USA TODAY International Edition
Mizzou grabs win, Big 12 lead
Okla. misses late chances
Marcus Denmon scored 25 points, Ricardo Ratliffe added 15 points and 10 rebounds and No. 4 Missouri claimed first place in the Big 12 by edging Oklahoma 71- 68 on Monday.
Oklahoma ( 1310, 3- 8) had the ball with a chance to tie with five seconds remaining. Romero Osby was fouled with 2.5 seconds left and missed both free throws, and Steven Pledger missed a three- pointer at the buzzer when the offensive rebound was tapped back to him.
The visiting Tigers ( 22- 2, 9- 2) moved a half- game ahead of Baylor and Kansas. Those teams meet Wednesday for a chance to pull even with Missouri.
Pledger led Oklahoma with 22 points and Sam Grooms had a careerhigh 17 points and 10 assists.
Pledger slumped to the ground and put his hands over his face after his potential tying shot clanged off the rim to end the game. He stayed on the floor until two Missouri players and teammate Barry Honore came over to lift him up.
No. 19 Marquette 89, Depaul 76: Darius Johnson- Odom scored 23 points and Jamil Wilson added 18 points and nine rebounds as the visiting Golden Eagles ( 20- 5, 9- 3 Big East) overcame a 12- point first- half deficit.
Cleveland Melvin scored 22 points for Depaul ( 11- 12, 2- 9), which has lost 36 consecutive games vs. ranked opponents since beating No. 17 Villanova 84- 76 on Jan. 3, 2008.
No. 23 Louisville 80, Connecticut 59: Gorgui Dieng returned from a sprained right ankle to score 15 points and freshman Chane Behanan added 12 rebounds as homestanding Louisville ( 19- 5, 7- 4) earned its fifth consecutive win.
Freshman Ryan Boatright led the Huskies ( 15- 8, 5- 6) with 18 points. Drummond went scoreless, missing all six shots, and Jeremy Lamb finished with seven points, well short of his average of 17.6.
Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun missed his second game on an indefinite medical leave of absence after he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. Assistant coach George Blaney ran the Huskies because of Calhoun’s back problems. He fell to 3- 2 in the games he’s coached this season.
Alex Oriakhi scored 11 points and Roscoe Smith 10 for the Huskies.
Stony Brook 57, New Hampshire 48: Tommy Brenton scored 14 points and Bryan Dougher added 10 as Stony Brook ( 16- 7, 11- 1) solidified its spot atop the America East Conference. Alvin Abreu finished with 19 points to lead New Hampshire ( 8- 14, 3- 9).
Women’s games
No. 1 Baylor 81, Oklahoma 54: Brittney Griner scored 27 points with eight rebounds and eight blocked shots as Baylor ( 24- 0, 11- 0 Big 12) stretched its home winning streak to 36. Baylor’s 6- 8 junior phenom set a career high in making all 13 of her free throw attempts. Whitney Hand had 20 points to lead Oklahoma ( 15- 7, 7- 4), which had won three in a row.
No. 6 Duke 96, No. 24 North Carolina 56: Tricia Liston scored 16 of her 23 points during the decisive first- half run and Richa Jackson added 17 points for the Blue Devils ( 19- 3, 10- 0 Atlantic Coast) at home.
They shot 54% and led by 41 in claiming their third consecutive win vs. their fiercest rivals — and their most lopsided since a 101- 58 romp in 2000. Chay Shegog had 19 points to lead the Tar Heels ( 17- 6, 7- 3), who saw their five- game winning streak snapped.
No. 10 Maryland 64, No. 22 Georgia Tech 56: Alyssa Thomas scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds and Tianna Hawkins added a career- high 23 points for visiting Maryland ( 20- 3, 7- 3 ACC).
Sasha Goodlett, who finished with 15 points, was the only player to score in double figures for Georgia Tech ( 17- 7, 7- 4).
No. 11 Ohio State 72, Wisconsin 58: Samantha Prahalis scored a careerhigh 34 points, and Ohio State made the most of an eight- day layoff and took its 20th consecutive win vs. the visiting Badgers. The Buckeyes ( 21- 2, 8- 2 Big Ten) had lots of time to mull a 76- 65 loss Jan. 29 at Minnesota. “I kind of wanted to come out aggressive,” Prahalis said.