Houston led by as many as 30 points in the second half before the Lakers used a 20-5 run to get within 10 with four minutes left.
The Rockets scored the next six points, with three from Green, to make it 127-111 with about three minutes left and the Lakers removed their starters.
Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, is working to be a more all-around player in his first season under coach Ime Udoka.
“I'm building on it,” Green said. “That's what he wants from me. That's what I want for myself. Brick by brick, just going to keep learning and keep growing each game.”
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell scored 23 points apiece for the Lakers, who had won two in a row, capped by a 145-144 double-overtime victory over Golden State on Saturday.
Cam Whitmore had 20 points off the bench for Houston, and Jabari Smith Jr. had 18 points and nine rebounds in his return after missing four games with a sprained left ankle. Green and Sengun also had 12 rebounds and seven assists each to help the Rockets to the victory.
The Rockets were up by 25 points after a basket by Sengun with about nine minutes left when the Lakers used a 12-3 run to get within 119-103 midway through the quarter.
Soon after that, James was knocked to the court after being hit in the face by Brooks as the two fought for a rebound. James remained face down on the court for a couple of minutes while team officials attended to him before getting up and walking off the court.
The play was reviewed and determined to be a flagrant 1 foul, and James remained in the game.
James missed both free throws, but made a layup seconds after that to start an 8-2 run that cut the lead to 121-111 with four minutes to go.
The Rockets led by 18 at halftime and opened the third quarter with a 16-4 run to make it 94-64 with about 7½ minutes left in the quarter.
Houston was up by 29 a couple of minutes later before the Lakers used an 11-2 spurt, with five points from Davis, to cut the lead to 101-81 with about two minutes left in the third.
James was disappointed in how they performed to end the first quarter.
“We just didn’t get back,” he said. “We didn’t have a sense of care factor. We didn’t have no care factor in those last two minutes.”
The Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt was ejected in the second quarter after getting two technical fouls during an exchange with Brooks.
Vanderbilt got his first technical foul after pushing Brooks below the neck after a basket by the Lakers with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter. Brooks was walking away from Vanderbilt and had his back to him when Vanderbilt tapped him on the back of the head, drawing another technical and an immediate ejection.
Vanderbilt appeared to be upset after Brooks pushed him while he was in the air on a dunk about a minute earlier. He landed awkwardly after making that shot and fell to the ground.
“I feel like he felt like I did a dirty play,” Brooks said. “And when he feels that way he likes to bump. And it’s basketball, we bump and tussle and I feel like he took it a little too far.”
James refused to talk about Brooks, but Davis had plenty to say about him.
“You take a hard foul, it’s part of basketball,” Davis said. “But you’re just not going to blatantly push someone in their back when they have no control of their body in the air. I think he should have got ejected for that. And then … obviously you know that him and Bron have their whatever and from what I saw it was just a blatant hit on LeBron to the face.”
While there's a lot of talk about the most unbreakable records in sports, one all-time mark that deserves more attention is Martin Brodeur's 691 career wins -- the most by a goalie in NHL history.
Even if a player can match Brodeur's longevity and durability, today's NHL teams opt to rest their goalies and limit their starts. It seems unlikely that a modern goaltender will be able to rack up enough wins to seriously challenge Brodeur.
How big is the gap between Brodeur and the active leader? Who else cracks the top 10 in career wins? Let's look at which goalies have recorded the most wins in NHL history.
Esposito played from 1967 to 1984, suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks. He is a three-time winner of the NHL's Vezina Trophy, which prior to the 1981-82 season went to the goalie whose team allowed the fewest goals. In 1970, he recorded 15 shutouts in a single season, which is a modern NHL record (since 1942). Esposito helped Montreal win the Stanley Cup in 1969. He was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.
