Audi Crooks scored 14 of her 18 points in the first half, helping No. 10 Iowa State jump ahead early and coast to an 84-73 win over Marquette Friday in the opening round of the Coconut Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Cyclones (8-0) took a 15-4 lead behind a 10-0 stretch and led 47-35 at the half, thanks to a late 7-0 run. The Golden Eagles (4-2) closed the game on a 10-0 run to make the final score more respectable.
Iowa State held a hefty rebounding advantage (44-26), anchored by a double-double from Jada Williams (15 points, 11 rebounds) and nine rebounds from Arianna Jackson. The Cyclones will play the winner of Friday afternoon’s Indiana-Gonzaga game in the Blue Heron Division championship on Sunday.
Jaidynn Mason led Marquette with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, and Skylar Forbes tallied 13 but was just 1-of-5 from 3-point range.
No. 12 North Carolina 85, Kansas State 73
Lanie Grant hit 4 of 8 3-pointers and scored a team-high 15 points to lead the Tar Heels to a victory over the Wildcats in the Cancun Challenge at Riviera Maya, Mexico.
North Carolina (7-1) shot over 50% as a team, making 14 of 26 threes (53.8%). Indya Nivar, Nyla Harris and Nyla Brooks scored 14 points apiece, with Nivar also adding a game-high seven assists and four steals.
Izela Arenas led Kansas State (5-4) with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting off the bench. The Wildcats shot 56.3% from the floor (27 of 48 but were 50% from the free-throw line (12 of 24).
No. 13 Ole Miss 65, Wisconsin 56
The Rebels closed on a 9-2 run to hold off the Badgers in the Dayton Beach Classic.
Sira Thienou, who shot just 2-of-8 from 3-point range on the day, knocked down a pivotal triple with 1:17 remaining that kicked off the game-ending run for the Rebels (6-0). Christeen Iwuala’s 20 points and eight rebounds guided Ole Miss.
Wisconsin (6-2) pulled within a two-point margin with 1:44 remaining, rebounding from an eight-point third quarter. The Badgers could not hold off the Rebels in the closing stretch, however. Destiny Howell paced Wisconsin with 14 points and five boards.
No. 16 Kentucky 101, Morgan State 39
Five Wildcats scored in double figures in a dominant win over the Lady Bears at the Puerto Rico Shootout in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
Asia Boone’s 21 points, 15 of which came on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, led Kentucky’s balanced scoring. Kaelyn Carroll knocked down another five 3-pointers on 10 attempts for 15 points off the bench. Jordan Obi scored 17 points, Clara Strack chipped in 13 and Teonni Key went 7-of-7 from the floor on the way to 16 points for the Wildcats (8-1).
Kentucky took over early, outscoring Morgan State (1-8) 24-7 in the first quarter. Mihjae Hayes led Morgan State with 13 points.
No. 18 Southern California 82, Pepperdine 52
An 11-0 first-quarter run set the Trojans on their way to a rout of the Waves in Los Angeles.
The Trojans (5-2) held the visiting Waves (4-2) without a point for more than five minutes in the opening period, setting the tone on a defensively dominant night for USC. Pepperdine shot just 1-of-13 from 3-point range and committed 18 turnovers, which USC countered with 10-of-25 shooting from outside.
Kara Dunn, who led the Trojans with 19 points, shot 3-of-4 from long range. Jazzy Davidson knocked down three of her six 3-point attempts on the way to 18 points. Pepperdine was led by Elli Guiney (12 points) and Meghan Fiso (11).
No. 24 Oklahoma State 74, Charlotte 65
Achol Akot led five Cowgirls (7 of nine) in double figures as they held off the 49ers for a win in the opening game of the Cayman Islands Classic at George Town, Cayman Islands.
Akot tallied 16 points with eight rebounds, leading an effort on the boards that saw Oklahoma State nearly double up Charlotte in rebounds (47-25). Lena Girardi scored 15 while Amari Whiting added 13 and Micah Gray and Stailee Heard scored 10 apiece.
Charlotte was 7-for-11 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter to trim a deficit that was as large as 18 points. Zoe Best made 5 of 10 threes to rack up a game-high 18 points, and Princess Anderson and Tanajah Hayes added 16 points apiece.
No. 25 NC State 110, Southern Miss 56
Led by Khamil Pierre’s 18-point, 16-rebound double-double, all five starters scored in double figures as the Wolfpack romped past the Lady Eagles in the Yucatan Division of the Cancun Challenge.
NC State (5-3) pounced on the Golden Eagles early with a 30-point first-quarter onslaught. The Wolfpack scored the game’s first 11 points, with four different players scoring in the initial stretch.
Tilda Trygger scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Zamareya Jones and Zoe Brooks each added 14 points, and Qadence Samuels finished with 11 points. NC State got another 11 and 10 points off the bench from Destiny Lunan and Adelaide Jernigan. Carly Keats and Meloney Thames each scored 12 points for the Lady Eagles (6-2).
–Field Level Media
