Houston guard Taze Moore scores during the first half of an NCAA basketball game against Cincinnati on Sunday in Cincinnati.
AP photo
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Houston guard Jamal Shead (1) is guarded by Cincinnati’s David DeJulius (5) during the first half of an NCAA basketball game Sunday in Cincinnati.
AP photo
Cincinnati guard David DeJulius reacts after scoring during the first half of an NCAA basketball game against Houston on Sunday in Cincinnati.
AP photo
CINCINNATI — Fabian White Jr. scored a career-high 22 points, Jamal Shead had 17 points and No. 6 Houston won its 12th straight game by beating Cincinnati 80-58 on Sunday night.
Taze Moore scored 13 points and Reggie Chaney added 10 for Houston (20-2, 9-0 American Athletic Conference), which hasn’t lost since Dec. 2 — a one-point loss at then-No. 9 Alabama.
“We take a lot of pride over the years, once we get into February, to get better,” Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Not focused on our record as much as just getting to the next game. We had a lot of guys play well tonight, not just Fabian.”
David DeJulius scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half for the Bearcats (15-7, 5-4 American), who dropped their fourth straight to Houston.
“We got our butts kicked tonight,” Bearcats coach Wes Miller said. “Tip your hat to Houston. They did some good things offensively. They guarded the heck out of us. We knew that was going to happen.”
Houston was dominant from the opening tip, which Moore converted into a two-handed dunk. The Cougars went 10 of 15 from the floor and 4 of 5 from 3-point range to start.
“They play inspiring basketball,” DeJulius said. “They hit the glass hard. They play together. They showed why they are the sixth-ranked team in the country.”
A 3-pointer by White and a steal and dunk by Edwards made the score 20-3 with 14:02 remaining in the first half, prompting Miller to call his second timeout.
The Bearcats, meanwhile, had two field goals in the first nine minutes.
Houston outscored the Bearcats 38-18 in the paint.
“Everybody counted us out when Marcus (Sasser) went down,” White said. “It’s a matter of pride for us. We were just playing basketball out there today. We’re getting into the meat of the schedule. It’s all about the next game.”
The Cougars led by as many as 21 points in the first half, but the Bearcats managed to cut their halftime deficit to 42-31 behind DeJulius’ 18 points.
“We thought we were going to come out after halftime and make a run,” Miller said. “They made it tough on us defensively.”
Cincinnati couldn’t take advantage of Houston’s second-half foul trouble or a knee injury to Shead, who limped off with nine minutes left and didn’t return.
“Our fast start tonight was more of a byproduct of our preparation,” Sampson said. “We walked a tightrope with fatigue and foul trouble. We got tired in the second half.”
NO. 15 PROVIDENCE 71, GEORGETOWN 52
WASHINGTON (— Georgetown set a school record with its 11th straight loss, while Jared Bynum scored a career-high 32 points to lead Providence to a victory.
Coach Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas (6-15, 0-10 Big East) dropped nine games under .500 for the first time since going 3-23 in 1971-72, the season before Hall of Fame coach John Thompson Jr. began his Georgetown career.
Georgetown’s previous record losing streak was 10, set over the final nine games of the 2003-04 season and the 2004-05 season opener.
The Friars (20-2, 10-1) won their seventh in a row. They completed a season sweep of the sputtering Hoyas and have won 12 of 15 against their longtime conference rival since 2015.
Bynum had only five points at halftime, but personally outscored Georgetown 27-22 in the second half.
Aminu Mohammed had 18 points for the Hoyas.
NO. 16 OHIO STATE 82, MARYLAND 67
COLUMBUS, Ohio — E.J. Liddell had 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead Ohio State.
The Buckeyes (14-5, 7-3 Big Ten) led by as much as 22 points in the second half of its fourth victory in five games. They shot 51% from the field, including an 11-for-26 performance from 3-point range.
Justin Ahrens and Zed Key scored 14 points apiece for the Buckeyes.
Donta Scott scored 25 points for Maryland (11-12, 3-9), which dropped its third straight game. Fatts Russell had 12 points and Qudus Wahab finished with 10.
WOMEN
NO. 10 UCONN 75, TENNESSEE 56
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Freshman Azzi Fudd scored a career-high 25 points in her first start to help No. 10 UConn beat seventh-ranked Tennessee.
This was the 25th meeting in the storied series that was renewed in 2020 after a 13-year hiatus. The teams will play again next year in Knoxville, Tennessee. This was the first time since 2007 when both teams were in the top 10.
Fudd got the start when it was announced about an hour before the game that the Huskies would be missing her classmate, Caroline Ducharme. The Huskies didn’t say why she wasn’t playing. Ducharme scored in double figures in 10 of the team’s last 11 games.
