snap a four-game losing streak playing at Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. on FOX, and in ghe Big Ten, No. 12 Maryland is at No. 3 UCLA at 4 p.m. (NBC) while No. 11 Iowa hosts No. 16 Michigan State at 8 p.m. (BTN).

The Guru Local/National NCAAW Report: Still Unbeaten, No. 1 UConn Routs Villanova and No. 5 Vanderbilt Edges Mississippi State; South Carolina Avenges Sole Loss to Texas

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

STORRS, Conn. – When Hall of Fame UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma spends the opening minutes of his postgame press conference here in Gampel Pavilion Thursday night drawing on his Italian heritage and restauranteur experience to complain about the “cold pizza” delivered to the locker room after a 1-2 Big East matchup with Villanova, it’s as good a sign as any how pleased he was the way his top-ranked, unbeaten and defending NCAA champion Huskies (18-0, 9-0) delivered a 99-50 victory over the Wildcats (18-0, 9-0) from his native suburban Philadelphia.

   National player of the year candidate Sarah Strong had 24 points, nine boards, and five blocks to lead the way while Azzi Fudd scored 14, KK Arnold tied her season high with 13 points to go with seven assists and four steals, while Blanca Quinonez was also in double digits with 13 points.

The victory came on a night that the 2015 and 2016 NCAA UConn champions were inducted into the Huskies Ring of Honor, among them Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, on crutches from her recent surgery, taking a brief pause from the ongoing Unrivaled competition in Miami and negotiations with the WNBA over a new labor contract.

Retired Villanova coach Harry Perretta used to refer to playing that group, going 38-1 and 38-0, and the ones from the Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird era as “we take our medicine and move on.”

Denise Dillon, a former Wildcat and current coach who succeeded Perretta, can take some comfort that like a torpedoed aircraft carrier that can still be quickly returned to seaworthy, Villanova was still in second, despite as gruesome as the damage report.

They will get another shot when the Huskies visit the Main Line and Finneran Pavilion Feb. 18, and if this is the 1-2 title game in March at the Mohegan Sun, then likely her team will be back in the NCAA mix for the first time since the graduation of WNBA third overall pick Maddy Siegriest three seasons ago.

Villanova was the only Philly local team in action Thursday night while Drexel at Charleston (7 p.m., FloCollege) will be the only one Friday.

“I was surprised that we were able to do defensively what we did today against a team that makes it hard for you to guard them,” Auriemma said. “The communication on defense was the best it was all season. The job they did on (Jasmine) Bascoe was good. She’s really hard to guard.”

Villanova’s top scorer was held to eight points, all in the first half. Freshman Kennedy Henry scored 12 points and Brynn McCurry 11.

The Wildcats were out-rebounded 46-34, held to a season-low 27.7% from the field and forced into 26 turnovers leading to a 36-12 Huskies advantage in points off miscues.

The other damage showed a 58-12 UConn domination in the paint, 23-2 on fast breaks, and 39-16 off the bench.

Villanova next hosts Butler Sunday and the Big East slate behind it is also manageable.

For UConn, the game was an excellent shakedown ahead of what one time was considered one of two threats to an unbeaten regular season when No. 23 Notre Dame visits here on Martin Luther King Day at 5 p.m. on FOX.

The other is No. 20 Tennessee, the last team to beat UConn last season.

However, things have not gone as well for the Fighting Irish (12-5, 2-3 ACC), who recently were bounced from a long run in the The Associated Press women’s poll, now in its 50th season, returned a week later on Monday following upsetting then-No. 22 North Carolina, but likely to get kicked back out ahead of the UConn game when the next poll is released several hours earlier, after losing Thursday night 79-66 at home in an ACC game in South Bend, Ind., to No. 9 Louisville (17-3, 7-0), which last lost 79-77 on Dec. 4 to then No. 3 South Carolina.

Reyna Scott off the bench scored 20 for the Cardinals, whose reserves outscored Notre Dame 31-2. Tajianna Roberts scored 19, Additionally, Elif Istanbulluoglu scored 11 and Mackenly Randolph scored 10.

Notre Dame was led by all-American and South Jersey’s Hannah Hidalgo, who scored 24 points with five rebounds and eight assists. Iyana Moore added 16 points, Malaya Cowles 12 and Cassandra Prosper had nine points with 10 boards.

