Zion-less Duke stops Syracuse
SYRACUSE — No. 1 Duke played without one of the nation’s top players but found a new standout who helped the Blue Devils avenge an earlier loss.
Sophomore Alex O’Connell scored 20 points in his first start of the season while RJ Barrett scored 30 points as the Blue Devils beat Syracuse, 7565, in ACC basketball Saturday night at the Carrier Dome.
The game was played before a crowd of 35,642, which established a new record for the largest attendance for an oncampus NCAA college basketball game.
The Blue Devils (24-3, 12-2 ACC) played their first game since star freshman Zion Williamson suffered a sprained right knee. The 6-7 All-American candidate was not in uniform for the first time this season.
Duke has played large parts of two games — an 80-78 win at Florida State on Jan. 12 and Wednesday’s 88-72 loss to North Carolina — without Williamson after he was injured during those games. But Saturday marked the first time they’d played an entire game without their national player of the year candidate.
Still Duke, which lost 95-91 in overtime to Syracuse on Jan. 14 at Durham, found a way to win.
O’Connell played a big role, scoring 17 of his 20 points in the second half.
NO. 13 LSU 82, NO. 5 TENNESSEE 80
Javonte Smart waved both arms upward as he turned to the frenzied crowd inside the packed Peter Maravich Assembly Center, pounded his chest and hollered triumphantly.
It was as if the freshman, who grew up near Baton Rouge, knew he’d make the free throws LSU needed to close out an emotional victory — and realize a scene from his childhood dreams.
Smart capped a career-best 29-point performance with a crucial rebound and go-ahead free throws in the final seconds, and No. 13 LSU outlasted fifth-ranked Tennessee.
NO. 4 KENTUCKY 80, AUBURN 53
John Calipari was satisfied being in third place as Kentucky’s all-time winningest coach.
“No one should go by (Joe B Hall), so coach Hall just asked me to vacate any games that go by him,” Calipari said. “I said they have already vacated some of my games. Maybe we’ll just vacate some more and at the end of the day I’ll be one less than him.”
Calipari surpassed Hall on the school’s career wins list and is second behind Adolph Rupp after an 80-53 victory over Auburn on Saturday.
Calipari is 298-68 in 10 seasons with the Wildcats. Hall compiled a 297-100 record in 13 seasons and led the Wildcats to a national championship in 1978.
PJ Washington scored 24 points to lead No. 4 Kentucky. Washington led three players in double figures and helped lead the Wildcats to a regularseason sweep of the Tigers. The Wildcats (23-4, 12-2 Southeastern Conference) defeated Auburn 82-80 last month and made things easier the second time around. Tyler Herro followed Washington with 17 points and Ashton Hagans added 14.