Tricia Liston scored a career-high 29 points with five 3-pointers and No. 5 Duke (24-1 overall, 14-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) beat Wake Forest (11-15, 4-1), 81-70, on Sunday in Durham, N.C.
But the Blue Devils suffered a major loss when star point guard Chelsea Gray injured her right knee in the first half.
Blue Devils coach Joanne P. McCallie said Gray, the ACC leader in steals and assists, will miss the rest of the regular season but could return for the postseason if no ligament damage is found during a magnetic resonance imaging exam.
“The best thing we could hope for is a dislocation which would allow her to come back in a period of time,” McCallie said.
Gray averages 13 point, 5.6 assists and 3.7 steals for the first-place Blue Devils.
SHOWDOWN TONIGHT
Brittney Griner vividly remembers her last trip to Connecticut in two simple words: free throws.
As a sophomore, Griner had a miserable time at the line, missing eight free throws in Baylor’s one-point loss to UConn.
The 6-foot-8 star can’t wait for a chance at redemption when the top-ranked Bears (24-1) visit No. 3 UConn (24-1) today (6 p.m., ESPN2) in a late-season, nonconference clash that could be a preview of the NCAA championship game in April.
“I hope I get fouled on the first play so I can shoot some free throws,” said Griner, a career 75 percent free throw shooter.
Griner is 25 points short of becoming the eighth player to reach 3,000.
It’s a great atmosphere to play a big game,” Griner said.
The teams know there will be a lot more at stake if they meet again in the NCAA tournament.
“It’s good for women’s basketball. It’s good for television,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said.
Huskies coach Geno Auriemma isn’t a big fan of the timing of the game, but knows that it can help prepare his team for what lies ahead.
“It’s not ideal in the middle of February,” Auriemma said.
TOP 25 HIGHLIGHTS
Meighan Simmons scored 17 points as No. 12 Tennessee (20-5, 11-1 Southeastern Conference) rolled to an 83-64 win over Vanderbilt (16-9, 6-6). Tennessee clinched its 37th consecutive 20-win season. … Jasmine Hassell had 16 points and 16 rebounds as No. 13 Georgia (21-4, 9-3 SEC) beat Florida (15-11, 4-8), ending a streak of nine wins by the home team in the series. … Leonor Rodriguez scored 22 points as No. 19 Florida State (20-5, 10-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) upset No. 14 North Carolina (23-4, 11-3), 80-73, in Tallahassee, Fla. It was the first win over a top 15 team since Feb. 1, 2010 for the Seminoles, who are coached by former University of Puget Sound star Sue Semrau. … Samantha Logic scored 26 points to lead Iowa (17-10, 6-7 Big Ten) to a 72-52 win over No. 18 Purdue (19-6, 8-4) in West Lafayette, Ind. … Carolyn Davis had 24 points and 10 rebounds as Kansas (16-8, 7-6 Big 12) beat No. 22 Oklahoma (18-7, 8-5), 81-71, in Lawrence, Kan. … Bria Holmes’ 18 points led West Virginia (15-10, 7-7 Big 12) over No. 24 Iowa State (18-6, 9-5), 68-66, in Ames, Iowa.
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