ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 SPORTS 14 South Carolina sinks Alabama 77-60 Wirth scores 26 as Gonzaga women down Pacifi c 79-59

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama, Jan 5, (AP): After help- ing set up her team-mates in South Carolina’s last game, it was Destanni Hen- derson’s turn to step into the spotlight. Henderson had 20 points, eight rebounds and fi ve assists to lead the fi fth-ranked Gamecocks to a 77-60 victory over Alabama on Monday night. “She pushed tempo, and when she is playing fast and downhill she is a hard guard,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “I mean, there were times (tonight) when she is playing spec- tacular. … It was great to see her get it going.” Henderson, who had just two points with nine assists against Florida last Thursday, fi nished only three points and one rebound shy of matching her career highs against Alabama. The Crimson Tide cut the defi cit to eight points late in the third quarter, but Zia Cooke scored nine of her 18 points during the fi nal 11 minutes to keep the Gamecocks (7-1, 2-0 South- eastern Conference) in near-total con- trol down the stretch. Staley said Cooke seemed to strug- gle adjusting to the Nike ball during the fi rst three quarters on Monday night. The Gamecocks normally work with a Wilson ball, which Staley said requires a slightly different grip. Cooke and the Gamecocks also struggled to contain Alabama senior Jordan Lewis, who scored a career- high 28 points for the Crimson Tide (8-1, 1-1), topping her previous best of 27 against Missouri on Thursday.