Plante played off and on from 1947 to 1975, including stints with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers. He helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup six times, including five straight years. Plante won the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player in 1962, and he racked up an NHL-record seven Vezina Trophies. Plante is also known for inventing and popularizing the goaltender mask. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
Sawchuk was an 11-time All-Star who played from 1949 to 1970, winning four Stanley Cups in his career. He was a four-time Vezina Trophy winner and became the first goalie to record 100 career regular-season shutouts. To this day, Sawchuk has the second-most shutouts in NHL history (103), trailing only Martin Brodeur (125). The Detroit Red Wings retired Sawchuk's No. 1 in 1994, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971.
Despite going undrafted, Curtis "Cujo" Joseph became a star goalie, playing for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes and Calgary Flames. Joseph excelled with multiple teams, becoming the first goalie in NHL history to have a 30-win season with five different teams. Joseph became a three-time All-Star. While he never played in the Stanley Cup Final, he had an outstanding career.
Lundqvist spent the entirety of his 20-year NHL career with the New York Rangers. He's the only goaltender in NHL history to start his career with seven straight 30-win seasons. He was incredibly consistent, winning at least 20 games in each of his first 11 seasons. Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy for best NHL goaltender in 2012. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year.
After going undrafted, Belfour played for 19 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. He won the Stanley Cup in 1999, earned Vezina Trophies in 1991 and 1993, and took home the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award in 2000 (which is given to the goalie with the best save percentage). He was selected to six All-Star Games and was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.
Throughout his 19-year NHL career, Luongo played for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1997 NHL draft, eventually becoming a six-time All-Star. In 2007, he was a finalist for the Hart Trophy (MVP). Among all goalies throughout NHL history, Luongo played the second-most games (1,044) and recorded the second-most saves (28,409), trailing only Martin Brodeur in both stats (1,266 and 28,928, respectively). Luongo was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022.
Roy was the No. 51 pick in the 1984 NHL draft, and he would suit up for the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche. When Roy retired in 2003, he was the winningest goalie of all time, but the top two goaltenders on this list would later pass him. To this day, Roy still leads all goaltenders in playoff wins (151). Roy won four Stanley Cups, three Vezina Trophies and three Conn Smythe Trophies (a team MVP award). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006, and he's currently the head coach of the New York Islanders.
Unlike the other goalies listed here, Fleury is still active -- he's currently on the Minnesota Wild. He is the only active goalie in the top 15 of the career wins list. In addition to the Wild, Fleury has also suited up for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft, Fleury has lived up to the hype. The five-time All-Star has won three Stanley Cups and a Vezina Trophy (in 2021).
In addition to having the most wins in NHL history, Brodeur also holds the record for the most shutouts (125) and games played (1,266). Throughout his 22-year NHL career, the nine-time All-Star won three Stanley Cup championships (1995, 2000 and 2003) and four Vezina Trophies (2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008). Brodeur was nominated for the Hart Trophy (MVP) three times (in 2003, 2004 and 2007). For 12 consecutive seasons, he won at least 30 games (and he had eight seasons with 40 wins). Brodeur was selected to the NHL's 100 Greatest Players list and in 2018 was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
GANGWON, South Korea—Peter Groseclose sees action in the first of his three events at the Fourth Winter Youth Olympic Games on Saturday morning and although he admits that the 1,500 meters of short track of speedskating isn’t his forte, his getting all the boosts he needs.
“I want him to gain a lot of experience from high-pressure situations like this and get the best results as an athlete,” said his coach John-Henry Krueger, who clinched a speedskating silver for the US at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics and a mixed team bronze as a naturalized athlete for Hungary in Beijing 2022.
“He is a contender for a medal here,” added Krueger of Groseclose, who’ll be at the 12,000-seat Gangneung Ice Arena for the 1,500m starting at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. in Manila competing against athletes from 33 other nations.
Julian Macaraeg, one of two Philippine athletes at the Lausanne 2020 games, also told BusinessMirror that Groseclose is capable of stealing the show.
“There’re a lot of countries which have been preparing their athletes for this moment, but Peter’s been doing the same…if not more,” said Macaraeg, now 20, who reached the 500 meters quarterfinals but missed advancing in the 1,000 and 1,500 in Lausanne.
