NCAAW

Louisville hasn't had it easy as No. 1, but what's important is that the Cardinals have answered the challenges. Having the ball in Dana Evans' hands has certainly helped. Evans scored 20 points, including Louisville's final 12 capped by two free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining, helping the top-ranked Cardinals survive Miami (Florida) 79-76 on Tuesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Madison Greene and No. 14 Ohio State made enough plays to hold off No. 7 Maryland.

Gabby Connally scored 20 points, including a long jumper with 0.9 seconds left to lift No. 22 Georgia to a 75-73 win over No. 19 Arkansas on Monday night. Connally made two shots in the final minute from about the same spot. Arkansas went with a quick shot trying to a get 2-for-1 possession advantage but Jailyn Mason's jumper missed with 41 seconds to go.

Dawn Staley is going to be busy next week. The South Carolina coach will be pulling double duty leading the fourth-ranked Gamecocks and running a USA Basketball training camp at the school from Feb. 4-7. ''It's been a year since we've been together for a training camp, and I'm excited to step back on the court with the USA National Team,'' said Staley, who is also the U.S. Olympic team coach.

Louisville and North Carolina State both survived upset bids by unranked teams to remain the top two teams in The Associated Press women's basketball poll released Monday. The No. 1 Cardinals needed a late basket from Dana Evans to stave off Wake Forest on Sunday while the second-ranked Wolfpack had to rally from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Virginia Tech a few hours later. Louisville received 22 of the 30 first-place votes from a national media panel while N.C. State garnered five.

Pac-12 Networks' Troy Clardy and Mary Murphy follow-up with senior guard Kiana Williams after No. 5 Stanford women's basketball defeated USC 86-59 on Sunday in Santa Cruz. Williams helped snap a two-game Cardinal losing streak with 16 points on five made three-pointers; her third game with at least five triples this season. Stanford moves to 12-2 overall and 8-2 in conference play.

Stanford strives to be so unselfish passing the ball around it sometimes backfires. Turnovers are still an issue with coach Tara VanDerveer, yet her Cardinal overcame those 18 mistakes by rebounding with energy and effort to create second chances and get out in transition. Haley Jones had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Kiana Williams knocked down five 3-pointers on the way to 16 points, and No. 5 Stanford bounced back from consecutive defeats and its lone two losses of the season to beat USC 86-59 on Sunday.

Pac-12 Networks' Troy Clardy and Mary Murphy recap No. 5 Stanford women's basketball 86-59 victory over USC to help get the Cardinal back in the win column after a two-game losing streak. The Cardinal have won 12 straight versus the Trojans and in Sunday's matchup sophomore guard Haley Jones recorded her fourth double-double this season with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Stanford moves to 12-2 overall and 8-2 in conference, while USC drops to 6-7 overall and 4-6 in Pac-12 play.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Kayleigh Truong scored 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting and Jenn Wirth scored 14 and No. 20-ranked Gonzaga beat Portland 79-61 on Sunday night for its 12th-straight win.

N'dea Jones and Ciera Johnson led a balanced attack with 14 points apiece and Jones grabbed 18 rebounds as No. 8 Texas A&M held off Missouri 70-66 on Sunday. Jordan Nixon and Distiny Pitts each made a pair of free throws in the final 15 seconds to seal the win. Aaliyah Wilson added 13 points for the Aggies (15-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) and Pitts had 10.

No. 13 Oregon women's basketball has now won eight-straight versus Washington following a 69-52 victory on Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena. Lydia Giomi put together her second career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against the Huskies.

No. 13 Oregon women's basketball moves to 11-3 on the season and 9-3 in Pac-12 play following a 69-52 victory versus Washington on Sunday in Eugene. Lydia Giomi recorded her second career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Ducks have now won eight straight against the Huskies. UW falls to 4-6 overall and 1-6 in conference play.

Sedona Prince scored 16 points and blocked five shots, Lydia Giomi added a double-double off the bench and No. 13 Oregon defeated Washington 69-52 on Sunday. Giomi had 11 points and 10 rebounds and fellow reserve Sydney Parrish added 12 points for the short-handed Ducks (11-3, 9-3 Pac-12 Conference), who were without starters Nyara Sabally and Erin Boley, who had made 84 consecutive starts. Te-Hina Paopao scored 10 with six assists and three steals.

