No. 1 Baylor ties Big 12 mark, wins 22nd straight
Jared Butler scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half, and top-ranked Baylor never trailed while tying the longest winning streak in Big 12 history at 22 games with a 70-59 victory over No. 14 West Virginia on Saturday.
The Bears (23-1, 12-0 Big 12) cruised at home without second-leading scorer Macio Teague, a junior whose streak of 90 consecutive games ended because of a right wrist injury.
Baylor led by 19 in the first half and answered a scoreless stretch of nearly four minutes before halftime by starting the second half on a 20-3 run for its biggest lead at 53-25.
Taz Sherman scored a season-high 20 points for the Mountaineers (18-7, 6-6), who had 11 of their season high-tying 22 turnovers in the first 12 minutes and shot 35% in a third consecutive loss.
Matthew Mayer had a flying dunk off a nifty spin move on the baseline and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for the Bears, who matched Kansas’ record run in the Big 12. The Jayhawks started 22-0 in 1996-97, the league’s first season.
Butler was 5 of 7 from 3-point range as Baylor extended the longest winning streak in school history while breaking the school mark with a 12th consecutive conference win, topping the 1945-46 team in the old Southwest Conference.
GARRETT’S CAREER-HIGH 24 POINTS LEADS NO. 3 KANSAS >> Marcus Garrett scored a career-high 24 points, Devon Dotson added 19, and third-ranked Kansas (22-3, 11-1 Big 12) rolled at home to an 87-70 victory over Oklahoma to keep pace with No. 1 Baylor in what has become a two-team race toward the Big 12 title.
Kristian Doolittle had 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead Oklahoma (16-9, 6-6). CLEMSON SURPRISES NO. 5 LOUISVILLE >> Johnny Newman III had a career-high 23 points, and Clemson used a strong defensive first half to send No. 5 Louisville to its second straight defeat, 77-62. The host Tigers (1312, 7-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) held the Cardinals to their lowest firsthalf output this season as they led 31-14 at the break and limited the ACC’S leading scorer Jordan Nwora to five points.
Louisville (21-5, 12-3) lost consecutive games for just the second time this season. NO. 6 DAYTON TOPS UMASS FOR 14TH STRAIGHT WIN >> Obi Toppin scored 19 points, Jalen Crutcher addeded 17, and No. 6 Dayton won its 14th straight game with a 71-63 road victory over Massachusetts.
Dayton (23-2, 12-0 in Atlantic 10) hasn’t lost since a 78-76 overtime defeat against Colorado on Dec. 21. NO. 7 DUKE DOWNS NOTRE DAME >> Vernon Carey Jr. scored 21 points, Tre Jones added 19, and No. 7 Duke used a high-intensity manto-man defense to beat Notre Dame 94-60 for its seventh straight win. The win vaulted the Blue Devils (22-3, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) into sole possession of first place. The Irish (15-10, 6-8) were led Juwan Durham’s careerbest 21 points.
NO. 9 MARYLAND BEATS MICHIGAN STATE WITH 14-0 RUN >> Anthony Cowan scored 11 of his 24 points in the final two-plus minutes, helping No. 9 Maryland beat Michigan State 67-60. The Terrapins (214, 11-3 Big Ten) scored the final 14 points of the game after trailing by seven with 3:24 left.
The Spartans (17-9, 9-6) trailed by as much as 15 points in the first half and by eight early in the second half before making a surge to take the lead. PROVIDENCE UPSETS 10THRANKED SETON HALL >> Alpha Diallo scored a careerhigh 35 points, and Providence beat No. 10 Seton Hall 74-71 at home. The first-place Pirates (18-7, 11-2 Big East) got 27 points from Myles Powell.
The Friars (14-12, 7-6) stormed to a 20-2 lead and led by as many as 25 points in the first half.
SMITH, PINSON POWER MISSOURI PAST NO. 11 AUBURN >> Dru Smith and Xavier Pinson matched career-highs with 28 points to help host Missouri (12-13, 4-8 Southeastern Conference) snap No. 11 Auburn’s seven-game winning streak with an 8573 upset. Austin Wiley had a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds for Auburn (223, 9-3).
NO. 13 PENN STATE TOPS NORTHWESTERN >> Lamar Stevens scored 23 points to lead No. 13 Penn State over Northwestern (6-18, 1-13) 7761 at home. The Nittany Lions (20-5, 10-4 Big 10) led for all but 6:29 to win their eighth straight.
ALLEN SCORES 22, GEORGETOWN BEATS NO. 19 BUTLER >> Terrell Allen tied a career high with 22 points, including key baskets on back-to-back possessions late, and short-handed Georgetown endured on the road without its top two scorers to knock off No. 19 Butler 73-66.
The Hoyas (15-10, 5-7 Big East) were missing injured starters Mac Mcclung and Omer Yurtseven. Butler (197, 7-6) struggled without injured point guard Aaron Thompson.
BALANCED SAINT MARY’S BEATS PACIFIC >> Dan Fotu scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting while collecting 10 rebounds, and Saint Mary’s beat Paciic 71-63 in Moraga. Malik Fitts scored 14 points, Jordan Ford 13 and Tommy Kuhse 10 for the Gaels (216, 8-4 West Coast Conference). S
Jahlil Tripp led Pacific (20-9, 8-5) with 17 points. SCOTT LEADS LOYOLA MARYMOUNT PAST SANTA CLARA >> Eli Scott scored 19 points as Loyola Marymount beat host Santa Clara 65-59 at Leavey Center. Josip Vrankic had 17 points for the Broncos (18-9, 5-7 WCC), while Jalen Williams added 14 points in their fourth straight loss at home.
Jordan Bell had 13 points and nine rebounds for Loyola Marymount (9-17, 3-9), which snapped its fivegame losing streak.
AIR FORCE BEATS SAN JOSE STATE >> Ryan Swan and Lavelle Scottie scored 22 points apiece as Air Force (10-16, 4-10 Mountain West). snapped its seven-game losing streak, topping San Jose State 95-86 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Richard Washington scored a career-high 31 points and had nine rebounds for the Spartans (719, 3-11), who have now lost five straight games. Seneca Knight added 13 points. Brae Ivey had 10 points. USC TOPS WASHINGTON STATE >> Daniel Utomi scored a season-high 23 point, and USC (19-7, 8-5 Pac-12) beat Washington State (14-12, 5-8) 70-51.
USC was playing without leading scorer and rebounder Onyeka Okongwu, who has missed the past two games because of a concussion that reportedly occurred last Saturday at Arizona State.