Women's Top 25 roundup: Utah works OT to hand No. 8 TCU first loss

Lani White sank a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to force overtime and finished with a team-high 25 points as Utah upset previously unbeaten and eighth-ranked TCU 87-77 on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

The Utes (11-4, 2-1 Big 12) outscored the Horned Frogs 20-10 in the extra period. Utah trailed for much of the game before an 18-11 third quarter gave it a two-point edge going into the fourth. The Utes' largest lead, 10 points, came at the end.

White made 9 of 17 from the floor, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and 3 of 3 at the free-throw line. Reese Ross added 15 points, Maty Wilke had 12 and Avery Hjelmstad and Brooke Walker (team-high eight rebounds) scored 10 points apiece. The Utes were 26 of 54 from the field, 13 of 23 from long range and 22 of 33 at the foul line.

Olivia Miles led TCU (14-1, 2-1 Big 12) with 31 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the floor, but shot 3 of 12 from long range. Marta Suarez added 23 points and 11 rebounds. Clara Silva contributed 10 points and nine boards and Donovyn Hunter added 11 points. The Horned Frogs were 28 of 75 from the floor, 9 of 39 on 3-pointers and 12 of 15 at the line.

No. 1 UConn 84, Seton Hall 48

Sarah Strong recorded 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals to lead the Huskies over the Pirates in a Big East Conference game in Hartford, Conn.

Strong played 25 minutes as UConn (15-0, 6-0 Big East) won its third straight game by at least 36 points. Teammate Azzi Fudd added 16 points and Allie Ziebell contributed 12 as the Huskies scored 35 points off 32 Seton Hall turnovers. UConn led 19-11 after one quarter, 38-18 at halftime and 67-26 after three periods.

For the Pirates (10-5, 4-2), Jordana Codio scored a team-high 12 points but committed 10 turnovers.

No. 4 UCLA 80, No. 17 Southern California 46

Lauren Betts recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Bruins pulled away by outscoring the Trojans 27-12 in the second quarter en route to their eighth consecutive victory.

UCLA (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) was tied with its crosstown rival 16-16 after the first quarter before outscoring USC 64-30 the rest of the way. Gianna Kneepkens (15 points), Kiki Rice (14) and Gabriela Jaquez (12) also scored in double figures for the Bruins, who had a 46-26 advantage on the boards.

The Trojans' high scorer was Kara Dunn with 11 points, while star freshman Jazzy Davidson had 10 on 4-of-15 shooting from the field. USC (10-4, 2-1) shot 8 of 24 from 3-point range in having its three-game winning streak snapped.

No. 21 Texas Tech 80, Arizona 49

The Lady Raiders, already off to the best start to a season in program history, improved to 16-0 and 3-0 in the Big 12 with a rout of the Wildcats.

Five players scored in double figures for Texas Tech: Denae Fritz (16), Bailey Maupin (13) and reserves Adlee Blacklock (15), Jada Malone (14) and Snudda Collins (11). Gemma Nunez contributed eight rebounds and eight assists with no turnovers.

Stephanie Okechukwu, a 7-foot-1 freshman from Nigeria, sat on the team bench while awaiting the NCAA's ruling on her eligibility. She would be the tallest player in women's college basketball history. Without her, the Lady Raiders blocked a season-high 11 shots against Arizona (9-5, 0-3). Tanyuel Welch, with game highs of 19 points and nine rebounds, was the only Wildcat to score in double figures.

No. 25 Princeton 74, Penn 68

Olivia Hutcherson scored 20 points and Fadima Tall grabbed eight rebounds as the Tigers beat the Quakers in Philadelphia in the Ivy League opener for both teams.

Madison St. Rose added 15 points as Princeton (13-1) extended its winning streak to 11 games. The Tigers have not lost since an 84-68 setback to then-No. 9 Maryland on Nov. 16.

Penn (10-4) was led by Mataya Gayle's 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. The Quakers outscored the Tigers 22-19 in the fourth quarter.

--Field Level Media

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January 04, 2026

Women's Top 25 roundup: Utah works OT to hand No. 8 TCU first loss

Lani White sank a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to force overtime and finished with a team-high 25 points as Utah u...

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The 49ers have been clawing uphill all season. The Seahawks made that trek much worse.

Brock Purdy was laid out.

It was late in the fourth quarter and the San Francisco 49ers quarterback had become origami on grass, rudely folded between a pair of Seattle Seahawks defenders and left staring at the sky from the flat of his back. The thumb on his throwing hand was bashed and bloody, a perfect representation of the49ers' playoff outlook. In a game that meant so much for the franchise's never-ending uphill battle, a foothold was lost that was more important to San Francisco than any other postseason team.

There would be no playoff bye week for the 49ers. Nor would there be home-field advantage that could have allowed San Francisco to awaken Sunday with the comfort of being settled into Levi's Stadium through Super Bowl 60. Instead, sunrise will serve up a different reality: Both the49ers and their postseason fortunes were thrashed by the Seahawks in a brutal 13-3 loss.

