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February 25, 2002
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- LaToya Thomas scored 40 as Mississippi State snapped a four-game losing streak in the SEC with an 83-63 victory against No. 16 Florida on Sunday.
Thomas, the SEC's leading scorer, was 14-for-22 from the field and 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. She also had 12 rebounds.
Brandi McCain led Florida (18-9, 8-6) with 23 points and Vanessa Hayden had 19.
"We lost this game in the first half when our bench was nowhere to be found," Florida coach Carol Ross said. "When we got into foul trouble, our level of play decreased tremendously."
Thomas scored eight as the Bulldogs ended the first half on a 12-0 run that gave them a 45-28 lead.
Mississippi State shot 49 percent, the Gators 35 percent.
USF 80, MEMPHIS 61: Sonia Cotton led four players in double figures with a career-high 25 points as the host Bulls (14-13) finished better than .500 for the eighth time in 30 seasons all-time.
The win was not enough to send USF to the postseason, however. The team's quest for a C-USA tournament berth ended when Southern Miss defeated Charlotte to earn the No. 11 seed. UAB already had clinched the No. 12 spot.
"I'm just pleased with the overall effort," USF coach Jose Fernandez said.
VIRGINIA 57, FSU 54: Anna Crosswhite scored 12 and Anna Prillaman added 10 for the visiting Cavaliers.
NO. 2 STANFORD 98, UCLA 80: Lindsey Yamasaki scored 33 as the visiting Cardinal won its 20th in a row and completed Pac-10 play undefeated.
Stanford earned a first-round bye for the inaugural Pac-10 tournament, which begins Friday in Eugene, Ore.
NO. 4 TENNESSEE 89, KENTUCKY 64: Kara Lawson scored 18 and reserve Brittany Jackson added 11 as the Vols withstood a tough first half to win for the 21st time in a row in the series and extend their SEC home winning streak to 40.
NO. 5 DUKE 90, NO. 19 NORTH CAROLINA 75: Alana Beard had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Iciss Tillis added 23 points as the visiting Blue Devils rallied from an early seven-point deficit to become the second team to go 16-0 in ACC play.
The win was Duke's fifth in a row against the Tar Heels and its 15th in a row overall. It snapped UNC's win streak at eight.
NO. 6 VANDERBILT 72, AUBURN 54: Chantelle Anderson scored 19 as the host Commodores clinched a first-round bye in the SEC tournament in Nashville.
NO. 9 BAYLOR 62, OKLAHOMA STATE 61: Danielle Crockrom banked in a jump shot from the free-throw line at the buzzer to lift the visiting Bears to their fifth win in a row and 10th in 11 games.
NO. 10 SOUTH CAROLINA 82, MISSISSIPPI 58: Shaunzinski Gortman scored 24 as the host Gamecocks locked up the second seed in the SEC tournament.
MICH. STATE 80, NO. 14 MINN. 72: Vnemina Reese scored a career-high 28 to help visiting Michigan State end a two-game losing streak.
NO. 18 OLD DOMINION 90, DREXEL 57: Okiesha Howard had 18 points and seven assists as the visiting Monarchs gave coach Wendy Larry her 400th victory.
ARKANSAS 66, NO. 23 GEORGIA 45: Shameka Christon and India Lewis combined for 35 points to lead the host Razorbacks.
NO. 25 CINCINNATI 85, LOUISVILLE 71: Valerie King scored 26 as the host Bearcats extended their winning streak to 10.
SHOOTING RECORD: New Mexico State set a Division I record by making 21 3-pointers in a 94-62 victory late Saturday against Louisiana-Lafayette. Tennessee Tech held the record of 19, set last season against Tennessee-Martin.