San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
TEXAS AVOIDS UPSET BY SOONERS AT HOME
When Texas is engaged in a close game, it can call on experience, energy and poise. The No. 6 Longhorns needed all of that against Oklahoma on Saturday.
Senior reserve Sir’jabari Rice scored 19 of his gamehigh 24 points in the second half and overtime, and Texas held off the visiting Sooners 85-83.
The Longhorns (21-6, 10-4 Big 12) have not lost two straight games all season. They are 7-0 under interim coach Rodney Terry in games decided by five points or fewer or in overtime, including a 7069 victory at Oklahoma on Dec 31.
“I see in Texas the veteran, tough mentality,” Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said.
Rice’s fourth 3-pointer of the game gave Texas an 84-77 lead with 2:26 left in overtime.
Oklahoma had a chance to tie or win when Texas’ Tyrese Hunter missed one of two free throws with 6.8 seconds left.
But Sam Godwin missed a shot from near the rim, and Texas extended its winning streak against Oklahoma to five games.
Marcus Carr added 17 points for Texas and Timmy Allen had 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Both are seniors, as is Dylan Disu, who scored 12.
Grant Sherfield led Oklahoma (13-14, 3-11) with 18 points, including a 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime.
No. 1 Alabama 108, Georgia 59: Brandon Miller scored 21 points, Nick Pringle had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Mark Sears made five 3pointers in the first half to lead host Alabama past Georgia (16-11, 6-8 SEC).
The Crimson Tide (23-4, 13-1) rebounded from their first SEC loss, at No. 10 Tennessee, by racing to a 54-25 halftime lead and a season scoring high.
No. 4 UCLA 78, California 43: Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 20 points and UCLA routed lastplace California (3-24, 2-14 Pac-12) to improve to 15-0 at Pauley Pavilion this season and extend the nation’s longest home winning streak to 23 games.
Amari Bailey added 16 points and nine rebounds for the first-place Bruins (23-4, 14-2 Pac-12), who clinched a first-round bye in next month’s Pac-12 Tournament with their 11th win in a row over last-place Cal.
No. 5 Kansas 87, No. 9 Baylor 71: Dajuan Harris scored all 14 of his points in the second half as Kansas stormed back from a double-digit halftime deficit to beat Baylor.
The Jayhawks (22-5, 10-4 Big 12) outscored the Bears (20-7, 9-5) 55-26 in the second half. Jalen Wilson led Kansas with 21 points and 13 rebounds. KJ Adams added 17 points and Gradey Dick had 16.
No. 7 Virginia 57, Notre Dame 55: Kihei Clark scored 15 points, including a pair of critical free throws with 22.6 seconds left, and became Virginia’s (21-4, 13-3 ACC) career assist leader in the narrow win over visiting Notre Dame (10-17, 2-14).
Kentucky 66, No. 10 Tennessee 54: Cason Wallace and Oscar Tshiebwe each scored 16 points and host Kentucky (18-9, 9-5 SEC) rushed to a big lead and beat Tennessee.
The Volunteers (20-7, 9-5) trailed by 20 points at halftime and lost in their first game since toppling No. 1 Alabama.
No. 12 Kansas State 61, No. 19 Iowa State 55: Markquis Nowell hit a 3pointer from near midcourt with 2:42 remaining to help Kansas State over visiting Iowa State (17-9, 8-6 Big 12).
Nowell finished with 20 points. Keyontae Johnson had 15 points for the Wildcats (20-7, 8-6).
No. 13 Gonzaga 97, Pepperdine 88: Drew Timme scored 22 of his 34 points in the second half and Julian Strawther added 28 points to help visiting Gonzaga (23-5, 12-2 West Coast Conference) extend its winning streak over the Waves (9-10, 2-12) to 45 games.
Timme moved past Bill Cartwright, who scored 2,116 points for San Francisco (1975-79), into eighth on the West Coast Conference’s career scoring list with 2,117.
No. 14 Indiana 71, Illinois 68: Trayce Jackson-davis finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Hood Schifino made two free throws with 30.7 seconds left, and Indiana (19-8, 10-6 Big Ten) rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit to beat Illinois (17-9, 8-7 Big Ten).
No. 15 Miami 96, Wake Forest 87: Isaiah Wong scored 27 points and Nijel Pack finished with 24 in Miami’s (22-5, 13-4 ACC) win over visiting Wake Forest (17-10, 9-7).
No. 16 Xavier 82, Depaul 68: Jack Nunge had 18 points and 10 rebounds as host Xavier (20-7, 12-4 Big East) bounced back from a pair of narrow losses to beat Depaul (9-18, 3-13).
No. 17 Saint Mary’s 71, BYU 65: Logan Johnson scored 27 points and Aidan Mahaney delivered once again in the second half to lead host Saint Mary’s (24-5, 13-1 West Coast Conference) over BYU (16-14, 6-9) for the Gaels’ 15th win in 16 games.
Mahaney scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half.
No. 18 Creighton 77, St. John’s 67: Arthur Kaluma hit three straight 3-pointers down the stretch and visiting Creighton 18-9, 12-4 Big East) overcame a second-half scoring drought to pull away from St. John’s (16-12, 6-11).
No. 20 Uconn 64, Seton Hall 55: Jordan Hawkins scored 20 points and Uconn (20-7, 9-7 Big East) used a big second-half run to beat visiting Seton Hall (16-12, 9-8).
No. 22 TCU 100, Oklahoma State 75: Mike Miles Jr. had 15 points in his first game in three weeks, five other TCU players also scored in double figures, and the host Horned Frogs (18-9, 7-7 Big 12) snapped a four-game losing streak by beating Oklahoma State (16-11, 7-7).
No. 24 Providence 85, Villanova 72: Ed Croswell scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Providence (20-7, 12-4 Big East) earned its 20th victory of the season with a win over Villanova (13-14, 7-9 Big East)