Louisville is at North Carolina State Sunday.

South Carolina Gets Revenge on Texas; Vanderbilt Still Perfect; More Upsets

No. 5 Vanderbilt, one of two other teams besides UConn unbeaten, won its Southeastern Conference game 89-84 at Mississippi State in Starkville as reigning USBWA second-team all-American and national freshman of the year out of Somerville, N.J., scored 38 points for the Commodores (18-0, 5-0).

The other unbeaten team is No. 17 Texas Tech, which was idle.

The game was close until Vandy pulled away in the third quarter to set a program record for overall win streak while the Commodores, under former UConn star and assistant Shea Ralph are 5-0 in the SEC for the first time since 1992-93 when they reached the Final Four as did Texas Tech led by Sheryl Swoopes, their best season right now since then.

Blakes had five from deep, 11-for-11 on the line, with seven assists, while Justine Pissot scored 12 and Aiyanna Mitchell had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Mississippi State (14-5, 1-4) was led by Madison Francis with 15 points.

Vanderbilt plays No. 8 Michigan Monday afternoon as part of a doubleheader in the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, N.J., at the Prudential Center while No. 14 Ohio State and No. 10 TCU are in the other contest.

Meanwhile, No. 2 South Carolina (18-1, 5-0) avenged its only loss beating No. 4 Texas 68-65, handing the visiting Longhorns (18-2 3-2) their second straight loss after being taken from the unbeaten column Sunday at then-No. 12 LSU.

Texas beat South Carolina in a non-conference game in a showcase event in Las Vegas in November.

All five South Carolina players starters scored in double figures: Joyce Edwards with 14 points and eight rebounds, Tessa Johnson with 13 points, Ta’Niya Latson with 12, and Madina Okot and Raven Johnson with 10 each.

Texas’ Madison Booker scored 24 points in the game that also went to the wire as the earlier one, while Rori Harmon had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and Jordan Lee had 10 assists.

The Gamecocks Sunday visit Coppin State in a non-conference game in Baltimore while Texas hosts Texas A&M the same day in Austin at 4 p.m. on the SEC Network.

Alabama, like many teams, got into the AP poll the first time this season and lost next time out, being taken by Auburn, 58-54, it’s in-state rival, on the road, losing 58-54 to the Tigers (13-6, 2-3) on the road as Khady Leye scored 16 points and Kaitlyn Duhon scored 10.

The Crimson Tide (17-2, 3-2), which had been off to its best start, led briefly 49-48 in the second half. Alabama’s Jessica Timmons scored 16 points, Ta’Mia Scott scored 12, and Karley Weathers had 10 points and 11 boards.

The visitors next hosts No. 20 Tennessee Sunday while Auburn is off until Jan. 22 visiting Vanderbilt.

No. 7 Kentucky (17-2, 4-1) rallied to a 94-89 home in win the SEC in Lexington over Florida (12-8, 0-5) as Tonie Morgan had 26 points with 13 assists and Clara Strack had 21 points for the winning Wildcats. Penn transfer Jordan Obi, Amelia Hassett, and Asia Boone each scored 12 points.

Foul trouble to Clara Strack was part of the problem.

The Gators got 23 points from Me’Arah O’Neal and next host Missouri Sunday. O’Neal is Shaquille O’Neal’s daughter.

Kentucky Sunday is at Mississippi State.

Four ranked Big Ten games, several with dual rankings, were played.

Southern Cal, without reigning player of the year JuJu Watkins rehabbing from the ACL on her right knee in the NCAA tournament, lost its fourth straight, falling at home at the Galen Center in Los Angeles to No. 12 Maryland 62-55 as Indiana transfer Yarden Garzon scored the lead basket with 2:38 left for the Terrapins.

Addi Mack had 12 points for Maryland (17-2, 5-2) while Kara Dunn scored 21 for Southern Cal (10-7, 2-4).

The Terrapins are at No. 3 UCLA Sunday while USC hosts Purdue.

No. 8 Michigan (15-2, 6-1) was led by Olivia Olson who scored 21 at home in a 85-69 win in Ann Arbor over No. 25 Illinois (14-4, 4-3), who were led by Berry Wallace with 26 points.

The Wolverines play No. 5 Vanderbilt Monday in the Cloretta Scott King Classic doubleheader in Newark, N.J., while Illinois hosts Northwestern Sunday.

