Category: NCAA Basketball

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 points apiece, and Aday Mara had two tiebreaking shots in the final 1:22 as Michigan defeated Iowa.

The Wolverines (28-2, 18-1 Big Ten) were held 18 points below their season scoring average, but managed to hold off the Hawkeyes (20-10, 10-9) in the closing seconds.

Iowa went on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 64 with 1:56 to play before Mara banked in a shot before the shot clock expired, putting Michigan in front again. After Iowa’s Cam Manyawu scored inside to tie the game at 66, Mara, who finished with 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, scored off a lob with 43 seconds left to put the Wolverines ahead to stay.

Iowa had chances to tie the game on back-to-back possessions, but missed three shots on one of the possessions and lost the ball on another after a turnover by Tavion Banks with seven seconds left.

The Hawkeyes had a final chance to tie the game after Lendeborg made two free throws with four seconds remaining, but Bennett Stirtz’s 3-pointer try was long.

Elliot Cadeau added 11 points for the Wolverines, the Big Ten regular-season champions.

Stirtz led Iowa with 21 points. Manyawu had 14.

NO. 8 MICHIGAN STATE 91, RUTGERS 87

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Fears had 21 points and eight assists and Coen Carr also scored 21, helping Michigan State hold off Rutgers.

The Spartans (25-5, 15-4 Big Ten) will close the regular season on the road against rival and third-ranked Michigan on Sunday.

Michigan State has won five straight games to secure a top-four seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament and a double-bye into the quarterfinals.

The Scarlet Knights (12-18, 5-14) have slumped toward the bottom of the 18-team conference.

Rutgers’ Tariq Francis scored 25 points, Lino Mark had 14 and Emmanuel Ogbole added 13.

Darius Acuff Jr. had 28 points and 13 assists, Trevon Brazile scored a career-high 28 and No. 20 Arkansas beat Texas 105-85 on Wednesday night to clinch a double bye into the quartefinals of the SEC Tournament.

After securing a top-four finish in the Southeastern Conference standings, the Razorbacks (22-8, 12-5) will bypass the first two rounds next week in Nashville, Tennessee.

Acuff became the first player in Arkansas history with at least 25 points and 10 assists in a game. He had 19 points and eight assists by halftime as the Razorbacks took a 22-point lead into the break.

Brazile, a senior playing his final home game, shot 9 of 11 from the field and added seven rebounds.

Matas Vokietaitis led Texas (18-12, 9-8) with 21 points. He was one of four Longhorns players in double figures.

NO. 7 HOUSTON 77, BAYLOR 64

HOUSTON (AP) — Kingston Flemings had 21 points and seven assists, Emanuel Sharp added 19 points and Houston rallied for a win over Baylor.

Flemings and Sharp combined to shoot 13 of 26 from the field, and Sharp was 5 of 10 on 3-pointers.

Joseph Tugler finished with 14 points and six rebounds and Milos Uzan had 12 points for Houston (25-5, 13-4 Big 12), which used a big second-half run to overcome Baylor (15-15, 5-12).

The Cougars forced 18 turnovers and converted them into 28 points. They shot 46% and were 9 of 25 on 3-pointers.

Tounde Yessoufou had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Caden Powell added 12 points and Cameron Carr and Obi Agbim each had 11 for the Bears. Baylor shot 42% from the field and 8 of 25 from behind the arc, but made just two of their final 16 from long range.

NO. 15 PURDUE 70, NORTHWESTERN 66

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — C.J. Cox scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 48 seconds left that helped Purdue edge Nick Martinelli and Northwestern.

Cox outlasted Martinelli in a memorable duel in the final minutes, sending Purdue to a sorely needed victory. The Boilermakers (23-7, 13-6 Big Ten) had lost two in a row and three of four overall.

Trey Kaufman-Renn added 11 points and 10 rebounds, shaking off a shoulder injury in the second half. Fletcher Loyer finished with 10 points.

Martinelli, a senior playing his final home game, scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half. The Big Ten’s leading scorer moved into seventh on the school’s career list with 1,687 points, passing Northwestern assistant coach Bryant McIntosh.

Jayden Reid scored 16 points for the Wildcats (13-17, 5-14), who had won three in a row.

NO. 22 MIAMI 77, SMU 69

DALLAS (AP) — Tre Donaldson scored 17 points, Malik Reneau had a double-double and Miami beat SMU, ensuring the Hurricanes a double bye in next week’s ACC Tournament.

Reneau had 12 points and 11 rebounds while Tru Washington scored 15 for Miami (24-6, 13-4), which got its seventh win in eight games since the start of February. Freshman guard Noam Dovrat had 12 points on four 3-pointers for the second game in a row.

The Hurricanes played their first game as an AP Top 25 team since December 2023 after getting ranked on Monday. They matched their school record for regular-season wins and increased Division I’s best turnaround to 17 victories more than last season with first-year coach Jai Lucas.

Jaron Pierre Jr. had 27 points with six 3s and Boopie Miller scored 21 for the Mustangs (19-11, 8-9), who have lost three in a row after earlier this season getting double-digit wins at home over Top 25 teams North Carolina and Louisville. They haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2017.

NO. 25 SAINT LOUIS 79, LOYOLA CHICAGO 65

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Amari McCottry scored 18 points, Dion Brown added 15 and Saint Louis clinched the top seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament by beating Loyola Chicago.

The Billikens (27-3, 15-2) finished unbeaten at Chaifetz Arena for the first time in the building’s 18-year history and tied the school record with their 22nd consecutive home win, 19 coming this season.

Xavier Amos led the Ramblers (7-23, 3-14) with a season-high 25 points and Kayde Dotson scored 19. Amos made all seven of his shots in an 18-point first half, including four 3-pointers in a three-minute stretch to close an early 12-point deficit.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Xavier Edmonds had 20 points and 12 rebounds as TCU got another big win in its late push to get into the NCAA Tournament, winning 73-65 at No. 10 Texas Tech on Tuesday night.

Edmonds’ putback layup with 31 seconds left pushed the lead to 71-65 for Horned Frogs (20-10, 10-7 Big 12), who have won seven of their last eight games. It was their third win this season against a top-10 team, including a win over then-No. 5 Iowa State during this stretch.

Texas Tech (22-8, 12-5) had won three games in a row since losing standout post J.T. Toppin to a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee. The Red Raiders, who finish 14-2 at home, had moved up six spots in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, matching their season-opening ranking after going to the Elite Eight last season.

Micah Robinson scored 15 points for the Frogs, and Jayden Pierre had 14. David Punch, their leading scorer, was limited to six points while having foul issues, but still had 10 rebounds.

Donovan Atwell led Tech with 19 points and five 3-pointers, extending his single-season school record to 115. Jaylen Petty scored 17, while Christian Anderson had 11 points and nine assists.

NO. 13 VIRGINIA 75, WAKE FOREST 70

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Thijs De Ridder scored 16 points and Virginia outlasted Wake Forest to secure the No. 2 seed and a double-bye in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

Jacari White added 14 points and Johann Grunloh had 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks as the Cavaliers (26-4, 14-3) beat the Demon Deacons for the 14th time in the last 16 meetings.

Coming off a humbling loss at No. 1 Duke in which they missed 28 of 35 3-point attempts, the Cavaliers struggled again from long range. Virginia missed its first eight 3-point attempts and went 3 for 17 from beyond the arc in the opening half.

The Cavaliers were better after halftime and finished 10 of 32 from deep, including a 3 by Malik Thomas that made it 71-62 with 1:23 left. Thomas finished with 11 points.

Mekhi Mason scored 26 points and Juke Harris had 21 for the Demon Deacons (15-15, 6-11), who kept the outcome in doubt until the final seconds. Wake Forest got within 73-70 with 6.1 seconds to play, but Virginia’s Dallin Hall made two free throws with 5.2 seconds left to seal it.

GEORGIA 98 NO. 16 ALABAMA 88

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Kanon Catchings scored a career-high 32 points and Georgia ended Alabama’s eight-game winning streak with a victory.

Catchings ignited the Bulldogs (21-9, 9-8 Southeastern Conference) with 20 points before halftime, leading their fourth win in five games. He was 7 of 13 from 3-point range and delivered a signature highlight with a behind-the-back pass to Somto Cyril for a thunderous slam.

Heading into its final home game of the season, Georgia had likely done enough to clinch its second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. But tacking a sixth Quad 1 win onto the resume surely sealed a berth in the 68-team field.

The Bulldogs also reached the most regular-season victories since the 2001-02 team went 21-8 under Jim Harrick.

The Crimson Tide (22-8, 12-5) wasted a chance to bolster its seeding for the tournament, despite a spirited back-and-forth down the stretch as the teams traded 3 after 3. Labaron Philon Jr. led Alabama with 26 points.

