December 22, 2017 06:41 AM
UPDATED 3 MINUTES AGO
A'ja Wilson had 28 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks to help No. 4 South Carolina rout Temple 87-60 on Thursday night in a homecoming for Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.
Staley grew up in Philadelphia, a mile from Temple where she coached from 2000-08. On Wednesday, the city celebrated her, renaming a few blocks Dawn Staley Lane as a day in her honor was celebrated at the Hank Gathers Recreation Center.
She gave the center, where the Hall of Famer honed her game growing up, a replica NCAA championship trophy similar to the one her team won in April.
The game against Temple was Staley's first against the school since she left for South Carolina following the 2008 season. She broke Nancy Wilson's program record with her 232nd victory.
The Gamecocks (11-1) raced out to a 26-9 lead behind Wilson. She outscored the Owls 10-9 in the quarter. South Carolina led 46-20 at the half and cruised to the easy win.
Tyasha Harris had 13 points and 11 assists for South Carolina.
Mia Davis had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Temple (8-4).
NO. 5 MISSISSIPPI STATE 76, SYRACUSE 65
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Victoria Vivians had 26 points to reach a milestone and added nine rebounds in Mississippi State's victory over Syracuse in the Duel in the Desert.
The 6-foot-1 senior guard became the third player in school history to reach 2,000 career points.
Teaira McCowan added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulldogs (13-0) before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-7 junior is averaging 24.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in her last four games.
Gabrielle Cooper led Syracuse (11-1) with 22 points and nine rebounds. Tiana Mangakahia added 20 points, and Miranda Drummond had 14.
NO. 7 TENNESSEE 83, STANFORD 71
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Jaime Nared scored a career-high 28 points, Evina Westbrook added 17 and Tennessee held off Stanford to improve to 12-0.
Mercedes Russell was held to three second-half points, but still managed to keep her streak of scoring in double figures in every game alive with 11. She also had 10 rebounds.
Brittany McPhee returned to the Stanford lineup for the first time in over a month to score a season-high 27 points, one off her career best. Stanford is 6-6.
NO. 9 WEST VIRGINIA 66, MOREHEAD STATE 56
MORGNATOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Naomi Davenport scored 19 points and Teanna Muldrow had 18 points and 12 rebounds to help West Virginia beat Morehead State.
Katrina Pardee added 14 points, and Chania Ray had 11 for the Mountaineers (12-0).
Darianne Seward led the Eagles (9-4) with 23 points.
NO. 10 OREGON 84, NO. 19 TEXAS A&M 62
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Maite Cazorla scored 26 points, Sabrina Ionescu had 25 and Oregon beat Texas A&M in the Duel in the Desert.
Ruthy Hebard had 10 points and eight rebounds for Oregon. The Ducks (10-2) also beat the Aggies (10-3) last month in College Station in the Preseason Women's NIT semifinals.
Danni Williams led the Aggies with 22 points.
NO. 13 FLORIDA STATE 92, CREIGHTON 82
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Chatrice White had 19 points and 11 rebounds in her home-state return to help Florida State beat Creighton.
White starred at Shelby-Rising City and was the first Nebraska high school female to be named a McDonald's All-American. The Seminoles (11-1) rebounded from an 87-72 loss to No. 8 Texas on Sunday. Creighton (6-4) had its three-game winning streak snapped.
Creighton's Audrey Faber scored 30 points and made seven 3-pointers.
NO. 14 DUKE 63, WYOMING 40
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Lexie Brown scored 23 points and Duke again clamped down on defense to beat Wyoming.
The Blue Devils held an opponent to 40 or fewer points for the third straight game — a program first — with the Cowgirls shooting only 31 percent and Duke scoring 20 points off 22 Wyoming turnovers that included 13 steals.
Brown scored 20 or more points for the fourth straight game. Haley Gorecki added 14 points, nine rebounds and five steals for the Blue Devils (10-2), who won their fourth straight game.
Marta Gomez had nine points for the Cowgirls (7-4).
MICHIGAN STATE 83, NO. 22 SOUTH FLORIDA 73
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Shay Colley scored a career-high 27 points and Michigan State upset South Florida at the New Orleans Shootout.
Colley was 9 of 16 from the field and made 9 of 10 free throws in leading the Spartans (9-3) to their fourth straight victory. Jenna Allen added 17 points.
Laura Ferreira and Maria Jespersen scored 18 points for USF (10-3).
NO. 23 MICHIGAN 105, DELAWARE STATE 36
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Katelynn Flaherty hit five 3-pointers and scored 22 points, Hallie Thome had 18 points and Michigan overwhelmed Delaware State.
The Wolverines (11-2) have won six straight. They held the Hornets (1-9) to 22-percent shooting.
NO. 24 CALIFORNIA 62, KENTUCKY 52
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Asha Thomas scored 17 points to help California beat Kentucky.
Mikayla Cowling added 15 points for the Golden Bears (9-2).
Maci Morris led Kentucky (8-5) with 21 points.
NO. 25 IOWA 79, DRAKE 66
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Megan Gustafson had 27 points and 12 rebounds for Iowa.
Makenzie Meyer matched her career high with 21 points and had seven assists for the Hawkeyes (12-1).
Becca Hittner scored a career-high 27 points for the Bulldogs (5-7).