“From the results I’ve seen in his past races, I believe Peter has a great chance to be on the podium,” added Macaraeg, who was joined in Lausanne by alpine skier Ana Noelle Wahleithner.
Groseclose knows the 1,500m is his weakest event, but stressed he’ll go for it no matter what.
“To be honest, it is my weakest distance, but I’m not bad at it, I’m more of a sprinter and this is more of an endurance race,” said the 16-year-old Washington DC-based Groseclose on Friday.
“But I will do my best and I can be competitive to it,” added Groseclose, who had to skip Friday’s opening ceremony so as not to tire himself for the first of his three events in these games.
The games opened simultaneously at the Gangneung Oval and Pyeongchang Dome on Friday with freestyle skier Laetaz Amihan Rabe as the lone flag-bearer during the parade of athletes.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and secretary-general Atty. Wharton Chan and chef de mission Ada Milby attended the opening ceremony for the games.
“Short track is very unpredictable. So as a coach, I want him to focus on every race just one at a time and not thinking too far down the road,” Krueger said. “If that’s a good race, that’s great. If that’s bad, we have to focus on the next.”
“The general consensus is [host] South Korea is the most powerful team in the World Cup junior competitions, but I’m really glad and ready to compete against them so let’s see,” Groseclose said.
“These Youth Olympics happen once in a lifetime, they happen every four years and I’m glad to have this opportunity to get an experience and be part of this event,” said Groseclose, who will also see action in the 1000m on Sunday and 500m on Monday.
Macaraeg said that what Groseclse also needs is to have fun and be at his competitive best.
“It’s normal to be nervous competing at a stage like this, but in all honesty, this is a place to just enjoy and be in the moment,” said the Business Economics sophomore at UCLA. “Peter’s a great young skater who has so much potential. Having the Youth Olympics as probably his biggest stage yet is definitely going to be a memory of a lifetime.”
“I’ll be rooting for Peter. I’ve been staying up to date with his performances this year and I’m excited to see what he’s able to give to the table,” he added.
The third athlete on Team Philippines, Avery Balbanida, is arriving here on January 25 ahead of the crosscountry skiing events on January 29 and 30.
GANGWON, South Korea—Peter Groseclose sees action in the first of his three events at the Fourth Winter Youth Olympic Games on Saturday morning and although he admits that the 1,500 meters of short track of speedskating isn’t his forte, his getting all the boosts he needs.
“I want him to gain a lot of experience from high-pressure situations like this and get the best results as an athlete,” said his coach John-Henry Krueger, who clinched a speedskating silver for the US at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics and a mixed team bronze as a naturalized athlete for Hungary in Beijing 2022.
“He is a contender for a medal here,” added Krueger of Groseclose, who’ll be at the 12,000-seat Gangneung Ice Arena for the 1,500m starting at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. in Manila competing against athletes from 33 other nations.
Julian Macaraeg, one of two Philippine athletes at the Lausanne 2020 games, also told BusinessMirror that Groseclose is capable of stealing the show.
“There’re a lot of countries which have been preparing their athletes for this moment, but Peter’s been doing the same…if not more,” said Macaraeg, now 20, who reached the 500 meters quarterfinals but missed advancing in the 1,000 and 1,500 in Lausanne.
“From the results I’ve seen in his past races, I believe Peter has a great chance to be on the podium,” added Macaraeg, who was joined in Lausanne by alpine skier Ana Noelle Wahleithner.
Groseclose knows the 1,500m is his weakest event, but stressed he’ll go for it no matter what.
“To be honest, it is my weakest distance, but I’m not bad at it, I’m more of a sprinter and this is more of an endurance race,” said the 16-year-old Washington DC-based Groseclose on Friday.
“But I will do my best and I can be competitive to it,” added Groseclose, who had to skip Friday’s opening ceremony so as not to tire himself for the first of his three events in these games.
