LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Malik Monk scored 30 of his 33 points in the second half, Bam Adebayo added 18 points with 15 rebounds and No. 11 Kentucky rallied past No. 13 Florida for a 76-66 victory Saturday to take over the SEC lead.
While another week remains in SEC play for both teams, the Wildcats (24-5, 14-2) took an important step by twice rallying from eight points down to win the pivotal matchup. And they can thank Monk (Bentonville) for making it happen as he scored 14 points during an 18-10 run that tied the game at 55 with 9:54 remaining.
Adebayo scored six consecutive points before Monk added seven more in between lobbing a pass to Adebayo for a 70-60 lead with 4:04 left.
Monk sandwiched two free throws around layups by Isaiah Briscoe and Adebayo, points that proved critical in thwarting rally attempts by the Gators (23-6, 13-3).
KeVaughn Allen (North Little Rock) had 24 points and Justin Leon added 13 for Florida, which had won nine consecutive.
In other games involving SEC men's teams Saturday, Duane Notice scored 15 points, all of them on three-pointers, to help South Carolina to an 82-55 victory over Tennessee. Dozier led South Carolina (21-8, 11-5 SEC) with 19 points. Robert Hubbs III led Tennessee (15-14, 7-9) with 16 points. ... Deandre Burnett scored 28 points, Breein Tyree added 15 and Mississippi (18-11, 9-7 SEC) beat Missouri 80-77. Frankie Hughes led Missouri (7-21, 2-14) with 22 points. ... Jeff Roberson posted career highs with 23 points and five three-pointers as Vanderbilt extended its longest winning streak of the season to four games with a 77-48 victory over Mississippi State. Luke Kornet added 10 points and eight rebounds for the surging Commodores (16-13, 9-7 SEC). Quinndary Weatherspoon led Mississippi State (14-14, 5-11) with 15 points. ... J.J. Frazier scored 29 points, including two free throws with 1.6 seconds remaining, that lifted Georgia (17-12, 8-8) to an 82-80 victory over LSU (9-19, 1-15) giving the Tigers their school-record 15th consecutive loss. ... Robert Williams scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Texas A&M (15-13, 7-9) defeated Alabama (16-12, 9-7) 56-53.
ATLANTIC COAST
Miami stops Duke
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Bruce Brown scored 25 points, and Miami held No. 10 Duke to a staggering 32 points below its season average on the way to beating the Blue Devils 55-50.
Brown shot 11 for 18 and had four assists, while his teammates shot just 11 for 40 with four assists combined. Yet it was enough for the Hurricanes (20-8, 10-6), who dominated inside and outscored Duke 40-20 in the paint.
Frank Jackson and Luke Kennard each scored 16 points for Duke (22-7, 10-6), which lost its second consecutive to an unranked opponent after falling at Syracuse on Wednesday. Duke was without guard Grayson Allen, the team's No. 3 scorer at 15 points per game sidelined by what the team said was a left ankle issue.
In other games involving ACC men's teams Saturday, Justin Jackson scored 23 points, Joel Berry added 19 and No. 8 North Carolina (25-5, 13-3) continued its march to the conference regular season title with an 85-67 victory over Pittsburgh. Michael Young and fellow senior Jamel Artis finished with 17 points each for Pittsburgh (15-14, 4-12). ... Freshman Kyle Guy scored 19 points to help No. 18 Virginia beat North Carolina State 70-55, ending a four-game skid. Devon Hall added 18 points for the Cavaliers (19-9, 9-7). Freshman Dennis Smith Jr. scored 13 points for N.C. State (15-15, 4-13). ... Xavier Rathan-Mayes scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half, including the go-ahead basket with 1:22 left, to lift No. 19 Florida State to a 76-74 victory over Clemson. Florida State (23-6, 11-5) kept pace in the conference race, remaining two games behind league leader North Carolina. It was the latest in a string of near misses for Clemson (14-14, 4-12). ... Justin Bibbs scored 13 points, getting seven with a four-point play and a three-pointer 27 seconds later to cap a game-breaking 21-6 run that carried Virginia Tech to a 91-75 victory over Boston College. Zach LeDay led the Hokies (20-8, 9-7) with 18 points. Jerome Robinson scored 25 for the Eagles (9-20, 2-14).
BIG 12
Iowa State tops Baylor
AMES, Iowa -- Deonte Burton scored 22 points, including a crucial 3 with 1:17 left, and Iowa State beat No. 9 Baylor 72-69 on Saturday for its fifth consecutive victory.
Monte Morris had 17 points with seven assists for the Cyclones (19-9, 11-5).
It was a back-and-forth matchup for over 30 minutes, with nine lead changes and 13 ties. But consecutive threes from Donovan Jackson and Morris gave Iowa State a 56-51 lead with 6:50 left.
Johnathan Motley made it 62-61 on a dunk with 1:48 to go. But with the shot clock about to expire, Burton banked in a three from the top of the key.
Motley had 27 points and 11 rebounds for Baylor (23-6, 10-6).