Kai Crutchfield scored 10 of her 20 points in the last 4 1/2 minutes, Jakia Brown-Turner finished with 23 points and No. 2 North Carolina State rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to remain undefeated, beating Virginia Tech 89-87 on Sunday. Kayla Jones, who made two free throws at the 15-second mark, tallied 22 points for N.C. State (11-0, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which was coming off a three-week layoff. ''We've got some players who in crunch time can make some plays,'' N.C. State coach Wes Moore said.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- Louisville spent most of Sunday looking little like the nation's top-ranked team, from struggling to make shots to keeping a determined opponent off the boards. Of course, it helps to have Dana Evans to offset all that - and allow the Cardinals to barely avoid a huge upset in their first week at No. 1. The reigning Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year hit a driving shot for the go-ahead three-point play with 8.0 seconds left to help Louisville hang on to beat Wake Forest 65-63 on Sunday.

Other than the rainbow braids tied in a ponytail that dangled against the back of South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston's jersey, there wasn't much to set the AP preseason All-American apart from her LSU competitors for most of the first three quarters. ''You can't keep a good player down,'' LSU coach Nikki Fargas said. Boston scored 11 of her 20 points in the final 14 1/2 minutes and grabbed 14 rebounds to help South Carolina secure a 69-65 victory over LSU on Sunday.

Tamari Key scored a career-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, Rennia Davis added 15 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, and No. 25 Tennessee throttled No. 12 Kentucky 70-53 on Sunday. The Lady Vols took control in the third quarter when Key scored the first six points of the second half to start an 11-1 run for a 38-23 lead. Tennessee scored the last eight points for a 49-31 lead entering the fourth quarter, which started with a 9-1 run for a 26-point lead.

Kendall Spray scored 24 points with seven 3-pointers, Amari Robinson added 23 points and short-handed Clemson upended No. 23 Syracuse 86-77 in overtime Sunday after blowing a 25-point halftime lead. The Tigers were outscored 23-9 in the third quarter and 20-9 in the fourth before scoring 16 points in overtime to end a four-game losing streak and beat the Orange for the first time ever in 10 tries. Delicia Washington scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Clemson (9-5, 4-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) and Hannah Hank matched her career-high with 15 points, plus eight rebounds.

Mackenzie Holmes scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and No. 16 Indiana took over after trailing by 13 midway through the fourth quarter to defeat No. 21 Northwestern 74-61 on Sunday. The Hoosiers came to life after Sydney Wood's layup capped a 10-0 run to put the Wildcats up 49-36 at the 5:17 mark of the third quarter. Indiana held Northwestern without a field goal and closed within 54-48 by the end of the quarter.

NaLyssa Smith, Moon Ursin and No. 9 Baylor are starting to get back in the groove. Smith scored 21 points, Ursin had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds and the Lady Bears overwhelmed Oklahoma 84-61 on Saturday night, a week after the end of their national-best 61-game home winning streak when they retuned from a long pause because of COVID-19 protocols. The Lady Bears (10-2, 5-1 Big 12) hadn't played in two weeks before the 75-71 loss to Iowa State last Saturday, and their only full-team practice in that time had been the morning of that game.

Charli Collier had 22 points and 19 rebounds, and Texas pulled away in the third quarter and beat No. 24 Iowa State 70-59 on Saturday, snapping the Cyclones' four-game winning streak. Texas (11-3, 5-2 Big 12) has won three of four to end a two-game road losing streak that helped knock the Longhorns out of the Top 25, and swept the season series against Iowa State (10-5, 6-2). It was her fifth straight game scoring in double figures.

UConn sat leading scorer Paige Bueckers on Saturday to rest her injured ankle and the Huskies still won by 31 points. Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead No. 3 Connecticut to a 72-41 rout over an overmatched Georgetown team. The Huskies (10-0, 9-0 Big East), coming off a road win over rival Tennessee, were without both Bueckers, who rolled her right ankle in Thursday's win over Tennessee and sophomore guard Anna Makurat, who is dealing with a nagging leg injury.

Charisma Osborne had 24 points, nine rebounds and three steals and No. 6 UCLA handed No. 5 Stanford its second straight loss, 70-66 on Friday night. Michaela Onyenwere added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Bruins (9-2, 7-2 Pac-12), Natalie Chou had 12, and Emily Bessoir 11. Stanford (11-2, 8-2), then ranked No. 1, lost 77-72 in overtime at Colorado on Sunday.

