College Basketball: Top 25 Roundup

Associated Press

The Top 25 roundup ...

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Anthony Davis had 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks, and No. 1 Kentucky wiped away the memories of the last time the top-ranked Wildcats came to South Carolina with an 86-52 victory Saturday night.

Kentucky (23-1) has won 15 straight and moved to 9-0 in the SEC for the first time in seven years. And it will stay atop the rankings, unlike in 2010 when the No. 1 Wildcats were stunned 68-62 by the Gamecocks.

Damien Leonard scored a career-high 19 points for South Carolina (9-13, 1-7).

NO. 2 SYRACUSE 95, ST. JOHN'S 70

NEW YORK — Syracuse's Fab Melo scored a career-high 14 points in his return after a three-game absence and Jim Boeheim tied Dean Smith for third place on the victory list with win No. 879.

Syracuse (23-1, 10-1 Big East) rallied behind the return of the 7-foot Melo, taking a 41-27 halftime lead and blowing it open by starting the second half on a 16-3 run in front of a sellout crowd of 19,979 at Madison Square Garden, most of whom were wearing orange.

Melo missed the last three games as he resolved an academic issue. He had been allowed to practice with the team and he looked ready from the start of his first game back, once again a force in the middle on the back line of the 2-3 zone.

After tying Smith, the longtime coach at North Carolina, Boeheim trails only fellow Hall of Famers Mike Krzyzewski (919) and Bob Knight (902) on the career wins list.

D'Angelo Harrison had 23 points for the Red Storm (10-13, 4-7).

NO. 3 OHIO STATE 58, NO. 19 WISCONSIN 52

MADISON, Wis. — Jared Sullinger scored 24 points and William Buford hit a critical 3-pointer down the stretch, leading Ohio State to the victory.

Deshaun Thomas scored 16 points and Buford added 11 for the Buckeyes (20-3, 8-2 Big Ten), who held onto their lead in the conference standings. Sullinger also had 10 rebounds.

Ryan Evans scored 14 points for the Badgers (18-6, 7-4), who were 5 for 27 from 3-point range.

Ohio State ended a nine-game losing streak to Wisconsin in Madison — and avoided a repeat of last year's comeback by the Badgers.

NO. 4 MISSOURI 71, NO. 8 KANSAS 71

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Marcus Denmon hit three 3-pointers in the final 2:05, the last for the go-ahead points, as No. 4 Missouri fought off No. 8 Kansas 74-71 in Game 1 of what could be the schools' final border showdown.

Denmon scored 29 points, two off his career best, and ended a long-range shooting slump with a career-best six 3-pointers in nine attempts.

Missouri (21-2, 8-2 Big 12) beat Kansas for only the second time in the last 12 meetings, and the Tigers' impending departure for the SEC added spice to the final conference meeting in Columbia, Mo.

Thomas Robinson had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Kansas (18-5, 8-2).

NO. 6 BAYLOR 64, OKLAHOMA STATE 60

STILLWATER, Okla. — Perry Jones III had 16 points and 11 rebounds in tight Baylor win.

The Cowboys (11-12, 4-6 Big 12) rallied from a nine-point deficit to take a 57-56 lead on Keiton Page's wide-open 3-pointer from the right wing with 1:42 to play.

After a timeout, Acy answered at the other end with a layup set up by Pierre Jackson's drive. Acy also grabbed the rebound when Brady Heslip missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity with 6.8 seconds left, allowing Anthony Jones to hit two foul shots to close it out for Baylor (21-2, 8-2).

Brian Williams scored a career-high 23 points for Oklahoma State, which was bidding to win back-to-back home games against top-10 opponents.

WYOMING 68, NO. 11 UNLV 66

LARAMIE, Wyo.— Leonard Washington and Francisco Cruz scored 16 points apiece and Wyoming (18-5, 4-3 Mountain West) throttled UNLV's high-scoring offense.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak against UNLV (21-4, 5-2) and was Wyoming's first victory against a Top 25 team since beating New Mexico in 1996.

NO. 12 FLORIDA 73, NO. 25 VANDERBILT 65

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kenny Boynton scored 18 points and Bradley Beal added 16, lifting Florida (19-4, 7-1 SEC) to its seventh consecutive victory over Vanderbilt (16-7, 5-3).

The Gators made 11 of 24 shots from behind the arc.

NO. 14 GEORGETOWN 75, SOUTH FLORIDA 45

WASHINGTON — Henry Sims scored 13 points and nine rebounds, and Georgetown held South Florida without a point for nearly 11 minutes in the first half.

Otto Porter added 12 points, and Jason Clark had 11 for the Hoyas (18-4, 8-3 Big East).

NOTRE DAME 76, NO. 15 MARQUETTE 59

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Freshman Pat Connaughton had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Notre Dame made 11 3-pointers in the victory.

Connaughton shot 5 for 8 from long range, helping the Irish (15-8, 7-3 Big East) earn their fourth consecutive win. Marquette (19-5, 8-3) had won seven straight Big East games.

No. 20 Indiana 78, Purdue 61

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After watching Purdue battle for conference titles year after year, Indiana beat its rival for the first time since 2008.

Victor Oladipo scored a career-high 23 points to help No. 20 Indiana (18-6, 6-6 Big Ten).

Cody Zeller had 16 points and eight rebounds.

D.J. Byrd scored 15 points and Kelsey Barlow added 12 for the Boilermakers (15-8, 5-5).

NO. 22 MISSISSIPPI STATE 91, AUBURN 88

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Arnett Moultrie scored 21 points and Renardo Sidney added 17 to lead Mississippi State to the win.

Dee Bost hit three consecutive 3-pointers to open the second half for the Bulldogs (18-5, 5-3 SEC).