The games opened simultaneously at the Gangneung Oval and Pyeongchang Dome on Friday with freestyle skier Laetaz Amihan Rabe as the lone flag-bearer during the parade of athletes.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and secretary-general Atty. Wharton Chan and chef de mission Ada Milby attended the opening ceremony for the games.
“Short track is very unpredictable. So as a coach, I want him to focus on every race just one at a time and not thinking too far down the road,” Krueger said. “If that’s a good race, that’s great. If that’s bad, we have to focus on the next.”
“The general consensus is [host] South Korea is the most powerful team in the World Cup junior competitions, but I’m really glad and ready to compete against them so let’s see,” Groseclose said.
“These Youth Olympics happen once in a lifetime, they happen every four years and I’m glad to have this opportunity to get an experience and be part of this event,” said Groseclose, who will also see action in the 1000m on Sunday and 500m on Monday.
Macaraeg said that what Groseclse also needs is to have fun and be at his competitive best.
“It’s normal to be nervous competing at a stage like this, but in all honesty, this is a place to just enjoy and be in the moment,” said the Business Economics sophomore at UCLA. “Peter’s a great young skater who has so much potential. Having the Youth Olympics as probably his biggest stage yet is definitely going to be a memory of a lifetime.”
“I’ll be rooting for Peter. I’ve been staying up to date with his performances this year and I’m excited to see what he’s able to give to the table,” he added.
The third athlete on Team Philippines, Avery Balbanida, is arriving here on January 25 ahead of the crosscountry skiing events on January 29 and 30.
RIANNE MALIXI birdied four of the last six holes for a three-under 70 and finish in joint eighth place in the Australian Amateur won by Japan’s Mamika Shinchi at the Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Victoria Friday.
Despite another shaky start that saw her slip back from joint 12th with a frontside 37, the emerging Filipina star finally found her rhythm, range and putting touch in the closing holes, gaining strokes on Nos. 13. 15, 16 and 18 for a 33 and a four-day total of 293.
She finished 11 strokes behind Shinchi, who pounced on erstwhile local leader Amelia Harris’ bogey-marred 40 at the front and won by two with a blistering seven-under 66.
That included eight birdies in the last 11 holes as the Japanese overhauled a six-shot deficit while checking a roller-coaster round of two birdies against three bogeys in the first seven holes.
But she closed out her frontside stint with back-to-back birdies, earned another stroke on the 10th then birdied Nos. 13 and 14 to take command.
Though Harris rebounded with birdies on Nos. 10 and 13, she fell back again with bogeys on the next two holes before winding up with three straight birdies, which Shinchi matched to clinch the victory on a 10-under 282 total.
Harris wound up with a 74 for a 284 while first round leader Aina Fujimoto, also from Japan, and Aussie Eunseo Choi shared third place at 285 after 67 and 68, respectively.
Earlier, Malixi, out to salvage a Top 10 finish after scoring a breakthrough win in the Australian Master of the Amateurs last week, opened with four straight pars then bogeyed the fifth.
The International Container Terminal Services Inc.-backed campaigner recovered with a birdie on the next but failed to get up-and-down on the seventh.
But after another three-par game at the back, Malixi got going, birdying the par-5 No. 13, picking up another stroke on the par-3 15th and dominating the last two long holes to complete her big fightback.
Looking ahead, Malixi’s performance bodes well for her upcoming campaign in the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship from February 1 to 4 in Pattaya, Thailand.
She tied for third in the 2022 WAAP in Samut Prakan, Thailand but ended up joint 13th in last year’s Singapore’s edition of the annual championship among the region’s emerging talents, which also provides a pathway for Asia’s elite female amateurs to the internationals stage.
Justice Bosio, meanwhile, battled back with a 68 to place fifth at 289 while Amelia Whinney and Saori Iljima took the next two spots with 291 and 292 after 71 and 69, respectively.
Locals Ella Scaysbrook and Sarah Hammett matched 71s to tie Malixi at eighth.