Fudd scored the team’s first basket — a 3-pointer — and finished the opening half with nine points as UConn (15-4) built a 32-25 lead.
Jordan Horston scored 26 points for Tennessee (19-4). It has lost three of its last four.
NO. 2 STANFORD SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 57
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cameron Brink scored a career-high 26 points and had 14 rebounds and Stanford beat Southern California to remain undefeated in the Pac-12.
Hannah Jump added 12 points for the Cardinal (18-3, 9-0 Pac-12). Stanford extended its winning streak to nine since a 65-61 road loss to No. 1 South Carolina on Dec. 21. Stanford also extended its conference winning streak to 24 games going back to last season, including postseason play.
Jordyn Jenkins scored 20 points for the Trojans (9-11, 2-8).
NO. 4 LOUISVILLE 100, SYRACUSE 64
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Liz Dixon scored a season-high 18 points and Kianna Smith had 16, helping Louisville beat Syracuse.
Louisville (21-2, 11-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won six straight since a 68-59 loss at then-No. 4 North Carolina State in late January. Syracuse (9-12, 2-9) has stumbled since a six-game winning streak, dropping eight of nine.
Najé Murray led the Orange with 16 points.
NO. 5 INDIANA 64, PURDUE 57
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Nicole Cardaño-Hillary scored 19 points and Grace Berger had 17, leading Indiana past Purdue 64-57.
Chloe Moore-McNeil added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Hoosiers (16-3, 8-1 Big Ten).
Jeanae Terry led Purdue (13-10, 4-8) with 14 points.
NO. 6 MICHIGAN 98, NO. 21 IOWA 90
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Naz Hillmon had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Michigan beat Iowa, overcoming 46 points from Caitlin Clark.
Laila Phelia added 24 points, four rebounds and three assists for the Wolverines (20-2, 11-1 Big Ten). Maddie Nolan has 17 points.
Clark was the lone bright spot for the Hawkeyes (15-6, 9-3). She and Sydney Affolter each grabbed six rebounds.
NO. 8 ARIZONA 73, OREGON STATE 61
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Cate Reese had 19 points and Koi Love came off the bench to score a season-high 16, helping Arizona beat Oregon State.
Arizona (17-3, 7-3 Pac-12) has won 15 straight at hoe.
Talia Van Oelhoffen had 17 points for Oregon State (11-7, 4-4).
NO, 9 BAYLOR 63, NO. 13 TEXAS 55
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — NaLyssa Smith scored 28 points and Baylor beat Texas for the second time in three days.
Baylor beat Texas 75-63 on Friday night and the quick turnaround for the rematch happened because a Jan. 9 meeting had been postponed because of COVID-19 problems in the Bears program.
The Bears (17-5, 7-3 Big 12) have won 13 in a row over the Longhorns (15-6, 5-5) and 27 of the last 28 meetings in the rivalry.
Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 18 points to lead Texas.
FLORIDA 54 64, NO. 14 GEORGIA 51
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Zipporah Broughton scored the final four points and Florida scored the final eight to knock off Georgia.
Broughton and Merritt led Florida (17-6, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) with 11 points apiece.
Malury Bates had 13 points for Georgia (17-5, 6-4).
NO. 17 MARYLAND 80, NEBRASKA 65
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Chloe Bibby scored 21 points and Maryland beat Nebraska for its fifth consecutive victory.
Angel Reese added 15 points and 16 rebounds for Maryland (17-6, 9-3 Big Ten).
Ashley Scoggin led Nebraska (17-5, 6-5) with 20 points.
ARIZONA STATE 55, NO. 19 OREGON 49
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Jade Loville scored six of her 16 points in the fourth quarter, Ayzhiana Basallo had 10 points with six assists off the bench and Arizona State beat Oregon.
Taya Hanson added nine points, seven rebounds and two steals for Arizona State (11-8, 3-3 Pac-12)
Endyia Rogers scored 18 points for Oregon (14-7, 7-3).
FLORIDA STATE 70, NO. 20 NOTRE DAME 64
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Valencia Myers finished with 14 points and eight rebounds to help Florida State beat Notre Dame for the first time in program history.
The Seminoles (11-10, 5-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) improved to 1-11 against the Fighting Irish (18-5, 9-3). Olivia Miles had 17 points for Notre Dame.
NO. 24 NORTH CAROLINA 85, MIAMI 38
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Deja Kelly scored 18 points, North Carolina led 28-2 after a quarter in a rout over Miami in the Play4Kay game.
Kennedy Todd-Williams scored a career-high 16 points for North Carolina (18-4, 8-4 Atlantic Coast Conference. Kelsey Marshall led Miami (12-9, 5-6) with 15 points.