NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
Kentucky (25-1, 11-0) disrupted Vanderbilt with aggressive defense in the first half, and the Wildcats held off a furious charge in a sold-out and electric Memorial Gym by scoring the final eight points of the game. The young and talented Wildcats wound up holding off the experienced Vanderbilt squad that had been predicted to be their best challenge this season.
Lamb finished with 16 points, Anthony Davis added 15 points and seven blocks, Terrence Jones scored 14 and Marquis Teague had 13.
Vanderbilt (17-8, 6-4) led 63-61 with 4:08 to go on a bucket by Brad Tinsley. The Commodores didn't score again and snapped a four-game home winning streak over No. 1 teams. They missed a chance to pull into a tie with Florida for second in the SEC.
John Jenkins led Vanderbilt with 15 points, and Jeffery Taylor, Tinsley and Festus Ezeli added 13 each.
NO. 2 SYRACUSE 85, CONNECTICUT 67
Scoop Jardine sparked a game-deciding rally with 3-pointers on consecutive possessions in the closing minutes to lead Syracuse over Connecticut.
Jardine had a season-high 21 points as Syracuse (25-1, 12-1 Big East) earned its fifth consecutive win since suffering its only loss of the season at Notre Dame.
Connecticut trailed the entire second half but closed to 63-61 on a free throw by Tyler Olander with 6:26 to go. Jardine then hit 3-pointers from the right side as the Orange closed the game with a 19-3 surge.
Jeremy Lamb scored 18 points for Connecticut (15-9, 5-7), which has lost six of seven.
Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun missed his third straight game since taking an indefinite medical leave due to spinal stenosis, a painful condition in his lower back. Associate head coach George Blaney once again ran the team in his absence.
NO. 11 MICHIGAN ST. 58, NO. 3 OHIO ST. 48
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Adreian Payne scored 15 points, Draymond Green had 12 and Michigan State snapped Ohio State's 39-game home winning streak.
The Spartans (20-5, 9-3) pulled into a tie with the Buckeyes (21-4, 9-3) for first place in the Big Ten.
Keith Appling had 14 points for Michigan State, which rode its smothering pressure to a 10-point halftime lead and never relented down the stretch. Payne finished 6 for 6 from the field and 3 for 4 on free throws.
Jared Sullinger had 17 points and 16 rebounds for Ohio State, but was 5 for 15 from the field. Aaron Craft added 15 points, but Deshaun Thomas and William Buford, averaging a combined 30 points, totaled just 12.
Ohio State shot just 26 percent from the field (14 for 53).
NO. 4 MISSOURI 72, NO. 6 BAYLOR 57
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Phil Pressey scored 19 points, making four of Missouri's season-best 14 3-pointers.
Sixth man Michael Dixon also had four 3-pointers and Marcus Denmon added three for Missouri (23-2, 10-2 Big 12), which shot 50 percent from long range.
Missouri is 14-0 at home and got an easier test a week after needing an 11-0 run to beat Kansas by three. Both games were sellouts although the matchup against Baylor (21-4, 8-4), carrying a higher ranking, failed to match that atmosphere.
Quincy Miller had 20 points and Perry Jones III had just four on 2-for-12 shooting for Baylor, which flopped for the second straight game after a 14-point home loss against No. 8 Kansas on Wednesday night. The Bears shot just 36 percent, negating a whopping 40-27 rebounding advantage.
NO. 5 NORTH CAROLINA 70, NO. 19 VIRGINIA
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Tyler Zeller had 25 points and nine rebounds to power North Carolina to the victory.
Harrison Barnes added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Tar Heels (21-4, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who regrouped from Wednesday night's stunning loss to rival Duke on a last-second 3-pointer. North Carolina blew the game open with a 22-5 run that started early in the second half, with Zeller scoring seven points during the spurt that pushed the Tar Heels to a 15-point lead with about 6 1/2 minutes left.
The Cavaliers (19-5, 6-4) got no closer than 11 points again, with the Tar Heels avoiding any kind of repeat of blowing a double-digit lead in the final 2 1/2 minutes against the Blue Devils.
Mike Scott scored 18 points for the Cavaliers, who shot 36 percent. Jontel Evans added 12.
NO. 7 KANSAS 81, OKLAHOMA ST. 66
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Jeff Withey and Thomas Robinson each logged impressive double-doubles for Kansas, which wasted a big chunk of a 29-point second-half cushion before pulling away for the victory.
Withey finished with 18 points and a career-best 20 rebounds, while Robinson burnished his player of the year credentials with 24 points and 14 boards for his 18th double-double of the season.
Tyshawn Taylor added 12 points, Elijah Johnson had 11 and Travis Releford 10 for the Jayhawks (20-5, 10-2 Big 12), whose 55-26 lead was trimmed to a dozen with 6:43 to go.
Withey and Robinson answered the call, each knocking down a pair of free throws.
Markel Brown had 21 points and Keiton Page added 19 for the Cowboys (12-13, 5-7).
TENNESSEE 75, NO. 8 FLORIDA 70
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Trae Golden scored 17 points, Jeronne Maymon added 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Tennessee ended Florida's home-winning streak at 19.
Coming off a 20-point loss at top-ranked Kentucky and wearing gray uniforms to commemorate the program's back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007, Florida trailed by double digits early and never mustered anything resembling a comeback.