NO. 17 NORTH CAROLINA 67, CLEMSON 63

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Luka Bogavac hit six 3-pointers and scored a career-best 20 points as North Carolina beat Clemson and set a program record by going 18-0 at home.

Henri Veesaar scored 13 points before fouling out in the final minute and Jarin Stevenson had nine points and 10 rebounds as the Tar Heels (24-6, 12-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their fourth straight game heading into a weekend rematch with No. 1 Duke.

North Carolina’s unbeaten run at home was its first in nine years.

RJ Godfrey scored a career-high 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting for Clemson (21-9, 11-6). Godfrey’s only point in the final 8½ minutes came on a free throw with 1:25 remaining that cut the deficit to 61-59. Carter Welling added 13 points.

NO. 18 ST. JOHN"S 72, GEORGETOWN 69

NEW YORK (AP) — Zuby Ejiofor scored 23 points, Joson Sanon added 15 off the bench — all after halftime — and St. John’s rallied from 12 down in the second half to beat skidding Georgetown.

With a gritty comeback on Senior Night at Madison Square Garden, the Red Storm (24-6, 17-2 Big East) tied No. 4 UConn atop the conference standings with one regular-season game remaining. A victory Friday night at Hudson River rival Seton Hall would give the Johnnies at least a share of their second consecutive Big East regular-season championship following a 32-year drought.

The only time they’ve won back-to-back league crowns was 1985 and ’86.

Dylan Darling had 12 points for St. John’s, which has won 15 of 16 overall and 11 straight meetings with Georgetown — the longest streak for either school in a series that dates to 1909.

NO. 19 MIAMI (OHIO) 74, TOLEDO 72

OXFORD, Ohio (AP) — Pete Suder scored 19 points, Antowne Woolfolk added 14 and Miami (Ohio) closed within a victory of a perfect regular season with a win over Toledo that extended the RedHawks’ season-opening winning streak to 30 games.

The RedHawks (17-0 Mid-American Conference) remain the only undefeated team in Division I men’s basketball. Miami extended the best start in program history and added to its school record for wins in a season. Miami also boasts the best start and longest win streak in MAC annals.

Brant Byers added 13 points and Luke Skaljac chipped in 12 for the RedHawks, who extended their home winning streak to 31- games in front of a sellout crowd of 10,640 at Millett Hall. That home mark matches Duke for the longest in the nation.

Leroy Blyden Jr. led Toledo (16-4, 10-7) with 21 points and Sonny Wilson added 13.

NO. 23 TENNESSEE 78, SOUTH CAROLINA 59

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — J.P. Estrella scored 22 points, Felix Okpara added 20 and Tennessee rolled past South Carolina to stop a two-game skid.

The Volunteers (21-9, 11-6 Southeastern Conference) were a force inside, even without injured starter and second-leading scorer Nate Ament, a 6-foot-10 freshman.

Tennessee shook off Ament’s absence with post players Estrella and Okpara dismantling South Carolina’s defense with dunks and layups.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie, the Vols’ leading scorer at 18.7 points per game, was held to eight points on 3-of-9 shooting. But he had a career-high 12 assists as he regularly found Estrella and Okpara close to the basket.

The Vols held a 56-18 scoring edge in the paint as Estrella and Okpara combined to make 20 of 27 shots.

Meechie Johnson, who was honored on senior night, scored 20 points to lead the Gamecocks (12-18, 3-14), who’ve lost 10 of 11.

The Associated Press national player of the week in women’s basketball for Week 17 of the season:

Mikayla Blakes, Iowa

The sophomore guard led No. 5 Vanderbilt to wins over Alabama and Tennessee last week, averaging 34.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists. She is the first SEC player in the past 26 years to have scored 30 or more points in a dozen games. She had 34 points against Tennessee and 35 against Alabama.

Runner-up

Olivia Olson, No. 8 Michigan. She led the Wolverines to wins over then-No. 13 Ohio State and 14th-ranked Maryland. Olson, a sophomore, had a career-high 31 points, including the game-winning layup in overtime, in the victory over the Buckeyes. She also had nine rebounds and four assists in that win. She followed that up with a 28-point effort against the Terrapins.

Honorable mention

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame; Marta Suarez, No. 10 TCU; Riley Weiss, Columbia.

Keep an eye on

Marquette junior guard Skylar Forbes averaged 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in wins over Providence and Xavier. She had 24 in a road win over Providence, two off her career high. She scored 12 of her 19 points in the first half of a win over Xavier.

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The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 17 of the season:

Brayden Burries, No. 2 Arizona

The 6-foot-4 freshman guard is the first player to earn AP national player of the week honors twice this season after a stellar two-game stretch. Burries led the Wildcats to at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title by averaging 22.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He scored 24 points with four assists in an 87-80 win at Baylor. He followed up with 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and no turnovers in an 84-61 win over No. 14 Kansas. Burries was named player of the week in Week 13 and gives Arizona three player of the week honors after fellow freshman Koa Peat earned it the opening week of the season.

Runner-up

Mikey Lewis, No. 21 Saint Mary’s. The 6-3 sophomore had 31 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal in Saturday’s 70-59 win over No. 12 Gonzaga to give the Gaels a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season crown. He made 10 of 21 shots from the floor and 7 of 13 from 3 in the game. Lewis also had 21 points and seven assists in Wednesday’s win against Santa Clara to help the Gaels close the week on an eight-game win streak.

Honorable mention

Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Alabama; Nick Martinelli, Northwestern; Seth Trimble, North Carolina.

Keep an eye on

Ty Harper, Oral Roberts. The 6-3 guard scored 47 points in a win over Denver on Thursday. Harper made 12 of 24 shots from the floor, and hit all 21 of his free throws to break the Summit League record. He followed with 27 points in a win at Kansas City on Thursday. The senior leads ORU with 17.9 points per game heading into this week's Summit League tournament.

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Star freshman Cameron Boozer scored 26 points and top-ranked Duke shot 55.2% to beat N.C. State 93-64 on Monday night, securing the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.

The Blue Devils (28-2, 16-1) clinched the No. 1 seed for next week’s ACC Tournament with a weekend rout of No. 13 Virginia. Duke followed that by overwhelming the Wolfpack, both by hitting from outside against N.C. State’s zone and then getting into the paint area that has become a trademark strength.

Boozer finished 8 for 10 from the field and 9 for 11 from the foul line while grabbing nine rebounds — along with accumulating multiple long, thick scratches wrapping around his right shoulder amid physical second-half play.

Dame Sarr added 14 of his 16 points before halftime for Duke, which made 11 of 28 3-pointers.

The Blue Devils ran off a 9-0 burst to push to a double-digit lead late in the first half, followed by getting opposite corner 3s — Sarr from the right side, then Nik Khamenia from the left — for a 47-30 halftime lead.

Duke made its last five shots before halftime, then hit its first five out of the break to eliminate any lingering doubt, including a 3-pointer from Isaiah Evans that made it 56-32 at the 17:32 mark.

Darrion Williams had 17 points for the Wolfpack (19-11, 10-7), who continued a late-season slide in coach Will Wade’s debut season. N.C. State shot 35.4% and made 7 of 29 3s en route to a fifth loss in six games, a run that includes a 41-point defeat at then-No. 24 Louisville and last week’s 29-point loss at Virginia.

NO. 2 ARIZONA 73, NO. 6 IOWA STATE 57

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Jaden Bradley scored 17 points, Motiejus Krivas added 13 and Arizona clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title with a win over No. 6 Iowa State.

The Wildcats (28-2, 15-2) secured at least a share of the conference crown by using big runs in each half to beat No. 14 Kansas 84-61 on Saturday.

Arizona earned it outright by smothering Iowa State defensively to give Tommy Lloyd his 140th victory, most in NCAA history in a coach’s first five seasons.

Coming off their first home loss of the season, the Cyclones (24-6, 11-6) labored against Arizona’s physical defense, shooting 29% from the floor, including 7 of 30 from 3-point range.

Tamin Lipsey led Iowa State with 17 points, but leading scorer Milan Momcilovic was held to five on 2-of-8 shooting. The nation’s best 3-point shooter at 51%, he went 1 for 5 from the beyond the arc.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Donovan Atwell scored 18 points to lead No. 16 Texas Tech to an 82-73 victory over No. 4 Iowa State on Saturday that sent the Cyclones to their first home loss of the season.

Iowa State (24-5, 11-5 Big 12) was 15-0 at Hilton Coliseum before the Red Raiders (22-7, 12-4) came in and ended the streak, building a 20-point first-half run and fighting off a second-half surge by the Cyclones.

Texas Tech, playing the rest of the season without JT Toppin, the reigning Big 12 player of the year, stayed in a second-place tie with Houston, two games behind leader Arizona, heading into the final week of the regular season. Iowa State dropped into a tie for fourth with Kansas.

