BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — N’Faly Dante had 12 points on 6-of7- shooting and grabbed seven rebounds, Will Richardson added 11 points and 10 assists and Oregon beat California 87-58. Rivaldo Soares led Oregon (11-8, 5-3 Pac-12) with 13 points and Keeshawn Barthelemy scored 10. ND Okafor and Sam Alajiki made layups 31 seconds apart to give the Golden Bears a 10-5 lead about five minutes into the game but Dante made back-to-back baskets, Barthelemy added a layup and Richardson scored the final four points in 10-0 run that gave Oregon the lead for good. Okafor led Cal (3-16, 2-6) with 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A rash of injuries in women’s college basketball has coaches and medical professionals looking for answers. UConn had to postpone a Jan. 8 game when it could not put seven healthy players on the court. Arizona State forfeited two games for the same reason. Experts say there is a concern that players are showing up to college with more wear on their bodies because they specialize at a young age in a single sport and play year-round. Doctors say players are also sitting out longer after injuries, straining the rosters.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The NCAA hopes a federal appeals court will soon block a lawsuit that seeks to treat athletes as employees who are paid for their time. It is the latest test of amateurism in college sports. The Division I athletes who filed the suit being argued next month want hourly wages similar to those earned in work-study programs. They say the nation’s colleges are violating fair labor practices by failing to pay them for the time they put into their sports. Baylor University President Linda Livingston, chairperson of the NCAA’s Board of Governors, says the idea would have a “potentially catastrophic impact on college sports.”