Scott’s 24 points lead No. 16 Baylor to 58-52 win over No. 7 Duke

By Canadian Press on November 3, 2025.

PARIS (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 12 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter to lead No. 16 Baylor past No. 7 Duke 58-52 in the women’s college basketball season opener in Paris on Monday.

The score was tied 43-43 at the end of the third quarter as Baylor kept finding a way back against the Blue Devils, who had led 33-29 at the end of the first half.

Scott then took over with a blur of points following a steal and layup, a jumper and another layup to put Baylor up 49-43.

With Duke fighting back, Scott made four straight free throws as the Lady Bears went up 56-48 with just over a minute left.

Scott added a couple more free throws to get to 24 points and added five defensive rebounds, three assists and that game-changing steal. She was 8 for 10 from the free throw line and had two of her team’s three 3-pointers.

Forward Toby Fournier led Duke with 16 points. Jadyn Donovan scored two.

The Blue Devils, who won their ninth Atlantic Coast Conference title last season, opened up a 7-0 lead at the 8,000-capacity Adidas Arena, where No. 19 Vanderbilt was to play California later Monday as part of a doubleheader.

NO. 2 SOUTH CAROLINA 94, GRAND CANYON 54

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Ta’Niya Latson scored 20 points in her South Carolina debut to lead the second-ranked Gamecocks to a victory over Grand Canyon to start the season.

It was the 15th straight opening victory under coach Dawn Staley and Latson, who led the country in scoring at Florida State last season, was front and center. She scored the game’s opening bucket, then had a nifty drive for a layup a few moments later as the Gamecocks (1-0) took a 7-0 lead in the win over the overmatched Lopes (0-1).

South Carolina was up double digits less than five minutes in and gradually built the lead to 60-31 at the break. The Gamecocks kept pushing throughout as Staley looked for the right combination on her 10-woman roster that includes four newcomers, including Latson.

Staley played all 10 on a roster shortened by a season-long injury to Southeastern Conference tournament MVP Chloe Kitts, Ashlyn Watkins decision to withdraw from school to continue her injury rehab and MiLaysia Fulwiley’s transfer to LSU.

NO. 3 UCLA 77, SAN DIEGO STATE 53

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Lauren Betts scored 21 points on 9 of 12 shooting and No. 3 UCLA routed San Diego State.

Gabriela Jaquez added 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and former Pac-12 freshman of the year Charlisse Leger-Walker had 12 points and five assists for the Bruins in what was billed as the Orange County Hoops Classic. They made the 44-mile trip to Honda Center in Orange County on the same night the 12th-ranked Bruins men’s team opened at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins are coming off a Final Four appearance last season.

Six of UCLA’s first eight games will be played at neutral sites, including two visits to Las Vegas in a three-week span.

Kaelyn Hamilton scored 11 points, and Nat Martinez and Nala Williams had 10 each for the Aztecs. They were better in 3-point shooting than the Bruins, hitting 10 of 25, with Hamilton making three.

Betts got double-teamed most of the game, but at 6-foot-7, she was the tallest player on the court and often outmuscled the Aztecs’ defense down low. The Bruins controlled the boards, 49-25, with Amanda Muse grabbing seven off the bench.

NO. 4 TEXAS 123, INCARNATE WORD 51

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Sophomore Jordan Lee scored a career-best 21 points and No. 4 Texas opened its season with a win against Incarnate Word.

The Longhorns scored 27 straight points in the first quarter on the way to their 25th consecutive win at home. The 72-point win matched the margin of victory in last season’s first game against Southeast Missouri State.

Lee hit 9 of 14 shots, making three 3-pointers.

Madison Booker, the Southeastern Conference player of the year last season, added 18 points.

Kyla Oldacre and Breya Cunningham, who rotate at center for the Longhorns, scored 17 and 16 points, respectively. Each hit all seven shot attempts from the field.

Freshman Aaliyah Crump and Bryanna Preston each scored 16.

NO. 6 OKLAHOMA 84, BELMONT 67

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Raegan Beers had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 6 Oklahoma took control late to beat Belmont.

Beers switched from the No. 52 she wore last season to the No. 15 she wore at Oregon State before transferring two seasons ago. She made 13 of 17 shots and fell one point short of her career high.