Atwell, who ranks second nationally in 3-pointers per game and third in 3-pointers made, was 6 of 10 from behind the arc.

Atwell was one of six Red Raiders who scored in double figures. Christian Anderson had 14 points, Luke Bamgboye had 13 points, Jaylen Petty had 12 and Tyeree Bryan and Josiah Moseley each had 10.

Joshua Jefferson led the Cyclones with 22 points. Milan Momcilovic had 20 points and Tamin Lipsey added 13.

NO. 1 DUKE 77, NO. 11 VIRGINIA 51

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Isaiah Evans scored 19 points to help Duke beat Virginia, clinching the top seed for the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

The sophomore hit five 3-pointers, three coming in the opening 4-plus minutes as the Blue Devils quickly found their long-distance range. Duke made 8 of 13 3s in the opening half and finished 12 for 24 — seven Blue Devils made at least one 3 — while shooting 49.1% overall.

Star freshman Cameron Boozer finished with 18 points despite going just 3 for 9 from the field. But the 6-foot-9, 250-pound top NBA prospect nonetheless made a huge impact by commanding double teams, passing out to set up teammates and drawing fouls.

Boozer finished with nine rebounds and four assists. He also made 11 of 12 free throws, all by halftime. And that helped the Blue Devils take a 41-26 halftime lead with a margin that would only grow.

As a result, the Blue Devils (27-2, 15-1) have at least a two-game lead on every ACC team and must win one of their last two games to clinch the outright regular-season title.

NO. 2 ARIZONA 84, NO. 14 KANSAS 61

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Brayden Burries had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Motiejus Krivas added 13 points and Arizona clinched a share of the Big 12 regular-season title with a win over Kansas.

The Wildcats (27-2, 14-2 Big 12) used a 19-0 run to build an 18-point lead, allowed Kansas to whittle it to two midway through the second half, then pulled away with another big run to earn a share of the Big 12 title in their second season in the league.

Jaden Bradley scored eight straight points during the decisive 19-2 second-half run and Koa Peat had 12 points after missing the previous three games with a lower-leg injury.

The Jayhawks (21-8, 11-5) handed Arizona its first loss of the season on Feb. 9 and rallied behind star freshman Darryn Peterson after being overwhelmed early in the rematch.

Peterson finished with 24 points, but Kansas had no answer during the Wildcats’ big run and lost for the third time in five games.

NO. 5 HOUSTON 102, COLORADO, 62

HOUSTON (AP) — Milos Uzan had 26 points and six assists, Joseph Tugler scored 14 and Houston snapped its three-game losing streak with a win over Colorado.

Uzan had 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half as the Cougars (24-5, 12-4 Big 12) built a 55-29 lead at the break. Houston shot 56%, including 6 of 11 on 3-pointers, in the first half.

Chris Cenac Jr. scored 12 points, Kingston Flemings had 11 points, six rebound and eight assists and Chase McCarty, Emanuel Sharp and Mercy Miller finished with 10 points each for Houston, which shot 60% for the game and 10 of 17 on 3-pointers.

The Cougars forced Colorado into 15 turnovers and converted them into 21 points. They outrebounded the Buffaloes 34-22.

NO. 6 UCONN 71, SETON HALL 67

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Alex Karaban scored 23 points after being added to the Huskies of Honor before his final home game, and UConn rallied for a victory over Seton Hall.

Solo Ball had 12 of his 14 points in the second half for UConn (27-3, 17-2 Big East). Karaban and Ball combined to go 7 for 8 from the foul line in the final minute.

Karaban became the first active UConn men’s basketball player to join the Huskies of Honor in a pregame ceremony at Gampel Pavilion. The two-time national champion who is the men’s career leader in victories moved into 10th on the career scoring list with a 3-pointer during the game.

Karaban, also second in career 3-pointers, was honored along with Tarris Reed Jr., Dwayne Koroma, Alec Millender and Malachi Smith in the final home game of the season for the Huskies.

Braylon Mullins had 11 points and Reed finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Huskies, who crushed No. 15. St. John’s 72-40 on Wednesday but had to work hard to get past the Pirates.

NO. 7 FLORIDA 111, NO. 20 ARKANSAS 77

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Thomas Haugh scored 22 points, Rueben Chinyelu had his 17th double-double of the season and Florida earned at least a share of the Southeastern Conference title with a win over Arkansas.

It tied the worst loss of Arkansas coach John Calipari’s career, a 34-pointer against Duke in 2018. Calipari was with Kentucky at the time.

The Gators (23-6, 14-2 SEC) closed out an unbeaten February with their ninth consecutive win and locked up their first regular-season championship since 2014. They remained two games ahead of No. 17 Alabama with two to play and can wrap up the outright title Tuesday night at home.

But they didn’t wait to celebrate.

With a sold-out crowd and ESPN’s College GameDay on hand, Florida turned Billy Donovan Court into a party spot. Coach Todd Golden was front and center as the team doled out hats and T-shirts and cut down nets. It wasn’t Golden’s first time in the spotlight Saturday night, either.

Golden and Calipari got double technicals early in the second half after screaming at each other near midcourt. Calipari’s assistants pulled him away. Golden turned and riled up the 11,000-plus in attendance.

It was one of the few highlights in a game that was pretty much over early.

NO. 12 NEBRASKA 84, SOUTHERN CAL 67

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pryce Sandfort scored 32 points — one off his career high — and Nebraska pulled away in the second half to beat Southern California for its school-record 14th Big Ten victory and third straight overall.

The Cornhuskers (25-4, 14-4) improved to 7-2 on the road in league play with one away game remaining. They began the season 20-0 and are 5-4 since then.

Sanfort hit five 3-pointers, leaving him five away from equaling Shawn Respert’s Big Ten single-season record of 80.

Braden Frager added 17 points and tied his career high with eight rebounds for the Huskers, who got plenty of support in Galen Center. Their fans chanted “Go Big Red!” during a decisive 15-0 run midway through the second half. Sandfort had seven points and Frager seven as Nebraska extended its lead to 66-46.

The Trojans (18-11, 7-11) further damaged their NCAA Tournament hopes with their fifth straight loss and 10th in 16 games.

NO. 15 ST. JOHN'S 89, VILLANOVA 57

NEW YORK (AP) — Zuby Ejiofor had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double, and St. John’s bounced back from an embarrassing loss by blitzing Villanova at Madison Square Garden.

Ian Jackson added 19 points and a career-high five steals off the bench for the Red Storm (23-6, 16-2 Big East), who sprinted out to a 30-point lead in the first half and remained a half-game behind No. 6 UConn atop the conference standings.

Oziyah Sellers scored 14 in the Johnnies’ most lopsided victory over Villanova, their most frequent opponent. St. John’s leads 68-67 in a series that dates to the 1909-1910 season.

Ejiofor, who also blocked three shots, delivered the fourth known triple-double in school history and second in the past 26 years, after Kadary Richmond had one in the regular-season finale last year against Marquette.

NO. 17 ALABAMA 71, NO. 22 TENNESSEE 69

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Labaron Philon Jr. hit a jumper with 22.8 seconds left to lead Alabama to a win over No. 22 Tennessee on Saturday night.

Latrell Wrightsell scored 25 points to lead the Crimson Tide (22-7, 12-4 Southeastern Conference), and Philon came off the bench to score 15 of his 23 points in the second half. Aden Holloway added 12.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 26 points and had eight steals and seven assists to lead the Volunteers (20-9, 10-6), who lost their fourth SEC game after having a double-digit first-half lead.

J.P. Estrella had 12 points and Jaylen Carey had 10 points and nine rebounds.

The Vols missed three shots within five feet of the basket in the final seconds.

NO. 18 NORTH CAROLINA 89, VIRGINIA TECH 82

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Henri Veesaar matched a season-high with 26 points, Seth Trimble scored 20 points, and North Carolina pulled away in the second half to beat Virginia Tech.

Jonathan Powell got 15 points off the bench, 13 of which came before halftime.

The Tar Heels (23-6, 11-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) opened their first double-digit lead at 73-63 with 6:59 left on a hook shot by Veesaar, who added seven rebounds and was 11 of 20 from the floor. It was his third time with 26 points this season, most recently in a 95-90 loss to Stanford on Jan. 14.

The Hokies pulled within five with 2:45 remaining, but North Carolina closed it out despite making just one field goal over the final 6:22.

Neoklis Avdalas finished with 19 points for the Hokies (18-11, 7-9), who lost for the third time in four games. Tobi Lawal and Ben Hammond had 16 points apiece.

WEST VIRGINIA 79, NO. 19 BYU 71

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Honor Huff scored 19 points, Brenen Lorient added 18 and West Virginia led the entire second half and beat BYU .

