It’s a bird, it’s a plane…

Vanderbilt humbles Oklahoma in Top 10 NCAA rout

Once-unbeaten Vanderbilt is back in the groove, as the No. 5 Commodores handed No. 10 Oklahoma a 102-86 loss on Monday for a second straight ranked win.

• The Commodores exploded for 59 first-half points — the most OU’s allowed in any half this season — building on a 26-point second-quarter lead behind guard Mikayla Blakes’s game-high 34 points, marking her third consecutive 30-point performance. 

• “I’m really proud of them,” Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph said. “What we’re trying to do here is just be relentless in our quest to improve… so that we can put ourselves in position not only to win, but ultimately to be the best possible team we can be at the right time.” (Watch full highlights)

Sooners hit a skid: Vanderbilt scored 26 points off turnovers, holding star freshman Aaliyah Chavez to 14 on the night — and 0-11 from deep.

• Center Raegan Beers’s 62nd career double-double wasn’t enough to move the needle, fouling out with 4:26 to go off a season-high six turnovers.

• Falling to 5-5 in the SEC standings, Oklahoma will look to make up ground with just two Top 20 opponents left on the docket. (See full schedule)

Up next: The Commodores face their final big regular-season test on Thursday, hosting No. 4 Texas at 7:30 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Duke surges to No. 11 in latest AP Top 25 Poll

Duke is racing up the AP Top 25 Poll, rising six spots to No. 11 this week after extending their winning streak to 15 games.

• The Blue Devils topped the ACC last week, climbing the conference standings on a 15-game winning streak dating to December 4th.

• “We’re just locked in on getting better,” Duke coach Kara Lawson said after her team’s early-season struggles. “In my experience, when you do that consistently, you get consistent results.” (See full rankings)

Chutes and ladders: UConn remained the unanimous No. 1, earning 31 first-place votes after a week that saw the Huskies down DePaul by 46 points and Butler by 32. 

• UConn now has 20 straight wins by at least 25 points — the longest 25-point winning streak by any DI team in more than 25 years.

• No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 South Carolina, and No. 4 Texas also held steady, with the Bruins staying undefeated in Big Ten play after Sunday’s narrow victory over Michigan.

• No. 15 Iowa saw the biggest drop, sliding five spots after three losses.

Up next: Duke faces in-state rival No. 21 UNC on Sunday at 1 PM ET, live on ESPN.

US silences Switzerland ahead of Canada showdown

Team USA stayed perfect on Monday, downing Switzerland 5-0 to enter today’s heavyweight clash with defending champion Canada with a 3-0 group-stage record.

• NCAA stars Caroline Harvey and Joy Dunne posted a goal and two assists each, while Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka, and Haley Winn rounded out the scoresheet.

• Captain Hilary Knight added two assists for 31 career Olympic points — one shy of Jenny Potter’s 2010 US record. (Watch full highlights)

Defensive hold: Switzerland and Ohio State goalie Andrea Braendli stopped 45 shots through two periods, before the US hammered in three goals to open the third.

• “Switzerland’s goalie was awesome. She had some kind of force field going back there,” US coach John Wroblewski said. “We just needed to take a deep breath.”

Canadian questions: Despite their own spotless record, Canada’s future remains uncertain, after captain Marie-Philip Poulin suffered an apparent lower-body injury in Monday’s 5-1 win over Czechia. (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: Team USA battles Canada today at 2:10 PM ET, live on USA Network.

US ski stars fall short in team combined’s debut

Team USA’s star duo came up .06 seconds short today, as Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin placed fourth in the Olympic women’s team combined debut.

• Johnson first gave Shiffrin an edge, winning the two-event competition’s downhill opener to put the US in medal contention — before Shiffrin’s 15th-place slalom finish failed to close the gap.

• The US did see some gains, as second-team skiers Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan took bronze, falling to German silver medalists Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and Emma Aicher and Austria’s Ariane Raedler and Katharina Huber with gold. (Watch full highlights)

Split bill: Despite the loss, Johnson’s breakout run continues after Sunday’s downhill gold, while Shiffrin — the world’s most decorated alpine skier — hasn’t medaled since the 2018 Olympics. 

Up next: Alpine action returns with Thursday’s Super-G, starting at 5:30 AM ET on NBC.

NBA’s Giannis Antetokounmpo buys into Chelsea FC

Giannis Antetokounmpo is buying into the women’s game, as the NBA star purchased a stake in reigning WSL champion Chelsea.

• The two-time MVP joins Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian — AKA tennis legend Serena Williams’s husband — after Ohanian purchased a 10% stake in the top-flight UK club last year. 

• “I’m excited to contribute to the future by supporting continued growth and impact in women’s sport,” Antetokounmpo wrote. “This is about ambition, legacy, and pushing the game to new heights. Up the Chels!” (See full post)

Ins and outs: Despite winning six straight league titles, No. 3 Chelsea currently sits 12 points behind No. 1 Manchester City on the WSL table — while the Blues’ head of women’s football Paul Green stepped down yesterday after 13 years with the club.

Number of the day 

82

NYU beat Carnegie Mellon on Sunday to book the Violets’ 82nd straight win — a new all-time DIII women’s basketball record.