Denied the No. 1 seed in the NFC and dispatched all the way down to No. 5. And if theLos Angeles Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, San Francisco will be knocked down to the sixth seed. For the 49ers, that will mean the difference between playing their wild-card game on the road against either the Carolina Panthers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers (both of whom finished with 8-9 records) or against the Philadelphia Eagles or Chicago Bears (both of whom enter Sunday 11-5).

"We're ready for it," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the loss. "I mean, yeah, it would have been nice to have to have a home game here — or both home games and get a bye — but it is what it is. This team's been through a lot this year. Now we got to do it the hard way, and we'll embrace the s*** out of doing it the hard way and look forward to it."

It worth noting Shanahan's 49ers just beat the Bears 42-38 in a fourth-quarter comeback in Week 17. It's also worth noting that the Eagles have struggled to string together offensive consistency over the course of the season. Both are certainly beatable in this NFC. Especially when you consider that despite getting absolutelyhandledphysically by the Seahawks on Saturday, the 49ers still had a chance until a late Purdy interception was tipped at the line of scrimmage before caroming off the hands of running back Christian McCaffrey and into the arms of Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas. The 49ers were at the Seahawks' 6-yard line and it ended San Francisco's last best chance to cut into Seattle's 13-3 lead.

"It's a play I have to make — absolutely have to make," McCaffrey said afterward. "I expect nothing less than to make that play and it's completely on me."

That's one way to look at it. Another way would be to admit that San Francisco badly missed wideout Ricky Pearsall one week after he provided an instrumental spark against the Bears. Not to mention left tackle Trent Williams, who would have been a significant anchor against a Seattle front line that battered Purdy and helped bottle up an offense that had been humming as it continued to be streamlined through McCaffrey. That's how San Francisco went from putting 42 on Chicago to matching the lowest point total (3) of Shanahan's career as a head coach. The last time that happened was 2017 and San Francisco was just starting the process of a total teardown in the first season under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

Maybe that's a sign that Seattle and its defensive wizard head coach Mike Macdonald are worthy of the No. 1 seed. Maybe it's a sign that the 49ers are starting to feel the effects of being so wildly beaten up with injuries and having to juggle inconsistent lineups. Most likely, it's a little bit of both. And the latter certainly didn't get any better on Saturday night.

Shanahan revealed that Purdy suffered a shoulder stinger on the 49ers' last offensive play — the one that left him lying on his back after getting steamrolled by two defenders on a fourth-and-6 incompletion with 1:51 left — to go along with his banged up thumb. The 49ers also saw linebackers Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune exit the game with ankle and groin injuries, respectively. If those linger, it would mean San Francisco could enter the playoffs without two starting linebackers.

When Shanahan talks about the hard way, this is what it continues to look like for San Francisco. Losing more players. Seeing Purdy take a beating. Having McCaffrey make an uncharacteristic mistake. Now going on the road for the postseason and spending Sunday hoping the Cardinals can somehow topple a Rams team that will absolutely be playing its full slate of starters to lock in that No. 5 seed and guarantee it won't be the one going to play in 30-degree weather in Chicago or facing defending Super Bowl champ Philadelphia in its house.

"Obviously [the No. 1 seed] was our goal, but we can't dwell on it," Purdy told reporters. "We have a pretty quick turnaround here and we got to go win next week. Our team has been through so much adversity, guys going down, next guy up. People have counted us out and that's fine and they can say what they want, but for us to go on the road and find a way to win, we've done it before and that's going to be our goal."

After Saturday, it's the only goal left — the only trek left. And for now, it goes through Seattle.

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January 04, 2026

The 49ers have been clawing uphill all season. The Seahawks made that trek much worse.

Brock Purdy was laid out. It was late in the fourth quarter and the San Francisco 49ers quarterback had become...

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No. 1 Arizona swats Utah with balanced effort

Jaden Bradley scored 18 points and Koa Peat added 17 to lead No. 1 Arizona to a 97-78 Big 12 victory over Utah on Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Tobe Akawa tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds off the bench to help the Wildcats (14-0, 1-0 Big 12) win their ninth straight game by double figures. Brayden Burries chipped in 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds while Ivan Kharchenkov added 13 points.

Arizona shot 53.6% from the floor and went 7 of 18 from 3-point range.

Terrence Brown led Utah (8-6, 0-1) with 26 points and six assists. Keanu Dawes added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Utes while Don McHenry chipped in 15 points as the Utes lost at home for just the second time this season.

Utah scored the first basket, but never led again as Arizona wasted no time imposing its will on both ends of the court. The Wildcats shot 61.1% from the floor in the first half and had a 22-12 advantage on the glass before halftime. They also scored 13 points off eight Utah turnovers in that span.

Kharchenkov made back-to-back baskets in the opening minute to ignite a 14-0 run for Arizona. He capped the run with a layup that gave the Wildcats a 14-2 lead at the 16:08 mark. The Utes committed four turnovers in the first four minutes to fall behind by double digits.

