Experienced No. 4 Kansas slips past young No. 7 Kentucky

CHICAGO — Svi Mykhailiuk scored 17 points, and Devonte Graham hit the clinching free throws to give No. 4 Kansas a 65-61 victory over No. 7 Kentucky on Tuesday night that put coach Bill Self in a tie for second with Roy Williams on the Jayhawks’ all-time wins list.

In a game that matched the two winningest Division I programs, the Jayhawks (2-0) prevailed after the two teams spent most of the second half trading baskets and leads.

Malik Newman had a key rebound in the closing seconds and hit two foul shots to help Kansas knock off the Wildcats (2-1). The down-towire game capped a powerhouse Champions Classic doubleheader that started with No. 1 Duke beating No. 2 Michigan State 88-81.

Mykhailiuk hit three 3-pointers. Udoka Azubuike scored 13. Newman scored 12 and Graham had 11, helping Self pick up his 418th win at Kansas to tie Williams for second behind Phog Allen (519).

Kevin Knox scored 20 and nailed three 3s for Kentucky (2-1). Hamidou Diallo added 14 points. But the Wildcats came up short after rallying to beat Utah Valley and hanging on for a four-point win against Vermont.

Kentucky was leading 57-55 when Nick Richards scored on a tip-in and Devonte Graham hit a free throw. Newman then hit a 3 to bump the Jayhawks’ lead to 61-57 with just over two minutes left. It was 61-59 when Kentucky’s PJ Washington blocked a 3 by Mykhailiuk as the shot clock went off with 33 seconds left, giving the Wildcats a chance to tie or take the lead. But

Knox missed a jumper along the baseline.

Newman grabbed the rebound for Kansas and hit two free throws with 17 seconds left to make it 63-59.

Kentucky’s Sacha Killeya-jones scored on a putback with nine seconds left. But Graham made two foul shots with eight seconds remaining to close things out.

At Philadelphia, Mikal Bridges set career highs with 23 points and four blocks, and No. 5 Villanova

No. 5 Villanova 113, Nicholls 77 —

(2-0) swatted away a school-record 13 shots to rout Nicholls (1-1).

At Spokane, Wash., freshman Zach Norvell Jr. scored 18 points and freshman Corey Kispert added

13 as No. 17 Gonzaga (2-0) pounded Howard (0-3).

At Milwaukee, 7-foot-2 center Isaac Haas scored 22 points, and No. 19 Purdue (3-0) capitalized on its size advantage in the paint to beat Marquette (1-1).

No. 17 Gonzaga 106, Howard69— No.19purdue86,marquette 71 —

Paul Beaty The Associated Press Kansas center Udoka Azubuike yells after his team scored late in the second half against Kentucky on Tuesday in Chicago.