Clemson upsets No. 3 Duke 79-72 to earn rare ACC double
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson gave its weary fans something to celebrate a night after losing the national championship game in football, getting a career-high 25 points from Aamir Simms in a 79-72 upset of No. 3 Duke on Tuesday night.
It was the highest-profile upset for the Tigers since beating No. 1 North Carolina on their home court in February 2001.
The Blue Devils (15-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) came into the game a 10 1/2-point favorite and leading the nation with an average margin of victory of 21.5 points.
The Tigers (9-7, 3-3) completed one of the rarest ACC doubles. They beat North Carolina in Chapel Hill for the first time in program history Saturday, ending a 59-game losing streak on the Tar Heels‘ home court.
Tevin Mack scored 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting for Clemson. Simms was 10 of 15 from the field and had nine rebounds and five assists.
Vernon Carey Jr. scored 20 points for Duke and Tre Jones had 17 points.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Isaiah Moss scored 20 points to help Kansas beat Oklahoma.
Stepping into the starting lineup in place of leading scorer Devon Dotson, who sat out with a hip injury, Moss made 6 of 11 3-pointers. It was Moss’ first start for Kansas. The graduate transfer had started every game he played in the previous two seasons at Iowa.
Udoka Azubuike had 16 points and 14 rebounds and Marcus Garrett added 15 points for the Jayhawks (13-3, 3-1 Big 12), who bounced back from a loss to Baylor last Saturday.
Kristian Doolittle had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma (11-5, 2-2).
NO. 11 LOUISVILLE 73, PITTSBURGH 68, OT
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh forward Terrell Brown thought he had a game-tying tip-in with 21 seconds to play, but he was called for a foul on the play, allowing Louisville to escape with a victory.
Pitt guard Trey McGowens’ driving layup attempt bounced off the rim, and Brown put it back, appearing to tie the game, but he was whistled for an over-the-back foul against Louisville’s Malik Williams.
Williams hit both free throws, securing the final margin of victory.
Louisville star junior Jordan Nwora was limited by Pitt’s defense, leading the Cardinals with 14 points, which tied for his second-smallest output of the season.
McGowens led an unexpected offensive charge from Pitt. He finished 8 of 22 for 24 points.
NO. 12 WEST VIRGINIA 81, TCU 49
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Derek Culver scored 17 points, West Virginia’s bench provided a huge lift on the offensive end and the Mountaineers stomped TCU.
The Mountaineers (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) are unbeaten in eight home games and have held 10 opponents this season to 60 points or less, including five straight.
TCU (12-4, 3-1) remains winless in Morgantown since joining the Big 12 in the 2012-13 season. The Horned Frogs missed a chance to take over sole possession of first place in the league and had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Miles McBride, Oscar Tshiebwe and Jermaine Haley added 11 points apiece for West Virginia.
RJ Nembhard led TCU with 14 points and Desmond Bane added 13.
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Obi Toppin scored 24 points on a tender ankle and led a 22-point run in the second half as Dayton pulled away from VCU, ending a streak of four straight losses to the Rams.
The Flyers (15-2, 4-0 Atlantic 10) got the better of a foul-filled match-up between the league’s top-scoring team and its peskiest defense, remaining unbeaten at home. Toppin had three dunks and a 3-pointer during the second-half run that broke it open.
VCU (12-5, 2-2) had won the last four against Dayton, all by five points or less, but faded after a back-and-forth opening half that included three technical fouls. De’Riante Jenkins and Nah’Shon Hyland led VCU with 16 points apiece.
Jalen Crutcher added 20 points for Dayton, which shot 50% from the field.
NO. 14 VILLANOVA 79, DEPAUL 75
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Collin Gillespie made four straight free throws in overtime and scored 21 points, and Villanova survived a scare to beat DePaul for the 19th straight time.
The Wildcats (13-3, 4-1 Big East) trailed by 13 early and got a fight few expected from one of the perennial worst teams in the conference. DePaul’s Charlie Moore, who finished with 29 points, made one free throw and intentionally missed the second with about a second left in OT, but the Blue Demons failed to score.
DePaul (12-5, 0-4) trailed by 11 points with 2:14 left in regulation. Jalen Coleman-Lands connected on a corner 3 with 31.5 seconds to go that made it 67-65 and silenced the Villanova crowd, and Moore scored the tying basket after Villanova threw away the ball on the inbound play.
Gillespie steadied the Wildcats in OT and they won for the 10th time in 11 games. Saddiq Bey scored 18 points, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had 13 points and 13 rebounds.
WISCONSIN 56, NO. 17 MARYLAND 54
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Brad Davison hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left after getting a steal and Wisconsin beat Maryland to pick up its third straight victory against a ranked opponent.
Davison finished with 14 points. Nate Reuvers scored 17 points and Micah Potter had 14 for the Badgers.
Jalen Smith scored 18 and Anthony Cowan Jr. had 16 for the Terrapins (13-4, 3-3) who have lost two straight. Maryland suffered an 18-point defeat Friday at Iowa.
Trailing 54-51 with 1:31 to go, Reuvers made a jumper to bring the Badgers within one. Davison then stole the ball, called a timeout and then sunk the decisive 3.
NO. 21 OHIO STATE 80, NEBRASKA 68
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — C.J. Walker scored 18 points to help Ohio State beat Nebraska and snap a four-game skid.
The Buckeyes (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) hadn’t won since before Christmas, but they took charge early and rolled over the Cornhuskers, whose transfer-heavy lineup is still learning to play together.
Ohio State played typically good defense and finally knocked down some shots, even without suspended guards Luther Muhammad and Duane Washington Jr. available. That put the pressure on guards D.J. Carton and Walker, both of whom played most of the game. Carton finished with 13 points to go along with five assists.
Kaleb Wesson had 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Thorir Thorbjarnarson paced Nebraska (7-10, 2-4) with 15 points.
NO. 23 TEXAS TECH 77, KANSAS STATE 63
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kyler Edwards scored a career-high 24 points, Davide Moretti had 14 and Texas Tech used a late push to beat Kansas State.
The Red Raiders (11-5, 2-2 Big 12) led by 17 at one point, but the Wildcats rallied and led 46-45 with 13 minutes remaining. Kevin McCuller scored nine of his 10 points in the final 11:30 to help steady Texas Tech. Jahmi’us Ramsey also had 10 points.
Cartier Diarra scored 19 points, Xavier Sneed had 14 and Montavious Murphy added 11 for Kansas State (7-9, 0-4).