Arizona eventually pushed the lead to 27-10 on a rare Akawa 3-pointer.

Utah cut into the deficit before halftime, pulling within 36-28 on a Dawes dunk. The Utes could draw no closer before Arizona sprinted away again. Bradley hit two free throws to spark a 10-0 blitz over 1:57 to restore a 46-28 lead with 4:02 remaining before halftime.

Arizona made six straight baskets to end the first half, punctuated by Burries' steal and layup, to take a 58-39 lead into the locker room.

The Wildcats led by as many as 24 points in the second half.

--Field Level Media

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January 04, 2026

No. 1 Arizona swats Utah with balanced effort

Jaden Bradley scored 18 points and Koa Peat added 17 to lead No. 1 Arizona to a 97-78 Big 12 victory over Utah on Sa...

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Buccaneers edge Panthers to keep NFC South title hopes alive

Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their chance to win the NFC South alive by beating the Carolina Panthers 16-14 on a rainy Saturday at Tampa.

The Buccaneers (8-9) and Panthers (8-9) finish tied in the NFC South, but they'll be joined by the Atlanta Falcons (7-9) if they beat the New Orleans Saints (6-10) on Sunday. A three-way tie would benefit Carolina and put the Panthers into the playoffs, while the Buccaneers will be rooting for the Saints because Tampa Bay would win the division if there's only a two-way tie.

"We'll see what happens tomorrow," Tampa quarterback Baker Mayfield said after the win on awaiting the result of the Saints and Falcons game.

Mayfield was 16-for-22 for 203 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His 20-yard completion to Cade Otton for a first down late in the fourth quarter helped seal the outcome.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was 24-for-35 for 264 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Carolina produced only 19 rushing yards.

McLaughlin's 48-yard field goal with 14:12 remaining marked the first points of the second half and stretched the Buccaneers' lead to 16-7.

Then the Panthers moved to the Tampa Bay 20, but a flea-flicker went awry with a wayward pitch from Rico Dowdle, resulting in a fumble recovered by Lavonte David for the Buccaneers.

But Carolina had another chance and went 72 yards on eight plays, capped by Young's 8-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker with 2:27 left. The Panthers forced a punt, but got the ball back at their own 3-yard line with 18 seconds left and no timeouts.

It was the second Panthers-Buccaneers matchup in less than two weeks, with Carolina winning 23-20 on Dec. 21 in Charlotte.

The Buccaneers scored on the game's first possession, with Mayfield completing three passes, including an 18-yard touchdown to Otton.

Tampa Bay threatened again in their next possession but settled for McLaughlin's 29-yard field goal.

Carolina's Christian Rozeboom intercepted Mayfield and his 20-yard return put the ball at Tampa Bay's 19. Three plays later, the Panthers were within 10-7 after Young's 8-yard pass to Tommy Tremble.

Carolina's next possession ended when Jacob Parrish picked off Young at the Tampa Bay 42. The Buccaneers converted on McLaughlin's 36-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half to stretch their edge to 13-7.

--Field Level Media

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January 03, 2026

Buccaneers edge Panthers to keep NFC South title hopes alive

Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their chance to win the NFC South alive ...

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Maxey scores 36 points and the 76ers win again in New York, beating the Knicks 130-119

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 36 points, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe each had 26 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 130-119 on Saturday night for their third straight victory.

Paul George added 15 points and Quentin Grimes had 10 for the 76ers, who won at Madison Square Garden for the second time this season. Embiid also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Jalen Brunson scored 31 points for the Knicks, who have lost three straight for the second time this season. Karl-Anthony Towns, who returned after missing one game due to illness, added 23 points and 14 rebounds.

Deuce McBride scored 20 points, OG Anunoby had 19 and Mikal Bridges added 12 for New York.

The Knicks were ahead 30-25 when the 76ers scored the final six points of the first quarter and led 31-30.

Philadelphia increased its run to 9-0 when Edgecombe opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Anunoby and Jordan Clarkson put the Knicks back in front.

Trailing 38-37, the 76ers produced a 9-0 run and grabbed the lead for good. They went ahead by 13 before the Knicks scored the last five points of the second quarter and cut their deficit to 66-58 at halftime.

Embiid's two free throws gave Philadelphia its largest lead at 96-77 with 3:13 remaining in the third quarter. The Knicks' 10-3 run pulled them within 99-87 heading into the fourth.

Towns' bucket opened the final quarter and his three-point play with 9:59 left brought the Knicks within 103-94.

The 76ers regained a 15-point lead, but Anunoby's free throws with 2:08 left got the Knicks within 121-114.

Maxey's free throw, Grimes' layup and Edgecombe's jam followed and the Knicks never got any closer.

76ers: Host Denver on Monday.

Knicks: Visit Detroit on Monday.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA

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January 03, 2026

Maxey scores 36 points and the 76ers win again in New York, beating the Knicks 130-119

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 36 points, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe each had 26 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat ...

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