Penn State Stuns Michigan State

Tanisha Wright and Jess Strom each scored 24 points, and Penn State knocked off No. 8-ranked Michigan State, 73-56, Sunday at State College, Pa., giving the Lions’ their third victory this season against a top-10 opponent.

“There are certain kids you can read and you look at them and you can just tell by their faces you’re going to be OK,” Coach Rene Portland said of Wright and Strom. “So that’s a nice look every now and then. I try to search for the one that’s going to make me feel good when I’m on the sideline.”

Wright had 16 points in the second half, including 10 during a 25-7 run that put the Lions (12-6 overall, 7-0 in Big Ten Conference play) ahead, 67-51, with 2 minutes 36 seconds left.

That spurt erased a three-point deficit and ended a stretch of more than six minutes without a field goal.

It was the 19th consecutive double-figure scoring game for Wright.

Lindsay Bowen scored 13 points to lead the Spartans (16-3, 5-2).

No. 2 Louisiana State 79, No. 17 Vanderbilt 68 -- Sylvia Fowles scored 20 of her 22 points in the second half at Nashville, and the Tigers (18-1, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) never trailed en route to their fourth consecutive victory.

Dee Davis led Vanderbilt (13-5, 2-3) with 24 points.

No. 3 Ohio State 71, Northwestern 59 -- Brandie Hoskins scored 18 points at Columbus, Ohio, and the Buckeyes (19-2, 6-1 Big Ten) won their eighth in a row overall and 10th in a row against the Wildcats (4-16, 1-6).

No. 11 Notre Dame 63, No. 6 Rutgers 47 -- Jacqueline Batteast scored 18 of her 27 points in the second half at South Bend, Ind., and the Fighting Irish (16-3, 4-2 Big East) used a 23-0 run to beat the Scarlet Knights (13-4, 4-1) and give Coach Muffet McGraw her 400th victory at Notre Dame. Megan Duffy had 11 assists.

No. 7 Tennessee 67, Kentucky 49 -- Shyra Ely scored 13 points at Knoxville, Tenn., and the Lady Vols (14-3, 4-0 SEC) held the Wildcats (13-7, 2-3) to six field goals in the first half on the way to their 38th consecutive regular-season conference victory and 24th in a row over Kentucky.

No. 12 Minnesota 80, Illinois 68 -- Kelly Roysland scored a career-high 19 points to lift the host Gophers (16-3, 6-1 Big Ten), who shot 55% from the field and led, 80-49, before the Illini (11-6, 3-4) rallied.

North Carolina State 67, No. 16 Maryland 55 -- Billie McDowell had 18 points and the Wolfpack (15-4, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) handed the Terrapins (13-4, 3-3) their first loss in 10 home games this season.

No. 18 DePaul 90, Southern Mississippi 63 -- Jenna Rubino, Allie Quigley and Caprice Smith each had 16 points for the Blue Demons (15-3, 4-1 Conference USA) to counter 20 points by Shannon Stueber of the Screaming Eagles (6-12, 1-5) at Hattiesburg, Miss.

No. 21 Georgia 67, Mississippi State 57 -- Tasha Humphrey had 24 points to spark Georgia (15-5, 4-2 SEC), which trailed host Mississippi State (14-4, 3-2) by six points at halftime.

No. 24 Purdue 79, No. 22 Iowa 75 -- Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton and Katie Gearlds each had 19 points to lift the Boilermakers (11-7, 4-3 Big Ten) at West Lafayette, Ind., and hand the Hawkeyes (14-4, 3-4) their fourth loss in their last five games.