In a showdown of the nation’s top two ranked teams, South Carolina guard Brea Beal, center, and the top-ranked Gamecocks rallied from an early deficit on Tuesday, slipping past No. 2 Stanford, 65-61, in Columbia, S.C. to remain undefeated. Sean Rayford/Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Aliyah Boston didn’t miss this time, her layup with 1:05 to go giving No. 1 South Carolina a 65-61 victory over No. 2 Stanford on Tuesday night.
She finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, her fifth straight double double and 36th of her career.
It was Boston who couldn’t convert last April at the Final Four in the closing seconds, sending the Cardinal to a 66-65 victory en route to the national championship.
This time, the 6-foot-5 All-American set herself up down low, got the ball from Destanni Henderson and put it in for the game-winning basket as the Gamecocks (12-0) rallied from 18 points down in the first half to keep alive their best start in six years. It was the biggest comeback in school history.
Stanford (8-3) had a chance to go in front, but Cameron Brink’s jumper came off the rim and into the capable hands of Boston.
Boston hit a foul shot and Destiny Littleton hit a pair with 0.8 seconds left to close out the win, South Carolina’s second this season over a No. 2 team and fifth against a Top-10 opponent.
It was a complete reversal for the Cardinal, who led by 17 points after Hannah Jump opened the second half with a 3-pointer. That’s when the Gamecocks, fueled by Henderson, went on a 22-4 run to lead 50-49 into the final period.
Henderson had 17 points and seven assists after missing the past three games due to injury. She also had seven steals.
Cameron Brink, Stanford’s leading scorer at 14.2 points a game coming in, was held in check by the Gamecocks and finished with three points on 1-of-7 shooting.
Lexie Hull led Stanford with 17 points, just three of those coming in the final three quarters.
(6) MARYLAND 98, COPPIN STATE 52: Katie Benzan scored 17 of her 22 points in the first half, and the Terrapins (10-3) rolled to a victory over the Eagles (6-6) in Baltimore.
Chloe Bibby added 14 points for the Terrapins, who eased out of a difficult stretch of their schedule with this victory over an in-state opponent. Maryland was coming off a 66-59 loss at top-ranked South Carolina on Dec. 12.
(13) GEORGIA 89, SOUTH ALABAMA 50: Jenna Staiti scored 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting and the Bulldogs (11-) rolled past the Jaguars (6-7) in Athens, Georgia.
Staiti had 13 points and her only miss in the first half when the Bulldogs (11-1) made 20 of 30 shots and opened a 47-26 lead.
IUPUI 74, (15) IOWA 73: Rachel McLimore scored 12 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter, including the winning free throws with three seconds left, as the Jaguars (5-4) dominated the fourth quarter to defeat the Hawkeyes (6-3) in Iowa City, Iowa.
The Hawkeyes led by 18 points in the middle of the third quarter and 62-47 entering the fourth quarter
(16) DUKE 78, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 35: Elizabeth Balogun scored 11 of her 14 points in the first half when No. 16 Duke took control and the Blue Devils (9-1) defeated winless Charleston Southern (0-11) in Charleston, South Carolina.
(17) GEORGIA TECH 78, BOSTON UNIVERSITY 49: Eylia Love scored a career-high 19 points, Lorela Cubaj had 12 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, and the Yellow Jackets (10-2) used a 27-6 third quarter to beat the Terriors (4-7) for their fifth straight victory.
(21) LSU 74, TEXAS TECH 60: Khayla Pointer had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and the Tigers (11-1) beat the short-handed Red Raiders (7-4) for their 10th straight victory, in the West Palm Beach Invitational.
(23) VILLANOVA 71, NO. 18 XAVIER 58: Justin Moore scored 12 of his 17 points after halftime and Caleb Daniels added 16 points to lead the Wildcats (8-4, 1-1 Big East) past the Mustketeers (11-2, 1-1) in Villanova, Pennsylvania.
(24) OHIO STATE 66, SAN DIEGO STATE 54: Jacy Sheldon scored 19 points and the Buckeyes (9-2) defeated the Aztecs (6-5) in San Diego.
(25) NORTH CAROLINA 83, ALABAMA STATE 47: Deja Kelly scored all 16 of her points in the first half when undefeated and the Tar Heels (11-0) raced to a 30-point bulge on their way to a victory over the Lady Hornets (2-7) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
UMAINE: The University of Maine game against Northeastern University scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled because of positive COVID-19 test results within the Northeastern program.
The game will not be made up.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
MERRIMACK 49, MAINE 47: Mikey Watkins hit a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to give the Warriors (5-8) the lead and Vukasin Masic missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer as the Black Bears (3-7) lost in Orono.
Jordan Minor had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Merrimack. Ziggy Reid had eight points and 11 rebounds.
LeChaun DuHart and Adefolalrin Adeogun each had 10 points for Maine.
(9) IOWA STATE 79, CHICAGO STATE 48: Izaiah Brockington had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Tristan Enaruna added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Cyclones (12-0) rolled to a win over the Cougars (4-8) in Ames, Iowa.
DAVIDSON 79, (10) ALABAMA 78: Luka Brajkovic scored 22 points and made a late 3-pointer and Michael Jones scored 21 points to help lift the Wildcats (9-2) to a victory over the Crimson Tide (9-3) in Birmingham, Alabama.
(11) MICHIGAN STATE 90, OAKLAND UNIVERSITY 78: Marcus Bingham had 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks and was one of five double-digit scorers for the Spartans (10-2) in a win over the Golden Grizzlies (7-4) in Detroit.
FOOTBALL
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL: Levi Williams ran for 200 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 127 yards and another touchdown to lead Wyoming to a 52-38 win over Kent State in Boise, Idaho.
Williams, who set a career-best single-game rushing performance, tied the Potato Bowl record for most rushing touchdowns and was named the game’s MVP.
Kent State (7-7), playing in its fifth bowl game in school history, raced out to a 17-7 lead and held a 24-21 advantage at halftime, but the Golden Flashes couldn’t hold up against Wyoming’s relentless rushing attack.
Wyoming (7-6) scored 21 consecutive points to start the second half, including scoring runs of 27 and 80 yards by Williams, to build a 42-24 lead that proved to be too much for Kent State to overcome.
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