DJ Thomas added 13 points and Jasper Floyd and Chance Moore had 11 apiece for the Mountaineers (17-12, 8-8 Big 12).

Robert Wright III scored 23 points and AJ Dybantsa added 20 for BYU (20-9, 8-8), which couldn’t make up a double-digit halftime deficit for the second straight game. The Cougars have lost two straight and eight of 12.

Keba Keita’s steal and layup brought BYU to 74-71 with 1:11 left. But the Cougars didn’t score again. BYU had two chances to tie it following steals, but turned the ball over on consecutive possessions.

West Virginia made 5 of 6 free throws the final 26 seconds. The Mountaineers broke a three-game losing streak and improved to 2-4 against AP Top 25 opponents.

West Virginia forced nine BYU turnovers in the first half and used a 20-5 run, including 11 points from Moore, to take a 40-26 halftime lead.

NO. 23 SAINT LOUIS 91, DUQUESNE 76

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robbie Avila scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half, Quentin Jones added 17 and Saint Louis beat Duquesne.

Trey Green had 14 points, and Paul Otieno added 13 points off the bench to help Saint Louis (26-3, 14-2 Atlantic 10) win its 21st consecutive home game.

Tarence Guinyard scored 27 points, and Jimmie Williams had 16 for Duquesne (16-13, 8-8). It has lost three in a row after winning five straight contests.

Saint Louis converted 27 of 50 shots from the field and hit 16 of 28 shots from 3-point range.

Duquesne went on a 7-0 run after Avila picked up his fourth personal foul with 5:52 remaining to cut Saint Louis’ lead to 76-74, but Green answered by scoring eight straight points for the Billikens. They closed with a 15-2 run.

CLEMSON 80, NO. 24 LOUISVILLE 75

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Jestin Porter scored all 16 of his points in the second half as Clemson snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over Louisville.

The Tigers, once comfortably in the NCAA Tournament field with 10 wins in their first 11 Atlantic Coast Conference games, had raised questions the past two weeks with their late-season slide. But Clemson (21-8, 11-5 ACC) held off the Cardinals (20-9, 9-7) with defense and Porter’s timely baskets.

Up 55-49, Porter drove through the right side of Louisville’s defense for a basket off the glass. Moments later, Nick Davidson stole the ball from Adrian Wooley, fed a perfect pass to a wide-open Porter who hit a 3-pointer for a double-digit lead.

The Tigers led by 15 with 1:08 to play when Louisville used a 17-6 run for the final score.

KENTUCKY 91, NO. 25 VANDERBILT 77

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Collin Chandler scored a career-high 23 points to lead Kentucky to a win over Vanderbilt.

Otega Oweh also had 23 points for Kentucky (19-10, 10-6 Southeastern Conference), which split the regular-season series after losing to the Commodores 80-55 on Jan. 27 in Nashville. The Wildcats notched their second straight victory after dropping three straight to Florida, Georgia and Auburn earlier this month.

Tyler Tanner led the Commodores (22-9, 9-7) with 19 points, followed by Jalen Washington with 16. Tyler Nickel had 13, AK Okereke scored 12 and Duke Miles had 11.

Chandler tied a career high with six 3-pointers and Kentucky which finished with 11 in the game. He had five of the Wildcats’ seven in the first half for 15 points.

Chandler connected on back-to-back 3s and scored six of the first eight points for the Wildcats. Kentucky used a 7-0 run to build a double-digit lead, which it maintained throughout the game.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds against his former team as No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 10 Illinois 84-70 on Friday night and clinched Big Ten regular-season title.

Johnson, who played for the Illini last season after verbally committing three years earlier, was booed throughout the game by Illinois fans.

Aday Mara had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting and Yaxel Lendeberg finished with 16 points and seven rebounds for the Wolverines (27-2, 17-1), who are 10-0 on the road and have won 23 games by 10 or more points.

The Wolverines won their first outright conference regular-season title since 2014, when they also clinched with a win at Illinois.

Michigan’s 17 conference victories are the most in school history.

Keaton Wagler scored 23 points for the Illini (22-7, 13-5), who have lost four of six, including three in overtime. Wagler scored in double figures for the 21st straight game.

Kylan Boswell scored 15 points and David Mirkovic had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Illini, who entered the game as the Big Ten’s top 3-point shooting team. Illinois was just 9 of 29 from distance against Michigan.

Michigan led 38-31 at halftime behind Johnson’s 13 points.

Down 16-11 after a four-point play by Wagler, the Wolverines responded with an 11-point run capped by a 3 by Johnson and never trailed again. They led by as many as 21 points in the second half.

NO. 21 MIAMI (OHIO) 69, WESTERN MICHIGAN 67

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Trey Perry scored on a driving layup with a second remaining and Miami of Ohio rallied to beat Western Michigan to remain the only unbeaten Division I team.

The RedHawks (16-0 Mid-American Conference) remain the only undefeated team in Division I men’s basketball. Miami extended the best start in program history and added to its school record for wins in a season. Miami also boasts the best start and longest win streak in MAC annals.

Peter Suder scored 18 points for the RedHawks before fouling out with just over seven minutes remaining. Almar Atlason added 16 points, Perry finished with 14 and Eian Elmer 10.

Jayden Brewer led Western Michigan (10-19, 4-12) with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Justice Williams and EJ Ryans each added 14 points.

Miami is used to playing close games and won for the seventh time this season by less than six points.

The RedHawks trailed by four points, 30-26, at the half and fell behind by eight points twice early in the second half before tying the game at 49-all with 11:02 remaining.

Western Michigan ran off eight straight points for a 57-49 advantage with 8:40 remaining and led by nine (59-50) with 6:38 left before Miami chipped away and moved ahead 66-65 on a layup by Antwone Woolfolk with 14 seconds left.

Elmer’s free throw with 37 seconds remaining gave the RedHawks a 67-65 edge, but Western Michigan tied it with 11 seconds left on a basket by Williams before Perry made the game winner.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Tarris Reed Jr. had 20 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, and No. 6 UConn held 15th-ranked St. John’s to 20% shooting in a 72-40 blowout Wednesday night that snapped the Red Storm’s 13-game winning streak.

Alex Karaban added 14 points and five rebounds for the Huskies, who moved back into first place in the Big East by avenging an 81-72 loss to St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 6.

St. John’s missed 12 consecutive shots in the first half and then its final 24 field goal attempts of the game as the Huskies (26-3, 16-2) romped to their most lopsided victory in series history.

It was by far the largest defeat for the Johnnies in three seasons under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, and their fewest points in a game since a 66-40 loss at Notre Dame in March 2013.

Solo Ball had 11 points and four assists for UConn, and Silas Demary Jr. provided seven points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Joson Sanon scored all 10 of his points in the first half for St. John’s (22-6, 15-2), which finished 11 of 56 from the field and fell a half-game behind UConn in the conference standings. The team’s 13-game winning streak was its longest in 41 years.

NO. 7 FLORDA, 84, TEXAS 71

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Alex Condon scored 23 points, Boogie Fland had 22 and Florida beat Texas for its eighth consecutive victory.

Florida (22-6, 13-2 Southeastern Conference) has won seven straight SEC road games. The Gators have outscored their last eight opponents by an average of 20.5 points, rounding into form as they seek to defend their national title.

The 6-foot-11 Condon converted 10 of 12 shots from the field. He had five points and an assist during a 14-1 run gave the Gators a 75-65 lead with 4:16 remaining. Fland hit 7 of 10 shots and scored seven during the game-changing burst. Xavian Lee scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half.

Florida, a poor 3-point shooting team most of the season — 30% accuracy — has heated up to 36% during the winning streak. Coach Todd Golden’s Gators made 6 of 9 from long range during the second half against Texas, finishing 8 of 18.

Meantime, the Longhorns (17-11, 8-7) went without a field goal for the final 7:27.

Texas has lost two in a row after winning its previous five. Dailyn Swain led the Longhorns with 21 points, including 15 in the second half. Tramon Mark scored 15 points and Jordan Pope had 14.

NO. 9 GONZAGA 89, PORTLAND 48

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Graham Ike scored 19 points and matched a school record with seven steals as Gonzaga routed Portland to clinch its first West Coast Conference regular-season championship in three years.

Braeden Smith added 15 points for the Bulldogs (28-2, 16-1), who avenged their 87-80 loss at Portland on Feb. 4. Mario Saint-Supery and Tyon Grant-Foster each scored 12, and Ike grabbed eight rebounds.

Joel Foxwell led the Pilots (12-18, 5-12) with 12 points. Portland shot 34.7% from the field and committed 22 turnovers.

NO. 12 NEBRASKA 74, MARYLAND 61

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Braden Frager scored 21 points off the bench to lead four Nebraska players in double figures and the Cornhuskers beat Maryland.

The Huskers (24-4) improved to 13-4 in Big Ten play, matching their program record for conference wins and moving them into a tie for second place with Illinois.

