Jarrett Culver scored 26 points Saturday as No. 14 Texas Tech glided to a 25-point halftime margin and crushed No. 12 Kansas 91-62 at Lubbock, Texas.
Feb 23, 2019; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Jarrett Culver (23) is fouled by Kansas Jayhawks guard Quentin Grimes (5) at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Raiders (22-5, 10-4) remained one game behind Kansas State in the Big 12 race after six players netted multiple 3-pointers as part of a 16-for-26 onslaught from deep.
The sharpshooting, coupled with a stingy defense that ranks among the nation’s best, helped Texas Tech claim its fifth straight victory, the longest streak in the Big 12. It avenged a 79-63 loss at Kansas on Feb. 2.
Chances for a 15th consecutive Big 12 crown for the Jayhawks (20-7, 9-5) absorbed a blow, as they fell two games behind in the conference race. The defeat was the worst in Big 12 play for Kansas under 16th-year coach Bill Self, topping a 25-point loss to Texas in 2006.
No. 1 Duke 75, Syracuse 65
RJ Barrett scored 30 points, and Alex O’Connell had a big second half as the Blue Devils defeated the Orange without standout freshman Zion Williamson at Syracuse, N.Y.
Barrett shot 14-of-20 from the field for Duke (24-3, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). O’Connell posted 20 points, aided by four 3-point baskets in the second half. O’Connell was in the starting lineup in place of Williamson, who was ruled out after suffering a sprained knee in the opening minute of Wednesday night’s home loss to No. 8 North Carolina.
The game came three nights after Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was behind the wheel in a late-night accident that resulted in the death of a pedestrian on a Syracuse highway. With the support of the school’s administration, Boeheim was on the sideline for the Orange (18-9, 9-5).
No. 2 Gonzaga 102, BYU 68
Zach Norvell Jr. scored a game-high 25 points as the Bulldogs pulled away from the Cougars at Spokane, Wash.
Rui Hachimura’s 23 points and 10 rebounds, plus Josh Perkins’ 21 points and seven assists, gave the Zags (27-2, 14-0 West Coast Conference) three players with at least 20 points. Brandon Clarke tacked on an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Yoeli Childs and TJ Haws each scored 18 points to pace the Cougars (18-12, 10-5). BYU’s frustration showed in the second half as the bench and coach Dave Rose each drew technicals from the officials.
No. 3 Virginia 64, No. 18 Louisville 52
The Cavaliers erased a 10-point halftime deficit to knock off the Cardinals at Louisville, Ky.
De’Andre Hunter scored a career-high 26 points, with 19 of those coming in the second half, as the Cavaliers shot 46.4 percent in the win.
Louisville (18-10, 9-6 ACC) scored just 15 second-half points and shot 20 percent during the final 20 minutes as they were outscored by 22. Each team held a 12-point lead in the game as Virginia (24-2, 12-2) ended the game by holding the Cardinals to 1-for-12 shooting down the stretch.
No. 4 Kentucky 80, Auburn 53
PJ Washington scored 24 points, and the Wildcats’ defense stifled the Tigers at Lexington, Ky.
Tyler Herro added 17 points, and Ashton Hagans had 14 for Kentucky (23-4, 12-2 Southeastern Conference).
Chuma Okeke scored 14, Jared Harper added 12 and Anfernee McLemore had 10 to lead Auburn (18-9, 7-7), which scored just 22 points in the second half.
No. 13 LSU 82, No. 5 Tennessee 80 (OT)
Ja’vonte Smart scored a season-high 29 points, including two free throws with one second remaining in overtime, as the Tigers defeated the Volunteers at Baton Rouge, La.
Smart had the most impressive game of his freshman season as the Tigers (22-5, 12-2 SEC) overcame the absence of guard Tremont Waters, their leading scorer and playmaker who was ill, to tie Tennessee (24-3, 12-2) for the SEC lead.
Kavell Bigby-Williams tied the score with a layup with five seconds remaining in overtime. Lamonte Turner missed a 3-pointer, Smart rebounded and Grant Williams fouled Smart in the backcourt, setting up the winning free throws.
No. 6 Nevada 74, Fresno State 68
Caleb Martin’s tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:58 left keyed an 8-0 run by the Wolf Pack on their way to a win over the Bulldogs at Reno, Nev.
Martin’s 24 points led four Wolf Pack players in double figures. Jordan Caroline added 17 while Tre’Shawn Thurman hit for 14 points, including an emphatic dunk with 45.6 seconds left that gave Nevada (25-2, 12-2 Mountain West Conference) a 70-65 lead. Jazz Johnson scored 10.
Deshon Taylor pumped in a game-high 30 points for the Bulldogs (19-8, 10-5), who saw their hopes of winning the conference’s regular-season title take a fatal blow. Nate Grimes came off the bench to score 16, but it wasn’t enough to assure victory in a rough game.
No. 8 North Carolina 77, No. 16 Florida State 59
Cameron Johnson and Nassir Little each scored 18 points as the Tar Heels pulled away to snap the Seminoles’ eight-game winning streak at Chapel Hill, N.C.
