TOP 25 WOMEN

Walker leads UConn to rout of Tulane

TOP 25/SEC WOMEN

NO. 2 CONNECTICUT 75, TULANE 33

NEW ORLEANS -- Megan Walker scored a career-high 34 points and Katie Lou Samuelson added 17 to power No. 2 UConn to a 75-33 victory over Tulane on Wednesday night.

The Huskies (15-1, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) pounded Tulane (13-4, 3-1) with its size and strength, holding the Green Wave to 18.3 percent shooting and forcing 22 turnovers.

UConn dominated from the opening tip, holding to Tulane to four points in the first quarter on 15 percent shooting (2 of 13) and coasting to the victory. Tulane had won six consecutive games but could not overcome UConn's relentless ball pressure.

UConn led 38-14 at the half, and the Huskies' defensive pressure forced Tulane into 12 first-half turnovers.

Despite shooting just 2 of 13 from long range in the first half, the Huskies made 16 of 32 shots in the first half, doing most of the damage inside on the break after turnovers against the smaller Green Wave defense. The Huskies also used their strength to hound the Tulane guards into several unforced ball-handling errors on the perimeter.

Walker, who averages 11.0 points game, scored 15 in the first half on 6 of 11 shooting, and Samuelson added 10 points. Walker also finished with a team-high 10 rebounds.

Christyn Williams (Central Arkansas Christian) had 2 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist in 28 minutes of play for the Huskies.

Tulane had no one in double figures. Kaila Anderson led the Green Wave with seven points.

NO. 1 NOTRE DAME 80, VIRGINIA TECH 51

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Jessica Shepard had 20 points and 11 rebounds and No. 1 Notre Dame took command with a 24-1 run in the second quarter to beat Virginia Tech.

Arike Ogunbowale added 19 points for the Fighting Irish (17-1, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). The Irish trailed 24-18 before Marina Mabrey sparked the run with her third three-pointer of the first half. The burst took just six minutes and ended with Notre Dame ahead 42-25.

Virginia Tech (13-4, 0-4) responded by scoring nine consecutive points to bring the crowd back into it, but it was 44-34 at the half. Notre Dame pulled away thereafter, winning its 10th in a row.

NO. 2 BAYLOR 94, KANSAS 68

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Chloe Jackson scored a season-high 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting and had 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals to lead No. 2 Baylor to a victory over Kansas.

Kalani Brown added 15 points, DiDi Richards 14 and Lauren Cox and NaLyssa Smith had 13 apiece for the Bears (14-1, 4-0 Big 12). With Texas losing at Kansas State, Baylor took over sole possession of first place in the Big 12.

Baylor was 13 of 16 from the field in the first quarter, racing to a 29-15 lead, and was 9 of 13 in the second to make it 53-36 at the half. With Jackson, Richards and Smith combining to go 15 for 15 from the field for 32 points, the Bears set a record for the most points at the half of a conference game. Richards scored 10 of the first 15 points on five backdoor layups.

KANSAS STATE 87, NO. 11 TEXAS 69

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kayla Goth had 20 points and tied her career-high with 12 assists and Kansas State used a big first half to defeat No. 11 Texas.

Christianna Carr added 19 on points 7-of-10 shooting, including 4 three-pointers, for the Wildcats (11-6, 2-3 Big 12). Peyton Williams had 18 points with eight rebounds. Goth’s 12 assists were a conference high this season.

Williams had back-to-back three-pointers in a 10-0 run and added a third in the first quarter as Kansas State jumped to a 23-13 lead. Carr scored four in a 6-0 burst to start the second quarter and Williams scored the last four before the half for a 42-23 lead.

WEST VIRGINIA 73, NO. 18 IOWA STATE 64

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Lucky Rudd and Tynice Martin combined for 42 points, 16 in the fourth quarter when they made 12 of 14 free throws, and West Virginia pulled away for a victory over No. 18 Iowa State.

Rudd had 22 points, making 11 of 13 free throws, 7 of 8 in the fourth quarter when she had her 3 steals. Martin had 20 points, 9 in the fourth quarter when she was 5 of 6 from the line, and grabbed 11 rebounds. Naomi Davenport added 15 points for the Mountaineers (12-4, 3-2 Big 12), who have won three consecutive.

Iowa State (13-4, 3-2) led 48-46 entering the fourth quarter when Martin and Rudd promptly made two free throws, which capped a 7-0 run. The Cyclones tied it but a three-point play by Kari Niblack put West Virginia up for good.

NO. 20 RUTGERS 65, PURDUE 63, OT

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- Stasha Carey made three free throws in the final nine seconds of overtime as No. 20 Rutgers survived blowing a 14-point late in regulation to beat Purdue and stay alone atop the Big Ten.

Rutgers (14-3, 6-0) used a 10-run to lead 54-40 with just under five minutes left when Purdue responded with a period-ending 14-0 run, tying the game on an Ae'rianna Harris basket underneath with 17 seconds left.

Rutgers opened overtime with five points, including a three-pointer by Charise Wilson, and led the rest of the way.

NORTHWESTERN 75, NO. 25 INDIANA 69

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Lindsey Pulliam scored a season-high 27 points, Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah had the 30th double-double of her career and Northwestern defeated No. 25 Indiana.

Veronica Burton hit 5 three-pointers and contributed a career-high 19 points for the Wildcats (10-7, 3-3 Big Ten) and Kunaiyi-Akpanah had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Burton had 16 points in the first half, hitting four threes, to surpass her previous career high and stake Northwestern to a 37-26 lead. The Wildcats were 15 of 32 and the Hoosiers 9 of 30.

SOUTHLAND WOMEN

CENTRAL ARKANSAS 74, INCARNATE WORD 43

The University of Central Arkansas outscored Incarnate Word 40-16 in the first half and held the Cardinals to single-digit scoring in three of Wednesday's four quarters to earn its first Southland Conference victory of the season at the Farris Center in Conway.

The Sugar Bears (6-9, 1-4) were never threatened and shot 46.7 percent (28 of 60) from the floor, while outrebounding the Cardinals 39-26 -- including a 16-7 edge on the offensive end. UCA turned 21 Incarnate Word turnovers into 20 points and blocked 4 shots, while outscoring Incarnate Word 32-16 in the lane and getting 27 points off the bench.

Kamry Orr led the Sugar Bears with 20 points, Hannah Langhi poured in 16 and Maddie Goodner chipped in with 10. Imani Robinson and Starr Omozee scored 13 points each to lead the Cardinals (1-14, 1-3).

Sports on 01/17/2019

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