Tar Heels get past Duke in a thriller
Joel Berry II scored 28 points, including a crucial late-game burst of seven straight for his team, to help No. 5 North Carolina hold off No. 17 Duke, 90-83, on Saturday night at Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Tar Heels finished 16-0 at home after winning a nearly shot-for-shot battle with their fiercest rival. The game featured 24 lead changes and 14 ties before Carolina (26-6, 14-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) finally pushed ahead for good in the final six minutes. The final margin was the biggest lead for either team all night.
Luke Kennard led the Blue Devils (23-8, 11-7) with 28 points.
No. 1 Kansas 90, at Oklahoma State 85: Big 12 scoring leader Frank Mason had 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the conference champion Jayhawks (28-3, 16-2), who won their eighth straight. Jeffrey Carroll scored a career-high 27 for the Cowboys (20-11, 9-9).
at Vanderbilt 73, No. 12 Florida 71: Riley LaChance's layup with 1:35 left gave the Commodores (17-14, 10-8 Southeastern Conference) the lead for good in a victory the bolstered their NCAA tournament prospects. The Gators (24-7, 14-4) squandered a 12-point second-half lead and were swept in the season series. Vanderbilt has won five of six overall.
Seton Hall 70, at No. 13 Butler 64: Desi Rodriguez scored 21 points, Angel Delgado had 20 points and 16 rebounds, and the Pirates (2010, 10-8 Big East) surprised the Bulldogs (23-7, 12-6), who had won four straight.
No. 2 Villanova 81, at Georgetown 55: Josh Hart had 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, and the Wildcats (28-3, 15-3 Big East) pulled away from the Hoyas (14-17, 5-13), who lost their fifth in a row.
at No. 8 Louisville 71, No. 19 Notre Dame 64: Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 22 seconds, to lift the Cardinals (24-7, 12-6 Atlantic Coast Conference). Bonzie Colson scored 20 for the Fighting Irish (23-8, 12-6), who’d won six straight.
No. 9 Kentucky 71, at Texas A&M 63: De’Aaron Fox scored 19 points and the Wildcats (26-5, 16-2) overcame an early 15-point deficit to clinch their fifth Southeastern Conference regularseason title in Coach John Calipari’s eight seasons. Admon Gilder scored 22 points for the Aggies (16-14, 8-10).
No. 11 Baylor 75, at Texas 64: Johnathan Motley had 17 points and 17 rebounds as the Bears (25-6, 12-6) tied school records for total wins and Big 12 wins in a season. The Longhorns (10-21, 4-14) have lost seven straight.
at No. 14 Southern Methodist 103, Memphis 62: Sterling Brown had 26 points and 10 rebounds as the Mustangs (27-4, 17-1) swamped the Tigers (19-12, 9-9) to clinch the American Athletic Conference title.
at No. 15 Florida State 66, No. 25 Miami 57: Dwayne Bacon scored 23 points and the Seminoles (24-7, 12-6) beat the Hurricanes (20-10, 10-8) to clinch a double bye in the ACC tournament and complete their first unbeaten home season (18-0) since 1977-76.