Pryce Sandfort made a couple of big 3-pointers late and finished with 16 points, Rienk Mast had 11 of his 13 in the second half and Sam Hoiberg had 12 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Andre Mills had 16 of his 19 points in the second half for Maryland (11-17, 4-13) and Elijah Saunders scored all 15 of his points on a career-high five 3s. Solomon Washington added 13 points for the Terrapins.

NO. 17 ALABAMA 100, MISSISSIPPI STATE 75

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Amari Allen scored 23 points, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. added 18, and Alabama cruised to a win over Mississippi State.

Aden Holloway had 16 for the Crimson Tide (21-7, 11-4 Southeastern Conference), who started the game with five 3-pointers in a 15-2 run on their way to a season-high 16 3s in the first half. It was Alabama’s ninth straight game with at least 10 made 3-pointers.

Alabama leading scorer Labaron Philon missed the game with a left leg injury, coach Nate Oats said. Freshman London Jemison started in his place, which marked the team’s 13th different starting lineup this season — the most since Oats has coached the team (2019-present).

The Crimson Tide led 66-33 at halftime and pulled ahead by 39, knocking down 22 3-pointers (22 for 50), the most by an SEC team in conference play this season. Six different players connected on at least two 3-pointers and the team reached 100 points for the eighth time this season.

Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10) struggled offensively, particularly in the first half. Leading scorer Josh Hubbard, who entered the game as the SEC’s leading scorer at 22 points per game, scored 11 — his third lowest output this season.

Achor Achor had 18 to lead the Bulldogs.

NO. 20 ARKANSAS 99, TEXAS A&M 84

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Billy Richmond III scored 23 points and Arkansas took advantage of Texas A&M’s miscues to beat the Aggies.

Richmond, who shot 8 of 13 from the floor and has scored 20 points or more in the last four games, had 15 points in the first half as the Razorbacks (21-7, 11-4 Southeastern Conference) took a 37-28 lead into halftime.

They carried the advantage in large part because Texas A&M (19-8, 9-6) couldn’t take care of the ball. Thirteen first-half turnovers led to 15 points for Arkansas.

Darius Acuff Jr. scored 22 points for Arkansas, Malique Ewin had 18, Trevon Brazile 14 and Meleek Thomas 13. Acuff, who entered leading the SEC in scoring with 22.2 points per game, had been held to just five points until the final nine minutes as he made his last six of his last seven shots from the floor after a 1-for-12 start.

Zach Clemence came off the bench to score a career-high 29 points for Texas A&M. Rashaun Agee added 17.

NO. 25 VANDERBILT 88, GEORGIA 80

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Devin McGlockton had 17 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double this season as Vanderbilt held off Georgia.

Tyler Tanner also scored 17 for the Commodores (22-6, 9-6 Southeastern Conference), who led by 20 in the first half before Georgia stormed back to tie the game midway through the second.

Two free throws by McGlockton with 3 1/2 minutes left made it a two-possession game, and the Bulldogs went scoreless from the field over the final 4:24.

Duke Miles scored 15 points off the bench for Vanderbilt, reaching double figures for the second consecutive game since returning from an injury. AK Okereke had 13 points, six rebounds and six assists. Tyler Nickel and Jalen Washington added 10 points apiece.

Jeremiah Wilkinson made five 3-pointers and finished with 28 points off the bench to lead Georgia (19-9, 7-8). Kanon Catchings had 15 points. Blue Cain added 10 points and tied the score at 62 on a second-chance 3 from the top of the arc.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Cameron Boozer had 24 points and 13 rebounds as No. 1 Duke beat Notre Dame 100-56 on Tuesday night, handing the Irish their worst home loss since 1898.

Duke (26-2, 14-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), playing its first game this season as No. 1, coming off win over then-No. 1 Michigan on Saturday, ended Notre Dame’s streak of six home wins against AP No. 1-ranked teams, starting with UCLA in 1974, when the Fighting Irish ended UCLA’s record 88-game winning streak.

The 6-foot-9 Boozer, a national Player of the Year candidate, overpowered Notre Dame, scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the first half as the Blue Devils rolled to a 54-22 halftime lead. He hit 10 of 12 shots in the first half.

Darren Harris scored 16 points for Duke and Patrick Ngongba II and Caleb Foster scored 13 points each.

Cole Certa and Brady Koehler scored 14 points each for Notre Dame.

NO. 2 ARIZONA 87, BAYLOR 80

WACO, Texas (AP) — Jaden Bradley scored 25 points, Brayden Burries had 24 and Arizona outlasted Baylor, giving the Wildcats a two-game lead in the Big 12 standings with three to play in the regular season.

The Wildcats erased a 10-point deficit early in the second half, then had to withstand a back-and-forth finish. There was a 13 1/2-minute stretch in which the margin never was more than two points and the lead changed hands 13 times.

Tobe Awaka had 10 points and 13 rebounds for Arizona (26-2, 13-2), which has won its last three games since back-to-back losses that followed a 23-0 start to the season. Motiejus Krivas finished with 12 points.

Cameron Carr had 26 points for Baylor (14-14, 4-11). Isaac Williams scored 16 and freshman Tounde Yessoufou added 12.

The remaining four contenders for the Big 12 regular-season title all have 11-4 conference records: No. 4 Iowa State, No. 5 Houston, No. 14 Kansas and No. 16 Texas Tech.

Arizona finally took the lead for good on Bradley’s long jumper from the right wing that made it 76-75 with 4:04 left. Burries added a short jumper a minute later.

NO. 3 MICHIGAN 77, MINNESOTA 67

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Elliot Cadeau had 15 points and L.J. Cason scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half as Michigan beat Minnesota to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title for the first time in five years.

The Wolverines (26-2, 16-1) can earn an outright championship with a win at No. 10 Illinois on Friday night or next week at Iowa or at home against 15th-ranked Michigan State.

Michigan was coming off a 68-63 loss to Duke that dropped the Wolverines down from No. 1 and vaulted the Blue Devils to the top spot in the AP Top 25.

The Gophers (13-15, 6-11) trailed by just four at halftime before giving up too many 3-pointers. Michigan made 9 of 18 shots from beyond the arc in the second half.

Minnesota’s Cade Tyson scored 20 points, Langston Reynolds had 15 points and Isaac Asuma and Bobby Durkin scored 12 apiece.

NO. 4 IOWA STATE 75, UTAH 59

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Joshua Jefferson scored 21 points, Milan Momcilovic made four 3-pointers to break the Iowa State record for 3s in a season, and the Cyclones beat Utah.

Momcilovic entered the game with 100 3-pointers and surpassed Dedric Willoughby’s record of 102, set in 1997, when he hit back-to-back 3s in the second half. The 6-foot-8 junior forward has 104 after going 4 of 8 from deep against the Utes; he is shooting better than 50% from long range. He finished with 14 points.

Making its first visit to Salt Lake City, Iowa State (24-4, 11-4 Big 12) held Utah without a field goal — seven straight misses — over a stretch of 9:14 in the second half to turn a five-point lead into a 17-point advantage.

Jefferson recorded his 34th consecutive game in double figures. Jamarion Batemon added 13 points.

Terrence Brown scored 18 points, Don McHenry had 14 and Keanu Dawes added 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Utes (10-18, 2-13), who have lost nine of 10.

The Cyclones’ pressure defense sped up the Utes’ ballhandlers, delaying their offensive sets and forcing them into 18 turnovers.

NO. 11 VIRGINIA 90, NC STATE 61

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Thijs De Ridder scored 19 points lead five Virginia players in double figures as the Cavaliers beat North Carolina State, cruising in their final tuneup before Saturday’s showdown at No. 1 Duke.

Virginia (25-3, 13-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) never trailed as it won its ninth straight. However, there was cause for concern for the Cavaliers when De Ridder limped off the floor and headed to the locker room with about five minutes remaining.

Sam Lewis added 16 points for the Cavaliers, who trail only the first-place Blue Devils in the ACC standings. Jacari White scored 15 and Malik Thomas added 12.

Virginia blocked 12 shots — led by 7-foot freshman Johann Grunloh with a career-high eight — and its bench outscored N.C. State’s 32-5. The Cavaliers went 12 of 26 from 3-point range.

Paul McNeil Jr. had 22 points and six rebounds for the Wolfpack (19-9, 10-5). Darrion Williams added 14 points and Ven-Allen Lubin scored 11.

NO. 16 TEXAS TECH 80, CINCINNATI 68

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Christian Anderson had 31 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, leading Texas Tech past Cincinnati for a second consecutive victory since star forward JT Toppin’s season-ending knee injury.

Anderson’s eighth double-double of the season — and his two-year career — was his first with rebounds and filled the void the Red Raiders (21-7, 11-4 Big 12) are facing without Toppin, one of the nation’s double-double leaders. The guard’s first seven double-doubles were with assists, and he had seven against the Bearcats.

