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College basketball

Shepard takes to line to help halt Bulls' skid

TAMPA -- Aiya Shepard had 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals Sunday afternoon as South Florida broke an 11-game losing streak with a 52-49 win over Southern Mississippi.

The victory went down to the wire, a common occurrence with the Bulls (6-17, 1-9 C-USA).

"We've been in that situation so many times this year," coach Jose Fernandez said. "The kids really dug in there, and they found a way to win. I tell you what, I don't think there's many 0-9 teams in the country that are still playing with that type of intensity, that type of effort."

Shepard had her biggest impact at the free-throw line, going 17-for-23, both career highs, and shooting all but two of USF's free throws.

A steal and a layup by Shepard put the Bulls on top 49-48 with 56 seconds left, but USM's Dana Jones sank a free throw with 44 seconds left to tie.

With 18.6 seconds left, Shepard, fouled on her way to the basket, hit a free throw to give the Bulls a 50-49 lead, then came up with a steal.

ALABAMA 69, UF 65: Jamilah Johns scored 18 and hit two free throws with five seconds left to seal it as the host Crimson Tide (12-12, 2-9 SEC) won its third straight.

Vanessa Hayden scored a season-high 20 and added 12 rebounds and six blocks for the Gators (8-15, 0-10), who lost their 11th in a row.

MARYLAND 66, FSU 61: Renneika Razor scored 24 as the visiting Terrapins (10-14, 4-9 ACC) sent the Seminoles to their third straight loss.

Katelyn Vujas had 13 points and Tasheika Morris 11 for FSU (15-8, 7-5), which despite the seasonlong slide remained in third place in the conference behind Duke and North Carolina.

Top 25

NO. 1 UCONN 84, SETON HALL 44: Barbara Turner had 16 points and eight rebounds as the host Huskies (24-0, 11-0 Big East) extended the longest winning streak in women's history to 63 games. LeNedra Brown scored 12 for the Pirates (12-10, 6-6).

NO. 3 UT 59, AUBURN 56: Gwen Jackson scored 16 of her 20 in the second half as the visiting Vols (22-3, 10-0 SEC) survived their biggest scare of the conference season against the Tigers (17-7, 5-5) to win their 13th straight.

NO. 8 UNC 70, CLEMSON 66: Coretta Brown scored 19 and hit a free throw with 4.3 seconds left as the host Tar Heels (23-2, 12-1 ACC) won their eighth straight league game and fourth in a row against the Tigers (12-11, 4-8).

NO. 9 PURDUE 79, ILLINOIS 67: Shereka Wright scored 24 and Mary Jo Noon added 21 as the Boilermakers (20-4, 9-3 Big Ten) improved to 12-0 at home and beat the Illini (14-9, 6-6) for the 10th straight time.

IOWA 80, NO. 12 PENN ST. 75: Kristi Faulkner scored 27 and converted a key three-point play with 32 seconds left as the host Hawkeyes (13-10, 5-8 Big Ten) held on after losing most of a 14-point lead to break a six-game winning streak by the Nittany Lions (21-6, 11-2).

NO. 15 S.C. 83, NO. 13 ARK. 59: Jocelyn Penn scored 29 as the host Gamecocks (19-6, 6-4 SEC) snapped a three-game winning streak by the Razorbacks (18-6, 6-5).

NO. 18 VANDY 58, NO. 14 GEORGIA 56: Abi Ramsey hit two free throws with .7 seconds left to lift the host Commodores (17-7, 7-4 SEC) past the Bulldogs (17-6, 8-2).

NO. 16 MISS. ST. 96, KENTUCKY 46: LaToya Thomas scored 22, and the host Bulldogs (18-6, 6-4 SEC) never trailed. Danyelle Payne scored 12 for the Wildcats (9-13, 2-8).

NO. 17 MINN. 73, NO. 22 OHIO ST. 50: Janel McCarville and Corrin Von Wald each scored 20 and McCarville had a career-high 17 rebounds as the host Golden Gophers (19-4, 8-5 Big Ten) routed the Buckeyes (17-7, 8-5).

NO. 23 RUTGERS 67, PITT 53: Cappie Pondexter scored 21 as the host Scarlet Knights (16-5, 9-2 Big East) won their seventh straight. The Panthers (10-12, 2-9) went ahead 33-32 with 17:08 remaining, but Pondexter led an 11-0 run over the next four minutes.

NO. 24 ARIZONA 78, SO. CAL 64: Dee-Dee Wheeler scored 23 to lead the visiting Wildcats (17-7, 10-5 Pac-10) to their fourth win in five games. The Trojans (12-13, 7-7) had a three-game winning streak snapped.

NO. 25 BC 65, VA. TECH 47: Jessalyn Deveny scored eight of her 20 during a 17-3 run at the start of the second half, and the host Eagles (16-6, 8-3 Big East) held the Hokies (17-6, 8-4) to their fewest points of the season.

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