Top-ranked Baylor, No. 4 SDSU see long win streaks end
Elijah Mitrou-long scored 19 points, including two free throws with 11.5 seconds left, and visiting UNLV handed No. 4 San Diego State its first loss of the season, 66-63 on Saturday, to end the Aztecs’ 26-game winning streak.
San Diego State, which had been the nation’s only undefeated team since Jan. 15, erased most of a 14-point deficit when it pulled to 64-63 on Malachi Flynn’s 3-pointer with 14.5 seconds left. Mitrou-long was fouled by Matt Mitchell with 11.5 seconds left and made both free throws.
Flynn missed a contested 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds left and the ball went to the Runnin’ Rebels. After a long pass down the court, Mitchell ended up with the ball and his desperation shot at the buzzer fell short.
“Well we tasted defeat for the first time and it doesn’t taste very good,” Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher said. “Anybody that was saying they thought a loss would be good for the Aztecs, we don’t feel that way at all. We’re vastly disappointed. We wanted a perfect season, but it didn’t happen, and that’s college basketball.”
SDSU (26-1, 15-1 Mountain West) unveiled the regular-season conference banner before the game and then looked nothing like the team that raced to the best start in school history. The Aztecs trailed by 14 midway through the second half and were down 11 with 4:32 to go.
They were uncharacteristically porous on defense and sloppy on offense, missing easy shots and committing careless turnovers.
Amauri Hardy scored 17 points and Bryce Hamilton added 11 points and 10 rebounds for UNLV (15-14, 10-6).
NO. 3 KANSAS 64, NO. 1 BAYLOR 61 >> Udoka Azubuike had 23 points and 19 rebounds and the Jayhawks held on for the road upset, snapping the Bears’ 23-game winning streak and likely ending their five-week hold on the No. 1 spot in the AP poll.
Kansas (24-3, 13-1 Big 12) has won 12 in a row since its firstever home loss to Baylor on Jan. 11. The Jayhawks had a 10-point lead with 6 ½ minutes left but had to hold off Baylor’s late charge.
Isaiah Moss, who had 11 points, made two free throws for Kansas with 7.9 seconds left before a timeout. The Bears (24-2, 13-1) had one more shot, but Jared Butler’s 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key ricocheted off the front of the iron as time expired.
Butler and Macio Teague had hit consecutive 3-pointers in the final half-minute to get Baylor within 62-61.
NO. 5 DAYTON 80, DUQUESNE 70 >> Obi Toppin had 28 points as the host Flyers won their 16th game in a row.
Jalen Crutcher added 17 points and five assists for Dayton (25-2, 14-0 Atlantic 10), which has yet to lose in regulation this season.
Toppin, a redshirt sophomore and potential first-round NBA draft choice, was 11 for 16 from the field, including 3 for 5 from beyond the 3-point arc.
NO. 5 DUKE 77, VIRGINIA TECH 64 >> Cassius Stanley scored 21 point, including five 3-pointers, to help the Blue Devils win at home.
Matthew Hurt added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Duke (23-4, 13-3 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Tyrece Radford had 16 points for Virginia Tech (15-12, 6-10). NO. 8 FLORIDA STATE 67, NORTH CAROLINA STATE 61 >> M.J. Walker scored all 12 of his points after halftime to help the visiting Seminoles take control in the second half.
Florida State (23-4, 13-3) has won six of seven to stay near the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings.
Devon Daniels scored 18 points to lead the Wolfpack (17-10, 8-8), who were trying to follow their lopsided home win against No. 6 Duke on Wednesday with another big one.
NO. 10 KENTUCKY 65, FLORIDA 59 >> Immanuel Quickley scored a career-high 26 points, including 15 of the Wildcats’ 17 during a decisive second-half stretch, as host Kentucky won its sixth in a row.
Tyrese Maxey had 13 points for first-place Kentucky (22-5, 12-2 Southeastern Conference), which took a three-game lead over the Gators (17-10, 9-5).
Keyontae Johnson had 19 points and Kerry Blackshear Jr. scored 18 for Florida.
NO. 11 LOUISVILLE 72, NORTH CAROLINA 55 >> Jordan Nwora had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Cardinals (23-5, 14-3 ACC) in their home victory.
Malik Williams added 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Tar Heels (10-17, 3-13) lost their seventh straight.
NO. 14 OREGON 73, NO. 24 ARIZONA 72 (OT) >> Payton Pritchard scored a career-high 38 points, and Shakur Juiston added all of the Ducks’ (21-7, 10-5 Pac-12) points in overtime in Tucson, Arizona. Juiston scored nine points, including a layup with 1.4 seconds left that was the winner. Arizona (19-8, 9-5) had one more great opportunity but Christian Koloko missed two free throws with one second left that could have tied or won the game.
UCLA 70, NO. 18 COLORADO 63 >> Tyger Campbell had seven of his 15 points during a 20-3 run in the second half, and the visiting Bruins rallied from nine points down to beat the Buffaloes (21-7, 10-5 Pac-12) and tie them atop the Pac12 Conference. UCLA (17-11, 10-5) has won nine of its last 11.