LAWRENCE, Kan. — Udoka Azubuike pounded home 21 points, Devon Dotson added 19 and fourth-ranked Kansas weathered East Tennessee State’s second-half charge to escape with a 75-63 victory Tuesday night.
Marcus Garrett added 13 points for the Jayhawks (3-1), who led by as many as 18 early in the game before the Pirates (3-1) closed within 61-56 with just over 5 minutes to go.
Azubuike’s assortment of dunks, a couple of poised plays by Dotson and Garrett, and three misfires from beyond the arc by the Pirates’ Patrick Good allowed the Jayhawks to ease away.
Bo Hodges had 22 points and Lucas N’Guessan scored 11 for the Pirates, who were off to their best start since the 1998-99 season. Daivien Williamson came off the bench to add 10.
The game looked like it would be The Dotson Show from the opening tip, when the sprightly guard coasted in for a layup. He proceeded to hit the Jayhawks’ only 3 of the first half, threw an alley-oop to Silvio de Sousa for an easy dunk and knocked down a pair of free throws during a big early run.
The Jayhawks pushed lead to 31-13 before Dotson checked out for the first time.
They never looked quite as good again.
No. 6 MARYLAND 74, FAIRFIELD 55
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Jalen Smith had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Maryland used depth and balance to wear down Fairfield.
The Terrapins (4-0) took the lead for good at 9-8, increased the margin to 14 at halftime and cruised to the finish.
Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 12 points to pass James Gist and move into the Top 20 on Maryland’s career scoring list with 1,424.
Sophomore Ricky Lindo Jr. contributed a career-high 13 points, and Eric Ayala also scored 13.
Landon Taliaferro scored 15 for the Stags (1-4). Twelve of Fairfield’s 18 baskets were from beyond the arc.
Coming off an overtime loss to Loyola Maryland in which they committed 21 turnovers, the Stags had 16 against the Terrapins — at least one by nine different players.
Fairfield cut a 15-point deficit to 55-46 before baskets by Cowan and Smith began a 12-3 spurt that made it 67-49 with 6:12 left. The highlight of the run was a resounding dunk by Smith off an alley-oop pass from Hakim Hart following a Fairfield turnover.
The Stags made only one field goal over the final 8½ minutes.
No. 7 VIRGINIA 61, VERMONT 55
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Mamadi Diakite scored 19 points and Virginia withstood a 3-point shooting display by Anthony Lamb and beat Vermont.
The Cavaliers (4-0) trailed before Diakite’s basket gave them a 50-49 lead with 5:12 left and sparked a 9-0 run. Jay Huff scored twice in the spurt and Braxton Key hit a 3-pointer as Virginia held the Catamounts scoreless, and forced four turnovers, in a nearly four-minute span.
Lamb scored 30 for Vermont (4-1), including 25 in the second half, to nearly match the point total of the Cavaliers’ first two opponents of the season, who each managed just 34 points. Stef Smith added 11 points, but Virginia turned Vermont’s 13 turnovers into 20 points.
Kihei Clark scored 15 points and Key had 14 points for Virginia.
No. 8 GONZAGA 72, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 66
SPOKANE, Wash. — Ryan Woolridge had 19 points and nine rebounds, and Gonzaga held off Texas-Arlington.
Killian Tillie played for the first time this season and added 15 points and eight rebounds for Gonzaga (5-0), which has won 26 consecutive home games. Admon Gilder scored 13 points.
Jabari Narcis scored 16 points for Texas-Arlington (2-3), sinking all five of his 3-point attempts. Brian Warren and David Azore scored 15 points each for the Mavericks, who lost at No. 11 Oregon 67-47 on Sunday.
Tillie missed the first four games recovering from knee surgery.
No. 25 WASHINGTON 72, MAINE 53
SEATTLE — Isaiah Stewart dominated on the interior and scored 16 points, Quade Green added 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting, and Washington rebounded from its first loss of the season with a win over Maine.
The Huskies (3-1) were handed their first setback over the weekend in a 75-62 loss to No. 20 Tennessee on a neutral court in Toronto, but began a stretch of three games in six days with a convincing victory where Washington finally found a rhythm at the offensive end.
The Huskies shot a season-best 46% despite going just 3 of 15 on 3-point attempts. Stewart, the Huskies’ bruising 6-foot-9 freshman, overpowered the Bears in the paint. But getting Green going offensively was an important development as he is Washington’s most experienced guard. The Kentucky transfer was shooting just 30% from the field through the first three games.
Andrew Fleming and Nedeljko Prijovic led the Black Bears (1-3) with 18 points each.