TENNESSEE 84, NO. 20 KENTUCKY 77
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Kevin Punter Jr. scored 27 points and Armani Moore added 18 points and 13 rebounds Tuesday night as Tennessee erased a 21-point deficit in an 84-77 upset of No. 20 Kentucky.
Tennessee's comeback represented a stunning turn of events for a team that had lost its last two games despite leading by at least 14 points in the second half of each. The Volunteers (11-11, 4-5 SEC) trailed 34-13 with less than 6 minutes left in the first half.
This marked the second consecutive defeat for Kentucky (16-6, 6-3). The Wildcats fell 90-84 in overtime Saturday at No. 7 Kansas, which was ranked fourth at the time.
The score was tied 70-all until Robert Hubbs III made a free throw with 5:04 left to start a 7-0 run that put Tennessee ahead for good. Kentucky couldn't cut the margin below three points the rest of the way.
Jamal Murray scored 21 points and Tyler Ulis had 20 for Kentucky. Alex Poythress had 12 of his 14 points in the first half.
Detrick Mostella had 13 points and Admiral Schofield added 11 points and eight rebounds for Tennessee.
Kentucky seemed on the verge of putting this game out of reach early.
The Wildcats made seven consecutive shots at one point as they built their 34-13 lead over a Tennessee team that looked overmatched. Tennessee used a 10-0 run to get within striking distance and cut Kentucky's lead to 42-36 by halftime.
Tennessee continued its rally when the teams got back on the court. Moore stripped the ball from Poythress and passed to Devon Baulkman for a dunk that opened the second-half scoring.
The Vols finally pulled ahead on Mostella's three-pointer with 14:09 left. Kentucky regained the lead when Ulis and Derek Willis hit three-pointers on the next two possessions, but Tennessee kept clawing back and regained the lead at 65-63 on Hubbs' basket with 9:41 remaining.
Although Kentucky tied the score at 70-all, the Wildcats wouldn't lead again.
The Wildcats are 151-68 in this series. Kentucky has lost to Tennessee more than any other team.
Tennessee's Kyle Alexander, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward, made his third career start Tuesday as Hubbs moved to the bench. Alexander, who started for the first time since Dec. 29, had tied a school record with six blocks Saturday in a 75-63 loss at TCU. Tennessee had been using a starting lineup with nobody taller than 6-5.
Next up, Kentucky hosts Florida on Saturday and Tennessee is at Arkansas on Saturday.
GEORGIA 69, NO. 25 SOUTH CAROLINA 56
ATHENS, Ga. -- Yante Maten scored 18 points, Kenny Gaines had 17, and Georgia beat No. 25 South Carolina, giving the Gamecocks their third loss of the season.
Georgia led by 10 points at halftime and never trailed in the second half.
J.J. Frazier scored 13 points -- all in the second half -- and hit two three-pointers in the closing minutes for Georgia (12-8, 5-4 SEC). The Bulldogs snapped a two-game losing streak.
South Carolina (19-3, 6-3) was denied its attempt to reach 20 victories for the first time since 2008-09, when the Gamecocks finished 21-10.
Sindarius Thornwell led South Carolina with 18 points.
Michael Carrera had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Gamecocks, ending his streak of three consecutive games with 20 or more points. No other South Carolina player scored in double figures.
The Gamecocks fell to 2-3 in SEC road games.
Georgia scored the last six points of the first half, including a jam and a layup by Maten, for a 33-23 lead over the cold-shooting Gamecocks.
Georgia took a big lead at 39-26 early in the second half before Duane Notice and Thornwell hit consecutive threes for the Gamecocks. A basket by Carrera capped a quick 8-0 run to cut the lead to 39-34.
The Bulldogs led 50-48 before two consecutive baskets by Gaines stretched the lead back to six points. Frazier hit a three-pointer from the corner for a 59-52 lead.
With only 1:49 remaining and the shot clock about to expire, Frazier hit an unlikely three while falling back into the Georgia bench for a 62-53 lead.