Oklahoma freshman Aaliyah Chavez, a consensus five-star recruit, scored 16 points on 5-for-18 shooting in her debut. Payton Verhulst and Sahara Williams each scored 11 points for the Sooners.

Jailyn Banks scored 16 points, Sanaa Tripp scored 13 and Hilary Fuller added 12 for Belmont, the preseason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference.

Chavez made her mark early. Her first assist was a pass to Verhulst for a 3-pointer. Chavez missed her first two shots before making a 2-point jumper that put the Sooners up 7-0.

Oklahoma pushed the lead to 14-0 before Belmont finally scored with 4:31 left in the first quarter. The Bruins missed their first seven shots.

NO. 10 MARYLAND 80, LOYOLA 26

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Oluchi Okananwa scored 18 points, and No. 10 Maryland was able to go deep into its roster in a rout of in-state opponent Loyola.

Saylor Poffenbarger added 11 points, and six other Maryland players scored at least six. The Terrapins (1-0) used 13 players in all, 12 for over 10 minutes. It was the fewest points allowed by Maryland since Feb. 5, 1974.

Maryland is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance, with Poffenbarger, Kaylene Smikle and Bri McDaniel returning. Smikle (leg) and McDaniel (knee) didn’t play in this season opener, but transfers Okananwa (Duke) and Yarden Garzon (Indiana) were in the starting lineup and contributed.

Garzon had six assists.

Kimmie Hicks led Loyola with eight points.

NO. 11 NORTH CAROLINA 90, NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 42

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Freshman Nyla Brooks scored 15 points off the bench, Ciera Toomey and Nyla Harris each had a double-double and No. 11 North Carolina beat North Carolina Central.

North Carolina, coming off of its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and second Sweet 16 in the last four seasons, won its eighth season opener in a row. The Tar Heels have multiple challenges in nonconference play, taking on seven teams from the tournament — including two Final Four squads.

Toomey scored a career-high 13 points to go with 11 rebounds and Harris, a transfer from Louisville, had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Elina Aarnisalo, a transfer from UCLA, and Indya Nivar each added 13 points. North Carolina had a 48-20 rebounding advantage and a 12-0 edge in fast-break points.

Aarnisalo and Nivar each scored 11 points in the first half, and Brooks added 10 as North Carolina opened a 54-21 lead at the break. Aarnisalo, Nivar and Brooks combined to make 14 baskets, while NCCU was just 8 of 32 (25%) from the field. North Carolina turned 12 turnovers into 17 of its 53 points.

Morgan Callahan, the MEAC preseason player of the year, was held to six points and seven rebounds for NCCU. Aysia Hinton added a team-high nine points. NCCU also has No. 2 South Carolina and No. 6 Oklahoma on its schedule in December.

NO. 12 MISSISSIPPI 87, NORFOLK STATE 46

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Christeen Iwuala scored 15 points, Cotie McMahon added 13 in her Mississippi debut, and the 12th-ranked Rebels beat Norfolk State.

Ole Miss improved to 6-2 in season openers under head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. Last season the Rebels opened with a 68-66 loss in a Top 25 battle with JuJu Watkins and USC in Paris, France.

Ole Miss returns three key players from last year’s squad, including starters Iwuala and Sira Thienou, to go with nine newcomers.

Thienou finished with eight points and nine rebounds. Latasha Lattimore and Debreasha Powe each scored 12 points, and Tianna Thompson added 11. McMahon, an Ohio State transfer, made four of the Rebels’ 13 3-pointers and Thompson added three.

Ole Miss led 40-25 at halftime after making 7 of 18 3-pointers and outrebounding Norfolk State 24-13.

Jasha Clinton led Norfolk State with 16 points and Da’Brya Clark added 14.

NO. 14 IOWA STATE 85, ST. THOMAS-MINNESOTA 36

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Audi Crooks scored 20 points, Addy Brown had 11 points, six rebounds and six assists, and No. 14 Iowa State beat St. Thomas-Minnesota for its NCAA-leading 31st straight season-opening victory.

Iowa State, which began the season ranked in the AP preseason poll for the 14th time in program history, is coming off its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cyclones have played in each of the last six NCAA championships, one of 15 programs in the country to do so.

Crooks entered as one of the best post players in the country after leading the Big 12 Conference with 23.4 points per game while shooting over 60% from the floor last season.

