No. 5 Southern Carolina women beat Florida in SEC opener

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Aliyah Boston had a career-high 28 points along with 16 rebounds and No. 5 South Carolina opened Southeastern Conference play with its 13th straight win over Florida, 75-59 on Thursday. Boston, the 6-foot-5 sophomore, was dominant throughout as the Gamecocks (6-1) won their third in a row since the season’s lone loss, to No. 3 North Carolina State, 54-46 on Dec. 3. Zia Cooke had 26 points for the Gamecocks. South Carolina hadn’t played in two weeks since its 103-41 home victory over Temple on Dec. 17. And it looked as if the Gamecocks wouldn’t get this one in, either, when originally scheduled opponent Ole Miss had to postpone due to COVID-19 issues. But Florida (7-2) stepped in – the Gators were originally scheduled to come to South Carolina on Feb. 25 – to start SEC play. Lavender Briggs tied her career high with 23 points to lead the Gators. NO. 3 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 84, GEORGIA TECH 75 ATLANTA (AP) – Jada Boyd scored a career-high 26 points, Jakia Brown-Turner added 19 and North Carolina State cruised past Georgia Tech for its ninth straight win. Kayla Jones finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for N.C. State (9-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Lotta-Maj Lahtinen scored a career-high 30 points to lead Georgia Tech (4-2, 2-1), which also got 15 points from Lorela Cubaj. NO. 13 KENTUCKY 75, NO. 10 ARKANSAS 64 LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Rhyne Howard scored 24 points, including a key 3-pointer during a clinching 9-0 run, and Kentucky topped Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Kentucky (8-1, 1-0) overcame a sluggish start from a 12-day break. Howard was 9 of 17 from the field and had four 3-pointers. She scored 12 points in the second quarter to put Kentucky ahead. Chelsea Dungee had 20 points, Destiny Slocum 12 and Erynn Barnum and Amber Ramirez 11 each for the Razorbacks (9-2, 0-1), who had won their previous six games, including 83-78 upset of then-No. 4 Baylor. NO. 12 MISSISSIPPI STATE 69, GEORGIA 62 ATHENS, Ga. (AP) – Madison Hayes and Jessika Carter led a balanced attack with 13 points apiece and Mississippi State made 15 of 21 free throws in the fourth quarter to hand Georgia its first loss. Rickea Jackson added 11 points for Mississippi State (6-1). Jenna Staiti led Georgia (asterisk)with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and her three blocked shots give her 144 in her career, ninth on the school list. Georgia had four blocks to increase its nation-leading total to 60. Que Morrison added 11 points for Georgia (8-1). Earlier this season, Georgia picked up its 1,000th victory in program history, joining Tennessee in the SEC and 14 other schools to reach that milestone. NO. 12 MISSISSIPPI STATE 69, GEORGIA 62 ATHENS, Ga. (AP) – Madison Hayes and Jessika Carter led a balanced attack with 13 points apiece and Mississippi State made 15 of 21 free throws in the fourth quarter to hand Georgia its first loss. Rickea Jackson added 11 points for Mississippi State (6-1). Jenna Staiti led Georgia with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and her three blocked shots gave her 144 in her career, ninth on the school list. Georgia had four blocks to increase its nation-leading total to 60. Que Morrison added 11 points for Georgia (8-1). NO. 14 MARYLAND 96, PENN STATE 82 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) – Ashley Owusu had a career-high 34 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Diamond Miller added 17 points and Maryland beat Penn State for its ninth straight win in the series. Owusu, the reigning Big Ten freshman of the year, was 15 of 22 from the floor to help Maryland (6-1, 2-0 Big Ten) shoot 50%. She had 18 points and seven rebounds in the first half, including five points in a closing 9-2 run to give the Terrapins a 48-39 lead at the break.