KANSAS CITY REGIONAL

Mississippi St. cruises by Nicholls St.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 95, NICHOLLS 50

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Victoria Vivians scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Mississippi State past Nicholls 95-50.

Mississippi State (33-1) started the game slowly, but scored 33 points in the second quarter to take a 54-24 lead into halftime and eventually cruise to the victory. Teaira McCowan scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Blair Schaefer also scored 18 points.

Mississippi State shot 50 percent from the field, including 47 percent from three-point range, and had a 51-29 rebounding advantage.

The Bulldogs bounced back from their only loss of the season, a 62-51 setback to South Carolina in the SEC tournament final. Mississippi State won a program-record 32 consecutive games to open the season.

Nicholls (19-14) was led by Tykeria Williams, who scored 16 points.

TEXAS 83, MAINE 54

AUSTIN, Texas -- Jatarie White scored 17 points and Texas used an overwhelming first half to romp to a victory over Maine.

Hosting the first two rounds for the third consecutive year, Texas smothered the America East Conference tournament champions from the opening tip. The Longhorns led 45-18 by halftime with a combination of dominant rebounding and speed in transition led by guards Lashann Higgs and Brooke McCarty. Higgs scored 15 and Ariel Atkins scored 16 for Texas.

The Longhorns (27-6) didn't let Maine (23-10) even grab a rebound the first eight minutes. Higgs had 11 points and Atkins scored 10 by halftime as the Longhorns emptied their bench early in the second quarter. Texas shot 68 percent and outrebounded Maine 25-4 in the first half.

UCLA 71, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY 60

LOS ANGELES -- Monique Billings scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds, Kennedy Burke added 15 points to lead UCLA to a victory over American University.

Jordin Canada had 10 points and 11 assists for the Bruins (25-7), who advance to the second round.

Cecily Carl led American (26-7) with 22 points and 10 rebounds and Elina Koskimies added 13 points and Maria Liddane scored 12 points.

After the Eagles took an early lead to start the game, the Bruins countered with a 22-3 run over the final 4:33 of the opening quarter to build a double-digit advantage and take control.

CREIGHTON 76, IOWA 70

LOS ANGELES -- Jaylyn Agnew scored 24 points and Sydney Lamberty added 20 to lead Creighton to a victory over Iowa.

Agnew and Lamberty combined to make 16 of 26 shots. Lamberty also had six assists and five rebounds and Audrey Faber added 12 points for Creighton.

Megan Gustafson scored 29 points and had 17 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (24-8).

No. 7 ARIZONA STATE 73, No. 10 NEBRASKA 62

AUSTIN, Texas -- Robbi Ryan scored 16 points and Kianna Ibis added 14 to lead Arizona State over Nebraska.

The Sun Devils opened up a tight, defensive struggle with a 14-0 run late in the third quarter. Jamie Ruden scored five in the stretch and the Sun Devils pushed the lead as high as 16 early in the fourth quarter when Reili Richardson converted a three-point play.

Arizona State moves on to the second round for the fifth consecutive season with a chance to make the Sweet 16 for the second time in four years.

Taylor Kissinger scored 15 points for Nebraska (21-11).

OKLAHOMA STATE 84, SYRACUSE 57

STARKVILLE, Miss.-- Freshman Jaden Hobbs scored a career-high 27 points, Loryn Goodwin and Kaylee Jensen added 19 and Oklahoma State beat Syracuse.

The 5-foot-8 Hobbs made 8 of 9 three-point attempts, blowing the game open single-handedly by making four three-pointers in quick succession late in the third quarter.

Oklahoma State (21-10) ended the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 40-32 halftime lead. The rally was punctuated in the final seconds by a perfect pass from Goodwin to Maria Castro, who made a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

SPOKANE REGION

LSU eliminated

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tinara Moore scored 25 points to help Central Michigan get its first women’s NCAA Tournament victory, beating LSU 78-69.

The Chippewas, who had lost in their first three trips to the NCAAs, got in the tournament for the first time in five years by upsetting Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Moore and Central Michigan dominated inside, outrebounding the SEC Tigers 40-27 and creating more second chances. Reyna Frost had 12 points and 12 boards for the Chippewas before fouling out late in the game.

Central Michigan led by as many as 11 in the second half. A 6-0 LSU run reduced the lead to five, but the Tigers couldn’t get any closer, despite limiting their opponents to only foul shots in the last 2:43. Micaela Kelly had 17 points for Central Michigan, and Presley Hudson added 12. Chloe Jackson had 24 points, and Ayana Mitchell had 16 points and 9 rebounds for LSU.

OHIO STATE 87,

GEORGE WASHINGTON 45

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Stephanie Mavunga scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Ohio State routed George Washington.

Alexa Hart had 12 points and Kelsey Mitchell added 11 points and seven rebounds as the Buckeyes (28-6) never trailed, took off in the second half and overwhelmed the Colonials (19-10), who had earned a tournament bid by winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Briana Cummings led GW with 14 points, and Neila Luma had 12 before fouling out late in the game.

Sports on 03/18/2018

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