UConn wins battle of 1 vs. 2

Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn.

Maya Moore scored 30 points and No. 1 Connecticut won its 80th straight game, 65-64, holding on when No. 2 Baylor missed a last chance to score.

A record winning streak exactly two years in the making came down to the final seconds. The Huskies are now eight wins short of matching the 88-game string put together by UCLA’s men’s team in the 1970s.

Moore missed from the side with a few seconds left and the Bears rushed down court trying to get off a last shot. Odyssey Sims launched a 3 from well beyond the arc at the buzzer — it fell short but it didn’t matter, it came too late.

Coach Geno Auriemma covered his head with his hands as he met Baylor coach Kim Mulkey at midcourt.

Ahead 44-29 early in the second half, the Huskies suddenly found themselves in trouble when 6-foot-8 Brittney Griner took over for Baylor. The Bears rallied, taking an eight-point lead with 6:42.

Then, freshman Bria Hartley emerged for the Huskies.

No. 8 Texas A&M 87, Arkansas-Little Rock 41

COLLEGE STATION, Texas

Danielle Adams had 24 points and 10 rebounds, for Texas A&M. It was the third double-double at Texas A&M for Adams, who transferred from Jefferson College before last season after being named junior college player of the year.

Arkansas-Little Rock (1-1) was led by Chastity Reed who had 17 points.

No. 13 Georgetown 53, No. 21 Maryland 45

WASHINGTON

Georgetown ended a 10-minute scoring drought with back-to-back 3-pointers late in the second half. Hobbled with leg cramps, Rubylee Wright made a 3-pointer with 1:39 left to give Georgetown (2-0) a 46-45 lead. Sugar Rodgers followed with another 3 seconds later to give the Hoyas breathing room and move to 1-8 against the Terrapins (1-1). Rodgers scored a game-high 21 points.

No. 20 St. John’s 77, Manhattan 51

NEW YORK

Shenneika Smith scored 17 points, while Sky Lindsay and Coco Hart each added 12 for the Red Storm (2-1), who ran out to a 40-19 halftime lead.

Abby Wentworth scored 14 points and Lindsey Loutsenhizer added 11 for the Jaspers (1-1).

No. 22 Iowa 91, Bradley 53

IOWA CITY, Iowa

Jaime Printy led five players in double figures with 21 points for Iowa. Kamille Wahlin added 17 points for the Hawkeyes (3-0). Raisa Taylor had 18 points but six turnovers for Bradley (1-1).

Men

MANHATTAN, Kan.

Martavious Irving hit three 3-pointers during a decisive second-half run that turned a tight game between two cold-shooting teams into a laugher and sparked No. 3 Kansas State to a 73-57 victory over No. 22 Virginia Tech.

Two technical fouls were called on the Virginia Tech bench as Kansas State (2-0) was taking charge in the second half.

Malcolm Delaney, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading returning scorer, had 22 points for the Hokies (1-1). His bucket gave Virginia Tech a 40-38 lead early in the second half, then Rodney McGruder’s 10-foot jumper ignited the Wildcats on the 28-9 run that gave them an insurmountable lead.

Jacob Pullen, who played two minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, McGruder and Jamar Samuels all scored 13 points for the Wildcats while Jordan Henriquez-Roberts had 10 and Irving had nine.

No. 6 Villanova 84, Marist 47

VILLANOVA, Pa.

Maalik Wayns scored 17 points and Dominic Cheek had 15 to lead Villanova in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Jay Bowie had 14 points for Marist (0-1), which extended Division I’s longest losing streak to 19 games.

Villanova (2-0) had an easy time against the overmatched Red Foxes, who were 1-29 last season. The Wildcats have become NCAA tournament regulars under coach Jay Wright, and reached the Final Four two years ago. They have won 39 straight games at The Pavilion.

Villanova used a 19-1 run to take a 24-9 lead in the first half, and never looked back. Marist went 16 straight possessions without a field goal during that stretch. Wayns and Cheek each scored seven points during the run.

No. 17 Baylor 74, La Salle 64

WACO, Texas

Quincy Acy had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Anthony Jones scored three consecutive baskets to ignite a go-ahead spurt early in the second half for Baylor.

Playing the second of three games to start the season without suspended guard LaceDarius Dunn, the Bears (2-0) went ahead to stay with the 13-2 run soon after halftime.

After Acy swatted Aaric Murray’s shot into the courtside band to start the second half, La Salle (1-1) maintained possession and Ruben Guillandeaux hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 32. After another Baylor turnover when Earl Pettis drew a charging foul from A.J. Walton, Pettis passed inside to Jerrell Williams to give the Explorers their last lead.

Associated Press