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A32 sports
Diaranson 15 December 2021

Injury-hit UConn down to No. 7, lowest Top 25 spot since ’07

panel and have now beaten dating to 1993 by rallying to this was a program that could
four teams that were ranked beat UCLA over the week- be nationally prominent con-
in the top 10 this season. end. Georgia Tech returned sistently,” Banghart said. “As
The Gamecocks visit No. 15 to the poll at No. 18 after its we’re in pursuit of winning a
Duke on Wednesday. 57-44 win over UConn. national championship this is
a step in the right direction.”
N.C. State was again second Tennessee was tied with
in the poll, followed by Stan- UConn at No. 7. Maryland The Tar Heels bumped Colo-
ford, Arizona and Baylor. and Indiana rounded out the rado out of the poll one week
The Wildcats now have their top 10. after the Buffaloes entered
best ranking ever at No. 4. the rankings. North Carolina
WELCOME BACK edged Colorado and Oklaho-
Louisville moved up to No. 6, No. 25 North Carolina (9-0) ma by one point to secure the
just ahead of UConn, and the entered the poll this week for final spot in the Top 25 this
two teams will play Sunday in the first time since the pre- week. Oregon State also fell
(AP) - UConn dropped sidelined for at least six weeks the Hall of Fame Showcase. season poll in 2015. The Tar out.
four spots to No. 7 in the with a tibial plateau fracture Baylor will face Michigan in Heels are one of 10 unbeaten
women’s AP Top 25 re- in her left knee. The Huskies the other game at the event teams left in women’s college GAME OF THE WEEK
leased Monday, its low- have not been ranked this held in Connecticut; that basketball. They have been Stanford at Tennessee, Sat-
est ranking in 14 years low since Jan. 22, 2007, when contest will be a rematch of blowing past many of their urday. The Cardinal will fly
after losing its first game they were also seventh. last season’s NCAA Tourna- opponents, although they across the country to face
against an unranked team ment Sweet 16 matchup that haven’t faced a Top 25 team the rival Lady Vols in a top
since 2012. South Carolina remained the Bears won in overtime. yet. Coach Courtney Bang- 10 showdown. Stanford,
the unanimous top choice hart’s team first chance at a which will also play at South
The Huskies fell to Geor- after holding off then-No. Despite their loss to Georgia ranked opponent comes on Carolina three days later, has
gia Tech last week in its first 8 Maryland on Sunday. The Tech, the Huskies kept alive Jan. 6 against N.C. State. already played four games
game without sophomore Gamecocks received all 30 their incredible streak of not against ranked teams.
star Paige Bueckers, who is votes from a national media losing consecutive games “When I took this job I knew

Curry embracing roar of crowds in record-breaking quest

(AP) — Stephen Curry ments for the Golden State friends and foes around the Monday’s 102-100 victory Curry during his second pro
hears the roaring crowds Warriors at each stop. Fans league, Curry knows there’s at Indiana. “I saw what Joel season.
everywhere he travels want to see history, and they a very different feeling. They (Embiid) said the other day in
these days. want to see the 33-year-old want to challenge the soon- his postgame. I know teams “It’s funny when you were
Curry break Ray Allen’s ca- to-be 3-point king. are coming out and making around him during that year
His pursuit of the NBA’s ca- reer 3-point record in person. sure it’s not going to happen there were some games he
reer 3-point record has creat- “Yeah, you hear a little bit of against them, especially when was like 1 for 10 or 1 for 11
ed warm and fuzzy environ- Yet among those he calls everything,” Curry said after it’s 16 or 10 or seven. But I and you know everyone that
won’t get this again, and once goes up looks good,” Pierce
you get over the mountain- said. “He liked to shoot on
top, it’s just how far you can the gun back then and I was
push it.” like, ‘What are you doing,
you’re just coming into the
Opponents have delayed league. You need bodies on
Curry’s quest about as long you, you need to work.’ That
as possible. was one thing we did, was al-
ways have a body on him.”
After making five 3s, scor-
ing 26 points and rallying the Curry wasn’t like anyone
Warriors to a victory Monday, else, though.
Curry needs one more 3 to
tie Allen’s mark of 2,973, and Nobody could match his pro-
two to surpass on the grand lific shooting beyond the arc
stage of Madison Square and Curry spawned imitators
Garden. Ticket prices have leaguewide as teams relied on
reportedly quadrupled on analytics that suggested they
the secondary market, and would score more points if
Reggie Miller, who held the they attempted more 3s in-
record until Allen broke it in stead of long 2s. Curry starts
February 2011, is expected to Tuesday night with 6,889 ca-
call the game for TNT. reer 3-point attempts com-
pared with 6,935 2-pointers.
But reaching this point Brooklyn’s James Harden is
seemed unlikely when crit- second among active play-
ics deemed the 6-foot-2 col- ers and fourth all-time with
lege star as a shooting guard 2,509 3s, and 13 of the top 30
trapped in a point guard’s players on the 3-point list are
body. They questioned his still active.
size, his shot selection, even
whether he could make a It took Miller 1,389 games
successful transition from to set the NBA record of
Davidson to the NBA. 2,560. Allen needed 309 few-
er games to pass Miller, and
Pacers assistant coach Lloyd now Curry is on the preci-
Pierce got an up-close expe- pice after playing 788 career
rience when he worked with games.