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USF women keep it close for awhile but fall to UConn and its 104-game winning streak

 
Published Feb. 28, 2017

TAMPA — Against the nation's resident basketball juggernaut, they tried willing and wincing their way to the inconceivable, mixing it up with throbbing ankles, inflamed heels and tender shooting hands.

The valiance produced a degree of admiration but not history Monday for the USF women.

Seven weeks after a 65-point loss at No. 1 UConn, the injury-ravaged Bulls kept a lopsided game from regressing into a laugher, falling to the Huskies 96-68 before 5,948 at the Sun Dome.

"I thought there was a lot of fight in our kids (Monday)," Bulls coach Jose Fernandez said.

USF (22-7, 11-5 AAC), which managed only 19 first-half points in the first meeting last month, doubled that total Monday and trailed by 14 midway through the third. A late 18-4 surge by the Huskies (29-0, 16-0) clinched it, extending their NCAA record winning streak to 104.

The Bulls shot 43.1 percent (28-of-65) and committed only 12 turnovers but could suppress neither UConn's early 3-point proficiency (7-of-14 in first half) nor 6-1 sophomore Napheesa Collier (career-best 39 points, 12 rebounds).

UConn finished with 10 treys. Collier, who did virtually all of her damage inside, tied for the fourth-highest single-game scoring total in Huskies history.

"They just space the floor so well," Fernandez said. "And when they shoot the ball from (3-point range), you've got to extend out so much and guard that 3-point line, it just leaves your big guy on the island (against Collier)."

Forward Ariadna Pujol, one of four Bulls seniors honored before the game, led USF with 16 points and seven rebounds.

No. 2 Baylor 103, No. 19 Okla. 64: Alexis Prince scored 24 to help the visiting Bears (28-2, 17-1 Big 12) roll.

Men: UVA upsets Heels

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Kyle Guy scored 17, London Perrantes had 13 and No. 23 Virginia used a small lineup to neutralize No. 5 North Carolina's size in a 53-43 victory. It was the lowest-scoring game for the Tar Heels in Roy Williams' 14 years as coach, and the lowest overall since 1979. Guy connected on five 3s for Virginia (20-9, 10-7 ACC) and Perrantes hit three. Joel Berry scored 12 to lead UNC (25-6, 13-4), which snapped a four-game winning streak. Justin Jackson, who arrived averaging 19.9 points in league play, was guarded most of the game by Perrantes and scored just seven, missing 7 of 10 shots.

No. 11 Baylor 71, No. 10 W. Va. 62: Johnathan Motley scored 19 of his 23 after halftime as the Bears (24-6, 11-6 Big 12) won their home finale over the Mountaineers (23-7, 11-6).

DUKE HURTING WITH FSU TONIGHT: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says he doesn't know if injured Grayson Allen (ankle) and Amile Jefferson (foot) will play tonight when the No. 17 Blue Devils host No. 15 Florida State. Krzyzewski said both players will be a game-time decision.

AP TOP 25: Kansas jumped two places to No. 1 in the poll. Villanova remained second despite losing to Butler last week. Gonzaga fell three spots to No. 4 after its first loss. Florida jumped a spot to No. 12 despite losing at Kentucky, and FSU rose four to No. 15.

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Information from Times wires was used in this report.