Geno Auriemma ties career win record as No. 2 UConn tops No. 14 North Carolina 69-58

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Paige Bueckers scored 29 points to help No. 2 UConn beat No. 14 North Carolina 69-58 on Friday night, allowing longtime coach Geno Auriemma to tie the record for career victories in Division I men’s or women’s basketball.

The 70-year-old Auriemma, in his 40th season with the Huskies (3-0), earned his 1,216th career win to match retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer.

Freshman Sarah Strong added 14 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for UConn.

Indya Nivar had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the Tar Heels (3-1), who shot 36% and made 7 of 24 3-pointers.

NO. 3 SOUTHERN CAL 81, SANTA CLARA 50

LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins reached 1,000 career points in the second-fewest games in NCAA Division I history, scoring 20 points on Friday as No. 3 Southern California rolled to a victory over Santa Clara.

Kiki Iriafen added 20 points for the Trojans (4-0), who never trailed.

Playing in her 38th game, Watkins needed 16 points to reach 1,000. She got there when she hit a jumper with 6:47 remaining in the third quarter.

LSU’s Maree Jackson (1976-78), Oregon State’s Carol Menken (1979-81) and New Orleans’ Sandra Hodge (1981-84) all reached the mark in 37 games. Weber State’s Kathy Miller and Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne also did it in 38 games.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the leading scorer in Division I history, got to 1,000 points in 40 games.

Kaya Ingram led Santa Clara (2-1) with 13 points and Olivia Pollerd added 12.

NO. 7 LSU 74, MURRAY STATE 60

BATON ROGUE, La. (AP) — Flau’jae Johnson had 25 points and seven rebounds and No. 7 LSU overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Murray State.

The Tigers (4-0), who entered the game leading 85% of the time this season by double digits, trailed the Racers (1-2) for almost 18 1/2 minutes and by 13 points before pulling ahead early in the fourth quarter on Aneesah Morrow’s layup off Johnson’s assist.

Morrow scored nine of her had 10 points in the second half and had 13 rebounds. Mikaylah Williams added 15 points and eight rebounds.

Ava Learn had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Murray State. Halli Poock scored 15 points.

NO. 15 WEST VIRGINIA 83, TEXAS A&M 62

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — JJ Quinerly scored 27 points, Kylee Blacksten added 17 and the pair combined to make nine 3-pointers to help No. 15 West Virginia beat Texas A&M.

West Virginia has won 32 straight nonconference home games dating to the 2017-18 season, including a victory over power-four program Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Mark Kellogg is 13-0 in nonconference games as the head coach of the Mountaineers.

West Virginia scored the opening 14 points of the second half to take control at 47-29. Blacksten’s fifth 3-pointer, a career-high, made it 58-33 and gave her 11 points in the quarter. Quinerly also scored 11 points in the fourth after making all four of her shots, including two 3-pointers.

West Virginia made 12 of 20 (60%) from 3-point range, while Texas A&M only attempted seven. Quinerly was 4 of 5.

Sydney Shaw had 12 points and two 3-pointers for West Virginia (4-0). Jordan Harrison, who entered leading the Mountaineers with 19.3 points per game, on made 1 of 8 shots but finished with eight points and eight assists.

Aicha Coulibaly made 8 of 11 shots and scored 21 points for Texas A&M (2-2). Sole Williams added 14 points.

The Associated Press