Pac-12 Networks Mary Murphy and Guy Haberman talk with No. 6 UCLA women's basketball's Charisma Osborne after the Bruins 70-66 triumph over No. 5 Stanford. Along with discussing the top-10 matchup, Osborne gives insight into what its like to be roommates with fellow Bruins star Michaela Onyenwere.

Pac-12 Networks' Guy Haberman and Mary Murphy breakdown No. 6 UCLA women's basketball's 70-66 triumph over No. 5 Stanford. The matchup was a contest between two of the best programs in the NCAA and the game lived up to all the hype. Charisma Osborne continued her hot streak, scoring 24 points and adding nine rebounds. It was the fourth straight game where Osborne has eclipsed 20 points. Meanwhile, Michaela Onyenwere collected the 31st double-double of her career with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Kiana Williams led the Cardinal with 19 points as Stanford lost for the second straight time after starting the season 11-0.

Pac-12 Networks' Elise Woodward talks with Oregon women's basketball's Sedona Price after the Ducks' gutsy 58-50 triumph over Washington State on Friday night.

Pac-12 Networks' Ann Schatz and Elise Woodward take a look at Oregon women's basketball's nail-biter of a victory over visiting Washington State on Friday afternoon. On a day where the Ducks were clearly not at their best, they were still able to come-from-behind in the fourth quarter to eke out a 58-50 win. With the victory, Oregon extended its win streak against unranked opponents to 17. The Cougars lost another close battle despite a huge game from Charlisse Leger-Walker who finished with 24 points and 8 rebounds.

Sedona Prince scored 14 points, Taylor Mikesell added 11 - including four free throws in the closing seconds - and No. 13 Oregon beat Washington State 58-50 on Friday night. Washington State's Cherilyn Molina hit a 3-pointer to make it 44-all with 4:09 to play, but Te-Hina Paopao answered with a layup 19 seconds later as Oregon scored 10 of the next 12 points to take an eight-point lead with 27 seconds remaining. WSU missed seven consecutive field-goal attempts over than span and the Ducks made 10 of 12 from the free-throw line in the final three minutes.

Aari McDonald and her Arizona teammates weren't happy with the way they played after finishing off a season sweep of Utah. ''We feel like we lost, we have to get better,'' said McDonald, who had 20 points in the 66-54 win Friday night. McDonald, who crossed the 2,000-point milestone in the game, has scored in double figures in 79 straight games, the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. Washington's Kelsey Plum holds the Pac-12 record at 83.

Pac-12 Networks' Cindy Brunson and Joan Bonvicini chat with Arizona women's basketball's Aari McDonald about joining the 2,000-point club. McDonald became jut the 24th women's basketball player in Pac-12 history to reach the milestone in the Wildcats' 66-54 victory over Utah.

Pac-12 Networks' Cindy Brunson and Joan Bonvicini breakdown the action from No. 10 Arizona women's basketball's 66-54 triumph over Utah on Friday afternoon. Aari McDonald became just the 24th women's basketball player to score 2,000 points in Pac-12 history. By scoring 20 points, McDonald also extended her streak of reaching double-digit points to 79 games, the longest active streak in Division I women's basketball. Cate Reese also reached a milestone, scoring her 1,000th career point.

LeBron James took notice of Naz Hillmon after her 50-point game — the most in school history — against rival Ohio State. You should, too.

Washington State women's basketball came back from being down 16 points to takedown No. 7 Arizona 71-69 behind Charlisse Leger-Walker buzzer-beater in overtime. The win was the second largest comeback in program history, making this a Nextiva Milestone Moment. Follow Pac-12 women's basketball this season with the Pac-12 Now App. Download today and set alerts for Pac-12 women's basketball to make sure you never miss a moment of the action. Pac-12 Now is available today in your app store for iOS, Android, and Apple TV.

Colorado women's basketball shocked the collegiate basketball world on Sunday, defeating the top team in the nation, No. 1 Stanford, in an overtime thriller. The win was the Buffs' first-ever against a top rated team, making this a Nextiva Milestone Moment. Follow Pac-12 women's basketball this season with the Pac-12 Now App. Download today and set alerts for Pac-12 women's basketball to make sure you never miss a moment of the action. Pac-12 Now is available today in your app store for iOS, Android, and Apple TV.

Moon Ursin scored 20 points and the ninth-ranked Lady Bears recovered from a rare loss to beat the Cowgirls 77-58 on Wednesday night. Baylor had won 61 straight at home before falling to Iowa State on Saturday.

