Nov. 23, 2008

Tar Heels Escape Sooners, 80-79, for Women's Preseason NIT title

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Jessica Breland scored a career-high 31 points - including two key buckets in the final two minutes - as No. 4 North Carolina held off No. 2 Oklahoma 80-79 on Sunday in the title game of the Women's Preseason NIT.

After North Carolina's Rashanda McCants missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw chance with 7.2 seconds left, Oklahoma (3-1) had a chance to win on the final possession, but Danielle Robinson's running 6-footer went over the rim as time expired.

North Carolina (5-0) has played in 13 games involving two top five teams since the start of the 2005-06 season and raised its record to 7-6 in such matchups.

Courtney Paris had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma, extending her NCAA-record streak of double-doubles to 96. Her twin sister, Ashley Paris, also had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Since the WNIT began playing its semifinals and final on home courts in 2001, North Carolina is only the second road team to win, joining Purdue, which beat Baylor in the 2006 title game.

Toliver, Coleman Lead Terps to 23-point win Against UCLA

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Kristi Toliver scored 25 points and passed another career milestone Sunday to lead Maryland (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) to an easy 88-65 win over UCLA.

Toliver, who earlier this year became the program's all-time assists leader, passed 1,500 points for her career, the 10th player in Maryland history to do so.

Marissa Coleman added 22 points, passing 1,600 points for her career and moving into sixth-place all-time.

NC State Rebounds With Win over American on Sunday

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Tia Bell and Shayla Fields each scored 18 points for NC State in a 73-63 win over American in the consolation game of the Subway Classic hosted by the University of Minnesota at Williams Arena.

Junior forward Lucy Ellison notched her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Nikitta Gartrell tossed in 11 points for NC State (4-1).

Certainly upset over yesterday’s stunning loss to Yale, the Wolfpack came out crisp and efficient on offense by making nine of its first 12 shots to take an 18-3 lead at the 12:47 mark.

Sharp-shooting Biggs leads Tech to 69-52 win over Mason

Virginia Tech’s Lindsay Biggs had the hot hand from 3-point land on Sunday afternoon, hitting 5-of-6 from the beyond the arc to tally a career-high 19 points and lead the Hokies to a 69-52 victory over George Mason at the Patriot Center.

The win, Tech’s first road game of the season, improved the Hokies to 4-0 on the young season and 4-2 all-time against the Patriots. George Mason fell to 0-4 with the loss.

Biggs, a junior guard, hit 7-of-11 from the field overall to help the Hokies to a shooting percentage of 44.6 for the game. It was the third time in four games this season that Biggs set a career high in points, and she is now averaging 13.5 points per contest.

No. 21 Seminoles Upset at Home By the Gators 57-72

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- History will have to be made another day. Looking to earn the 500th win in the history of the program, the No. 21-ranked Florida State women's basketball team was upset 57-72 by Florida Sunday at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

Instead, FSU (3-1) will look to bounce back and earn the milestone against Southeast Missouri State at home Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Jacinta Monroe led all FSU players with 18 points but the Seminoles weren't able to match the same intensity sustained from the start of the game to the end by the Gators (3-1). Other than an early 4-2 score to start the game, Florida never trailed in the rivalry game after going up 4-6 less than three minutes into regulation.

BC Women's Basketball Falls to Notre Dame

BOSTON (AP) -- Becca Bruszewski scored 18 points to lead six players in double figures and No. 15 Notre Dame shot 65 percent from the field to down Boston College 102-54 on Sunday.

Brittany Mallory had 14 points for Notre Dame (3-0). Lindsay Schrader and Erica Solomon scored 13 apiece. Ashley Barlow and Erica Williamson each finished with 10.

Carolyn Swords led the Eagles (3-1) with 16 points and seven rebounds. It was the first time the Eagles allowed 100 points since losing to Providence 103-71 on Jan. 23, 1993.