BASKETBALL

Lewis did most of her damage in the third quarter when she scored 13 Indiana guard Ali Patberg (14) competes for a rebound with Maryland guard Diamond Miller (1) and guard Ashley Owusu (15) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Mon- points. It felt like all of Alabama’s of- day, Jan. 4, 2021, in College Park, Maryland. (AP) fensive possessions during that stretch started and ended with the senior driv- ing inside to the basket. “We just need to move on,” Ala- Defending champs’ defeat extends blip in EPL bama coach Kristy Curry said after the team’s fi rst loss of the season. “It wasn’t any adjustment. It was just our kids starting to see that I need to be me.” South Carolina’s starting lineup Liverpool humbled 1-0 at Southampton averaged 1.6 inches taller than their counterparts on the Crimson Tide, and SOUTHAMPTON, England, Jan 5, points separate Liverpool from sev- is nearly gone. The guys are tired - that difference seemed decisive, espe- (AP): Southampton manager Ralph enth-place Everton, with 10th-place you have to be to win against such a cially in the fi rst half. W. Virginia rallies Hasenhuttl slumped to the ground, West Ham only seven points off the team. The guys believed in what they South Carolina actually hauled in past Oklahoma St pulled down the bill of his cap, and lead in what was always going to be a were doing.” Few could have foreseen more rebounds on offense (26) than wept after another big win for his disjointed season amid the pandemic. this sudden drop-off by Liverpool, the Crimson Tide could pull down on STILLWATER, Oklahoma, team in the English . Southampton is in the mix, too, its which has failed to score in succes- defense (24), giving the Gamecocks a Jan 5, (AP): Derek Culver had On the receiving end this time was latest win lifting Hasenhuttl’s team sive games for only the second time decisive 55-31 overall edge. 22 points and 19 rebounds Liverpool, which also appears to be to sixth place in a season when it in Jurgen Klopp’s fi ve-year tenure. That allowed the Gamecocks to to help No. 14 West Virginia on its knees in what is shaping up to has been top - albeit briefl y - for the Indeed, such has been Liver- score twice as many second-chance come all the way back from pool’s lack of cutting edge of late points (22) as Alabama (11). be the most open title races in years. fi rst time since 1988. It all proved too 19 down in the second half to , a former Liverpool that Klopp’s team has managed just Maryland 84, Indiana 80 Alabama guard Jordan Lewis (3) beat Oklahoma State 87-84 shoots the ball past the defense player, scored in the second minute to seven shots on target in the past three on Monday night. games. In the game before that, Liv- Ashley Owusu scored 20 points, in- from South Carolina forward Aliyah Miles McBride scored 19 lead Southampton to a 1-0 win over SOCCER cluding the clinching free throw with Boston (4) during the second half of of his 21 points after halftime the defending champions at an empty erpool beat Crystal Palace 7-0 away. 4.3 seconds left, to help Maryland held an NCAA college basketball game, for West Virginia (9-3, 2-2 Big St. Mary’s Stadium on Monday. “Our decision-making was just not on after letting a 16-point fourth-quar- Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, in Tuscaloo- 12), including 14 in the fi nal Liverpool has gone three games much at the fi nal whistle for the emo- good,” Klopp said. “That is how it is ter lead dwindle to three. sa, Alabama. (AP) four minutes. Taz Sherman without a win - after back-to-back tional Hasenhuttl, whose team was when you don’t have momentum. We Diamond Miller also had 20 points added 20 points for the Moun- draws against West Bromwich Albion heavily depleted for the game. should have had much more chances.” for the Terrapins (7-1, 3-0 Big Ten), Darrione Rogers had 21, Lexi Held taineers, who lost 75-71 at Southampton was missing the spine added 18, and the trio combined for 12 and Newcastle - and leads on only “When you see our guys fi ghting who led 23-9 after one quarter and by Oklahoma on Saturday. goal difference from great rival Man- with everything they have, it makes of its team, with fi rst-choice goal- 3-pointers to lead DePaul. Culver had already earned double fi gures midway through the chester United, which has played one me really proud,” the Austrian coach keeper Alex McCarthy (coronavi- fourth quarter. Chloe Bibby added Rogers made 5 of 8 3-pointers, in- his Big 12-leading sixth dou- rus), central midfi elder Oriol Romeu 15 points and Katie Benzan, a senior cluding four in the fi nal 4:04 of the fi rst ble-double of the season in game fewer. said. “You need to have the perfect United isn’t the only team in strik- game against Liverpool and I think (hamstring) and striker Che Adams transfer from Harvard where she was a half to help DePaul build a 54-43 lead. the fi rst half, with 11 points (concussion) joining giant center back fi rst-team All-Ivy League player three Held added four makes and Morris and 10 rebounds heading into ing distance of the lead approaching we did have that. the break. the halfway point of the league. Four “It was an intense game, my voice on the injury list. times, added 12. three as the Blue Demons connected But the Saints still had Ings, who Grace Berger had a career-high 26 on 13 of 30 from distance. latched onto a free kick by set-piece points for the Hoosiers (5-3, 3-1), who Held, Morris and Deja Church BASKETBALL specialist James Ward-Prowse and are now 0-11 against Maryland. Mac- each made a 3-pointer in the fi rst two- lifted a bouncing ball over goalkeeper kenzie Holmes added 18 points and 11 plus minutes of the second half for a Alisson Becker and into the far corner. rebounds and Jaelynn Penn scored 10. 16-point lead, and DePaul (6-3, 3-1 Freshman star Cade Cun- “We all know how good Prowsey Ohio State 82, Penn State 69 Big East) led by at least six points the ningham had 25 points and is on set-pieces, and all the parts came Madison Greene had 24 points, 10 rest of the way. Maddy Siegrist had 31 nine rebounds before fouling together and luckily I got the goal,” rebounds and fi ve assists, and Jacy points on 12-of-24 shooting for Vil- out in the fi nal minute for Okla- said Ings, who had an injury-plagued Sheldon scored 21 points to lead Ohio lanova (7-2, 2-2). She also had nine homa State (7-3, 1-3). Isaac spell at Liverpool from 2015-18. “We rebounds and fi ve assists. Likekele added a season-high State. Ohio State, playing for the fi rst 22 points and seven rebounds had a chat before the game to see if time since Dec. 10, led by 8 points in Gonzaga 79, Pacific 59 for the Cowboys, who were there was a moment where we could the second half before Penn State start- Jenn Wirth scored a career-high coming off a gutsy 82-77 over- get in quickly and luckily it paid off.” ed the fourth quarter on an 8-2 run to 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting and time win at then-No. 13 Texas It was attack vs. defense from then cut it to 68-61 with 7:21 left. Greene grabbed seven rebounds to lead Gon- Tech on Saturday. on but Southampton held fi rm, with scored eight points during Ohio State’s zaga to its seventh straight win. Oklahoma State led by 10 at center backs Jack Stephens and Jan 12-5 spurt for a 14-point lead at the Melody Kempton and Cierra Walk- halftime and increased its ad- Bednarek, in particular, outstanding. 2:36 mark. er each scored 11 for the Bulldogs (9- vantage to 68-49 when Ron- “You know exactly what you are Ohio State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) went 2, 4-0 West Coast Conference), who del Walker knocked down two going to get from them,” Klopp said 24 days between games after pausing went 8 of 19 from 3-point range and free throws with 11:15 remain- of Southampton. “You cannot be sur- due to COVID-19 protocols, last beat- ing. But the Mountaineers re- shot 55% (28 of 51), despite a cold prised but we looked surprised. ing Miami (Ohio). Makenna Marisa sponded with a stunning 18-3 “At the beginning how we played, had 21 points and nine rebounds for third quarter. run over the next four minutes Valarie Higgins scored 11 points Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Southampton’s , (right), where we lost the balls, it’s not rocket Penn State (3-4, 0-3). that pulled them within four compete to head the ball during the English Premier League soccer match and Kaylin Randhawa 10 for the Ti- and silenced the socially dis- science. We should have done much Depaul 94, Villanova 82 gers (3-2, 1-1), who shot 37% (22 of between Southampton and Liverpool at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, better. We played into their hands tanced crowd of 3,350. England, on Jan 4. (AP) Sonya Morris scored 22 points, 60). with the start.”