DURHAM, N.C. — Freshman Jalen Johnson had 19 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks to help No. 9 Duke overcome a turnover-filled performance and beat Coppin State 81-71 in Saturday’s delayed season opener for both teams.
The 6-foot-9 Johnson made all eight of his shots from the field, including a 3-pointer, and both of free throws while also tallying five assists. Fellow rookie DJ Steward scored 24 points for the Blue Devils, including a key 3-pointer with 2:02 left that helped keep Duke in control during an unexpectedly tight finish.
Duke was playing without its rowdy fans in the famously hostile Cameron Indoor Stadium due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Blue Devils shot 53% but committed 22 turnovers to give the Eagles plenty of extra chances.
DeJuan Clayton and Anthony Tarke each scored 22 points to lead the Eagles, who shot 33% but made 10 3-pointers — seven coming after halftime — to keep the pressure on Duke the entire second half.
South Carolina guard Destanni Henderson shoots over South Dakota defender Maddie Krull during the Gamecocks’ 81-71 win on Saturday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Josh Jurgens/Associated Press
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
(1) SOUTH CAROLINA 81, SOUTH DAKOTA 71: Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke each scored 19 points, and the Gamecocks (2-0) pulled away from the Coyotes (0-1) in the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Henderson finished two points shy of a career high. She was 8 of 13 from the floor and also had nine rebounds.
Chloe Lamb led South Dakota with 18 points, and Hannah Sjerven added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
South Carolina trailed by five during the second quarter and the game was tied 37-37 at halftime before the Gamecocks pulled away. They outscored the Coyotes 31-11 in the third quarter, and Cooke’s basket with 19 seconds left gave the Gamecocks a 20-point lead entering the final frame.
They stretched the advantage to 21 in the fourth quarter before South Dakota cut it to seven with just under a minute to play.
(10) OREGON 116, SEATTLE 51: Taylor Mikesell scored 28 points and the Ducks opened the season with a win over the Redhawks (0-2) in Eugene, Oregon.
Sophomore center Sedona Prince had 17 points for Oregon, which shot 53.1% from the field while outrebounding the Redhawks 58-28. Senior forward Lydia Giomi added 15 points and 13 rebounds.
(13) TEXAS A&M 93, (19) DePAUL 91: Kayla Wells scored 22 points, N’dea Jones had a double-double and the Aggies (2-0) edged the Blue Demons (0-1) in Chicago.
Wells made two free throws with 4.9 seconds left to put the Aggies up 93-90 and then Aaliyah Wilson fouled DePaul’s Lexi Held with 0.9 seconds to go. Held missed the first free throw, negating a chance for an intentional miss and putback on the second attempt so she made it.
With less than a second, there wasn’t enough time for an intentional miss, tip-back and 3-point attempt.
Jones scored 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. Wilson, Jordan Nixon and Destiny Pitts scored 12 points apiece.
(14) ARKANSAS 86, FLORIDA GULF COAST 80: Chelsea Dungee scored 19 of her 25 points in the second half, 10 in the fourth quarter, and the Razorbacks (3-0) made four free throws in the final 11 seconds to pull out a win over the Eagles (1-2) at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Fort Myers, Florida.
The Razorbacks trailed most of the way before Dungee’s 3-pointer with 2:15 left them up for good at 77-74. Tishara Morehouse made a layup for the Eagles but Arkansas was 7 of 8 from the line in the final two minutes.
Morehouse, who poured in 35 points for the Eagles, made it 82-80 with 34 seconds left but Amber Ramirez and Marquesha Davis sealed it with free throws. It was the only two points of the game for Davis. Arkansas went 9 of 12 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and 26 of 34 for the game while FGCU was 5 of 10.
Makayla Daniels scored 15 points for the Razorbacks, Ramirez and Destiny Slocum added 12 apiece and Taylah Thomas had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Eagles, who lost 74-49 to No. 24 Missouri State a day earlier, had 11 3-pointers but went 0 for 5 in the fourth quarter. Aaliyah Stanley added 13 points.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 76, (15) IOWA 69: Haley Greer scored 20 points, Myah Selland added 19 and the Jackrabbits (1-0) defeated the Cyclones (1-1) in Brookings, South Dakota.
Greer, a graduate transfer from Colgate, had three of her four 3-pointers in the first half when the Jackrabbits took a 37-33 lead. Selland, who only played in nine games last season because of a foot injury, had 12 in the second half.
South Dakota State went 13 for 13 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and 23 of 26 in the game to hold off the Cyclones for their 12th program win over a ranked opponent.
Iowa State, playing without head coach Bill Fennelly because of COVID-19 protocol, shot just 32%, going 6 of 32 (19%) from 3-point range.
All-American Ashley Joens scored 35 points for the Cyclones. She had 22 of their 33 points in the first half. She also had 12 rebounds.
(24) MISSOURI STATE 81, (12) MARYLAND 72: Brice Calip scored a career-high 26 points and the Bears (2-0) rallied from a 16-points deficit to beat the Terrapins (1-1) at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Fort Myers, Florida.
Jasmine Franklin had 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals for Missouri State. The Bears shot just 41.8% from the field but scored 25 points off 24 Maryland turnovers.
The Terrapins had won 18 straight games – by an average of 25.1 points – dating to a 77-49 win at No. 24 Michigan on Jan. 12.
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