Luke Maye added 15 points, and Coby White had 10 points for North Carolina (22-5, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), which was fresh off toppling top-ranked Duke on Wednesday night.
Florida State (21-6, 9-5) had the longest ACC winning streak in its history but was unable to reach six conference road victories — something it hasn’t accomplished since the 1991-92 season.
No. 9 Houston 71, South Florida 59
DeJon Jarreau scored 17 points off the bench, Corey Davis Jr. chipped in 15 and the Cougars extended their home-court winning streak to 33 consecutive games with a wire-to-wire victory over the Bulls.
Houston (26-1, 13-1 American Athletic Conference) extended its overall winning streak to 11 games by combining a balanced offensive attack with another suffocating defensive effort. All 10 players who participated scored for the Cougars, who jumped out to an 11-0 lead en route to saddling the cold-shooting Bulls (18-9, 7-7) with their third consecutive conference loss.
USF shot 31.3 percent from the floor and endured an eight-minute stretch in the second half without a field goal.
No. 11 Marquette 76, Providence 58
Sam Hauser recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds to help the Golden Eagles cruise past the Friars at Providence, R.I.
Sacar Anim also scored 18 points, and Joey Hauser added 15 points and seven rebounds as the Golden Eagles (23-4, 12-2) stretched their Big East lead to one game over idle Villanova.
Alpha Diallo scored 19 points for the Friars (15-13, 5-10). A.J. Reeves added 13 points, and Nate Watson had 10 for Providence, which fell for the sixth time in the past eight games.
No. 15 Purdue 75, Nebraska 72
Matt Haarms scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots to lead the Boilermakers to a hard-fought win over the Cornhuskers at Lincoln, Neb.
Glynn Watson Jr. led Nebraska (15-13, 5-12 Big Ten) with 25 points.
With Purdue (20-7, 13-3) clinging to a 62-61 lead, Grady Eifert’s acrobatic tip-in with one second left on the shot clock put the Boilermakers up 64-61 with 1:57 left and seemed to deflate the Cornhuskers. Eifert made a pair of free throws, and Haarms followed with two more to give the Boilermakers a 68-61 lead with 49 seconds left.
TCU 75, No. 19 Iowa State 72
Kouat Noi scored 20 points and took 13 rebounds, and Alex Robinson hit for 12 points and distributed 10 assists as the Horned Frogs outlasted the Cyclones at Fort Worth, Texas.
The win, TCU’s second over the Cyclones in the past two weeks, snapped a three-game losing streak for the Horned Frogs (18-9, 6-8 Big 12).
Michael Jacobson paced Iowa State (19-8, 8-6) with 17 points while Lindell Wigginton scored 15, Talen Horton-Tucker had 14 points and Cameron Lard hit for 10 in the loss. The Cyclones have lost three of their past four games.
No. 20 Virginia Tech 67, Notre Dame 59
Kerry Blackshear Jr.’s 22 points and 14 rebounds carried the Hokies to victory over the Fighting Irish at South Bend, Ind.
The Hokies (21-6, 10-5 ACC) shot only 36.5 percent from the floor and 27.8 percent (5 of 18) on 3-pointers and survived 16 turnovers largely because the Irish shot only 32.8 percent from the floor and 23.1 percent (6 of 26) from behind the arc.
Virginia Tech was coming off a narrow loss to No. 3 Virginia on Monday and has won three of its last four games. Notre Dame (13-14, 3-11) lost its third straight and its ninth in 11 games.
No. 22 Wisconsin 69, Northwestern 64
Brad Davison scored 16 points, Ethan Happ posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds and the Badgers escaped with a win over the Wildcats at Evanston, Ill.
D’Mitrik Trice added 14 points for Wisconsin (19-8, 11-5 Big Ten), which secured a winning record in conference play. The Badgers have won back-to-back games.
Vic Law scored a game-high 24 points for Northwestern (12-15, 3-13), which dropped its eighth consecutive game. Dererk Pardon added 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting.
No. 23 Kansas State 85, Oklahoma State 46
The Wildcats raced out to a big lead early and never let up, crushing the Cowboys at Manhattan, Kan.
Kansas State (21-6, 11-3 Big 12) now owns a one-game lead over Texas Tech and a two-game lead over rival Kansas and Baylor atop the Big 12 standings. The Wildcats travel to Kansas on Monday night.
The Wildcats shot 61.5 percent from the field, including 50 percent from 3-point range. They held Oklahoma State (10-17, 3-11) to just 31.4 percent.
No. 24 Maryland 72, Ohio State 62
Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 19 points as the Terrapins defeated the Buckeyes at College Park, Md.
Serrel Smith Jr. added a career-high 14 points off the bench for the Terrapins (21-7, 12-5 Big Ten), who improved to 7-1 in conference home games.
Duane Washington Jr. scored 15 points off the bench for Ohio State (17-10, 7-9), which had won four of six entering the day but were without senior guard C.J. Jackson. The Buckeyes’ second-leading scorer at 12.5 points per game sat out with a shoulder injury and was listed as day to day.
—Field Level Media