ALABAMA 82,
MISSISSIPPI STATE 80, OT
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Retin Obasohan scored 25 points and Justin Coleman made a crucial three-pointer with about a minute remaining in overtime to lead Alabama over Mississippi State. Alabama (12-9, 3-6 SEC) trailed 64-57 with five minutes left, but rallied down the stretch to tie the game in regulation. Craig Sword of Mississippi State (9-12, 2-7) had a chance to push the Bulldogs ahead in the final seconds but missed a free throw.
The game was tied at 76-76 in overtime when Coleman made a three-pointer. He later added two free throws to help the Tide seal the victory.
LSU 80, AUBURN 68
AUBURN, Ala. — Ben Simmons had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists to lead LSU to a victory over Auburn. LSU (14-8, 7-2 SEC) built up a 21-point second-half lead, then handed Auburn (9-12, 3-6) its fourth consecutive loss. Craig Victor had 13 points and eight rebounds for LSU while Josh Gray and Keith Hornsby scored 10 points apiece.
NO. 1 OKLAHOMA 95, TCU 72
NORMAN, Okla. — With Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant on hand, Buddy Hield scored 17 points to help No. 1 Oklahoma defeat TCU.
Jordan Woodard scored 14 points, Isaiah Cousins had 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Ryan Spangler had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Sooners (19-2, 7-2 Big 12).
Vladimir Brodziansky scored 17 points, Chris Washburn had 15 and Malique Trent added 12 for TCU (10-12, 1-8).
NO. 14 WEST VIRGINIA 81,
NO. 13 IOWA STATE 76
AMES, Iowa — Jaysean Paige scored 23 points, including a crucial three with 1:05 left, and No. 14 West Virginia beat No. 13 Iowa State for its league-leading fourth Big 12 road victory.
Devin Williams added 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Mountaineers (18-4, 7-2), who rallied from 15 points down. Paige shot 10 of 17 from the field, none bigger than the three that gave West Virginia a 75-74 lead. The Mountaineers outrebounded the Cyclones 43-26, and Tarik Phillips grabbed his own missed free throw to seal it with 19 seconds left. Georges Niang scored 20 points and Abdel Nader had 19 for Iowa State (16-6, 5-4).
NO. 22 INDIANA 80,
MICHIGAN 67
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Yogi Ferrell had 17 points and nine assists, and No. 22 Indiana finished the first half with 25 consecutive points en route to a victory over Michigan.
The Big Ten-leading Hoosiers (19-4, 9-1) struggled early on, missing eight consecutive shots and falling behind 10-2, but they were nearly flawless in the final minutes of the half. Indiana led 45-24 at halftime and went on to its most lopsided victory over the Wolverines (17-6, 7-3) in Ann Arbor since 2008. Robert Johnson scored 16 points for the Hoosiers and O.G. Anunoby added 11. Zak Irvin led Michigan with 16 points.
DEPAUL 77, NO. 11 PROVIDENCE 70
ROSEMONT, Ill. — Myke Henry had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and DePaul held off No. 11 Providence. The Blue Demons (8-14, 2-8 Big East) had lost eight of nine, but they outrebounded the Friars 48-24. Billy Garrett Jr. added 16 points. Kris Dunn had 14 points and eight assists for Providence (18-5, 6-4), but was 5 for 20 from the field. It was the Friars’ first road loss of the season.
SOUTHLAND MEN
NW (LA.) STATE 91,
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 75
Despite a career-high 37 points from Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas (3-15, 2-6 Southland Conference) lost to Northwestern (La.) State (6-14, 3-7) on Tuesday night at Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches, La.
Howard, a sophomore guard who is the second-leading scorer in the Southland, hit six three-pointers and made 7 of 7 free throws.
Zeek Woodley led the Demons with 30 points, finishing 11 of 19 from the floor. He made four three-pointers.
UCA struggled from the free-throw line, shooting 16 of 30.
The Bears, who trailed 46-38 at halftime, put together a 12-2 run early in the second half to pull within 61-58 on Derreck Brooks’ basket with 11:45 to play. Howard scored nine points in the run, with Mathieu Kamba adding a layup and Brooks and Foreman getting a free throw each.
Sports on 02/03/2016