These women’s basketball players posted big-time performances and were named to the NCAA.com starting five this week.
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Tennessee’s Talaysia Cooper had a breakout week, averaging 25.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals while shooting 55.6 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc and 100 percent at the free throw line as the Lady Vols improved to 4-0 on the season with a pair of victories.
The redshirt sophomore guard carded her first double-double with 18 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 12, leading Tennessee to an 89-75 victory. Cooper also dished out four assists and tallied four steals and a block while connecting on eight of 16 shots from the field and both tries at the free throw line.
On Saturday afternoon in a 109-93 win over Liberty, Cooper became the only Southeastern Conference player and one of seven NCAA Division I players over the past 23 years to record at least 33 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in a game while shooting at least 60 percent on field goals (12-20), 50 percent on three pointers (2-4) and 100 percent on free throws (7-7). Cooper had 20 points by halftime, tallying nine in the opening frame and generating 11 in the second period as the Lady Vols seized a comfortable 64-43 lead at the intermission, with that point total ranking as Tennessee’s third-best ever in an opening 20 minutes.
For the season, Cooper paces five double-figure Lady Vol scorers at 19.0 points per game. She ranks No. 9 nationally with 15 steals and is No. 12 in steals per contest at 3.75 while standing No. 25 in total field goals at 31.
Tennessee will next host Western Carolina on Nov. 26.
Maya Hernandez, Loyola Marymount
Loyola Marymount sophomore forward Maya Hernandez led the Lions to a 71-67 road win over South Dakota, setting a new collegiate career-high with 33 points.
Hernandez recorded her second double-double of the season, pulling down 10 rebounds as well in the contest, while shooting an impressive 71.4% from the field (15-21). Hernandez also made her presence felt defensively with three blocks and three steals. Her single game scoring effort was the fourth-best in LMU history.
Through three games, Hernandez leads the Lions in scoring at 22.0 points per game while pulling down a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game.
LMU, 2-1, will return to play on Nov. 22 at Utah Valley.
Jordyn Jenkins, UTSA
UTSA redshirt senior Jordyn Jenkins posted double-doubles and averaged 28.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in leading the Roadrunners to a pair of victories over previously undefeated teams.
Jenkins first went 9-for-14 from the field and 8-for-8 from the charity stripe for 27 points in a 75-61 road win over New Mexico State on Nov. 14. The forward followed that up with a 30-point, 10-for-13 shooting day in a 78-73 victory against UTEP that featured a 10-for-12 mark from the free throw line and 12 rebounds in just 25 minutes.
Jenkins has been on a tear to start the year, picking up a double-double in three of UTSA’s first four games and averaging 23.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 57.4% from the floor. Through four games she leads the NCAA in double-doubles, is second in free throws, sixth in total points, 11th in points per game and 12th in field goals.
UTSA, 3-1, will return to action on Nov. 20 at home against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Makayla Timpson, Florida State
Florida State senior forward Makayla Timpson scored 38 points, the third-highest single-game total in program history, while grabbing 15 rebounds in a 101-68 win over Samford on Nov. 14.
The Edison, Georgia, native was just two points shy of the program record that was set by Natasha Howard (40) on Feb. 13, 2014. Timpson’s performance was also the third-highest total in the nation this season. Along with the 38 points, she established a career high with 15 field goals in the win.
Timpson followed that game with 19 points, nine rebounds and tied her career high in blocks with six in a 119-57 win over North Carolina Central on Monday.
Through the first five games of the season, Timpson has hauled in the most rebounds (69) and ranks second nationally in rebounding at 13.8 rebounds per game.
The Seminoles, 4-1, will next host Florida on Friday, Nov. 22.
Harmoni Turner, Harvard
Harvard senior guard Harmoni Turner had quite the week for the Crimson (4-1), setting a program-record with 41 points in a 78-70 win at home over Boston College, following that up with 38 points in an 83-41 win at America East favorite Maine. Her two-game total of 79 points represented the two highest point totals for any Division I player this season.
In the record-setting performance against Boston College on Nov. 14, Turner went 14-23 from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds. More than half of Turner’s points came from distance as she connected for a career-best seven triples on 7-11 shooting from deep.
Against Maine on Nov. 17, Turner showed no si gns of slowing down, flirting with her three-day old record in Harvard’s 42-point defeat of Maine. Turner led the way by connecting on 12-of-24 shots from the floor while also adding three rebounds, two assists and a season-high six steals.
Harvard, which in week one had scored an upset at then-No. 25 Indiana of the Big Ten Conference behind 24 points by Turner, next plays at home on Nov. 19 against Northeastern before traveling to Northwestern on Nov. 23
