CLEMSON 77, No. 5 LOUISVILLE 62
CLEMSON — Johnny Newman III had a career-high 23 points and Clemson used a strong defensive first half to send No. 5 Louisville to its second straight defeat.
The Tigers (13-12, 7-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) held the Cardinals to their lowest first-half output this season as they led 31-14 at the break and limited the ACC's leading scorer Jordan Nwora to five points.
After Louisville cut a 21-point lead to 44-34 on Dwayne Sutton's jumper with 9:49 left, Clemson took off on an 11-2 run to put the Cardinals in a hole they could not climb out of. Tevin Mack's basket started Clemson's clinching surge, then Aamir Simms, Newman and Alex Hemenway added 3s to restore the large lead.
Louisville (21-5, 12-3) could not rally, losing consecutive games for just the second time this season.
SOUTH CAROLINA 63, TENNESSEE 61
COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s Maik Kotsar swished four free throws in the final 21 seconds to deliver an improbable 63-61 win over Tennessee on Saturday.
Trailing 60-59 with 75 seconds left, the Gamecocks (16-9, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) were kicking themselves for their own mistakes. One of the nation’s worst teams at fouling and shooting free throws was once again living up to its twin reputation, with 24 fouls and 13 misses from the line.
Yet, after Tennessee’s Santiago Vescovi turned the ball over, and Jordan Bowden fouled Kotsar to prevent a fast break, the senior forward calmly swished two free throws for a one-point lead.
Tennessee's John Fulkerson was then called for a charge. Kotsar went back to the foul line and made a pair for a three-point lead. Coincidentally, it was Fulkerson who drew a charge to seal a 56-55 win over South Carolina on Jan. 11.
Charleston native Josiah-Jordan James made his first, then intentionally threw his second shot into the rim. He came up with the rebound but his shot attempt fell short.
Fulkerson scored a career-high 25 points while Kotsar led the Gamecocks with 13.
No. 1 BAYLOR 70, No. 14 WEST VIRGINIA 59
WACO, Texas — Jared Butler scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half, and top-ranked Baylor never trailed while tying the longest winning streak in Big 12 history at 22 games with a 70-59 victory over No. 14 West Virginia on Saturday.
The Bears (23-1, 12-0 Big 12) cruised without second-leading scorer MaCio Teague, a junior whose streak of 90 consecutive games ended because of a right wrist injury.
Baylor led by 19 in the first half and answered a scoreless stretch of nearly four minutes before halftime by starting the second half on a 20-3 run for its biggest lead at 53-25.
Taz Sherman scored a season-high 20 points for the Mountaineers (18-7, 6-6), who had 11 of their season high-tying 22 turnovers in the first 12 minutes and shot 35% in a third consecutive loss.
Matthew Mayer had a flying dunk off a nifty spin move on the baseline and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for the Bears, who matched Kansas' record run in the Big 12. The Jayhawks started 22-0 in 1996-97, the league's first season.
Butler was 5 of 7 from 3-point range as Baylor extended the longest winning streak in school history while breaking the school mark with a 12th consecutive conference win, topping the 1945-46 team in the old Southwest Conference.
No. 7 DUKE 94, NOTRE DAME 60
DURHAM, N.C. — Vernon Carey Jr. scored 21 points, Tre Jones added 19 and No. 7 Duke used its high-intensity man-to-man defense to beat Notre Dame.
With No. 5 Louisville losing to Clemson, the win vaulted the Blue Devils (22-3, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) into sole possession of first place in the ACC standings, one-half game ahead of the Cardinals.
Duke’s relentless defensive pressure rattled an opponent that’s usually steady on offense, leading to the lopsided score.
Notre Dame entered the game averaging 9.75 turnovers per game, fewest in the nation, but turned the ball over nine times in the first half. The Irish (15-10, 6-8) had success when they were able to get the ball inside to Juwan Durham, whose 21 points marked a career high, and John Mooney, who scored 19.
No. 12 KENTUCKY 67, MISSISSIPPI 62
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Nick Richards had 16 points, including two go-ahead free throws with 1:11 remaining, and Immanuel Quickley and Keion Brooks each made two more in the closing seconds to help No. 12 Kentucky escape Mississippi.