Arizona transfer Jada Williams added nine points and four rebounds for Iowa State, and freshman Reese Beaty had five points, four rebounds and four assists.

Iowa State led 43-19 at halftime behind 12 points from Crooks. St. Thomas-Minnesota was just 7 of 25 from the field, with four field goals and 12 points coming from Alyssa Sand.

Sand paced St. Thomas-Minnesota with 17 points and seven rebounds. The Tommies turned it over 20 times.

Iowa State’s next Power Four opponent is No. 21 Iowa on Dec. 10.

NO. 19 VANDERBILT 74, CALIFORNIA 65

PARIS (AP) — Mikayla Blakes scored 27 points, Aiyana Mitchell had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 19 Vanderbilt dominated the third quarter for a victory over California.

Blakes scored 14 points in the first half but Vanderbilt trailed 33-31 at the 8,000-capacity Adidas Arena, where No. 16 Baylor beat No. 7 Duke 58-52 earlier Monday as part of a doubleheader.

Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda tied it in the opening minute of the third quarter and Vanderbilt pulled away during a 19-0 run for a 54-37 lead with 1:48 left in the frame.

Cal got within nine points late in the fourth before Justine Pissott put Vanderbilt ahead by double figures again with a 3-pointer.

Sacha Washington added 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals, and freshman Aubrey Galvan had seven points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Vanderbilt. Blakes, the defending SEC freshman of the year and the highest-scoring player returning in the SEC this season at 23.3 points per game, reached 25-plus points for the 11th time in her career.

NO. 21 IOWA 86, SOUTHERN 51

IOWA, CITY, Iowa (AP) — Ava Heiden scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Hannah Stuelke added 20 points with nine boards, and No. 21 Iowa topped Southern to open the season.

After a slow start the Hawkeyes steadily pulled away, shooting 52% despite going 4 of 18 on 3-pointers. They were 22 of 28 from the foul line and had a 52-21 rebounding advantage but had 24 turnovers.

Emely Rodriguez had 13 points off the bench for Iowa.

Zaria Hurston scored 14 points to lead the Jaguars.

Four different Jaguars hit 3-points in the first quarter and they only trailed 15-14 but Heiden had back-to-back three-point plays in a 17-0 run to help the Hawkeyes to a 37-24 lead at the half.

Iowa shot 43% despite missing all 10 3-point attempts and went 13 of 17 from the foul line. Heiden had 15 points, going 5 of 8 from the field and the line.

NO. 22 OKLAHOMA STATE 109, NEW ORLEANS 48

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Micha Gray scored 24 point, newcomer Haleigh Timmer added 18 and No. 22 Oklahoma State opened the season with a rout of New Orleans.

Freshman Lena Girardi added 15 points off the bench, Stailee Heard 14, Amari Whiting, a transfer from BYU had 11 with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals and Praise Egharevba had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds plus four blocks.

Shanihya Brown scored 11 points for the Privateers, who had 24 turnovers that cost them 27 points.

Oklahoma State shot 55%, making 17 of 40 3-pointers, and had a 54-18 rebounding advantage, 23 on the offensive end. Achol Akot grabbed 11 rebounds. Timmer, from South Dakota State, had four of the 14 steals.

The Cowgirls used a 15-0 run to lead 29-12 after the first quarter and an 18-2 surge in the second to lead 62-22 at the half. Gray had 10 points in the first quarter and Timmer 11 in the second.

Oklahoma State shot 64% and went 10 of 21 from 3-point range and turned 15 New Orleans turnovers into 19 points as the Cowgirls steadily pulled away.

NO. 24 KENTUCKY 75, MOREHEAD STATE 59

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Tonie Morgan scored 16 points, Jordan Obi and Clara Strack had double-doubles of 15 points and 15 rebounds and No. 24 Kentucky rolled to a win over Morehead State.

The Wildcats dominated their instate opponent inside to win their 16th straight season opener, 16th straight home opener and 16th straight in the series.

The rebounding difference was 54-33, 21-5 on the offensive end. Kentucky, which had 12 blocks, led 22-3 in second chance points and 38-20 on points in the paint.

Amelia Hassett, a junior college transfer, added 11 for Kentucky. Obi is a transfer from Penn and Morgan came from Georgia Tech.

Marie Sepp had 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Eagles, Violet McNece added 15 points with four 3-pointers and Laura Toffali scored 11.

The Associated Press