Make it 23 in a row for South Carolina

South Carolina forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (21) drives against Texas A&M forward N'dea Jones (31) during the first half of a women's NCAA college basketball game Sunday, March 1, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
South Carolina forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (21) drives against Texas A&M forward N'dea Jones (31) during the first half of a women's NCAA college basketball game Sunday, March 1, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Mikiah Herbert Harrigan didn't ever really want to leave South Carolina, no matter what she thought after last season.

Herbert Harrigan was torn between wondering what her role would be among the Gamecocks' highly regarded incoming freshman class and her love of the program.

"I knew in my heart I wanted to be here," Herbert Harrigan said Sunday.

So, after a heart-to-heart with Coach Dawn Staley, Herbert Harrigan changed her mind -- a decision that has turned into everything she and No. 1 South Carolina could've hoped for.

Herbert Harrigan had 20 points as the Gamecocks won their program-record 23rd consecutive game and completed a perfect 16-0 run through the SEC regular season with a 60-52 victory over No. 12 Texas A&M.

Herbert Harrigan, the 6-foot-2 senior who was a reserve on the 2017 national champions, simply needed reassurance from Staley about her place in the program. She's done the rest, rising to the team's leading scorer and becoming a touchstone during difficult runs.

That happened quickly against the Aggies (22-6, 10-6) as she scored the team's first 13 points while her teammates were struggling to find their shots.

"I knew when she scored the first nine we'd just get it to her," Staley said.

The Gamecocks (29-1, 16-0) were only ahead 34-28 early in the third quarter before going on a 14-3 surge to take control for good.

South Carolina finished off the fourth 16-0 SEC season in league history and became the first team to do it twice since the conference supersized the schedule before the 2009-10 season.

The victory also broke the school mark for consecutive wins when the 2014-15 Gamecocks started 22-0 to reach No. 1.

NO. 9 MISSISSIPPI STATE 84,

MISSISSIPPI 59

OXFORD, Miss. -- Aliyah Matharu shined for Mississippi State for the second-consecutive game with a career-high 24 points as the Bulldogs beat Ole Miss.

Matharu followed up an 18-point performance over Arkansas in the previous game to score 24 in just 19 minutes. Jordan Danberry (Conway) also had a big game against the Rebels as the Mississippi State senior finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Ole Miss (7-22, 0-16 ) led the Bulldogs 32-30 with 3:16 remaining in second quarter before Mississippi State closed on a 14-0 run to end the half. Matharu had eight points during that stretch and it sparked a 24-0 run that went into the third quarter as Mississippi State (25-5, 13-3) led by a margin of 54-32 .

VANDERBILT 70,

NO. 15 KENTUCKY 64

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mariella Fasoula scored nine of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and Vanderbilt used a 15-3 run over the last 5½ minutes to close the regular season with an upset of Kentucky.

Fasoula had a pair of baskets in a 10-0 run that put the Commodores, who had lost 29 consecutive games to ranked teams, on top 63-61 with 2:52 to play. Her layup at 1:55 gave Vanderbilt the lead for good at 65-63 and she had a free throw and LeaLea Carter a basket and two free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal the win.

Koi Love scored 14 points, Jordyn Cambridge added 12 and Carter 10 for Vanderbilt (14-15, 4-12).

Rhyne Howard hit five three-pointers and scored 26 points for the Wildcats (21-7, 10-6).

NO. 3 OREGON 92,

WASHINGTON 56

EUGENE, Ore. -- Ruthy Hebard scored 24 points and Satou Sabally added 20 to lead Oregon to a rout of Washington.

Reserve Taylor Chavez had 14 points, Sabrina Ionescu 13 points and 11 assists and Minyon Moore 11 points for the Ducks (28-2, 17-1 Pac-12)

Alexis Griggsby and Mai-Loni Henson led the Huskies (13-16, 5-13) with 11 points each

NO. 4 STANFORD 55,

No. 24 ARIZONA STATE 44

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Francesca Belibi had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Stanford beat Arizona State in the Pac-12 regular-season finale for both teams.

Lexie Hull and Kiana Williams added 13 points each for Stanford.

Belibi scored 10 points in the third quarter and Stanford outscored the Sun Devils 38-16 in the paint. The Cardinal (25-5, 14-4) held Arizona State to 16 of 57 shooting (28%).

Robbi Ryan led Arizona State (20-10, 10-8) with 13 points.

NO. 5 LOUISVILLE 70,

VIRGINIA TECH 53

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Jazmine Jones scored 18 points to lead Louisville to a victory over Virginia Tech.

The Cardinals (27-3, 16-2 ACC) got big contributions from their seniors, who set a school record with their 124th victory over their four-year career. Jones made 8-of-17 shots, and Kylee Shook added 15 points and 12 rebounds in the win.

The Hokies (21-8, 11-7) didn't score for the first 5:40 and were down 14-3 with less than 90 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

NO. 7 MARYLAND 99,

MINNESOTA 44

MINNEAPOLIS -- Taylor Mikesell scored 22 points on 6-for-8 shooting from three-point range to lead Maryland's romp past Minnesota.

The Terrapins forged a tie for the Big Ten title and finished the regular season on a 14-game winning streak.

Ashley Owusu had 17 points, Kaila Charles added 15 points and Stephanie Jones and Shakira Austin each pitched in 13 points for the Terrapins (25-4, 16-2).

