No. 1 Gamecocks open strong on road over No. 5 N.C. State

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Zia Cooke scored 17 points and top-ranked South Carolina never trailed in its 66-57 win over No. 5 North Carolina State on Tuesday night, earning an impressive road win in a marquee season-opening matchup of Final Four contenders. The Gamecocks scored the first six points and offered a composed response any time the Wolfpack tried to make a move. Cooke paced an offensive team effort that shot 49%, while preseason Associated Press All-American Aliyah Boston controlled the paint and helped shut down Elissa Cunane ‘” N.C. State’s star and the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year. Boston finished with eight points, six rebounds and five blocks for South Carolina. Raina Perez and Jakia Brown-Turner were the only Wolfpack players to find any type of offensive rhythm, each finishing with 18 points. Cunane finished with eight points on 4-for-11 shooting with three rebounds despite failing to hit a basket until the third quarter – a major problem for an offense that relies on her as the interior presence surrounded by capable shooters. NO. 4 MARYLAND 97, LONGWOOD 67 COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) – Angel Reese had 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead Maryland to a win over Longwood. The Terrapins return all five starters from a season ago, although one of them, guard Diamond Miller, missed this game with knee soreness. Maryland still had five players in double figures. Freshman Shyanne Sellers scored 17 points and Ashley Owusu and Mimi Collins had 16 apiece. Kyla McMakin scored 22 points for Longwood. NO. 7 BAYLOR 77, TEXAS STATE 70 WACO, Texas (AP) — Preseason AP All-America forward NaLyssa Smith scored 23 points, Queen Egbo had a double-double and Baylor beat Texas State in the Bears’ first game with new coach Nicki Collen. Smith scored nine of her points in the fourth quarter, including a three-point play after being fouled on a made putback basket. She followed with a steal that led to a breakaway layup with 1:52 left after the Bobcats got within 73-67 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Da’Nasia Hood. Egbo finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Jordan Lewis had 14 points and seven assists for Baylor, which played its first home game without Kim Mulkey as its coach since February 23, 2000. Mulkey, who won three national championships and 12 regular-season Big 12 titles in her 21 seasons, left in April and returned to her home state as LSU’s coach. Collen was preparing for her fourth season as head coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream when Baylor hired her. Hood, a preseason All-Sun Belt Conference pick, led Texas State with 20 points, all coming after halftime. Jaeda Reed and Lauryn Thompson each had 10 points. NO. 9 IOWA 93, NEW HAMPSHIRE 50 IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Caitlin Clark had 26 points and Monika Czinano added 14 points as Iowa opened the season with a win over New Hampshire. Clark and Czinano were 1-2 in the nation in field goals last season, and both began this season with strong offensive performances. Clark, who led the nation in scoring and assists last season, had 17 first-half points despite picking up two first-quarter fouls. The Associated Press preseason All-American made 6 of 10 shots and added eight rebounds and six assists. Czinano, who led the nation in field-goal percentage last season after finishing second the season before, made 7 of 10 shots and added six rebounds. McKenna Warnock had 12 points and Tomi Taiwo added 10 for the Hawkeyes. NO. 11 MICHIGAN 67, IUPUI 62, OT ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) – Naz Hillmon scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, Leigha Brown added 18 points and Michigan held off IUPUI in overtime.