No. 1 UConn stays unbeaten, beats No. 11 Iowa 90-64 behind Fudd and Strong

NEW YORK (AP) — Azzi Fudd scored 27 points and Sarah Strong added 23 to help No. 1 UConn beat 11th-ranked Iowa 90-64 on Saturday in the Women’s Champions Classic.

Strong also had seven rebounds and six steals for the Huskies (12-0), who remained unbeaten on the season heading into the holidays. No. 16 Louisville routed 17th-ranked Tennessee 89-65 in the opener of the doubleheader.

Strong, the sensational sophomore, dominated the first half with 20 points and five steals as UConn led 42-31.

UConn was up 22-12 after one quarter before Iowa was able to get within six in the second. Strong wouldn’t let them get closer as she scored seven points, including the first five, in a 10-2 run that gave the Huskies a 35-20 advantage midway through the quarter. On one play, Strong got a steal, then went the length of the court for a lay-in.

Iowa couldn’t get closer than nine the rest of the way as Fudd had 21 of her 27 points in the second half. UConn scored the first six points of the third quarter to put the game away.

NO. 3 SOUTH CAROLINA 105, FLORIDA GULF COAST 43

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Joyce Edwards had 29 points, Madina Okot scored 27 and South Carolina overpowered Florida Gulf Coast.

Edwards had 10 rebounds and Okot 12 as the Gamecocks wrapped up a two-game road trip to Florida. They won at South Florida 103-44 on Thursday.

The Gamecocks (12-1) have won by at least 40 points in eight games this season.

Ta’Niya Latson added 15 points and Maryam Dauda 12.

FGCU (3-6) made its first three field goals — all 3-pointers — to take an early 9-5 lead. South Carolina responded with a 15-0 run.

NO. 4 UCLA 106, LONG BEACH STATE 44

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gabriela Jaquez and Lauren Betts scored 17 points apiece, and UCLA routed winless Long Beach State for the Bruins’ largest victory of the season in their final nonconference game.

Kiki Rice added 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Bruins (11-1). Gianna Kneepkens had 10 points and 10 rebounds as one of four starters in double figures. Jaquez tied her career high with five 3-pointers.

Long Beach State was led by JaQuoia Jones-Brown with 10 points. The Beach (0-10) committed 20 turnovers and were on the wrong end of nearly every statistical category in their worst loss this season. Two starters, Khylee-Jade Pepe and Judit Oliva Fernandez, were both in foul trouble.

NO. 9 TCU 77, KANSAS STATE 55

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Olivia Miles scored 29 points, but came up short of a record fourth consecutive triple-double, and TCU opened the Big 12 season with a victory over Kansas State.

Miles, a senior transfer from Notre Dame, had eight rebounds and four assists. She registered triple-doubles in TCU’s last three games but did not become the first Division I player with four in a row.

TCU’s Marta Suarez, who also had a triple-double last time out, scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

The Horned Frogs won their 34th consecutive home game, edging ahead of Texas which has won 33 in a row at home. The Longhorns go for No. 34 against South Dakota State on Sunday.

Taryn Sides and Jenessa Cotton had 10 points each for Kansas State (7-7).

NO. 13 VANDERBILT 96, TEXAS SOUTHERN 46

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Justine Pissott and Mikayla Blakes combined for 48 points as the Vanderbilt women crushed Texas Southern.

Pissott was 9-of-13 shooting and 7 of 10 behind the arc, finishing with 25 points. Blakes scored 23 on 8-of-14 shooting. She entered Saturday as the nation’s fifth-leading scorer, averaging 24.3 points per game.

Aga Makurat added 13 points off the bench, scoring 10 in the fourth quarter. Aubrey Galvan had 11 assists and Aiyana Mitchell had 10 rebounds for Vanderbilt.

The win improves the Commodores to 12-0 for the first time since the 1995-96 season and the third time in program history. Vanderbilt has scored 81 points or more in nine of 12 games this season.

NO. 16 LOUISVILLE 89, NO. 17 TENNESSEE 65

NEW YORK (AP) — Tajianna Roberts scored 18 points, Imari Berry had 15 points and 13 rebounds for her first career double-double, and Louisville pulled away from Tennessee in the Champions Classic at Barclays Center.

The Cardinals (12-3) have won five straight and eight of their last nine. Louisville has won the last four meetings with the Lady Vols.

Reyna Scott scored 10 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter, Mackenly Randolph finished with 11 and Laura Ziegler and Skylar Jones each had 10. Elif Istanbulluoglu grabbed 14 rebounds with nine points.

Zee Spearman had 18 points and 12 rebounds, her first double-double this season for the Lady Vols (7-3). Talaysia Cooper added 14 points and Mia Pauldo 10.

NO. 25 PRINCETON 71, GEORGE MASON 69, OT

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Madison St. Rose scored 19 points and Ashley Chea’s basket as time expired sent Princeton past George Mason in overtime.

Olivia Hutcherson scored 17 points and Skye Belker and Chea scored 11 apiece. Fadima Hall grabbed 10 rebounds for the Tigers (11-1) who have won nine straight.

Zahira Walton scored 18 points, Kennedy Harris 17 and Louis Volker 12 for George Mason (6-6). Hawa Komara grabbed 10 rebounds.

Princeton used a 7-0 run in the final 23 seconds of regulation to force the extra session. The Patriots’ Page Greenburg committed a turnover with 14 seconds left, and Walton fouled Toby Nweke with eight seconds remaining in regulation for a Princeton three-point play to tie it.