Here is the latest Pac-12 Conference sports news from The Associated Press
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Kiki Iriafen had career highs of 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead No. 15 Stanford to an 87-40 win over Hawaii in the season opener for both teams. Freshman Nunu Agara added 18 points in her debut while Brooke Demetre had 12. Iriafen was 10-of-14 shooting, Agara 5 of 7 and Demetre 4 of 5 as the Cardinal shot 48.5%. Agara was also 8 of 9 from the foul line, where Stanford made 19 of 20. Demetre was one of three players with eight rebounds as the Cardinal had an amazing 60-18 advantage on the boards.
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Maddie Nolan and Frida Formann scored 15 points apiece, Aaronette Vonleh added a double-double and No. 20 Colorado followed up its season-opening win over No. 1 LSU with a 97-38 romp past Le Moyne. The Buffaloes, who made 10 3-pointers and shot 53% in upending LSU 92-78 in Las Vegas on Monday, followed up with 11 3s and 53% shooting against the Dolphins. Vonleh had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Lytoya Baker scored 18 points for the Dolphins, who went 3 of 19 from 3-point range and shot 30% overall.
CHICAGO (AP) — Junior college transfer Trey Fort hit six 3-pointers and scored 21 points to lead Mississippi State to a 71-56 victory over Arizona State in a season opener for both teams. Fort hit three straight 3-pointers to kick off a 16-4 first half-ending run for a 39-18 lead. The lead reached as many as 25 points in the second half. West Virginia graduate transfer Jimmy Bell added 13 points and Dashawn Davis 10 for the Bulldogs, who shot 40%. Arizona State, with seven Division I transfers joining the roster this season, was led by 聽Louisville transfer Kamari Lands with 13 points and Frankie Collins adding 10.
UNDATED (AP) — Finally, No. 2 Michigan gets a test. The Wolverines have stomped through the season, crushing opponents by 34 points per game, the best margin in the country. None of those opponents has been ranked, creating some questions about just how good Michigan is. A trip to No. 9 Penn State will provide an answer. The game is one of two top 10 matchups among Week 11’s most intriguing games.
UNDATED (AP) — An NCAA review has concluded that the officiating in the national championship game between LSU and Iowa fell short of expectations. The review was pushed up to this summer after criticism about the calls in the game. LSU beat Iowa for its first national title. NCAA vice president for women’s basketball Lynn Holzman says officials were graded on the accuracy of their calls and the overall number was lower than it should have been. She says work will be done to improve.
UNDATED (AP) — After a season that saw over a 33% increase in technical fouls, women’s college basketball is putting a renewed emphasis on sportsmanship this year. Last season there were 830 total technical fouls called, up from 606 the season before. That included a 77% increase on techs given to head coaches and a whopping 193% increase on technical fouls assessed to personnel on the bench. Fighting was also a big problem last year, including incidents in a game between George Washington and TCU as well one between Georgia and VCU. There was a 400% increase in bench personnel ejections as a result.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Jedd Fisch had the toughest sales job in college football, trying to convince recruits and assistant coaches to join what was at the time one of the nation’s worst programs. Amid what would become the longest losing streak in Arizona history, Fisch had to paint a picture of promise and lay out a plan for a better future. The former NFL coach sealed the deal more often than not, setting the foundation for a massive turnaround in a short timeframe. Arizona has beaten ranked opponents in three consecutive games for the first time in the history of a program that started in 1899. The Wildcats are already bowl eligible for the first time in six years and were No. 23 in this week’s AP Top 25.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shaun Nua and Brian Odom have been tasked with turning around Southern California’s defense, one of the worst in college football. Nua and Odom will be interim co-coordinators for the rest of the season after Alex Grinch was fired on Sunday. The Trojans still have a chance to make the Pac-12 title game but must win their final two games, including a tough test at No. 6 Oregon. USC allowed 572 yards, including 316 on the ground, to No. 5 Washington in a 52-42 loss in Grinch’s last game overseeing the defense.