No. 15 Michigan State (17-1, 6-1) got two foul shots with 5.1 seconds left from Juliann Woodward and Grace VanSlooten scored 22 points in a narrow 73-71 win in East Lansing, Mich. over No. 25 Nebraska (14-4, 3-4), whose reserve Amiah Hargrove scored 21 points.

The visiting Cornhuskers stay on the road Sunday while Michigan State in Iowa City visits No. 11 Iowa, which beat Oregon 74-66 at home Thursday as Hannah Stuelke (18) and Addison Deal (18) with a career-high combined for 36 points for the winning Hawkeyes (15-2, 6-0).

Stuelke also had eight rebounds and eight assists.

Ehis Etute, the only player in double figures for Oregon (14-5, 2-4), scored 10 points.

With the ACC at one of its lowest spots in years, collectively with only two ranked teams, several others made bids Thursday night to return next week.

Duke, which started the season in 7th place and then went out after losses the next several weeks, won its ninth straight, at home in Durham, N.C., winning 65-58 over Virginia in Cameron Indoor Arena, while Stanford won 77-52 at Boston College, North Carolina, kicked out on Monday, won 73-62 over visiting Miami, and N.C. State won 95-77 at in-state rival Wake Forest in Salem.

Syracuse beat California in triple overtime at home in upstate New York.

Preseason favorite Vermont in the America East won 64-53 at Maine in Orono while Sunbelt favorite James Madison won 80-43 over visiting Marshall.

The Guru’s Local/National NCAAW Roundup: Poor Shooting Costs La Salle Against St. Louis; No. 14 Ohio State Pounds Penn State; No. 19 Iowa State Drops 4th Straight; No. 10 TCU Wins at the Buzzer

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsgurux

PHILADELPHIA – In what was with one exception an unpleasant day for the locals, for the second time in less than 24 hours a career performance went to waste.

Following Jaleesa Molina scoring 20 points in Temple’s loss to Tulane Tuesday night, La Salle’s Ashleigh Connor against her former school collected 25 here with eight rebounds in a Kid’s Day Wednesday morning game at the John E. Glaser Arena but most of the rest of the Explorers shot blanks in a 66-57 Atlantic 10 loss to St. Louis.

Aryss Macktoon added 18 points with eight boards and four steals with a block, Joan Quinn scored 11 and reached a new high with five steals and Kiara Williams reached a personal best with 10 rebounds and tied another with three blocks.

A 29.9 shooting percent sent the Explorers (10-7, 3-3) to their third straight loss in the A-10 and on the line the team was 24-for-31.

The Billikens (9-10, 3-3) got 20 points and 13 boards out of Alyssa Koerkenmeier while Jahda Denis scored 18, and Zya Nugent had 13 points 10 boards.

Replicating the recent loss at Saint Joseph’s, the Explorers used a 19-9 third quarter to take a brief lead but the visitors rode a 20-7 fourth quarter to victory.

“It’s the same thing,” said La Salle coach Mountain MacGillivray. “At halftime (trailing 37-31) we’re desperate and they’re trying to hold on to a lead.

“You’re not going to win many games shooting 29 percent. When you see the other team celebrating and jumping around at the end of the game, many times it means they came here not thinking they’re going to win.”

Foul trouble added to the misery with Quinn and Macktoon using up their quota of five while two other starters were each saddled with four.

MacGillivray said of getting five “usually there were three when you need to have a little better control.”

Next up is a 1 p.m. visit from Davidson Sunday on ESPN+.

Saint Joseph’s fell behind early on the road trailing 22-10 in the second quarter and couldn’t complete a rally losing an Atlantic 10 game 57-48 at St. Bonaventure (12-6, 3-3) in Olean, N.Y.

Rhian Stokes scored a game-high 20 points for the Hawks (12-5, 3-3) with five rebounds and three steals while Gabby Casey scored 15 with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists.

On Sunday in the first meeting since losing to George Mason in last season’s A-10 title game, the Hawks will host the Patriots at 2 p.m. in a nationally televised CBS Sports Network telecast at Hagan Arena.

In the Big Ten, Penn State lost 108-84 at No. 14 Ohio State (16-2, 6-1) in Columbus.

The Buckeyes, who got 33 points from Jaloni Cambridge and 23 from Chance Gray with seven of the home team’s season-high 17 makes from deep, have only lost to No. 1 UConn and No. 3 UCLA.

