Chloe Kitts tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds and No. 1 South Carolina stifled No. 12 North Carolina in an 84-39 runaway Sunday at the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte.
The Gamecocks (2-0) have opened their season with wins over two top-20 teams in Maryland and North Carolina. They held the Tar Heels to a meager 25% shooting from the floor and outrebounded them 48-33 in the dominant win.
Joyce Edwards scored 15 points, Tessa Johnson added 12 and Jerzy Robinson had 10 for South Carolina, which shot 45.3%, while Ashlyn Watkins added another 10 rebounds in her 17 minutes. The Gamecocks outscored UNC 19-7 in the second quarter to build a 17-point halftime lead before coach Dawn Staley’s crew used a pair of 12-0 runs to dominate the third quarter 32-9.
Nyla Brooks had 13 points and made 4 of 6 shots from beyond the arc to pace North Carolina (0-2), which had dropped its season opener to No. 21 Oklahoma.
No. 2 UConn 91, No. 10 Iowa 79
Sarah Strong rained down a career-high 39 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Huskies staved off the Hawkeyes in Storrs, Conn.
Strong hit 5 of 10 3-point attempts and Blanca Quinonez tied her career high with 21 points. The game was not as close as the final score showed, as UConn (2-1) led by as many as 27 and held a 22-point lead with seven minutes to go.
Chazadi Wright paced Iowa (2-1) with 23 points and five assists, one of four Hawkeyes to score in double figures.
No. 3 Southern California 118, Utah State 40
JuJu Watkins erupted for 32 points and a career-high 16 rebounds as the Trojans overwhelmed the Aggies in their home opener at Los Angeles.
USC (2-0) raced to a 36-11 lead after one quarter and scored 63 points after halftime. Saniyah Hall added 20 points for the Trojans, while Kylani Rookstool paced Utah State (1-2) with 12 points.
No. 4 Duke 78, Florida Atlantic 56
Autumn Fleary had team highs of 14 points and four assists off the bench as the Blue Devils eased past the Owls in Boca Raton, Fla.
Aaliyah Crump provided 13 points and seven rebounds for Duke (2-0). Erin Rodgers scored 11 points and Jaelynn Housey had 10 for the overmatched Owls (1-2).
No. 5 Michigan 109, Wright State 52
Olivia Olson led all five starters in double figures with 19 points and added seven assists and five steals as the Wolverines trounced the Raiders in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Olson was an efficient 7 of 9 from the floor and 3 of 4 on 3-pointers while Syla Swords added 16 points and Dallas Loughridge put up 15 points and six assists for Michigan (2-0). Jayden Terry scored 12 of her game-high 24 points from the foul line for Wright State (1-2).
No. 7 Louisville 80, Southern Indiana 57
Tajianna Roberts poured in 20 points and Imari Berry had 19 points, six rebounds and four assists to power the Cardinals past the Screaming Eagles in Evansville, Ind.
Louisville (3-0) took 22 more shots from the field than Southern Indiana (0-3) thanks to a 20-5 advantage on the offensive glass and 10 steals. Channah Gannon and Sophia Loden scored nine points apiece to lead Southern Indiana.
No. 14 Kentucky 93, No. 25 North Carolina State 78
Slovenian newcomer Ajsa Sivka racked up 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 8-of-12 from distance as the Wildcats beat the Wolfpack at the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte.
Clara Strack tossed in 24 points with eight rebounds and Savvy Swords scored 14 points off the bench as Kentucky (3-0) outscored NC State (2-1) in all four quarters to earn the win. Khamil Pierre buoyed the Wolfpack with 34 points, the second-highest total of her career.
–Field Level Media
