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Women: Texas braces for fall from top spot

LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas coach Jody Conradt isn't about to let one loss or a drop in the poll ruin the Longhorns' season.

No.9 Texas Tech earned its first regular-season victory against a top-ranked team Sunday, beating the Longhorns 62-49.

"It's one game. We're not going to talk about it and belabor it in negative ways," Conradt said. "We have a really tough stretch ahead and we just have to regroup and get ready.

"We're going to move on and hopefully make our mark at the end of the season."

The Longhorns, who took over the top spot Feb.9 for the first time since Dec.28, 1987, host No.19 Baylor on Wednesday and face No.8 Kansas State and No.24 Oklahoma.

Tech, which lost 82-73 to Texas on Feb.1, relied on a familiar game plan: stopping the Longhorns' inside game.

"They scored 47 points total the first time, so we wanted to limit what their post players had," Tech's LaToya Davis said. "We did a good job of following the game plan and doing the things we talked about."

Davis matched her career high with 15 points and Jolee Ayers-Curry added a season-high 14 for Texas Tech (23-4, 9-4 Big 12).

Heather Schreiber and Nina Norman each scored 14 for Texas (23-3, 11-2), which had its nine-game winning streak snapped.

NO.3 UT 85, OLE MISS 69: Shyra Ely and Shanna Zolman scored 21 each and led a decisive second-half run for the Vols (22-2, 12-0 SEC), 12-0 on the road. Freshman Arminitie Price scored 32 on 14-of-17 shooting for the Rebels (15-11, 6-6).

NO.4 DUKE 72, MARYLAND 59: Alana Beard had 24 points and 10 rebounds to help the visiting Blue Devils (22-3, 13-1 ACC) clinch their fourth straight regular-season title. Duke beat the Terrapins (15-11, 7-8) for the eighth straight time and 11th in 12 games.

NO.5 PURDUE 59, NO.20 MICH. ST. 56: Shereka Wright had 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the host Boilermakers (23-2, 13-1 Big Ten) to their 14th win in a row. Kristin Haynie scored 13 of 19 in the first half for the Spartans (19-6, 9-5).

NO.7 PENN ST. 70, IOWA 58: Tanisha Wright scored 24, helping the visiting Nittany Lions (21-4, 13-1 Big Ten) overcome scoring leader Kelly Mazzante's career-worst four-point performance. Kristi Faulkner led the Hawkeyes (15-10, 9-5) with 18 points.

NO.8 KANSAS ST. 93, MISSOURI 90 (2OT): Kendra Wecker scored nine of her 26 in the second overtime to lead the visiting Wildcats (21-3, 12-1 Big 12), who overcame a 15-point second-half deficit. Evan Unrau had a career-high 40 points for the Tigers (13-11, 4-9), most in the conference this season and one shy of a school mark.

NO.11 MINN. 73, NU 46: Janel McCarville scored 20 and Shannon Schonrock 18 for the Gophers (20-5, 9-5 Big Ten), playing their first home game since losing leading scorer Lindsay Whalen to a broken hand Feb.12. Alex Mueller made 4 of 6 3-pointers and had 16 points for the Wildcats (8-18, 1-14).

NO.17 TCU 73, NO.12 DePAUL 53: Sandora Irvin had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the host Horned Frogs (22-4, 11-2 C-USA) eliminated the Blue Demons (22-4, 10-3) from the regular-season title race.

VANDY 68, NO.14 AUBURN 60: Abi Ramsey scored 13 of her 22 in the second half to help the visiting Commodores (18-7, 6-6 SEC) overcame an early 10-point deficit. Natasha Brackett scored 19 to lead the Tigers (20-6, 8-4).

NO.15 LSU 78, MISS. ST. 61: Seimone Augustus had 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the host Tigers (21-5, 9-3 SEC), who rebounded from their first home loss of the season. The Bulldogs (12-13, 6-6) had won five of six.

NO.18 GEORGIA 73, S. CAROLINA 50: Four players scored in double figures for the visiting Bulldogs (18-7, 7-5 SEC), playing for the first time without dismissed leading scorer Kara Braxton. The Gamecocks (10-15, 1-11) had 23 turnovers and made 2 of 12 3-pointers.

NO.21 HOUSTON 77, MARQUETTE 64: Chandi Jones scored 26 and the host Cougars (23-3, 12-1 C-USA) clinched at least a share of the conference regular-season title. Carolyn Kieger led the Golden Eagles (18-8, 8-5) with 13 points.

USF 77, TULANE 60: Jessica Dickson scored 24 and Anedra Gilmore added 15 points, a school-record 14 assists and nine rebounds for the host Bulls (13-13, 6-7 C-USA), who have won three straight conference games for the first time since the 1998-99 season.

The Green Wave (9-17, 2-11) was in front until Dickson scored four straight to give South Florida its first lead, 29-28 at halftime. The Bulls never trailed again.

ARKANSAS 82, UF 68: Shameka Christon had 25 points and eight rebounds to lead the visiting Razorbacks (16-9, 4-7 SEC). The Gators (16-9, 6-6) had 27 turnovers and made 1 of 15 3-pointers.

FSU 73, UVA 71: Tasheika Allen and Alicia Gladden hit a free throw each with less than 20 seconds left to lift the Seminoles (14-12, 7-8 ACC) to their first win at Virginia in 14 tries. Anna Prillaman scored 14 for the Cavaliers (12-13, 5-8), who lost their fourth straight.