Elsa Lemmila added 21 points.

The Lady Lions (7-11, 0-7) got 25 points from Moriah Murray while Gracie Merkle had 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Rutgers transfer Kiyomi McMiller scored 20.

Penn State hosts Rutgers Sunday in the first of a home-and-home and the second time in two seasons the longtime rivals are meeting at a significant stage of the season both winless in conference play.

In the Patriot League Lehigh (8-8, 4-1) suffered its first conference loss of the season, falling 68-64 to Boston U. (5-11, 1-4) in the home game at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., in which the visitors got their first league win.

Lehigh only had seven active players with Lily Fandre scoring 17 points while Belle Bramer and Whitney Lind each scored 15 points.

The Mountain Hawks next visit preseason favorite Navy Saturday in Annapolis, Md., at 1 p.m. (ESPN+).

Lafayette (7-9, 3-2) with the lone local triumph of the night won it’s Patriot League Game 62-49 at Bucknell (4-12, 0-5), the Leopards’ first win in Lewisburg, Pa., since the 2013 season.

Teresa Kiewiet scored 20 for the winners and Sauda Ntaconavigize collected 14 and Haylie Adamski scored 12 points.

Lafayette next goes to Holy Cross Saturday in Worcester, Mass., at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).

The host Crusaders fell 61-46 at Army (13-3, 4-1), which was led by Kya Smith with 18 points and seven rebounds.

The Black Knights are under first-year coach Katie Kuester, a former Saint Joseph’s star and assistant coach.

Hawks coach Cindy Griffin’s younger daughter Hannah plays for Holy Cross.

On Thursday Villanova is at No. 1 and defending NCAA champion UConn at 7 p.m. on FS1 in a 1-2 Big East matchup, the only local game on the schedule.

The host Huskies are honoring their 2015 and 2016 NCAA champions.

The National Scene

The Iowa State slide continued to four straight as the No. 19 Cyclones (14-3, 2-4) in the Big 12 fell 68-62 at Colorado (11-6, 3-3) which was led by Desiree Wooten with 24 points while Audi Crooks scored 17 points with 15 boards for the visitors.

On Sunday Colorado visits UCF and Iowa State is at Oklahoma State.

Elsewhere in the Big 12, No. 10 TCU (17-1, 5-1) narrowly avoided an upset at West Virginia (14-4, 4-2) in Morgantown as California transfer Marta Suarez hit a 3-pointer as time expired.

Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles scored 14 for the Horned Frogs and Suarez had 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Mountaineers were led by Jordan Harrison with 19 points.

TCU hosts Arizona Saturday and West Virginia is at Cincinnati Sunday.

No. 18 Baylor (16-3, 5-1) won its Big 12 game 61-45 at Utah (13-5, 4-2) as Taliah Scott scored 14 points for the visiting Bears and Chyra Evans scored 14 with 11 boards for the Utes.

On Saturday Baylor visits BYU and Utah visits Houston.

In the only other ranked game, No. 3 UCLA (16-1, 6-0) in the Big Ten got 25 points from Kiki Rice shooting 8-for- from the field while Lauren Betts had 17 points and 10 boards in a 76-58 win at Minnesota (12-5, 3-3), which was led by Amaya Battle with 16 points and Mara Braun with 15.

The visiting Bruins next go home to Pauley Pavilion to host No. 12 Maryland Sunday while Minnesota is at Washington.

On Thursday night in the Southeastern Conference No. 4 Texas is at No. 2 South Carolina at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, the visiting Longhorns coming off their first season lost Sunday at LSU while the host Gamecocks can avenge a non-conference loss to Texas at the finish in November.

No. 5 Vanderbilt, the other unbeaten team, is at Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m., on the SEC Network which will also air No. 21 Alabama at Auburn at 9 p.m.

No. 7 Kentucky hosts Florida at 7 p.m. on SECN+, while in the Atlantic Coast Conference No. 8 Louisville is at No. 23 Notre Dame at 6 p.m. on the ACC Network.

In the Big Ten, No. 12 Maryland is at Southern Cal at 9 p.m. on Peacock, No. 24 Nebraska is at No. 8 Michigan at 7 p.m. on the same network, and Oregon is at No. 11 Iowa at 9 p.m. on FS1.