Louisville coach Jeff Walz and the Cardinals players are embracing the challenges that come with their lofty new status as the team to beat in women's college basketball. The Cardinals (12-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have been a team-to-beat for a while under Walz. Not surprisingly, Louisville's catalyst is senior guard Dana Evans, a preseason AP All-American and ACC player of the year averaging 19.4 points and 4.4 assists per game.

Kellie Harper feels the shadow of Pat Summitt still looms over the Tennessee Lady Vols, as well as the expectations that come with coaching the winningest program in women's college basketball history. The second-year Tennessee head coach also knows the program is a shadow of what it was under Summitt, and that trying to be her is not the way to build a contender.

STORRS, Conn. (AP) -- UConn's 3rd-ranked women's basketball team agreed Wednesday to play at No. 15 Arkansas on Jan. 28.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma says he would rather still be coaching against the late Pat Summitt than moving past her on the all-time wins list. The Huskies routed Butler 103-35 on Tuesday, giving Auriemma his 1,099th win. The victory leaves him just behind Stanford's Tara VanDerveer (1,105) and gives him one more than his former rival, Summitt, who died in 2016 at the age of 64.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- The women's basketball game between No. 7 Maryland and Iowa, scheduled for Thursday night, has been postponed because the Hawkeyes don't want to travel with the inauguration being held one day earlier.

AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Ashley Joens had 32 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, and her go-ahead layup with 10.2 seconds left helped No. 24 Iowa State get past shorthanded Oklahoma 64-63 on Tuesday night.

Chrislyn Carr has transferred to Baylor and joined the No. 9 Lady Bears after two-plus seasons at Big 12 rival Texas Tech. Baylor announced Carr's addition on Tuesday, though the school said the 5-foot-5 sophomore guard's eligibility and availability to play for her new team was still being determined. ''She brings a scoring ability and quickness that will be a great addition to our backcourt,'' Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said.

The Georgia Lady Bulldogs are back in the Top 25. Climbing back into the rankings for the first time since in two seasons, No. 22 Georgia (12-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) is eager to reclaim its place among the nation's elite programs. Georgia plays at No. 4 South Carolina (10-1, 5-0) on Thursday in the makeup of a game that was initially set for Jan. 7 before the Gamecocks were hit with a COVID-19 outbreak.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- Kiara Lewis scored 10 of her 23 points in Syracuse's 27-9 fourth quarter, freshman Tiana Mangakahia had 19 points and 13 assists, and the No. 23 Orange rallied past North Carolina 88-76 on Tuesday.

On a day South Carolina unveiled a bronze statue of A'ja Wilson, current standout Aliyah Boston shined in a manner not unlike the Gamecocks great. ''The numbers speak for themselves,'' coach Dawn Staley said. ''If you look across the board at some of (her) dominating performances, those are A'ja Wilson numbers.

UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma says playing an NCAA Tournament this year, at least on the men's side, is a fiscal necessity for most schools. No. 4 UConn, which is scheduled to face Butler on Tuesday and Tennessee on Thursday, has been able to play just seven games so far this season because of coronavirus-related issues.

Vanderbilt's women's basketball program has decided to end its season after struggling with a depleted roster. The Commodores join a growing list of women's basketball teams that have decided to stop playing that now includes Duke, SMU, Virginia and San Jose State, among others. The Commodores were 4-4, including 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference.

For the first time in school history, coach Jeff Walz has Louisville at No. 1 in The Associated Press women's college basketball poll. The Cardinals moved to the top spot on Monday, a day after previous No. 1 Stanford lost to Colorado. Louisville received 20 first-place votes from a 29-member national media panel.

No. 7 Texas A&M put its first loss of the season behind it in a big way with a 69-41 victory over No. 14 Mississippi State on Sunday. The Aggies (13-1, 4-1 SEC), coming off a 65-61 overtime loss at unranked LSU, scored the first five points against Mississippi State (8-4, 3-3) and never trailed, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. ''We didn't let the LSU loss discourage us from this game,'' Kayla Wells said.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Blair Green scored 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting and 12th-ranked Kentucky survived Vanderbilt's upset bid with an 80-73 win on Sunday.

Arizona's Sam Thomas joins Pac-12 Networks' Joan Bonvicini following the Wildcats' win over Oregon State to complete the program's weekend sweep of the Ducks and Beavs. Download the Pac-12 Now app and set alerts to get the latest news and updates.