Jimmy Butler's boost saw the Miami Heat pull off a close 96-95 OT win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, and head coach Erik Spoelstra minced no words about the team's run amid the veteran forward's injury-riddled season. Butler had missed seven games due to a toe injury and returned to the side to prop up 31 points and help the side improve to 24-16 in the East. In his absence, the Heat were 4-3, but Spoelstra had a quick reply when asked about the team's offense that sputtered heavily against the Nets.
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the win, Spoelstra was asked if the team's offense was stuck in the mud and the 53-year-old responded:
“This was cement.”
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70% Win
(110-25-1)
70% Win
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70% Win
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The head coach's words came from the fact that the Heat had scored only 31 points in the opening 24 minutes before clawing their way in. The Heat had only two major contributors — Jimmy Butler with 31 points, and Tyler Herro with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists.
Jimmy Butler propels Heat to close win
Jimmy Butler poured 31 points, five rebounds and four assists as the Heat edged the Nets by one point. Returning from a sprained toe that kept him out of a good few games for Miami. In addition, to his 31 offense, he also hit crucial free throws with 11.8 seconds left in OT at the Barclays Center. It was his first game since Dec. 30 and the forward played his part in helping the side win their third straight game by notching up 21 points in the second half and OT.
He ended his evening with 8-of-12 from the field and was 15-of-16 from the charity stripe. With 3:51 left in overtime, Nets' Royce O'Neal drained a three to give the side a 93-88 lead, but the Heat responded and minutes later, Tyler Herro drilled a three-pointer to put them within 95-94. Butler was later fouled by Dennis Smith Jr. and sunk both his free throws. With 1.1 seconds remaining, Mikal Bridges missed a 10-footer and the Nets went down by one.
The Heat have been one of the teams that have managed to stay competitive in the East, and their 24-16 record puts them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They trail the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers and now head to Toronto to play the Raptors, before returning to host the Atlanta Hawks. The hope for Spoelstra would be that the Heat's offense would fire up again as they gear up for the second half of the season.
Michael Voepel covers the WNBA, women's college basketball, and other college sports for espnW. Voepel began covering women's basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
Everything is hopping again. The ESPN Power Rankings were snoozy just a few weeks ago, with few games and little movement before the holidays.
But an undefeated team lost for the second week in a row, leaving only No. 1 South Carolina with an unblemished record. USC toppled previously unbeaten UCLA 73-65 in Round 2 of the "Battle of L.A." on Sunday.
It came just over two weeks after Round 1, when the teams met at UCLA and the Bruins won 71-64. Sunday's victory jumped the Trojans back into the Power Rankings' top 10 as super freshman JuJu Watkins had 32 points and 10 rebounds. She has six games of 30 or more points; the record for most in a season (10) belongs to USC legend Cheryl Miller, who was watching courtside at the Galen Center on Sunday.
The Bruins' loss made way for another Pac-12 team to move into the No. 2 spot: Colorado completed the climb by beating Stanford on Sunday. That also delayed, at least for one more game, Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer tying Duke's Mike Krzyzewski for the most career coaching victories in NCAA college basketball history, as she sits at 1,201.
Four of the Power 5 conferences now have just one team unbeaten in league play. But both Kansas State and Iowa State are 5-0 in the Big 12, with Baylor taking a huge plunge in the Power Rankings.
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FSU's Sara Bejedi knocks down 5th 3-pointer
Sara Bejedi puts up a career high 31-points with 5 treys as FSU takes down Virginia Tech 89-81.
The senior guard had her two biggest games of the season back-to-back, combining for 54 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists in victories over ranked teams North Carolina and Virginia Tech. She was 5-of-9 from 3-point range in both games. She also was 5-of-7 from behind the arc on Jan. 7, making her the first Seminoles player in the past 25 years to make 5 3-pointers in three consecutive games. Her 31 points against the Hokies on Sunday was her career high.
