Kansas State’s comeback stuns No. 7 West Virginia
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kamau Stokes and Barry Brown each scored 13 points to help Kansas State rally to upset No. 7 West Virginia 79-75 on Saturday night.
The Wildcats (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) trailed by 12 late in the first half before Stokes keyed a late burst, hitting a layup right before the halftime buzzer to cut the deficit to two at the half.
Buoyed by that run, the Wildcats went on a 14-6 run to start the second half and take a 50-44 lead on a layup by Dean Wade.
The Mountaineers (15-4, 4-3) trailed 65-55 with 7:43 left before taking a 68-67 lead on Nathan Adrian’s jumper with just under 5 minutes left.
Wesley Iwundu and Stokes combined to score the next seven points to help the Wildcats get the win.
Tarik Phillip led the Mountaineers with 20 points.
The loss by West Virginia marks the first time the Mountaineers have lost back to back games this season.
The Wildcats’ win over the No. 7 Mountaineers marks the first time Kansas State has defeated a ranked opponent this season. ARIZONA 96, UCLA 85
Kobi Simmons scored 20 points and the No. 14 Wildcats’ defense contained UCLA’s top-rated offense in the Pac-12, beating the third-ranked Bruins in Los Angeles to stay undefeated in conference play.
Lauri Markkanen added 18 points for the Wildcats (18-2, 7-0), who have won 12 in a row. VILLANOVA 78 PROVIDENCE 68
Josh Hart scored 25 points, Kris Jenkins had 19, and the No. 1 Wildcats beat the Friars in Philadelphia.
The defending national champion Wildcats (19-1, 7-1 Big East) have won five straight since their only loss at Butler on Jan. 4 temporarily knocked them out of the No. 1 spot in The AP Top 25. GONZAGA 73, PORTLAND 52
Nigel Williams-Goss scored 15 points as the No. 4 Bulldogs beat the Pilots in Spokane, Wash. to remain the only unbeaten team in Division I.
Przemek Karnowski added 12 points for the Bulldogs (19-0, 7-0 West Coast), who have a nation’s best 19-game winning streak. It is the best start in program history. MARQUETTE 102 CREIGHTON 94
Katin Reinhardt scored 17 of his season-high 21 points in the first half, and the Golden Eagles picked up their first Big East road win with a upset of the No. 7 Bluejays in Omaha, Neb.
Luke Fischer and Jajuan Johnson added 18 points apiece for Marquette. NORTH CAROLINA 90 BOSTON COLLEGE 82
Kennedy Meeks scored 20 points with nine rebounds and Justin Jackson scored 22 points for No. 9 North Carolina to lead the Tar Heels to a victory over the Eagles in Boston.
It was the sixth straight win for the Tar Heels since a league-opening loss to Georgia Tech. VANDERBILT 68, FLORIDA 66
Matthew Fisher-Davis scored 19 points, Nolan Cressler came up big in the final minute, and the Commodores upset the No. 19 Gators in Gainesville, Fla.
The Commodores used a 12-0 run midway through the second half to take a seven-point lead and held on down the stretch in a game that featured six lead changes in the final 5 minutes. KENTUCKY 85 SOUTH CAROLINA 69
Malik Monk scored 27 points, Bam Adebayo added 18, and No. 5 Wildcats overcame an ankle injury to starting guard De’Aaron Fox to beat the No. 24 Gamecocks in Lexington, Ky., and take over first place in the Southeastern Conference. FLORIDA ST. 73 LOUISVILLE 68
Jonathan Isaac and Dwayne Bacon both scored 16 points and the No. 10 Seminoles held off the No. 12 Cardinals in Tallahassee, Fla.
Isaac, who also had 10 rebounds, is the first FSU freshman to have three consecutive double-doubles since Corey Lewis in 1994-95.