SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Skylar Diggins scored 29 points and sparked a decisive run in the third overtime as No. 2 Notre Dame beat third-ranked Connecticut 96-87 Monday night to win the Big East regular-season title outright for the second
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Skylar Diggins scored 29 points and sparked a decisive run in the third overtime as No. 2 Notre Dame beat third-ranked Connecticut 96-87 Monday night to win the Big East regular-season title outright for the second straight year.
The Fighting Irish (28-1, 16-0) went undefeated in the conference for the first time since joining in 1995-96 and became the first team to win six of seven games against Connecticut (27-3, 14-2) in more than two decades. Two of those victories clinched league titles and two more were in NCAA semifinal games. The only loss was in the finals of the league tournament last season.
Diggins added 11 rebounds. Kayla McBride added 26 points before fouling out.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis led UConn with 26 points, and Kelly Faris added 21. Stefanie Dolson added 12 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out in the final minute of regulation and Bria Hartley, who fouled out seconds later, finished with 10.
No. 1 Baylor 90,
Kansas St. 68
WACO, Texas — Brittney Griner scored a Big 12 single-game record 50 points in her final regular-season game at Baylor — including her first dunk at home since she was a freshman — to lead the top-ranked Lady Bears.
Baylor (29-1, 18-0 Big 12) wrapped up its second consecutive undefeated conference title, becoming the first team to twice go through Big 12 play without a loss. The Lady Bears have won a record 46 consecutive Big 12 games, including tournament games, and have won 55 in a row at home.
Only four of Griner’s 14 career dunks have come at the Ferrell Center, and the last had been Jan. 2, 2010, when she had two in the same game against Texas State.
Her third career dunk against K-State (14-16, 5-13) came with 16:56 left, when the 6-foot-8 two-time All-American got a pass from Kimetria Hayden, took a step around a defender along the baseline and went up for a one-handed slam that sent the record-tying crowd of 10,627 into a frenzy.
Griner made 21 of 28 field goals and eight of 10 free throws.
With her 3,123 career points, Griner moved into second place on the NCAA career scoring list behind Jackie Stiles, who had 3,393 points for Missouri State from 1997-2001.
Destiny Williams had 14 points for Baylor, and Odyssey Sims had 12 points. Hayden had nine points and eight assists.
No. 24 Syracuse 68,
No. 13 Louisville 57
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Freshman Brittney Sykes and senior Kayla Alexander each scored 16 points and No. 24 Syracuse snapped a late-season swoon, beating 13th-ranked Louisville.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Syracuse (23-6, 11-5 Big East) and gave the Orange the third seed and a double-bye for the Big East tournament as they seek their first NCAA bid since 2008.
Senior Carmen Tyson-Thomas had 10 points, and 12 rebounds and senior Elashier Hall added 10 points and six steals for the Orange.
Shoni Schimmel led Louisville with 19 points and Jude Schimmel had 12, while Sara Hammond and Antonita Slaughter each scored eight points.
