Michael Simonds scored 16 of his 26 points in the first half to spark Bowdoin to a 75-57 win over Southern Maine in a men’s basketball game Thursday night in Gorham.

James McGowan added 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Polar Bears (1-2), who overcame an early 18-7 deficit. Bowdoin ended the first half on a 28-5 run to take a 35-23 lead.

Chance Dixon led USM (3-1) with 12 points. Clay Kuhn scored 10.

(4) KENTUCKY 106, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 63: CJ Fredrick scored 17 points as the Wildcats (3-1) won at home, bouncing back from a double-overtime loss to Michigan State two nights earlier.

MURRAY STATE 88, (24) TEXAS A&M 79: JaCobi Wood scored 23 points and the Racers (2-1) beat the Aggies (2-1) in the Myrtle Beach Invitational at Conway, South Carolina.

Murray State will take on UMass in the semifinals, while Texas A&M faces Colorado on Friday.

The victory was the first for Murray State over a ranked team in a decade. The Aggies made their first appearance this week in The Associated Press Top 25 since Jan. 1, 2017.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

(1) SOUTH CAROLINA 85, CLEMSON 31: Zia Cooke scored 15 points and Aliyah Boston added 12 points and six rebounds for the Gamecocks (3-0) in their 12th straight win over the Tigers (3-1), at Clemson, South Carolina.

South Carolina used smothering defense and on-target shooting to take control with a 16-2 run in the opening quarter.

(8) OHIO STATE 86, OHIO 56: Jacy Sheldon scored 16 points, Taylor Mikesell added 14 and the Buckeyes (3-0) rolled to a win over the Bobcats (0-3) in Athens, Ohio.

(12) INDIANA 96, BOWLING GREEN 61: Sara Scalia scored 17 points to lead six Indiana players in double figures, and the Hoosiers (4-0) beat the Falcons (2-1) in Bloomington, Indiana.

Gorham’s Mackenzie Holmes had 16 points and eight rebounds for Indiana.

(24) VILLANOVA 67, PENN 41: Maddy Siegrist scored 18 of her 22 points in the first half and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Wildcats (3-0) past the Quakers (1-3) in Philadelphia.

NOTES

UCLA: The University of California Board of Regents has scheduled a special meeting for Dec. 14 in Los Angeles to finalize a decision on UCLA’s planned move to the Big Ten Conference.

UCLA announced on June 30 that it was leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, a decision that quickly drew the ire of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In 1991, campus chancellors were delegated authority by the UC Office of the President to execute their own contracts, including intercollegiate athletic agreements. But the regents heard during an August meeting that they retain the authority to review decisions impacting the UC system, meaning they could affirm, overturn or abstain from following up on UCLA’s decision.

The University of Southern California is also moving to the Big Ten, but it’s a private institution and not part of the UC system.

UCLA chancellor Gene Block and athletic director Martin Jarmond took questions Thursday from the regents on the benefits of the move and their concerns.

Block said the university’s athletic budget will add at least $10 million for additional nutritional, academic and mental health support for athletes and add more charter flights to cut down on travel time. A report in August said eight of UCLA’s 23 sports — baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, softball, gymnastics and women’s volleyball — would experience additional travel impact.

A report published by the regents for this week’s meeting estimates that UCLA will see $60 million to $70 million in additional revenue from the Big Ten’s new media rights deal that begins next year. Even factoring in the additional expenses, the Bruins would still see a significant windfall compared to the $34.3 million in media rights and conference distribution it received in 2020, according to the report.

The Pac-12 is also negotiating a new media rights deal, but it is not expected to come close to what the Big Ten receives.

The move would also largely wipe out a $102.8 million deficit in the athletic department. UCLA secured a loan to cover losses, which the athletic department is responsible for repaying with interest.

Initial responses to a survey commissioned by the regents showed many of the UCLA athletes who had participated favored the move. Out of 111 athletes who responded, 35% said joining the Big Ten would be a good idea compared to 7% who thought it was a bad idea. More than one-third of the respondents (38%) said they needed more information and 20% had no opinion.

Nearly 600 surveys were sent out and the regents are hoping more are returned before next month’s meeting.