COLLEGE BASKETBALL
A look at the stats, facts and storylines from the past week as we move closer to Selection Sunday (March 15):
Monday
No. 3 Kansas earns its 800th win at historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse, defeating Iowa State, 91-71. The Jayhawks are 800-114 since the arena opened March 1, 1955.
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No. 4 San Diego State (26-0), the last unbeaten in Division I, isn’t shying away from the weight of perfection. “I told our team, ‘Let’s get greedy. Let’s play for perfection,’” coach Brian Dutcher said. “If we’re this close … let’s do something special.”
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North Carolina loses again, this time to Notre Dame as Mike Laszewski hits a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left for a 7776 Irish victory. Of North Carolina’s 12 ACC losses, three have been in overtime and three more in the last minute.
Tuesday
No. 1 Baylor (24-1) extends its winning streak to a Big 12-record 23 in a row with a 65-54 win vs. Oklahoma. The Kansas team of 1996-97 had won 22 in a row.
Jalen Smith. Remember the name. The 6-foot-10 sophomore posts his ninth consecutive double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds for Maryland in a 76-67 win vs. Northwestern. Not so coincidentally, the Terrapins (22-4, 12-3) have won all nine games to assume the Big Ten lead.
Wednesday
With a 74-31 rout of Tulane, the Connecticut women earn at least a share of the AAC title. Of greater note, Geno Auriemma’s Huskies have now won either a conference regular season or tournament title in all but one season since 1993.
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Miami and Virginia Tech go three overtimes before Miami pulls out a 102-95 win. The game is the longest in the ACC since Dec. 20, 2003, when a Chris Paul-led Wake Forest team defeats North Carolina, 119-114.
Thursday
Eastern Illinois trails Murray State, 50-23, with 11:30 remaining. Yet it is Eastern Illinois celebrating a 63-60 win thanks to a Josiah Wallace 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Panthers are the seventh team in Division I history to win when trailing by at least 27 in the second half. Of note: None of the other six had less time to make its comeback, according to the NCAA.
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Iowa’s Luke Garza has his 12th consecutive game of 20 points or more in Big Ten play (24) in an 85-76 win vs. Ohio State. It is the longest streak for an Iowa player in 49 seasons and the most by any conference player in the past 20 years.
Friday
Jordan Bruner has 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Yale in an 81-80 double-overtime win vs. Cornell — only the third triple-double in Ivy League history and first since 2004.
• Merrimack’s Juvaris Hayes ties the NCAA career record for steals (448) with six in a 64-57 win vs. Sacred Heart.