No. 22 Arizona Wins Season Opener, 89-67

Shawntinice Polk scored 25 points, including nine straight to start the second half, and No. 22 Arizona opened its women’s basketball season by beating Northern Arizona, 89-67, Saturday at Tucson.

The run by Polk, who made nine of 14 shots before fouling out with 5:14 remaining, increased Arizona’s lead to 59-43. Dee-Dee Wheeler, who finished with 19 points, had two free throws and a driving layup to make it 63-46.

The Wildcats also got 19 points each from CoCoa Sanford and Aimee Grzyb.

Alyssa Wahl led Northern Arizona with 26 points. Natalie Metz added 14 and Alexis Rhodes 13.

The Wildcats built a 34-13 lead in the first half with the help of five straight three-point baskets, including four by Grzyb, but a spurt by Northern Arizona closed the gap to six points. Arizona scored the final seven points, including a three-pointer by Wheeler at the buzzer, for a 50-39 lead at the half.

No. 13 Minnesota 93, Southern 41 -- At Minneapolis, Lindsay Whalen had 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists to help the Gophers to a victory in the opening round of the Subway Classic.

Whalen made 10 of 13 shots. She scored 17 points while the Gophers built a 49-18 halftime lead.

Rolanda Monroe led Southern with 17 points.

No. 16 Colorado 85, Harvard 81 -- In another opening-round Subway Classic game, Tera Bjorklund scored 33 points and the Buffaloes (3-0) rallied from a 15-point, first-half deficit.

Colorado will face Minnesota in today’s tournament final.

Bjorklund made 12 of 14 shots from the field and nine of nine from the free-throw line for the Buffaloes, who trailed, 37-22, with less than eight minutes left in the first half.

Kate Fagan scored 23 points and Amber Metoyer had a game-high nine rebounds for Colorado.

Reka Cserny had 26 points and Hana Peljto added 22 for the Crimson.

No. 21 Oklahoma 90, Oral Roberts 42 -- Maria Villarroel scored 20 points and Caton Hill added 17 to lead the Sooners in the opening round of the Bertha Teague Classic at Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma scored 17 consecutive points to open the second half. Krista Sanchez had 13 points, all in the second half, for the Sooners. Elisha Turek led Oral Roberts with nine points.

Oral Roberts held a four-point lead twice in the first half. The score was tied at 16-16 before Oklahoma went on a 12-0 run to take the lead for good.