UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Megan Walker scored 26 points and Christyn Williams added 22 to lead No. 5 UConn over Cincinnati 87-53 on Monday night, finishing off a perfect run for the Huskies over their seven years in the American Athletic Conference.
UConn went 139-0 in the American after it was formed in 2013, winning all but two games by double-digits. The Huskies are leaving the AAC at the end of the postseason to rejoin the Big East.
The Huskies, who also have won all seven AAC regular-season titles, kept their celebration subdued after the final buzzer sounded, trading hugs and dousing each other with confetti from a drink bucket..
Angel Rizor scored 16 points, Antoinette Miller added 15 and IImar’I Thomas chipped in with 14 for third-seeded Cincinnati (22-10), which had upset the No. 2 seed, UCF in the conference semifinals
Williams hit a layup nine seconds into the game and the Huskies led wire-to-wire.
n UConn forward Kyla Irwin will miss the remainder of her senior season with a fractured left elbow, the school announced Monday.
PORTLAND 70, (12) GONZAGA 69: Haylee Andrews scored on a floater in the lane with 3.6 seconds and the Pilots (20-11), which trailed by 20 points in the first quarter, upset the top-seeded and Bulldogs (28-3) in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament, in Las Vegas.
Gonzaga, which trailed by six when WCC player of the year Jill Townsend fouled out with 5:13 to play, took the lead on a layup by Jenn Wirth with 8.6 seconds to go.
(17) SOUTH DAKOTA 65, ORAL ROBERTS 43: Taylor Frederick scored 16 points, Hannah Sjerven added a double-double with seven blocks and the Coyotes (29-2) coasted past the Golden Eagles (15-16) in the Summit League semifinals in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
SOUTHERN MAINE C.C. 66, CINCINNATI-CLERMONT 41: Elise Hebert blocked five shots, and Marley Groat and Bailey Whitney each had three steals for a smothering SeaWolves defense that held fourth-seeded Clermont (18-7) to just 17.4 percent shooting during the quarterfinal round of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association national tournament in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
Fifth-ranked Southern Maine C.C. (24-6) meets No. 1 Penn State Beaver in a 3 p.m. semifinal game on Tuesday.
Ashleigh Mathisen, Hebert and Amanda Brett all contributed 11 points for the SeaWolves, with Brett and Bailey Whitney each grabbing 10 rebounds. Kenzie Harding led the Cougars with 17 points.
TOP 25: South Carolina ran through the Southeastern Conference Tournament to keep its hold on the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press poll.
Coach Dawn Staley’s team received 27 of 30 first-place votes from a national media panel. Oregon received the other three first-place votes and moved up one spot to No. 2 after winning the Pac-12 Tournament.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
JOHNSON & WALES (NC) 81, SOUTHERN MAINE C.C. 70: Robert Hobson scored 26 points, and Majerle Poole 19, while leading No. 1 JWC (23-5) to a USCAA tournament quarterfinal win against the eighth-seeded SeaWolves (21-9) in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
SMCC, trailing by 15 with 12 minutes to play, three times pulled to within four points during the closing minutes but could get no closer.
Anthony Lobor scored 17 points, Pedro Fonseca 14 and Marios Tsielos 14 to lead the SeaWolves, who play in Tuesday’s 10 a.m. consolation bracket.
TOP 25: Kansas maintained its grip on the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press poll, while fourth-ranked Florida State has its highest ranking in nearly five decades.
The Jayhawks received all 65 first-place votes to remain at the top for a third straight week and fourth overall this season, with the past two weeks coming as the unanimous choice ahead of Gonzaga and Dayton.
The Seminoles rose three spots after wrapping up the first Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in program history.
CREIGHTON: Marcus Zegarowski is doubtful for No. 7 Creighton’s first game in the Big East Tournament because of a right knee injury.
The sophomore guard has a meniscus injury. The Bluejays’ next game is Thursday against Georgetown or St. John’s.
Zegarowski got hurt during Saturday’s 77-60 victory over Seton Hall and left the arena on crutches. He didn’t have crutches while attending practice Monday, but he walked with a noticeable limp.
SOFTBALL
BATES 10, WEBSTER 2: Julia Panepinto’s two-run double capped a six-run fourth inning rally ine Bobcats (3-1) win over the Gorloks (5-5) in Clermont, Florida.
The game was called after six innings when Caroline Bass’ RBI single invoked the eight-run rule.
Ashlee Seltzer had two doubles and a single in three at-bats for the Bobcats, with a run scored and a run batted in.
BATES 6, HOOD 0: Kirsten Pelletier and Danielle Polirer combined on a two-hit shutout as the Bobcats (2-1) beat the Blazers (0-5) in Clermont, Florida.
Pelletier struck out six batters and allowed just two singles over three innings. Polirer pitched four no-hit innings with one walk and a strikeout.
Emily Samar had a two-out, two-run single and scored on an error as Bates scored five times in the second inning. Carolina Bass added two singles, score twice and drove in a run.
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