Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes needed a quarter to get warmed up, and then she went off, finishing with an NCAA true-freshman-record 53 points as the 23rd-ranked Commodores defeated Florida on Thursday in Gainesville, Fla.
Blakes made 16 of 24 shots from the field, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range, as she surpassed the 51 points scored by Southern California’s JuJu Watkins as a true freshman last season. She also set Vanderbilt’s single-game scoring record and the Southeastern Conference single-game mark. Elena Delle Donne put up 54 points in game as a redshirt freshman for Delaware in 2009-10.
The Commodores (18-4, 5-3 SEC) turned a close game into what looked like a blowout when Blakes netted 18 points in the second quarter to extend the lead to 46-26. Her 13 in the third period helped pad the lead as high as 23 points, and she poured in 18 more in the fourth to hold off the Gators, who had their deficit down to single digits multiple times.
Iyana Moore collected 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Commodores, who entered the Top 25 this week for the first time in 11 years. Ra Shaya Kyle led Florida (11-11, 2-6) with 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Liv McGill scored 20 points.
No. 3 Notre Dame 77, Virginia Tech 61
Hannah Hidalgo scored 16 of her 30 points in the third quarter as the Fighting Irish won their 13th straight game, defeating the Hokies in Blacksburg, Va.
Hidalgo, who began the night second in the nation in Division I in scoring at 25.4 points per game, went 10 of 16 from the field for the game. She netted the first five points of the third quarter and kept on scoring as Notre Dame (18-2, 9-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) pulled away from a four-point lead at the half.
Carys Baker led Virginia Tech (9-12, 4-6) with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Matilda Ekh followed with 13 points.
No. 4 USC 82, Minnesota 69
Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins both secured double-doubles as the Trojans beat the visiting Golden Gophers in Los Angeles, Calif.
Iriafen had 23 points and 11 rebounds while Watkins put forth 20 points and 11 boards. The duo also combined for seven assists in the 15th straight win for USC (19-1, 9-0 Big Ten). Avery Howell chipped in 12 points off the bench, while Talia von Oelhoffen had eight points and six dimes.
Sophie Hart had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Gophers (18-4, 6-4), while Mallory Heyer added 17 points and seven boards.
No. 5 Texas 70, Missouri 61
Taylor Jones scored 17 points as the Longhorns outlasted the visiting Tigers in Austin, Texas.
Jones also grabbed six rebounds, while teammate Madison Booker had 16 points and six boards in the victory for Texas (21-2, 7-1 SEC). Rori Harmon scored just six points but had a team-high 10 assists.
Missouri (12-11, 1-7) was paced by Laniah Randle’s 22 points. Grace Slaughter added 16.
No. 7 LSU 107, Oklahoma 100
Mikaylah Williams poured in 37 points, including 16 in the Tigers’ big second quarter, and LSU beat the Sooners in Baton Rouge, La.
LSU (22-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) made 68.8 percent of its shots in the second period while outscoring Oklahoma 32-19. The Tigers shot 52.2 percent for the game. Flau’Jae Johnson scored 25 points for LSU, and Aneesah Morrow had 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Payton Verhulst finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals for the Sooners (16-5, 4-4), who have lost two of their last three games, both against top-10 teams.
No. 11 Kansas State 87, Iowa State 79
Serena Sundell piled up 23 points and eight assists as the Wildcats needed overtime to notch a home victory over the Cyclones in Manhattan, Kan.
It was the second game that Kansas State (20-2, 8-1 Big 12) played without former All-American center Ayoka Lee, who is sidelined with a foot injury. Taryn Sides had 17 points off the bench, Zyanna Walker added 11, and Temira Poindexter and Jaelyn Glenn each scored 10.
Audi Crooks powered Iowa State (15-8, 6-4) with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Addy Brown added 20 points and eight assists while shooting 4-of-5 from 3-point land.
No. 12 Kentucky 65, No. 22 Alabama 56
Georgia Amoore finished with 16 points and nine assists, Clara Strack paired 14 points with 14 rebounds, and the Wildcats dominated the middle quarters for a victory over Crimson Tide in Lexington, Ky.
Amelia Hassett added 11 points, seven boards, three steals and two blocks for Kentucky (18-2, 7-1 SEC), which outscored Alabama 37-19 in he second and thirds quarters combined.
Sarah Ashlee Barker notched 22 points and seven rebounds, and Zaay Green had 14 points for Alabama, but Green also committed six of the team’s 16 turnovers. The Crimson Tide (17-5, 4-4) have lost two straight games four of six.
No. 15 North Carolina 65, Cal 52
Reniya Kelly scored 16 points as the Tar Heels handed the Golden Bears their first home loss in conference play in Berkeley, Calif.
Kelly also had five rebounds for North Carolina (19-4, 7-3 ACC). Alyssa Ustby added 11 points and seven rebounds, Lanie Grant scored 10 points off the bench, and Maria Gakdeng had nine points and 13 boards.
Ioanna Krimili led Cal (18-4, 6-3) with 20 points and four assists, while Ugonne Onyiah added 14 points.
Oregon 63, No. 16 Michigan State 59
The Ducks built an 18-point in the third quarter and held on in the game’s last four minutes to topple the Spartans in East Lansing, Mich.
Peyton Scott led Oregon (16-5, 7-3 Big Ten) with 12 points, and Phillipina Kyei delivered nine points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Kyei went 3 of 8 from the free-throw line, but she hit two with 13 seconds left to put Oregon ahead by seven.
The Spartans (17-4, 7-3) were held to their lowest point total of the season and took their first home loss after 10 wins. Julia Ayrault logged 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, and Grace VanSlooten also scored 14 points.
No. 17 North Carolina State 90, Wake Forest 83
Zoe Brooks led four scorers in double figures with 18 points as the Wolfpack outlasted the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Zamareya Jones went for 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting while Saniya Rivers and Tilda Trygger scored 13 and 12, respectively, for NC State (17-4, 9-1 ACC). The Wolfpack were ahead by six at halftime but began the third period with 14 straight points. They led by as many as 24 points in the quarter en route to their sixth straight victory.
Rylie Theuerkauf paced Wake Forest (8-13, 1-9) with 25 points by going 10-for-15 from the floor. Raegyn Conley hit 7 of 11 shots and finished with 21 points off the bench.
No. 25 Florida State 104, Boston College 80
The high-scoring Seminoles put all five starters in double figures while blowing away the Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Makayla Timpson collected 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, and Division I scoring leader Ta’Niya Latson had 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Florida State (17-4, 7-2 ACC). The Seminoles scored at least 22 points in every quarter.
Teya Sidberry carried Boston College (12-11, 3-7) with 28 points and 10 rebounds. T’yana Todd scored 14 points, and Tatum Greene had 13.
–Field Level Media