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Iowa State Cyclones vs. Baylor Bears - Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from Iowa State Cyclones vs. Baylor Bears, 01/13/2024
The Cyclones lost three starters from last season's team that won the Big 12 tournament title, including Ashley Joens, the program's all-time scoring and rebounding leader. But led by the freshman duo of Audi Crooks and Addy Brown, plus the return from early-season injury of point guard Emily Ryan, Iowa State is tied for first in the conference.
This past week, the Cyclones trailed ranked teams West Virginia and Baylor at halftime but rallied to win both games. Crooks had a combined 45 points and 17 rebounds; Brown 21 points, 19 rebounds and 13 assists.
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Auburn stuns defending champ LSU, sets crowd record
Behind 21 points from Honesty Scott-Grayson and relentless effort from JaMya Mingo-Young, Auburn pulls off the upset vs. No. 7 LSU, 67-62, with 7,720 in attendance.
The all-Tigers matchup didn't seem like much of a contest on paper: Defending national champion LSU came in ranked No. 7 in the AP poll with a 3-0 SEC record, while Auburn was 0-3. But Auburn was prepared to guard LSU, which had a season low in points, missed 11 layups and was held without a 3-pointer for the first time in 25 games dating to last season. JaMya Mingo-Young also got a big steal with 9 seconds left as Angel Reese was trying to score on a drive.
Auburn got its second win over a top-10 team in coach Johnnie Harris' three seasons.
In her third season with the Trojans, Gottlieb has done her part to help bring the USC-UCLA rivalry to heights it hasn't seen since its earliest days. She has excelled at recruiting, with Watkins the five-star gem, and at reenergizing the fan base. Even with starting center Rayah Marshall sidelined with an illness Sunday, the Trojans held the Bruins to 65 points and had just one fewer rebound than UCLA.
Power Rankings
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Hall monitors No. 1 South Carolina win at Missouri
After hitting 8 of 10 from the field overall and all four of her 3-pointers in the Gamecocks' 81-57 win over Mizzou, Bree Hall says she knew her shot was "deadly."
The Gamecocks got past what sometimes has been a tough trip for them in the past, winning easily in the "other" Columbia over Missouri last Thursday. Bree Hall stood out, going 8-of-10 from the field for 21 points as South Carolina continues to lead Division I in scoring margin (37.3).
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Colorado Buffaloes vs. Stanford Cardinal - Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from Colorado Buffaloes vs. Stanford Cardinal, 01/14/2024
It's hard to pin down a No. 2 team, but the Buffaloes get the nod. They opened the season in November with a marquee win over LSU and got another one Sunday against Stanford. That followed Thursday's win over Cal; Colorado leads the Pac-12 at 5-0. The Buffs' experienced group continues to play well together. The visits from the Los Angeles schools this weekend loom large.
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Caitlin Clark shines again with triple-double in Iowa's win
Caitlin Clark scores 26 points and adds 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Iowa's win over Purdue.
A case could be made for Iowa at No. 2, as the Hawkeyes' offense keeps humming along behind Caitlin Clark. For now, we have Iowa jumping to third after Clark's 15th career triple-double led the way to a win at Purdue and a strong team 3-point performance (15 treys, led by Clark's six) helped the Hawkeyes dismantle Indiana.
4. UCLA Bruins (14-1)
Previous ranking: 2 This week: at Colorado Buffaloes (Friday)
UCLA was bound to have at least one off game, and it came against its crosstown rival Sunday. With Lauren Betts coming off the bench due to illness, the Bruins never really looked like themselves in the 73-65 loss to USC. They made just 4 of 22 3-point attempts and struggled in multiple areas: 32 fouls, 22 turnovers and just 12 assists. That's not a formula for winning. But it was just one game, so UCLA doesn't fall much.
Center River Baldwin remains out with an ankle injury, but the Wolfpack bounced back from their only loss -- Jan. 7 at Virginia Tech -- to beat Virginia for the second time this season. In a season full of impressive freshmen, here's another one: Guard Zoe Brooks led NC State with 19 points, the high of her young career, against the Cavaliers.
