Nov. 28, 2008

BC Women's Basketball up to the Challenge

Boston College junior Mickel Picco scored 22 points, 12 in the last four minutes to lead the Eagles to a 71-63 victory over James Madison in the second game of the Caribbean Challenge in Cancun, Mexico.

Boston College opened the tournament with an upset victory over No. 22 TCU, 77-68, on Thanksgiving Day. The Eagles are now 5-1 on the season and will travel to Minnesota to play the Golden Gophers on Thursday, December 4.

Lady Tigers Advance To Husky Classic Championship Game With 68-53 Win Over Kent State

SEATTLE, WA - The Clemson women's basketball team used a 14-1 run in the second half and a double-double performance by Lele Hardy to defeat Kent State, 68-53, on Friday afternoon in the opening round of the Husky Classic. The Lady Tigers will play for the tournament title at 5:00 (Eastern) on Sunday afternoon at the Bank of America Arena on the campus of the University of Washington.

Clemson (4-2) will face the winner of the host-Huskies and Seattle Redhawks.

Duke Holds Off Western Kentucky, 59-56

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Joy Cheek scored 12 points and Duke held off Western Kentucky 59-56 Friday night.

The Blue Devils used a full-court press and their height advantage to force 19 turnovers in the first half, and Duke had 15 steals in the game.

Seminoles Blast Murray State 85-50 to Start Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational

FORT COLLINS, Co. - The Florida State women's basketball team opened the Coors Rocky Mount Invitational on the campus of Colorado State with an 85-50 victory over Murray State Friday.

FSU (5-1) was led to victory by a tightfisted defense and an offensive onslaught that featured five players that scored in double figures.

Maryland Women's Basketball Finishes Perfect Cancun Trip, Defeats Illinois 79-52

Playing perhaps its most complete game of the season, the Maryland women's basketball team ran Illinois out of the gym in the final game of the Cancun Caribbean Challenge, taking a 79-52 decision. Led by Marissa Coleman's 17 points, Maryland employed a run-and-gun pace which thwarted the Illinois defense and frustrated them offensively.

Maryland (6-1) knew that they would have to step up their offensive prowess in order to take down Illinois, which was looking to play a low-scoring game while running things through their star center, Jenna Smith. Right from the tip, the Terrapins controlled tempo as they barely paused to set up an offense, scoring transition basket after easy transition basket to build up a 16-point halftime lead.

Strong First Half Carries Miami Over Austin Peay

CORAL GABLES - The University of Miami women's basketball team (3-2) played suffocating defense in a 64-51 victory against the Austin Peay Lady Govs (2-3), in the first round of the UM Thanksgiving Tournament, Friday evening at the BankUnited Center.

Three nights after posting 16 points, with five three pointers, senior LaToya Cunningham scored a career-high 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting. Three of her buckets were from behind the arc and she now has a team-high 14 on the season.

Tar Heels Advance in the Junkanoo Jam

FREEPORT, Bahamas (AP) - Italee Lucas scored 25 points to help North Carolina rout Pacific 98-62 on Friday night in the Junkanoo Jam.

Jessica Breland added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels (7-0), who ran out to a 47-25 halftime lead and never looked back. Heather Claytor also had 14 points, hitting four 3-pointers.

No. 15 Virginia Handles Utah, 65-57

MILWAUKEE – No. 15 Virginia opened play at the WBCA Classic with a win over Utah, 65-57, at the Al McGuire Center on the campus of Marquette Friday night. The Cavaliers were led by Aisha Mohammed, who tallied her third double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Whitny Edwards, who was the team’s high scorer with 15 points.

“I thought it was a battle from start to finish,” said Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan. “We came out with a lot of energy at the start of the second half and were able to get some separation, which I think was the difference in the game.”

Hokies hang on to defeat Hawks, 66-63

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team survived a close call on Friday evening at the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament, edging the St. Joseph’s Hawks, 66-63, to improve to 5-0 the season and advance to the championship game against the host Commodores to be played Saturday.

With its fifth straight win, Tech equaled its longest winning streak from last season and begins a season 5-0 for the first time since going 12-0 to begin the 2005-06 campaign. St. Joes’s fell to 2-3 with the loss.

FIU Stuns NC State's Women's Basketball Team

MIAMI, Fla. – Nothing went right for NC State Friday night in a disappointing 58-42 loss to Florida International Friday night at US Century Bank Arena.

NC State (4-2) fell behind early and was never able to regain its footing the rest of the game. The Wolfpack’s deficit grew to double figures in the late stages of the first half and trailed 30-18 at intermission.