The Wildcats (20-5, 10-2 Southeastern Conference) shot just 39% overall but made 48% in the second half to erase a seven-point deficit and create a back-and-forth game for the final eight minutes.
Richards followed two free throws with 2:11 left with two more a minute later to put Kentucky up 63-62.
Devontae Shuler then airballed a 3-pointer out of bounds with nine seconds left.
Quickley, who had 17 points, was fouled a few seconds later and added two from the line with 6.6 left before Keion Brooks Jr. sealed the win with two more.
Tyrese Maxey had 14 points while EJ Montgomery and Richards combined for 15 rebounds as Kentucky beat the Rebels 41-33 on the glass.
Breein Tyree had 19 points, while Blake Hinson and KJ Buffen each had 13 for Ole Miss (13-12, 4-8), which had won three in a row.
GEORGETOWN 73, No. 19 BUTLER 66
INDIANAPOLIS — Terrell Allen tied a career high with 22 points, including key baskets on back-to-back possessions late, and short-handed Georgetown endured on the road without its top two scorers to knock off No. 19 Butler.
The Hoyas (15-10, 5-7 Big East) were missing injured starters Mac McClung and Omer Yurtseven, but Allen hit the game’s first shot and stayed hot to keep the visitors ahead for much of the game. He hit 9 of 14 field goal attempts, including all four 3-point attempts, as Georgetown improved to 6-1 lifetime at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Butler (19-7, 7-6) struggled without injured point guard Aaron Thompson but gradually erased an early nine-point deficit and pulled to within 61-60 with 3:46 remaining.
That’s when Allen stepped up again with a pull-up jumper in the paint, then his final 3-pointer, from the left wing, gave Georgetown a 66-60 lead with 1:28 remaining.
Kamar Baldwin and Jordan Tucker led Butler with 17 and 16 points, respectively.
RUTGERS 72, No. 22 ILLINOIS 57
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Ron Harper Jr. hit all five of his 3-pointers and scored 27 points and Rutgers remained unbeaten at home, sending the No. 22 Illini to their fourth straight loss.
Gio Baker and Akwasi Yeboah added 12 points apiece and Myles Johnson had 11 rebounds as the Scarlet Knights (18-8, 9-6 Big Ten) improved to a nation's-best 17-0 at home.
Indiana was the last Big Ten program to start 17-0 at home, doing it 2015-16.
Alan Griffin had 14 points to lead the Illini. Kofi Cockburn added 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Andres Feliz added 10 points for the Illini (16-9, 8-6). Illinois played without leading scorer Ayo Dosunmu (15.8 points), who hurt his left knee at the final buzzer in a loss against Michigan State on Tuesday night.
OKLAHOMA STATE 73, No. 24 TEXAS TECH 70
STILLWATER, Okla. — Jonathan Laurent and Kalib Boone each scored 16 points as Oklahoma State registered its first win over a ranked opponent this season.
Isaac Likekele added 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Cowboys (13-12, 3-9 Big 12), who have won three of four after dropping their first eight conference games.
Kevin McCullar and Davide Moretti each scored 15 points and Jahmiús Ramsey added 14 for Texas Tech (16-9, 7-5), which had won its previous three games.
ALABAMA 88, No. 25 LSU 82
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Kira Lewis Jr. scored 27 points, Jaden Shackelford had 26 and Alabama held off a big comeback attempt by No. 25 LSU.
The Crimson Tide (13-12, 6-6 Southeastern Conference) knocked the Tigers (18-7, 9-3) from a share of the league lead after blowing virtually all of an 18-point lead.
LSU came into the day in a three-way tie for atop the SEC with Auburn and No. 12 Kentucky but has lost three of its last four games since an 8-0 league start.
LSU guard Skylar Mays had 24 points and nine rebounds in his third straight game scoring 20-plus. Trendon Watford, who's from nearby Birmingham, had 18 points despite a cascade of boos from Tide fans every time he touched the ball. Smart scored 16 and he and Mays both hit four 3s. Herbert Jones had 17 rebounds. Emmitt Williams had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
