ATHENS, Ga. — No. 1 Kentucky overcame a nine-point deficit in the second half to keep its perfect season intact, beating Georgia 72-64 on Tuesday night. ADVERTISING ATHENS, Ga. — No. 1 Kentucky overcame a nine-point deficit in the second
ATHENS, Ga. — No. 1 Kentucky overcame a nine-point deficit in the second half to keep its perfect season intact, beating Georgia 72-64 on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats (30-0, 17-0 Southeastern Conference) had won their previous five games by an average of 24 points.
They were really challenged in this one by Georgia (19-10, 10-7), which had the sellout crowd roaring when Yante Maten tipped in a miss of his own shot to put the Bulldogs up 56-47 with 9 minutes remaining.
But Kentucky showed it knows how to win the close games, too. The Wildcats began pounding the ball inside to 6-foot-11 freshman Karl-Anthony Towns, who managed to stay in the game until the closing seconds after picking up his fourth foul.
Kentucky seized the game with a 14-0 run, and Georgia hurt its chances by missing three straight 1-and-1.
Towns led the Wildcats with 19 points.
Nemanja Djurisic topped Georgia with 18 points.
No. 4 VILLANOVA 76, CREIGHTON 72
OMAHA, Neb. — Ryan Arcidiacono converted a three-point play to give Villanova the lead in the last minute and came up with the game’s final rebound, allowing the Wildcats to turn back Creighton’s upset bid and win its 11th straight game.
Austin Chatman’s 3-pointer pulled the Bluejays within 74-72 with 6 seconds left, and Creighton got the ball back after Arcidiacono ran into Chatman as Villanova tried to inbound. Will Artino missed what would have been the tying layup, and Arcidiacono grabbed the ball, got fouled and made the free throws.
Arcidiacono finished with 23 points and Dylan Ennis matched his career high with 19 for the Wildcats (28-2, 15-2 Big East), who trailed by nine points in the first half.
Chatman scored 21 points to lead the Bluejays (13-17, 4-13), who lost for the seventh time when leading in the final minute.
No. 9 KANSAS 76, No.
20 WEST VIRGINIA 69, OT
LAWRENCED, Kan. — Frank Mason III capped one of the biggest comebacks in Allen Fieldhouse history by scoring the last eight points in overtime to lead Kansas past West Virginia for the Jayhawks’ 11th consecutive Big 12 championship.
Mason had 19 points for the Jayhawks, whose 11 straight conference titles trail only the 13 in a row UCLA won in the John Wooden era.
Junior forward Perry Ellis, the Jayhawks’ leading scorer, appeared to injure his knee late in the first half and did not return.
Daxter Miles had 23 points for West Virginia (22-8, 10-7), which was without star guard Juwan Staten, who had scored at least 20 points in each of the last three games against Kansas.
Trailing by as many as 18 points in a ragged first half, Kansas (24-6, 13-4) finally tied it 59-all on two free throws by Devonte Graham with 11.5 seconds left in regulation. Miles’ 3-pointer gave West Virginia a quick 63-61 overtime lead before Jamari Traylor’s three-point play made it 64-63.
Mason went 4 for 4 from the free throw line in the waning seconds, the final shot going in with 4.1 seconds to play as the Jayhawks completed a 16-0 home season.
No. 10 MARYLAND 60,
RUTGERS 50
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Dez Wells scored six straight points after Rutgers tied the game late in the second half and Maryland won its sixth straight game, a much-harder than expected victory over the Scarlet Knights.
Wells finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Terps (25-5, 13-4 Big Ten) sent Rutgers (10-20, 2-15) to its 13th straight loss. The skid is the longest since the Scarlet Knights lost 16 straight in 1987-88.
Jake Layman added 14 points for Maryland and freshman Melo Trimble had 10 on a poor shooting night.
Greg Lewis had 12 points and seven rebounds and senior Kadeem Jack had a career-high 16 rebounds in his final home game at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
No. 19 NORTH CAROLINA 81, GEORGIA TECH 49
ATLANTA — Just in time for a rematch with Duke, North Carolina established some late-season momentum by beating Georgia Tech, completing a sweep of the struggling Yellow Jackets.
The Tar Heels, who have won two straight for the first time since January, close their regular season against No. 3 Duke on Saturday. Duke beat North Carolina 92-90 in overtime on Feb. 18.
North Carolina (21-9, 11-6) began the day one game behind fourth-place Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Georgia Tech (12-18, 3-15) ended its regular season with four straight losses. The Yellow Jackets lost their top scorer, Marcus Georges-Hunt, to an apparent right foot injury early in the game. He returned from halftime wearing a walking boot.
GEORGETOWN 60,
No. 21 BUTLER 54
INDIANAPOLIS — D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera scored 16 points in his return to Indianapolis, helping Georgetown hold on for a victory over Butler.
The Hoyas (19-9, 11-6) have won four of their last five and still have a chance at the No. 2 seed in next week’s Big East tournament.
Butler (21-9, 11-6) was led by Kameron Woods with 15 points and 16 rebounds but couldn’t pull off the late comeback on Senior Night. The Bulldogs have lost only three home games this season.
Georgetown closed the first half on a 15-4 run that gave it a 30-24 lead. The Hoyas opened the second half with consecutive baskets to extend the lead to 34-24.
Butler charged back when Kellen Dunham scored eight points in a 1:59 span but Georgetown answered by scoring five straight, and the Hoyas never trailed again.