Moustapha Thiam had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Cincinnati (15-13, 7-8), which had a four-game winning streak — tied for its season best — stopped three days after an upset victory at Kansas that dropped the Jayhawks six spots to 14th in the AP Top 25.

LeJuan Watts scored 13 points for Texas Tech, and Donovan Atwell, one of the nation’s best 3-point shooters, added 12 while taking all nine of his shots from long range and making four.

Anderson had his highest-scoring game in the Big 12 as the Red Raiders made it a pair of double-digit victories since Toppin went down in a loss at Arizona State.

NO. 21 MIAMI (OHIO) 74, EASTERN MICHIGAN 64

YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) — Brant Byers scored 16 points and Antwone Woolfolk added 14 as Miami of Ohio beat Eastern Michigan to remain the only undefeated team in Division I men’s basketball.

Peter Suder had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the RedHawks (28-0, 15-0 Mid-American Conference), who extended the best start in program history and added to their school record for wins in a season. Miami also boasts the best start and longest win streak in MAC annals.

Gregory Lawson II led the Eagles (10-19, 4-12) with 29 points, his career high.

Miami opened 0 for 6 on 3-pointers until Eian Elmer connected with 8:58 left in the first half. Despite shooting 22.2% from long range, the RedHawks took a 43-22 lead into halftime after closing the period the same way they started it: with a 12-0 run.

Miami entered shooting 40.3% from 3-point distance, good for third in the nation and best in the MAC.

MISSOURI 73, NO. 22 TENNESSEE 69

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — T.O. Barrett scored a career-best 28 points and Mark Mitchell added 23 to help Missouri beat Tennessee.

Trent Burns had seven rebounds and four steals off the bench for the Tigers (19-9, 9-6 Southeastern Conference), who improved to 3-1 at home this season against AP Top 25 opponents and 18-1 when scoring at least 73 points.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 19 points, Nate Ament had 17 and Felix Okpara added 15 points and eight rebounds for Tennessee (20-8, 10-5), which had won four consecutive games and eight of the past nine.

Tennessee outrebounded Missouri 42-30 but scored just 20 second-chance points despite grabbing 18 offensive boards. It was the sixth time a ranked Volunteers team lost to an unranked opponent this season.

Bishop Boswell hit a layup with 4 seconds left to cut Missouri’s lead to 71-69, but Jacob Crews made two free throws on the other end to seal the win.

DAYTON 77, NO. 23 SAINT LOUIS 62

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Amael L’Etang scored a career-high 26 points and Javon Bennett added 17 as Dayton beat Saint Louis.

Saint Louis has lost two of its last three games since winning 18 straight. The Billikens were 25-2 for just the second time in school history, and the loss to Dayton prevented them from reaching 26-2 for the first time.

Jordan Derkack scored 14 points for the Flyers (19-9, 10-5 A-10), who improved to 14-2 at home. It was their 12th straight win over Saint Louis in UD Arena.

Kellen Thomas led the Billikens with 24 points and Dion Brown had 15.

After trailing by as many has 25 points in the first half, the Billikens (25-3, 13-2) got within 11 late in the second half, but couldn’t complete the comeback.

The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 16 of the season:

Darius Acuff Jr., No. 20 Arkansas

The 6-foot-3 freshman guard and high-end NBA prospect had an all-timer of a performance in a 117-115 double-overtime loss at then-No. 25 Alabama, scoring 49 points to set an Arkansas single-game freshman record as well as the No. 2 total in program history by any player.

Acuff made 16 of 27 shots, 6 of 10 3-pointers and 11 of 12 free throws to go with five rebounds and five assists. He also committed just one turnover while playing all 50 minutes. The 49 points were the No. 2 output in Division I all year and broke Todd Day's 1992 program record for most points in a Southeastern Conference game, as well as standing as the most points by a John Calipari-coached player.

Acuff followed with 20 points, four rebounds and five assists in a win against Missouri.

Runner-up

AJ Dybantsa, No. 19 BYU. The 6-9 freshman swept the Big 12 player of the week and rookie of the week honors after two big outings against top-flight opponents. First he had 35 points and seven rebounds in a loss at then-No. 4 Arizona. Then he had a near triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists with a block and a steal in a home win against then-No. 6 Iowa State. The nation's scoring leader (24.9) made 23 of 45 shots (.511), 4 of 10 3-pointers (.400) and 14 of 17 free throws (.824) in the two games.

Honorable mention

Cameron Boozer, No. 1 Duke; Donovan Dent, UCLA.

Keep an eye on

Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati. The 7-2 sophomore had a huge game in the Bearcats' surprise 16-point win at then-No. 8 Kansas, scoring a career-high 28 points to go with eight rebounds and two assists. He went 11 for 17 from the field and had two 3-pointers while committing zero turnovers in 30 minutes. That win marked Cincinnati's first on the road against a top-10 opponent since beating Louisville in January 1990. Thiam is averaging 19.3 points and 8.3 rebounds on 59% shooting in his last three games.

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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Tre White scored a season-high 23 points and No. 14 Kansas bounced back from a surprising defeat with a 69-56 victory over No. 5 Houston on Monday night.

Freshman star Darryn Peterson added 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting in 30 minutes for the Jayhawks (21-7, 11-4 Big 12), who fell six spots in this week’s AP Top 25 following an 84-68 loss at home Saturday to unranked Cincinnati.

Bryson Tiller had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Kansas, which handed the scuffling Cougars (23-5, 11-4) their third consecutive defeat — all against top-15 opponents.

Houston hadn’t dropped three straight games since 2017.

NO. 18 NORTH CAROLINA 77, NO. 24 LOUISVILLE 74

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Seth Trimble scored a career-high 30 points and hit two key free throws with 12.3 seconds left to help North Carolina hold off Louisville.

Trimble’s free throws made it a two-possession game after Louisville had chopped UNC’s 16-point second-half lead all the way down to 74-71.

Freshman Mikel Brown Jr. hit a desperation 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to pull Louisville within 76-74. The Cardinals were able to foul Derek Dixon to extend the game with 0.8 seconds left, but Dixon made the second of his two free throws. Louisville had a final chance but Ryan Conwell couldn’t get off the tying shot in time after catching a long inbounds heave.

Henri Veesaar and Luka Bogavac each added 12 points for the Tar Heels (22-6, 10-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), who again played without injured freshman star Caleb Wilson.

North Carolina shot 53.6% for the game but had a white-knuckle finish for the home fans by going just 7 of 13 from the foul line after halftime. UNC ran off a 17-2 run out of halftime to build a 56-40 lead on Trimble’s steal and dunk that he punctuated with a triumphant scream.

Brown, a high-end NBA prospect, scored 24 points while Conwell added 23 for the Cardinals (20-8, 9-6). Louisville shot 38.8% and went 14 of 39 from 3-point range. But Louisville missed its first 10 shots out of halftime and had to battle uphill the rest of the night.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 20 points and made five 3-pointers, Bella Fontleroy added 16 points and four makes from distance, and No. 18 Baylor beat Kansas State 80-54 on Monday night in its final home game of the regular season.

The Bears pulled away by starting the third quarter on a 13-2 run, highlighted by three 3-pointers by Fontleroy, for a 48-28 lead. Fontleroy scored 12 points in the third on 4-of-5 shooting.

Baylor finished 13 of 26 (50%) from 3-point range, while Kansas State shot 34% overall from the floor with 14 turnovers.

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs had 10 points and 11 rebounds to help Baylor (24-6, 13-4 Big 12) outrebound Kansas State 43-29. Jana Van Gytenbeek added eight assists to go with five points. Scott reached 20 points for the 19th time this season and Littlepage-Buggs recorded her 12th double-double.

Jordan Speiser and Tess Heal each scored 12 points for Kansas State (15-15, 8-9). Brandie Harrod added 10 points. Taryn Sides, averaging a team-high 12.7 points per game, did not score in 12 minutes.

NO. 23 GEORGIA 74, AUBURN 52

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Dani Carnegie had 17 points, Rylie Theuerkauf and Mia Woolfolk both scored 16 and Georgia rolled to a victory over Auburn.

Carnegie added four rebounds and four steals for the Lady Bulldogs (21-7, 7-7 Southeastern Conference). Theuerkauf shot 4 for 7 from 3-point range and Woolfolk made 5 of 8 shots and 6 of 7 free throws.

Khady Leye had 16 points for the Tigers (14-14, 3-11). Ja’Mia Harris scored 13 and Kaitlyn Duhon added 11.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nick Boyd scored 27 points and Nolan Winter added 18 as No. 24 Wisconsin pulled away late for an 84-71 victory over Iowa on Sunday.

