Georgia Tech’s Digna Strautmane and teammates react to a foul call Thursday night against UConn. Georgia Tech beat the third-ranked Huskies, 57-44. John Bazemore/Associated Press
ATLANTA — Georgia Tech shut down No. 3 UConn in its first game since an injury to reigning national player of the year Paige Bueckers, defeating the Huskies 57-44 in a defensive slugfest Thursday night.
With both teams struggling to muster offense. The game was tied 28-28 at halftime and 39-39 at the end of the third quarter.
But Georgia Tech (7-2) pulled away in the fourth quarter before a raucous crowd of 4,578 to snap UConn’s 240-game winning streak against unranked opponents.
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen scored 15 points and Nerea Hermosa chipped in with 13 for the Yellow Jackets.
UConn (5-2), averaging 74.5 points a game with Bueckers, was held to a single free throw in the fourth until Evina Westbrook knocked down a shot with 1:18 remaining.
(10) INDIANA 91, FAIRFIELD 58: Mackenzie Holmes of Gorham had 23 points, five rebounds and five blocked shots, and the Hoosiers (7-2) scored a season high in points in a dominating victory over visiting Fairfield (3-5).
The Hoosiers went on a 23-0 run in the first quarter.
(18) TEXAS A&M 88, TEXAS SOUTHERN 43: Kayla Wells scored a season-high 25 points to lead the Aggies (9-1) past the Tigers (0-5) in College Station, Texas.
DePAUL 95, (14) KENTUCKY 85: Deja Church had 20 points, Anessah Morrow added 18 points and 17 rebounds, and the Blue Demons (8-2) used balanced offense to beat the Wildcats (6-2) in Lexington, Kentucky.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
RUTGERS 70, (1) PURDUE 68: Ron Harper Jr. hit a buzzer-beater from just inside half court, and Rutgers (5-4, 1-1 Big Ten) shocked Purdue (8-1, 1-1 Big Ten) in its first-ever game as the nation’s No. 1 team, beating the Boilermakers at Piscataway, New Jersey.
Harper finished with 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers beat the top-ranked team for the first time in program history.
(5) GONZAGA 80, MERRIMACK 55: Drew Timme scored 22 points, making all eight of his shots, and the Bulldogs (8-2) beat the Warriors (4-7) in Spokane, Washington.
Freshman center Chet Holmgren had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Julian Strawther added 15 points for Gonzaga, which has won 57 consecutive home games – the longest streak in the nation and a program record.
(6) ARIZONA 59, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 47: Shaina Pellington had a season-high 16 points, Cate Reese added 13 and the Wildcats (8-0) overcame the loss of starting forward Lauren Ware to an injury in the game’s first minute, beating the Bison (4-6) in Tucson, Arizona.
(13) MICHIGAN 93, WISCONSIN 81: Naz Hillmon scored 21 points to lead five in double figures as the Wolverines (9-1, 1-0 Big Ten) beat the Badgers (2-8, 0-2) in Madison, Wisconsin.
(17) IOWA STATE 73, IOWA 53: Izaiah Brockington had 29 points and 10 rebounds and the surprising Cyclones (9-0) beat the visiting Hawkeyes (7-3) to remain undefeated after going 2-22 last season.
(23) SETON HALL 64, (7) TEXAS 60: Jared Rhoden scored 18 points and made the go-ahead basket as the Pirates (8-1) knocked off their second top-10 opponent this season, beating the Longhorns (6-2) in Newark, New Jersey.
GAME CANCELED: No. 5 Gonzaga’s game against Washington scheduled for Sunday has been canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Huskies program.
The game will not be made up this season.
FOOTBALL
AP PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is The Associated Press player of the year, giving the Crimson Tide its second consecutive winner.
Young received 42 of 53 first-place votes from AP Top 25 voters and 137 points to easily finish ahead of Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (four first-place votes, 67 points).
Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett was third, Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. was fourth, and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was fifth.
Young, Huchinson, Pickett and Stroud are the finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented Saturday in New York.
A sophomore and first-year starter, Young passed for 4,322 yards and 43 touchdowns, leading the top-ranked Crimson Tide to the Southeastern Conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Tide will face No. 4 Cincinnati on Dec. 31 at the Cotton Bowl.
Young capped his season with an SEC championship game record 421 yards passing against Georgia last week.
Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith became the first Alabama player to win AP player of the year in 2020. Young is the 18th quarterback to win the award since it was established in 1998.
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