Sara Scalia scored 10 points for the Gophers (15-14, 5-13).

NO. 8 UCLA 77, UTAH 54

LOS ANGELES -- Japreece Dean had 16 points and eight assists and Michaela Onyenwere added 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead UCLA past Utah.

UCLA clinched the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. Oregon had already clinched the top seed.

UCLA (25-4, 14-4) and Stanford tied for second, but the Bruins won the tiebreaker over the Cardinal.

Kiana Moore and Julie Brosseau each scored 11 points off the bench for Utah (13-16, 6-12).

NO. 10 N.C. STATE 75,

VIRGINIA 64

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Kayla Jones scored 16 points, Elissa Cunane had 15 points and 13 rebounds and North Carolina State made its first 13 three-point attempts in a victory at Virginia.

The Wolfpack (25-4, 14-4 ACC) were 12 for 12 from beyond the arc in taking a 46-32 halftime lead.

Amandine Toi led Virginia (13-16, 8-10) with 13 points and Kylie Kornegay-Lucas had 11.

MARQUETTE 90,

NO. 12 DEPAUL 83

MILWAUKEE -- Lauren Van Kleunen scored 22 points, Selena Lott scored 20 and Marquette beat DePaul.

Jordan King added 16 points and Altia Anderson scored 10 with 12 rebounds.

Marquette (22-7, 13-5) seized control in the second quarter as Lott scored 12 of the Golden Eagles' 23 points. They led 50-34 at halftime.

Lexi Held led DePaul (25-5, 15-3) with 25 points.

CALIFORNIA 55,

NO. 13 ARIZONA 54

TUSCON, Ariz. -- Jaelyn Brown's putback with 13.7 seconds remaining lifted last-place California past Arizona in the teams' regular-season finale.

CJ West went to the line for Cal (11-18, 3-15 Pac-12) and missed both free throws but Brown was there for the go-ahead basket before Aari McDonald missed a three-pointer on the other end.

Arizona (23-6, 12-6), coming off an overtime victory over No. 4 Stanford, led 52-49 when Brown was fouled on a three-pointer and made all three free throws with 1:11 to go. She added another free throw with a half-minute left for a lead. McDonald made two at the line to grab the lead back with before Brown's winner.

NO. 17 OREGON STATE 73,

WASHINGTON STATE 58

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Mikayla Pivec scored 19 points, Destiny Slocum added 17 and Oregon State ended the regular season by beating Washington State.

Aleah Goodman added 15 points and Taylor Jones scored 10 for the Beavers (22-8, 10-8), who will be the sixth seed in the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas and have a rematch against the 11th-seeded Cougars (11-19, 4-14) in the first round on Thursday.

NOTRE DAME 70,

NO. 17 FLORIDA STATE 67

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Freshman Sam Brunelle drilled a career-high seven three-pointers and scored 25 points and Notre Dame rallied to defeat Florida State.

Down three after a Notre Dame free throw with five seconds to go, Florida State's Nikki Ekhomu was fouled on a three-point attempt with a second left. Ekhomu missed the first free throw, made the second and was called for a turnover with an intentional miss on the third. The Irish added a free throw.

Mikayla Vaughn scored 12 points for the Irish (13-17, 8-10), who take a three-game winning streak into the first round of the ACC tournament in Greensboro, N.C., on Wednesday.

Kiah Gillespie scored 22 points and Nausia Woolfolk had 20 for the Seminoles (22-7, 11-7).

RUTGERS 78, NO. 19 IOWA 74, OT

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Arella Guirantes, who had back-to-back big plays in overtime, was one of three players with 17 points as Rutgers upset Iowa.

NO. 21 MISSOURI STATE 69,

BRADLEY 66

PEORIA, Ill. -- Alexa Willard scored 19 points, including a pair of free throws with 1.4 seconds left, and Missouri State picked up the 900th win in school history by beating Bradley.

Brice Calip scored 12 points for Missouri State (24-4, 14-2 Missouri Valley), which is 900-606 in 51 seasons, 38 at the Division I level.

Gabi Haack had four three-pointers and 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting to lead the Braves (20-7, 11-5).

NO. 24 INDIANA 78, MICHIGAN 60

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Ali Patberg scored 16 of her 21 points in the second half and led Indiana to a win over Michigan.

The Hoosiers (23-7, 13-5 Big Ten) finished fourth and earned the final bye into the quarterfinals for the conference tournament that begins Wednesday. Indiana will play Friday.

Akienreh Johnson scored 16 points with 14 rebounds to lead the Wolverines (19-10, 10-8), who shot 34% percent and were just 3 of 14 from the arc.

TEXAS TECH 87, NO. 25 TCU 83

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Lexi Gordon scored 30 points with 11 rebounds and she and Chrislyn Carr scored clutch points in the fading seconds as Texas Tech survived a furious fourth-quarter rally to defeat TCU.

The Lady Raiders (17-10, 6-10 Big 12) led by a seemingly comfortable 72-57 with under seven minutes to play when Lauren Heard and Kianna Ray launched a 7-0 run for TCU (20-7, 11-5).

Carr, who finished with 19 points, 9 boards and 8 assists, drove for a crucial layup for a three-point lead with 29 seconds left, then she and Gordon added three free throws in the last 10 seconds.

Sports on 03/02/2020

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