Bennett Stirtz’s layup trimmed Iowa’s deficit to 68-65, but Austin Rapp hit a pair of 3-pointers to fuel a 10-point Wisconsin run. Boyd’s layup put the Badgers ahead 78-65 with just under four minutes remaining.

John Blackwell hit four free throws after a deadball technical foul to extend the lead to 82-69 with 1:02 left.

Rapp scored 14 points and Blackwell had 13 for Wisconsin (19-8, 11-5 Big Ten), which bounced back from an 86-69 loss at Ohio State.

Stirtz had 23 points for Iowa (19-8, 9-7), which was coming off a 57-52 win at home over No. 9 Nebraska. Alvaro Folgueiras and Tate Sage scored 11 apiece.

Wisconsin shot 53.8%, including 10 of 24 beyond the arc. The Badgers hit 18 of 20 free throws, including 14 of 15 in the second half. Boyd shot 9 of 16 and Winter 8 of 11.

NO. 15 MICHIGAN STATE 66, OHIO STATE 60

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Carson Cooper scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead No. 15 Michigan State to a win over Ohio State.

Jeremy Fears added 11 points and eight assists for the Spartans (22-5, 12-4 Big Ten), who have won three of four, moving into a third-place tie in the Big Ten with No. 9 Nebraska and No. 7 Purdue.

The Buckeyes (17-10, 9-7) fell to 0-9 against Quadrant 1 teams, a statistic that may hurt their chances of earning an NCAA Tournament bid next month.

Ohio State had an opportunity to earn an impressive win, playing without the ill Devin Royal and injured John Mobley and missing the 29 points per game that they average.

Bruce Thornton tried to make up for it, scoring 32 points, but didn’t get much help from a teammate other than Christoph Tilly, who scored 10 points and missed only one shot.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cameron Boozer scored 18 points and No. 3 Duke handed another neutral-site loss to fellow blueblood Michigan, knocking off the top-ranked Wolverines 68-63 on Saturday night in a raucous possible Final Four preview in the nation’s capital.

The Wolverines had won 11 straight and replaced Arizona atop the AP Top 25 this week. The now-fourth-ranked Wildcats won at No. 2 Houston earlier Saturday, making it the first time since Feb. 8, 2025, that the teams ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the poll lost on the same day.

With his dad, former Duke and NBA star Carlos Boozer, in attendance, Cameron Boozer hit a 3-pointer with 1:55 left to give the Blue Devils a 64-58 lead. Isaiah Evans added 14 points for the Blue Devils (25-2), who could return to Capital One Arena in just over a month for the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

In the programs’ first meeting in 12 years, Duke improved to 23-8 against Michigan and 7-0 on neutral courts, a series that includes the 1992 national title game. Michigan hasn’t beaten Duke since Dec. 6, 2009 in Ann Arbor.

Yaxel Lendeborg scored 21 points for the Wolverines (25-2), who had not lost since a home defeat by three points to Wisconsin on Jan. 10.

NO. 4 ARIZONA 73, NO. 2 HOUSTON 66

HOUSTON (AP) — Anthony Dell’Orso tied a season high with 22 points and Arizona toppled Houston to move into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference.

Arizona (25-2, 12-2), which opened the season 23-0, won its second straight game following consecutive losses to then-No. 9 Kansas and then- 16th-ranked Texas Tech, that knocked the team out of the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 poll.

The Wildcats were down by two before scoring the next 12 points to make it 60-50 with about five minutes remaining. The Cougars missed eight consecutive shots and had three turnovers in that stretch to allow Arizona to build the lead.

Houston (23-4, 11-3) hadn’t scored in about eight minutes when Emanuel Sharp made two free throws with 4 ½ minutes to go. Kalifa Sakho made two more free throws to cut the lead to 60-54 with less than four minutes remaining.

It had been more than 10 minutes since the Cougars made a field goal when a 3-pointer by Kingston Flemings got them within 61-57, but Arizona got four straight points by Jaden Bradley to pad the lead with just over a minute left.

Flemings had 17 points and Sharp added 14 for the Cougars, who lost consecutive games for the first time this season after falling 70-67 at No. 6 Iowa State on Monday night to end a six-game winning streak.

The Cougars struggled to take care of the ball, committing 12 turnovers that led to 16 points for the Wildcats.

NO. 5 UCONN 73, VILLANOVA 63

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alex Karaban scored 12 points, Tarris Reed Jr. added 11 and UConn used a dominating second half to defeat Villanova.

Braylon Mullins added 10 points for the Huskies (25-2, 15-2 Big East), who rebounded from Wednesday’s 91-84 home loss to unranked Creighton.

Tyler Perkins scored 15 points and Matt Hodge had 13 for Villanova (21-6, 12-4), which had won six in a row since losing 75-67 in overtime to UConn on Jan. 24 in the teams’ first meeting.

The teams were locked in a two-point game at the break after a competitive first half, but Villanova went without a field goal in the opening 5:25 of the second half. UConn took advantage with a 13-2 run after the intermission. And the Huskies continued from there. The lead reached as many as 21 points later in the half on a nifty spin move and finish by Reed.

NO. 23 BYU 79, NO. 6 IOWA STATE 69

PROVO, Utah (AP) — AJ Dybantsa had 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to help BYU beat Iowa State for its first victory over a Top 10 opponent this season.

Kennard Davis, Jr. added 17 points, and Mihailo Boskovic had 13 for the Cougars (20-7, 8-6 Big 12). They outscored Iowa State 40-22 in the paint and had a 39-28 edge on the glass.

Tamin Lipsey led the Cyclones (23-4, 10-4) with 19 points. Jamarion Batemon added 14, and Joshua Jefferson had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Iowa State was tabbed as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s reveal of the Top 16 teams in the bracket earlier Saturday. The Cyclones were the fifth Top 10 team on the day to suffer a loss.

Iowa State whittled a double-digit deficit to a basket, drawing to 57-54 on Lipsey’s 3-pointer with 7:21 left.

Dybantsa and Davis scored back-to-back baskets at the rim to quell the rally. It marked the beginning of a 13-3 run that made it 70-57 with 3:33 remaining.

CINCINNATI 84, NO. 8 KANSAS

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Moustapha Thiam had a career-high 28 points and led Cincinnati to an upset of Kansas.

This was the second win of the season for Cincinnati (15-12, 7-7 Big 12) against a ranked team, having taken down then-No. 2 Iowa State 79-70 on Jan. 17.

The 7-footer Thiam made 11 of 17 shots from the field and had eight rebounds. Baba Miller added 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Jalen Celeste had 14 points and eight rebounds, shooting 4 of 8 on 3-pointers. Day Day Thomas scored 10.

Cincinnati held a 36-34 lead after a tumultuous first half that saw nine ties and 10 lead changes. The Bearcats kept the Jayhawks (20-7, 10-4) at arm’s length with timely shots to kill momentum throughout the second, only allowing Kansas to pull ahead for one possession before retaking the lead.

They delivered the final blows with a 20-8 run, surging ahead by double digits for the first time with less than five minutes to go.

NO. 9 NEBRASKA 87, PENN STATE 64

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Pryce Sandfort scored 20 of his career-high 33 points in the first half and finished with eight 3-pointers, leading Nebraska in a rout of Penn State.

The Cornhuskers (23-4, 12-4 Big Ten) bounced back from a 57-52 loss at Iowa on Tuesday and moved into a tie for third place in the conference with their dominant performance against the league’s last-place team.

Sandfort, who set the school record for 3-pointers in a season against Iowa, made his first five deep shots and started 6 for 6 overall against the Nittany Lions (11-17, 2-15). He finished 8 of 14 from beyond the arc.

Sandfort showed he’s more than just a perimeter threat when he snaked his way through two defenders to the hoop for a layup that put the Huskers up 31-15.

Braden Frager scored 15 points and Sam Hoiberg had a career-high 10 assists to go with 11 points.

UCLA 95, NO. 10 ILLINOIS 94, OT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Donovan Dent hit a go-ahead layup with 1 second remaining in overtime, lifting UCLA over Illinois after the Bruins rallied from a 23-point, first-half deficit.

Fans stormed the court in celebration at the buzzer. It was UCLA’s biggest comeback since rallying from 19 points down in a 90-83 victory over Oregon on Feb. 23, 2019, at home.

The Illini were favored by 7.5 points, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

Eric Dailey Jr. led six Bruins in double figures with 20 points. Tyler Bilodeau had 18 points and Trent Perry 17.

Freshman Keaton Wagler grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 4.9 seconds remaining to put Illinois in front, 94-93, before Dent capped UCLA’s comeback.

Neither team led by more than two points in the extra session.

Wagler had 19 points — making all eight of his free throws — eight rebounds and six assists.

The Bruins (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) improved to 15-1 at home.