6. USC Trojans (13-1)
Previous ranking: 13 This week: at Utah Utes (Friday), at Colorado Buffaloes (Sunday)
The Trojans made a big jump by knocking off UCLA even with Rayah Marshall sidelined with an illness, showing their defense can excel despite missing a key piece. USC's nonconference schedule wasn't as impressive as the Bruins' was, but the rivals have split their head-to-head matchups. Watkins has been the story every game so far for USC, but guard McKenzie Forbes stood out, too, with 18 points and four assists against UCLA.
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Showtime! Kansas State's block sets up 3rd quarter buzzer-beater
Serena Sundell comes away with an impressive block, then Zyanna Walker buries a third quarter buzzer-beater for the Wildcats.
Texas provided the Wildcats with their only real test since their lone loss on Nov. 26 to Iowa. And Kansas State passed, beating the Longhorns 61-58 on Saturday after a 17-point win over Oklahoma on Wednesday. Ayoka Lee had a combined 40 points and 16 rebounds in those games, and she's shooting 67.7% from the field.
Another week, another two Big East blowouts for the Huskies, who are looking more and more like typical powerful UConn. Freshman Ashlynn Shade led the charge with 17 points against Providence. Paige Bueckers had 22 points against St. John's and is shooting 48.6% (seventh in Division I) from behind the arc.
The Tigers won their 16th game in a row Thursday against Texas A&M. But the streak ended at Auburn on Sunday. LSU hasn't been as good of a 3-point shooting team this year as last. Even so, they took just two shots from behind the arc (missing both) in the loss to Auburn and also missed their bread-and-butter inside shots at crunch time. They can use this defeat to refocus.
The "mountain" road trip to Utah and Colorado tends to be a challenge for Pac-12 teams, and it got to Stanford. The Cardinal escaped Utah with a 66-64 win Friday, but Colorado took control in the third quarter Sunday to beat Stanford 71-59. Cameron Brink dealt with her old nemesis -- foul trouble -- and had just 12 points. Still, Tara VanDerveer has a chance to make history at home this weekend.
11. Texas Longhorns (16-2)
Previous ranking: 9 This week: vs. Kansas (Tuesday), at Oklahoma State (Saturday)
After beating TCU last Wednesday, the Longhorns ran into a Kansas State team that defended them better than anyone else has, holding Texas to a season-low 58 points Saturday. The Longhorns shot 35.5% from the field and 18.2% from behind the arc. We wait to see whether DeYona Gaston, who injured her ankle late against the Wildcats, will play this week.
The Buckeyes have won three in a row since being upset at Michigan on Dec. 30, including victories last week against Rutgers and Michigan State. But they have a lot to prove this week, especially in their home showdown with Iowa.
The Cardinals are leading the ACC at 4-0 after cruising last week over Pittsburgh and Wake Forest. The win over the Demon Deacons was the definition of a balanced attack, with seven players scoring between 9 and 12 points. That's exactly how Louisville is winning games this season. Limiting foes to 58.1 points per game helps, too.
It was a big week for the Seminoles, who upset North Carolina and Virginia Tech to go to 5-1 in the ACC. Bejedi earned our player of the week honor, but Makayla Timpson and Ta'Niya Latson both contributed a lot as well. Latson tied her career high with 8 assists against the Hokies.
Maybe we're "over-punishing" the Bears by dropping them so far, but they are the only AP Top 25 team that lost twice last week -- both to unranked teams. Kansas dominated the Bears by 21 points on Wednesday. Saturday, Baylor led Iowa State by 8 points at halftime, then lost by 3. The Bears will have to watch some tough film from both games and move forward.
16. Virginia Tech Hokies (13-3)
Previous ranking: 12 This week: at Duke Blue Devils (Thursday), vs. Clemson Tigers (Sunday)
A week after handing NC State its first loss, the Hokies were on the other side of an upset Sunday, losing at Florida State. Virginia Tech did get a win last Thursday over Miami, and center Elizabeth Kitley had another big week with a combined 61 points and 23 rebounds.
