Outside shooting, defense score Cavs

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Kyle Guy scored 18 points and No. 4 Virginia combined effective outside shooting with its usual stout defense to slip past No. 24 Maryland 76-71 Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

The Cavaliers (7-0) blew most of a 17-point lead before making 6 free throws in the final 37 seconds to hand Maryland its first loss. Ty Jerome scored 17 and De’Andre Hunter had 15 for Virginia, which improved to 121-35 in nonconference games under Coach Tony Bennett.

Guy nailed 5 three-pointers and the Cavaliers went 10 for 22 beyond the arc. Virginia committed only 2 turnovers and had assists on 15 of its 28 baskets.

Bruno Fernando had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 15 for the Terrapins (6-1). After trailing 48-31 with 16:29 left, Maryland closed to 6359 before Jerome popped a three-pointer and Jack Salt added a dunk to quell the comeback.

The Terrapins committed 14 turnovers, went 7 for 17 from three-point range and finished well below their scoring average of 84.8 points per game. But they shot 54 percent and became the first team this season to break the 60-point barrier against the Cavaliers.

Maryland and Virginia first met in the 1912-13 season and were both members of the ACC before the Terrapins joined the Big Ten in 2014. The Cavaliers trail in the series 107-76 but have won 8 of the last 9.

It was Virginia’s second consecutive victory over a Big Ten team. The Cavaliers defeated Wisconsin last week to win the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Guy scored 15 points and accounted for four of Virginia’s 8 three-pointers in a first half that ended with the Cavaliers up 39-30.

Maryland made only one less basket than Virginia and held a 19-11 rebounding edge, but the Cavaliers’ 8-for16 shooting beyond the arc made all the difference.

In other Top 25/SEC games Wednesday, Grant Williams had 21 points and 11 rebounds as No. 6 Tennessee bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 95-67 victory over Eastern Kentucky. Tennessee (5-1) was playing for the first time since falling 87-81 in overtime to No. 2 Kansas on Friday at the NIT Season Tip-Off in New York. Eastern Kentucky (3-4) and Tennessee were tied 11-11 seven minutes into the game before the Volunteers scored 13 consecutive points to pull ahead for good. … Anfernee McLemore and Bryce Brown each scored 19 points to lead No. 8 Auburn to a 99-49 rout of Saint Peter’s. The Tigers (6-1) scored the game’s first 13 points and led by as many as 32 before halftime over the Peacocks (1-5), who have lost five consecutive. McLemore tied a career-high in points and Auburn had five players score in double figures. … Tyler Herro had 16 points, Keldon Johnson added 15 and No. 10 Kentucky cruised past Monmouth 90-44 for its sixth consecutive victory. The Wildcats (6-1) never trailed, though the winless Eagles (0-8) used a 12-5 spurt to get within 22-18. Kentucky took charge from there, closing the first half on a 22-4 run over 8:46 for a 44-22 halftime lead and stretching the lead to as many as 47 with 2:40 remaining. … Tyus Battle scored 20 points and Elijah Hughes added 18 to help Syracuse upset No. 16 Ohio State 72-62 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge for the Orange’s second consecutive victory. Syracuse improved to 4-2 on the season by shooting 49 percent from the field and 46 percent from three-point land. The Buckeyes (6-1) lost for the first time this season. … Breein Tyree scored 22 points as Mississippi placed five players in double figures to defeat San Diego 93-86. Terence Davis scored 20 points, with a game-high 9 assists, for the Rebels (4-2). Blake Hinson and KJ Buffen had 15 points apiece while Devontae Shuler added 13. Buffen had a game-high seven rebounds. Isaiah Wright scored 22 points with six assists to lead the Toreros (5-2).