Making their first visit to Pauley Pavilion since 1997, the Illini (22-6, 13-4) were coming off a 36-point victory at Southern California, their largest in a Big Ten road game in 80 years, and had won 14 of 16.

UCLA erased an 11-point deficit early in the second half with three 3-pointers and took its first lead of the game on Xavier Booker’s basket, 60-58.

NO. 11 GONZAGA 71, PACIFIC 62

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Graham Ike had 20 points and three blocks, Davis Fogle scored 18 points and Gonzaga beat Pacific to wrap up a top-two seed and a semifinal spot in the WCC Tournament.

Emmanuel Innocenti added 13 points for the Bulldogs (27-2, 15-1 West Coast Conference). The 15 conference victories are the program’s most since 2020-21.

Ike had 20 or more points for the ninth straight game, the longest streak by a Gonzaga player in the past 20 seasons. He’s the only active Division I player with at least 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.

Elias Ralph and Justin Rochelin led the Tigers (17-13, 8-9) with 12 points each. TJ Wainwright had 10 points.

Wainwright opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers to put Pacific ahead 35-31. The Zags went on a 6-0 run to pull ahead 56-49.

NO. 12 FLORIDA 94, MISSISSIPPI 75

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Alex Condon scored 24 points and Florida tightened its grip atop the Southeastern Conference standings with a win over Mississippi.

Florida (21-6, 12-2 SEC) entered as the conference leader with a two-game cushion in the loss column over Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee with four games remaining.

The win was the seventh consecutive for the Gators and extended its SEC road game winning streak to six. Florida improved to 16-2 since mid-December and remained unbeaten in February.

Thomas Haugh added 20 points and nine rebounds as Florida had five players in double figures. Reserves Urban Klavzar scored 15 points while Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland had 11 points apiece.

The Gators trailed in the opening five minutes before building a first half leads of 14 points on two occasions and led by as many as 22 points on Hough’s dunk with 3:14 remaining.

NO. 13 TEXAS TECH 100, KANSAS STATE 72

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Donovan Atwell had 26 points with six 3-pointers, Christian Anderson scored 21 and Texas Tech beat Kansas State in the first game for the Red Raiders since standout post JT Toppin’s season-ending knee injury.

Texas Tech (20-7, 10-4 Big 12) maintained a double-digit lead after making nine consecutive shots, including three 3s in a row by Atwell, during a 26-10 run in just under seven minutes for a 40-20 lead with 6:20 left in the first half.

Anderson, who also had nine assists, scored 16 of his points after halftime, when LeJuan Watts had 13 of his 19.

The Red Raiders reached 20 wins for the third season in a row. The school record is four, with coach Bob Knight from 2001-02 to 2004-05.

PJ Haggerty had 17 points and Nate Johnson 15 points for Kansas State (11-16, 2-12), which was playing its second game since a coaching change. The Wildcats beat Baylor 90-74 at home Tuesday, two days after coach Jerome Tang was fired.

NO. 14 VIRGINIA 86, MIAMI 83

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Chance Mallory drew a foul on a 3-point attempt with 3.6 seconds to play, and then sank all three free throws to lift Virginia to a win over Miami.

Jacari White came off the bench to score 17 points, hitting five 3-pointers for the Cavaliers (24-3, 12-2 Atlantic Coast), who won their eighth straight.

Sam Lewis had 15 points, Thijs De Ridder scored 14, and Mallory had all 12 of his points in the second half.

Shelton Henderson and Tre Donaldson each scored 18 to lead Miami (21-6, 10-4), which saw its four-game win streak snapped. The Hurricanes out rebounded UVA 30-23 and outscored Virginia 18-2 on second-chance points.

The win kept the second-place Cavaliers ahead of third-place Miami in the conference standings and robbed the Hurricanes of a chance for a big Quad 1 victory.

NO. 16 NORTH CAROLINA 77, SYRACUSE 64

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Henri Veesaar returned to the starting lineup and scored 19 points in leading North Carolina to a win over Syracuse.

The 7-foot center, who averages 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds for the Tar Heels, missed the Tar Heels’ past two games, most recently Tuesday’s 24-point loss at N.C. State.

Seth Trimble and Luka Bogavac each had 13 points and Zayden High added nine for North Carolina (21-6, 9-5 ACC).

J.J. Starling led Syracuse (15-13, 6-9) with 22 points, including 14 in the second half. William Kyle III had eight rebounds. Syracuse has lost four of its past six.

The Orange were just 3 of 17 from 3-point range. North Carolina scored 13 points off 10 Syracuse turnovers and outscored the Orange 42-32 in the paint.

NO. 17 ST. JOHN'S 81, CREIGHTON 52

NEW YORK (AP) — Bryce Hopkins had 15 points and 10 rebounds as St. John’s breezed past Creighton for its 13th straight victory — marking the school’s longest winning streak in 41 years.

Dylan Darling scored 17 points off the bench and Zuby Ejiofor added 15 for the first-place Red Storm (22-5, 15-1 Big East), who led wire-to-wire and held Creighton to 32% shooting from the field in their 18th victory in 20 games.

Dillon Mitchell had 10 rebounds, seven assists and zero turnovers on Johnnies Day at Madison Square Garden.

St. John’s hadn’t won 13 in a row since a 19-game run in 1984-85 on the way to a No. 1 national ranking, a top seed in the NCAA Tournament and a Final Four berth under Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca.

TENNESSEE 69, NO. 19 VANDERBILT 65

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 17 points as Tennessee outlasted Vanderbilt in a back-and-forth affair.

A turnaround jumper by Nate Ament, who was double-teamed by Commodores Jalen Washington and Chandler Bing, gave the Volunteers (20-7, 10-4 Southeastern Conference) a 66-65 lead with less than a minute to play. Ament finished with 13 points.

After that shot, Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6) sent Tennessee to the line twice, with the Volunteers making 2 of 4 attempts.

Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner missed a 3-point attempt from the top of the arc with three seconds left that would have tied it. Amari Evans added a free throw with one second left for the final score.

Jaylen Carey, who played in his first game at Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym after transferring from Vanderbilt to Tennessee, was heckled by Commodore fans every time he touched the ball. He finished with seven points.

NO. 20 ARKANSAS 94, MISSOURI 86

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Billy Richmond III scored 21 points and Darius Acuff Jr. added 20 to pace Arkansas to a win over Missouri.

Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 Southeastern Conference) improved to 7-0 in games following a loss this season while also staying in contention for the SEC regular-season title. The Hogs are in second place, two games behind conference-leading Florida with four games still to be played.

The Hogs effectively put the game away on Malique Ewin’s dunk that gave Arkansas its biggest lead at 91-77 with 2:02 to play.

Ewin finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, Meleek Thomas added 14 points and eight rebounds, and Trevon Brazile contributed 12 points and six assists.

Missouri (18-9, 8-6) was led by Mark Mitchell’s 26 points.

NO. 21 LOUISVILLE 87, GEORGIA TECH 70

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Mikel Brown Jr. scored 19 points, including seven during a 17-2 run midway through the second half that helped propel Louisville past Georgia Tech.

The Cardinals (20-7, 9-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) never trailed but allowed the Yellow Jackets to get within 44-35 just after halftime.

J’Vonne Hadley made two free throws, Brown followed with a layup before adding a jumper and 3-pointer for a 61-37 cushion against Georgia Tech (11-17, 2-13).

Georgia Tech trailed 66-55 with 7:38 remaining after Akai Fleming’s jumper in the lane.

Louisville outscored the Yellow Jackets 12-7 over the next 3:48, helped by the first of Isaac McKneely’s two 3-pointers, as the Cardinals rebounded from Tuesday night’s 95-85 loss at SMU.

Baye Ndongo had 17 points and Fleming 15 as Georgia Tech dropped its ninth consecutive game.

NO. 25 ALABAMA 90, LSU 83

BATON ROGUE, La. (AP) — Aiden Holloway scored 17 points, Amari Allen added 16 and Alabama beat LSU for its sixth straight victory.

The Crimson Tide (20-7l, 10-4 Southeastern Conference) also beat the Tigers (14-13, 2-12) for the sixth straight time.

Alabama, ranked second nationally in 3-pointers at 12.7 per game, had seven players combine for 10 3s — the Tide’s eighth consecutive game with 10 or more.

Latrell Whitesell Jr. scored 14 points for Alabama. Aiden Sherrell had 12 points and 10 rebounds. and London Jemison also scored 12 points.

Marquel Sutton led LSU with 21 points. Jalen Reece had 14, PJ Carter 13, and Rashad King 12. Pablo Tamba added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

An 8-0 burst, keyed by 3-pointers from Allen and Wrightsell, gave Alabama a 63-49 lead with 13:39 left. LSU twice cut it to six, the final time at 89-83 on Sutton’s dunk with 14 seconds remaining.

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