STORRS, Conn. — No. 9 UConn will be without Geno Auriemma for a second straight game, as the longtime women’s coach is still recovering from a flu-like illness.
The Huskies host Seton Hall on Wednesday. Auriemma said in a statement released Tuesday by UConn that he’ll be away from the team through the weekend.
“There’s been a lot going on in the last couple weeks, and I think it caught up to me physically,” the 68-year-old said. “I’ve been feeling under the weather for about 10 days now, and my doctor recommended I take a few days off to fully recover.”
Auriemma’s mother died on Dec. 8.
Associate coach Chris Dailey will take over Auriemma’s duties until he returns. She has a 14-0 record when he isn’t at the helm, including an 87-55 win over Florida State on Sunday.
(3) OHIO STATE 88, SOUTH FLORIDA 86: Taylor Thierry made a driving layup with 5 seconds left in overtime, and Ohio State (12-0) closed with an 8-0 run in the final minute of the extra period to rally past South Florida (10-4) in the San Diego Invitational.
Cotie McMahon scored 30 points and assisted on Thierry’s decisive shot. Taylor Mikesell shook off a horrific shooting night to make a tying 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in OT for the Buckeyes, who are off to their best start since they won their first 15 games in 2011-12.
Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu had a monster game with 34 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls.
(12) UTAH 88, WEBER STATE 52: Alissa Pili scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds and host Utah (11-0) rolled to a win over Weber State (4-8).
(16) OREGON 85, (17) ARKANSAS 78: Grace VanSlooten scored 26 points, Oregon made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and the Ducks (10-1) rallied past Arkansas (13-1) at the San Diego Invitational.
The win was Ducks Coach Kelly Graves’ 200th at Oregon.
(19) MICHIGAN 76, (6) NORTH CAROLINA 68: Fifth-year senior Leigha Brown had 25 points and eight rebounds, and Michigan (11-1) knocked off North Carolina (9-2) at the inaugural Jumpman Invitational at Charlotte, North Carolina.
The 6-foot-1 Brown was 9 of 15 from the field and made three 3-pointers in her 113th career game for the Wolverines.
Laila Phelia added 20 points for Michigan.
Deja Kelly had 15 points and Eva Hodgson had 13 for North Carolina.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
(2) UCONN 84, GEORGETOWN 73: Joey Calcaterra scored all of his 14 points in the second half to help host UConn (13-0, 2-0 Big East) rally from its first second-half deficit of the season to beat Georgetown (5-8, 0-2).
Tristan Newton had 17 points and seven assists, and Adama Sanogo added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies. Jordan Hawkins scored 15 points and Andre Jackson finished with seven points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Primo Spears had 19 points and Qudus Wahab 16 points and nine rebounds for Georgetown.
(5) ARIZONA 85, MONTANA STATE 64: Kerr Kriisa scored 18 points, Cedric Henderson Jr. added 16 and host Arizona (11-1) pulled away in the second half to beat Montana State (7-6).
Arizona pulled it out by wearing down Montana State and hitting 10 of 25 3-pointers for its 26th straight home win.
(9) ALABAMA 84, JACKSON STATE 64: Noah Gurley scored a season-high 16 points and Mark Sears had 15, all in the second half, to lead Alabama (10-2) over visiting Jackson State (1-11).
WAKE FOREST 81, (14) DUKE 70: Tyree Appleby had 18 points and eight assists to help Wake Forest (9-4, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) end the Blue Devils’ eight-game road winning streak.
Jaylen Blakes scored a career-high 17 points to lead Duke (10-3, 1-1).
DRAKE 58, (15) MISSISSIPPI STATE 52: Roman Penn scored 19 points, Sardaar Calhoun made four of his career-high five 3-pointers in the second half, and Drake (9-3) upset Mississippi State (11-1) at Lincoln, Nebraska.
Calhoun finished with 17 points and Tucker DeVries added 15 for Drake, which beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2013.
Eric Reed Jr. scored all of his team-high 11 points in the first half for Mississippi State.
(18) INDIANA 96, ELON 72: Race Thompson had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and short-handed Indiana (9-3) beat visiting Elon (2-11).
The Hoosiers were missing their two leading scorers. Center Trayce Jackson-Davis (16.4 points per game) sat for precautionary reasons with nagging back and hand injuries, and point guard Xavier Johnson (9.9 points) was sidelined by a foot injury.
PROVIDENCE 103, (24) MARQUETTE 98: Bryce Hopkins had 29 points and 23 rebounds – both career highs – and grabbed the offensive board on a missed free throw with 15 seconds left in the second overtime to help Providence (10-3, 2-0 Big East) run out the clock to beat visiting Marquette (9-4, 1-1).
The Friars won their fourth straight game and improved to 4-0 in overtime this season.
Devin Carter and Ed Croswell scored 20 points apiece for Providence, which beat a ranked team for the fourth straight season.
Native Rhode Islander Tyler Kolek scored a career-high 29 points before fouling out in the second overtime for the Golden Eagles.
FOOTBALL
ILLINOIS: Illinois signed Coach Bret Bielema to a new six-year contract through 2028, a big reward for transforming a struggling program into a winner in his second season.
Bielema, 13-11 with Illinois, gets a bump in salary from $4.2 million to $6 million. The deal, which is pending approval by the school’s board of trustees in January, includes various bonuses like a $500,000 annual retention incentive. He is also eligible for four one-year extensions if certain performance thresholds – which were not disclosed in the announcement – are met.
COMEBACK PLAYERS: Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim and UCLA linebacker Laiatu Latu were named college football’s comeback players of the year.
Penix transferred to Washington after four seasons at Indiana, each ending with a serious injury.
With the Huskies, Penix played all 12 games and heads into the postseason leading the nation with 363 yards passing per game. Washington (10-2) will face Texas (8-4) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29.
Ibrahim played only one game in 2021, rupturing his left Achilles tendon in the opener against Ohio State. He returned in 2022 to lead the Big Ten in rushing at 145 yards per game. He ranks second in the nation heading into the Pinstripe Bowl, where Minnesota (8-4) will face Syracuse (7-5) on Dec. 29.
Latu suffered a neck injury during preseason practice in 2020 when he was at Washington and needed surgery that led to a medical retirement.
Hoping to play again, he transferred to UCLA in 2022 and went through spring practice in noncontact drills. He became one of the top pass rushers in the Pac-12 this season, with 9 1/2 sacks and three forced fumbles.
UCLA (9-3) faces Pitt (8-4) in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 30.
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL: Taylor Powell threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns, Samson Evans rushed for a pair of scores and Eastern Michigan defeated San Jose State 41-27 at Boise, Idaho.
Eastern Michigan (9-4) won a bowl game for the second time in program history. The team last won a bowl game in 1987, beating San Jose State in the California Bowl.
San Jose State (7-5) turned the ball over three times. It was first time this season that the Spartans had multiple turnovers in a game.
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