Duke had just played with its best start-to-finish level of competitive fight in an opening month gone awry, only to end up with another loss to a top-flight opponent in No. 5 LSU. Senior guard Ashlon Jackson was clinging to the idea that the struggles could pay off in the long term.

Duke also had its way rebounding the ball. Overall, Duke tallied 50 boards, compared Tech’s 34. A big reason for this was that Kilah Freelon, Virginia Tech’s leading rebounder, played just three minutes in the first half, allowing Duke to receive ample second-chance opportunities.

Kaylene Smikle is set to undergo knee surgery and will miss the remainder of Maryland women’s basketball’s season, she announced Sunday on Instagram.

UConn is 26-1 all-time vs DePaul. The Blue Demons’ only win over the Huskies was the teams’ very first meeting on Dec. 28, 1983 (before Geno Auriemma took the job in Connecticut), winning 70-64.

Ware exploded for 24 points on 9-for-9 shooting to lead the Razorbacks in a 77-46 victory over Jackson State. It was most points an Arkansas player has ever scored without a miss from the field.

CHESTNUT HILL - Boston College women’s basketball fell to Virginia, 81-55, in the ACC opener on Sunday afternoon in Conte Forum. ​The Eagles fall to 4-8 and 0-1 in the ACC, while the Cavaliers move to 7-3 and 1-0 in the league.

The LSU women’s basketball team climbed back over the 100-point threshold on Sunday in the Lakefront Arena, notching its season-high point total in a 126-62 drubbing of UNO. The No. 5 Tigers (10-0) scored that many points because they turned defense into easy offense.

The Cal women sprinted to an 11-0 lead after 5 minutes and never were challenged on the way to a 92-42 rout of winless San Jose State on Sunday afternoon. The v