In other games involving Big 12 men's teams Saturday, Daxter Miles Jr. made a free throw with 4.8 seconds left and No. 12 West Virginia pulled out a 61-60 victory at TCU to stay in second place in the Big 12. Jevon Carter had 15 points for West Virginia (23-6, 11-5), while Nathan Adrian added 13. Fisher had 18 points to lead TCU. ... Jeffrey Carroll scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds to help Oklahoma State defeat Texas Tech 80-63. Phil Forte III had 15 points and five rebounds for Oklahoma State (20-9, 9-7). Keenan Evans scored 18 points for Texas Tech (17-12, 5-11). ... Josh Jackson scored 18 points and Frank Mason III added 16 to help No. 3 Kansas beat Texas 77-67 to secure its 13th consecutive Big 12 regular season championship outright. Devonte Graham and Dwight Coleby added 12 points apiece for the Jayhawks (26-3, 14-2). Jarrett Allen led Texas (10-19, 4-12) with 20 points. ... Khadeem Lattin had 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks to help Oklahoma roll past Kansas State 81-51 and give Coach Lon Kruger his 600th career victory. Rashard Odomes scored 16 points for the Sooners (10-18, 4-12). Isaiah Maurice scored 11 points for Kansas State (17-12, 6-10).
BIG EAST
Villanova clinches
VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Eric Paschall scored a season-high 19 points and Josh Hart added 16 to help No. 2 Villanova clinch its fourth consecutive Big East regular-season title with a 79-63 victory over No. 23 Creighton.
Kris Jenkins scored 15 points and Mikal Bridges had 11 for the defending national champion Wildcats, who were without big man Darryl Reynolds (rib) for the fifth consecutive game.
Marcus Foster scored 25 points and Khyri Thomas had 17 for Creighton, which has lost six of 10 after an 18-1 start.
In other games involving Big East men's teams Saturday, Shamorie Ponds scored 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting to become the third freshman in St. John's history to score 500 points in a season, and the Red Storm rallied to beat Georgetown 86-80 to end a two-game skid. Bashir Ahmed and Frederico Mussini scored 16 apiece for St. John's (13-16, 7-9). Rodney Pryor scored 22 points for Georgetown (14-15, 5-11). ... Desi Rodriguez scored 19 points and grabbed five rebounds and Seton Hall held on late to edge DePaul 82-79. Khadeen Carrington added 18 points for Seton Hall (18-10, 8-8). Billy Garrett Jr. led the Blue Demons (9-20, 2-14) with 26 points and six assists. ... Rodney Bullock scored 20 points and Providence rallied from 12 points down with 7:20 left to beat Marquette 72-69. Kyron Cartwright scored 16 points for Providence (18-11, 8-8). Markus Howard led Marquette (17-11, 8-8) with 24 points.
PACIFIC-12
Oregon sweeps Stanford
STANFORD, Calif. -- Jordan Bell scored on a putback with 14 seconds left to give No. 6 Oregon its second consecutive nail-biting victory in a rare Bay Area sweep as the Ducks beat Stanford 75-73.
Bell's game-winner followed Dillon Brooks' last-second, tiebreaking three-pointer three nights earlier at California to give Oregon (26-4, 15-2) its second sweep of its conference Bay Area rivals since 1976. The other came two years ago.
Tyler Dorsey scored 15 points to lead Oregon.
Reid Travis had 27 points to lead the way for the Cardinal (14-14, 6-10).
In another game involving Pacific-12 men's teams Saturday, Thomas Welsh scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and No. 5 UCLA (26-3, 13-3) dominated the offensive boards to beat No. 4 Arizona 77-72 in a Pac-12 showdown. Allonzo Trier scored a career-high 28 for the Wildcats.
BIG TEN
Michigan beats Purdue
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Moe Wagner scored 22 of his 24 points in the first half, outplaying everyone on Purdue's vaunted front line and leading Michigan to an 82-70 victory over the No. 14 Boilermakers.
Derrick Walton added 17 points and 11 rebounds in his final scheduled home game, and the Wolverines (19-10, 9-7) took another big step toward an NCAA Tournament berth. Michigan has won five of six, including victories over Michigan State, Wisconsin and Purdue.
The Boilermakers (23-6, 12-4) had their six-game winning streak snapped and could fall into a tie for first in the Big Ten with Wisconsin if the Badgers win at Michigan State today.
In other games involving Big Ten men's teams Saturday, Nate Mason had 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Jordan Murphy added 16 points and 16 rebounds for Minnesota in an 81-71 victory over Penn State. Dupree McBrayer added 15 points off the bench for Minnesota (22-7, 10-6). Tony Carr had 20 points and seven assists for Penn State (14-15, 6-10). ... Freshman Jordan Bohannon scored a career-high 24 points, hitting 8 of 10 three-pointers to help Iowa breeze past fading No. 24 Maryland 83-69. Tyler Cook had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (16-13, 8-8). Kevin Huerter scored 13 points for Maryland (22-7, 10-6). ... Thomas Bryant completed a three-point play with 2.6 seconds left and James Blackmon Jr. finished with 13 points to help Indiana (16-13, 6-10) rally from a seven-point deficit in the final 93 seconds to beat Northwestern (20-9, 9-7) 63-62.
Sports on 02/26/2017