Valley News – College Basketball: Michigan Wins in Big Ten Return

Ann Arbor, Mich. — Iggy Brazdeikis had 16 points and 11 rebounds and No. 2 Michigan returned to Big Ten play with a 68-55 victory over Penn State on Thursday night.

The Wolverines (14-0, 3-0) weren’t always that dominant while playing lesser competition in December, and the first half against Penn State (7-7, 0-3) wasn’t all that great either from an aesthetic standpoint. The teams combined for 18 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and Michigan led 25-20.

Jordan Poole led Michigan with 17 points and has reached double figures in nine straight games. Charles Matthews added 14 points for the Wolverines.

Mike Watkins scored 19 points for Penn State, and Lamar Stevens added 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Penn State shot 1 of 14 from 3-point range.

No. 18 N.C. State 87Miami 82

Coral Gables, Fla. — Reserve Markell Johnson scored 20 points in 23 minutes and North Carolina State shot 57 percent in the second half to rally past Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

The Wolfpack (13-1) won their seventh game in a row and are off to their best start since the 1973-74 team that won the national championship.

The Hurricanes built their biggest lead at 74-64 with 10 minutes left, but the Wolfpack responded by scoring 13 consecutive points, and Daniels’ driving layup put them ahead to stay with 6 1/2 minutes to go. Miami went nearly five minutes without a point and missed eight shots in a row.

No. 21 Indiana 73, Illinois 65

Bloomington, Ind. — Romeo Langford scored a career-high 28 points, Juwan Morgan added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Indiana beat Illinois.

Langford shot 8 for 13 from the field and 11 of 15 from the line for Indiana (12-2, 3-0).

Purdue 86, No. 25 Iowa 70

West Lafayette, Ind. — Carsen Edwards scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half and Purdue beat Iowa.

Matt Haarms had 14 points and Aaron Wheeler added 10 for the Boilermakers (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten). They have won three straight for the first time since starting the season 4-0.

Tyler Cook had 24 points for the Hawkeyes (11-3, 0-3).

Ranked Women

No. 2 Notre Dame 100Pittsburgh 44

South Bend, Ind. — Marina Mabrey scored 20 points, Arike Ogunbowale had 18 and No. 2 Notre Dame routed Pittsburgh for its sixth straight victory.

The Fighting Irish (13-1) rolled in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Ogunbowale reached double figures for her 35th straight game, and Mabrey added seven assists.

Notre Dame used two 21-0 runs in the first and second quarters to lead 60-14 at halftime and reached 100 or more points for the fifth time this season.

No. 3 Louisville 73North Carolina 66

Louisville, Ky. — Jazmine Jones scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, Arica Carter added 14 points and No. 3 Louisville beat North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both schools.

Louisville (13-0) led by 19 points late in the first half, but the Tar Heels (9-6) made it interesting with a couple third-quarter runs. Stephanie Watts’ layup with 38 second left in the quarter cut it to 55-47.

Janelle Bailey and Watts led the Tar Heels with 16 points apiece.

No. 7 Mississippi State 93Arkansas 69

Fayetteville, Ark. — Jordan Danberry scored a career-high 26 points and Mississippi State opened Southeastern Conference play with a victory over Arkansas.

Danberry, of Conway, Ark., transferred from the Razorbacks to the Bulldogs (13-1) as a sophomore. The senior guard scored 14 of her points in the first quarter and finished 11 of 21 from the field, topping her previous scoring mark of 20 points, against Washington last month.

No. 9 N.C. State 63, Duke 51

Raleigh, n.c. — Grace Hunter scored 14 points and North Carolina State beat Duke in their Atlantic Coast Conference to match the best start in program history.

Aislinn Konig also had 14 points with four 3-pointers, and Erika Cassell and Elissa Cunane finished with 11 points apiece, with Cunane scoring seven straight points in the final 3 minutes.

No. 10 Tennessee 78Auburn 69

Auburn, Ala. — Meme Jackson scored 27 points and Rennia Davis had 23 points and 14 rebounds in Tennessee’s victory over Auburn in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

The Lady Vols (12-1) took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, watched it slip away and then took control again. The Tigers (12-2) came in riding a nine-game winning streak and flirted with the upset into the final minutes. Unique Thompson led the Tigers with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

NO. 14 SYRACUSE 84, CLEMSON 75

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Miranda Drummond had 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting and Gabrielle Cooper added 22 points to help Syracuse beat Clemson in an Atlantic Coast Conference opener.

Drummond made five 3-pointers, and Cooper hit seven. The Orange (12-2) were 16 of 38 on 3-pointers.

Kobi Thornton led Clemson (9-5) with 20 points.

NO. 16 KENTUCKY 77, VANDERBILT 55

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Rhyne Howard scored 16 points, Maci Morris added 14 and Kentucky rolled past tVanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference opener for both schools.

The Wildcats (14-1) won their fifth straight and improved to 11-0 at home.

Cierra Walker had 17 points for Vanderbilt (5-9).

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