Booker's effort leads UK (19-0)

Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison (5) attempts to split South Carolina defenders Michael Carrera (24) and Sindarius Thornwell (0) in the first half half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Willis Glassgow)
Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison (5) attempts to split South Carolina defenders Michael Carrera (24) and Sindarius Thornwell (0) in the first half half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Willis Glassgow)

SEC/TOP 25 MEN

NO. 1 KENTUCKY 58, SOUTH CAROLINA 43

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Devin Booker found a way to make an impact for No. 1 Kentucky.

He did it again Saturday, leading the Wildcats (19-0, 6-0 SEC) with 18 points in a 58-43 victory at South Carolina.

The victory matched the team's best start under Coach John Calipari and kept the Wildcats from another "House of Horrors" moment at the Colonial Life Arena, where they'd lost three of their previous five games.

Booker scored seven points in Kentucky's 14-0 run that spanned both halves, closing the surge with a three-pointer that put the Wildcats ahead 37-24 with 18:28 remaining.

"I just try to find him," said reserve point guard and fellow freshman Tyler Ulis, who led the Wildcats with six assists -- several to Booker. "We came to school together. He gets the job done. He can shoot the ball so if I need to outlet, he's going to be there."

He was against the Gamecocks (10-8, 1-5), hitting six of his nine shots. Booker has made 13 of his 20 shots from long range since SEC play began, but said he's been kept grounded by Calipari's reminders not to force things and let the game come to him.

"I feel like that's a coach's job, you can't let somebody just feel like they're going to take over," Booker said of staying humble despite success.

Aaron Harrison added 13 points for Kentucky, which tied the mark of 19-0 in 2010, Calipari's first season. That streak was ended at South Carolina, a 68-62 stunner and gave Wildcats freshmen -- and now NBA standouts -- John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins their first college losses.

Just last season, a Kentucky team headed to the national championship game lost 72-67 only weeks before on this same floor.

The Wildcats turned up the defense to make sure that didn't happen this time after Sindarius Thornwell hit a three-pointer for a 24-23 South Carolina lead with 4:31 left that sent the fans into a frenzy.

Ulis started the comeback for Kentucky with a steal and basket before Booker made two fouls shots and a dunk and the Wildcats were on their way.

Thornwell had 11 points for the Gamecocks, who shot 4 for 27 in the final 24 minutes.

Thornwell said South Carolina needed to take advantage of the situation instead of watching Kentucky pull away.

"That hurt us a lot," he said. "It would've been good if we could build off that shot and gain momentum."

Duane Notice, South Carolina's leading scorer this season, was held to two points, nine fewer than his average, and missed all five field goal tries.

This one seemed as big a mismatch with the Harrison twins and bevy of big bodies to control the struggling Gamecocks.

Still, it took until late in the opening half before the Wildcats' talent and athleticism took control to score the final 11 points of the half.

GEORGIA 72, MISSISSIPPI STATE 66

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- J.J. Frazier sank all seven of his three-pointers and finished with a career high 37 points on 12-for-14 shooting to lead Georgia to a victory over Mississippi State.

Georgia (13-5, 4-2 SEC) shot 49 percent from the field but hit 11 of 18 from three-point range for 61 percent. The majority of its offense, however, came from Frazier, who scored 27 points above his per-game average.

After a seven-point halftime lead from Georgia, Mississippi State (9-10, 2-4) got no closer than three points the rest of the way and the Bulldogs led by as many as 12.

Mississippi State was led by Roquez Johnson, who had career-high 25 points on 10-for-18 shooting and 11 rebounds.

Mississippi State shot 34 percent from the field and tied a season-high with eight three-pointers on 18 attempts.

TEXAS A&M 67, TENNESSEE 61

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Jalen Jones scored 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds as Texas A&M outlasted Tennessee for its fourth consecutive victory.

All four victories have come in SEC competition, giving the Aggies (13-5, 4-2 SEC) their longest conference winning streak since moving from the Big 12 in 2012.

Tennessee (12-6, 4-2) had cut a 17-point, second-half deficit down to five when Volunteers guard Kevin Punter missed a driving layup attempt with 1:13 remaining. Texas A&M made 5 of 6 free throws the rest of the way to seal the victory.

Danuel House scored 15 points and Alex Caruso added 13 for Texas A&M. Punter scored 17, and Josh Richardson and Robert Hubbs each added 12 for Tennessee, which lost for just the second time in its past 10 games.

LSU 79, VANDERBILT 75, OT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tim Quarterman scored six of his 12 points in overtime, helping LSU rally and beat Vanderbilt for the Tigers' second consecutive victory.

LSU (15-4, 4-2) trailed by eight points in the second half before scoring the final three points of regulation, the last a free throw by Jordan Mickey with 1:07 left to force overtime. Quarterman then scored the first bucket in overtime, giving LSU its first lead since late in the first half.

The Commodores tied it at 73-73 -- the game's ninth tie -- on Riley LaChance's jumper, and Quarterman answered with a jumper and two free throws to clinch LSU's fourth consecutive victory over Vanderbilt.

Shelton Mitchell missed a tying jumper with 3.6 seconds left, and the Commodores (11-8, 1-5) lost their fifth consecutive.

Mickey finished with 25 points for LSU. Jarell Martin added 19, Keith Hornsby 11 and Jalyn Patterson 10.

MISSISSIPPI 72, FLORIDA 71

OXFORD, Miss. -- Jarvis Summers scored 16 points, including two free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining, to push Mississippi past Florida.

The Rebels (12-7, 3-3) trailed for much of the game, but rallied from a 69-65 deficit in the final two minutes. Summers was the hero during that stretch, also hitting an 18-footer with 27.9 seconds remaining to give Ole Miss a 70-69 lead.

Florida retook the lead when Michael Frazier made two free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining. That set up the Rebels' final possession and Summers was fouled while driving to the basket. He hit the free throws and Florida's Kasey Hill missed a layup as time expired.

Florida (10-9, 3-3) lost despite hitting 12 of 20 (60 percent) three-pointers. Frazier scored a season-high 27 points and made 6 of 8 three-point attempts.

The Gators have lost three in a row.

Sports on 01/25/2015

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