It didn't help that the Gators (19-6, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) played most of the game without their top two reserves, guard Mike Rosario and forward Will Yeguete.
Rosario missed the game because of a hip pointer, and Yeguete suffered a head injury early in the first half when he slammed into the padding at the base of the basket.
Skylar McBee had 13 points for Tennessee (13-12, 5-5), which swept the season series for the first time since 2009.
NO. 9 MURRAY ST. 82, AUSTIN PEAY 62
MURRAY, Ky. (AP) - Isaiah Canaan had 23 points and six assists, and Murray State bounced back from its first loss of the season to beat Austin Peay.
Ivan Aska and Jewuan Long added 12 points each for the Racers (24-1, 12-1 Ohio Valley Conference). On Thursday night, Murray State became the last team in Division I to lose this season when it fell to Tennessee State.
Alton Williams scored 15 points for the Governors (9-18, 6-7), who lost to Murray State 87-75 on Jan. 7.
Murray State posted its most lopsided win over Austin Peay since 1999.
NO. 10 DUKE 73, MARYLAND 55
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Miles Plumlee had 13 points and a career-high 22 rebounds, helping Duke pull away for the win.
Seth Curry scored 19 points and Mason Plumlee added 16 points and 10 rebounds while big brother Miles became the first Duke player with 20 rebounds since Elton Brand in 1998.
The Blue Devils (21-4, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) followed up their last-second victory over rival North Carolina with their fifth straight victory in the series. They built a 48-33 rebounding advantage but struggled to separate themselves on the scoreboard until they closed the game with a 13-2 run.
Nick Faust scored 15 points but Terrell Stoglin, the ACC's leading scorer, finished with 13 - nine below his average - on 4-of-16 shooting for the Terps (14-10, 4-6).
NO. 14 UNLV 65, NO. 13 SAN DIEGO ST. 63
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Mike Moser scored 19 points and made a key steal late that helped UNLV to the close victory.
The Runnin' Rebels (22-4, 6-2 Mountain West) forced three turnovers in the final 42 seconds to win.
Moser's steal and pass set up Anthony Marshall for the go-ahead layup. The Aztecs' Chase Tapley had made a 3-pointer to put San Diego State up by one with less than two minutes to play.
San Diego State (20-4, 6-2) didn't score again, despite several chances to tie or take the lead. Tapley finished with 22 points.
NO. 15 FLORIDA ST. 64, MIAMI 59
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Bernard James scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half and Florida State snapped Miami's five-game winning streak.
Michael Snaer had 12 points and Ian Miller finished with 11 for Florida State (17-7, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), which bounced back from a disappointing 64-60 loss at Boston College on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-10 James went 7 for 8 from the field in the second half and matched his career scoring high. The 27-year-old Air Force veteran also had six rebounds, blocked four shots and added two steals while clamping down on Reggie Johnson, who managed only four points a week after scoring 27 points to lead the Hurricanes to a 78-74 overtime win at Duke.
Kenny Kadji led Miami (15-8, 6-4) with 14 points and Durand Scott added 12.
NO. 16 SAINT MARY'S 82, SANTA CLARA 67
MORAGA, Calif. (AP) - Rob Jones had 25 points and 12 rebounds, Matthew Dellavedova added 16 points and 10 assists, and Saint Mary's beat cross-bay rival Santa Clara.
Stephen Holt scored 11 points to help Saint Mary's (23-3, 12-1 West Coast Conference) overcome a slow start and pull away in the second half. The Gaels improved to 16-0 at home with only two games left at McKeon Pavilion this season.
Denzel Johnson scored 17 points and Niyi Harrison added 12 points for the Broncos (8-17, 0-12), swept for the third straight year in the series and still winless in conference play this season.
WICHITA ST. 89, NO. 17 CREIGHTON 68
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Joe Ragland scored 24 points, Ben Smith matched his career high with 22 and Wichita State moved a step closer to the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship.
Wichita State (22-4, 13-2) has won 12 of its last 13 games and 20 of 22. The Bluejays (21-5, 11-4) have lost three straight.
The Shockers won with limited help from 7-footer Garrett Stutz, who played only 13 minutes because of foul trouble and finished with eight points. They shot 59 percent from the floor, made eight 3-pointers and hit all 17 of their free throws. Ragland and Smith combined to go 17 for 24 from the floor.
Smith helped neutralize Creighton's Doug McDermott, who had 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Gregory Echenique led the Bluejays with 16 points.
NO. 18 MARQUETTE 95, CINCINNATI 78
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder scored 23 points each, leading Marquette to the home win.
Jamil Wilson added 15 points for the Golden Eagles (21-5, 10-3 Big East), who have won nine of their last 10 games.
JaQuon Parker and Dion Dixon scored 15 points each for the Bearcats (17-8, 7-5), who had won two straight coming into Saturday's game.
Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati's leading scorer, was held to a season-low seven points and spent the late stages of the game on the bench.
It was the most points the defense-minded Bearcats have given up all season. Cincinnati allowed 78 points in a win over Villanova on Jan. 14.
Marquette forced Cincinnati into 14 turnovers.
GEORGIA 70, NO. 20 MISSISSIPPI ST. 68, OT
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Georgia's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20 points, including a crucial 3-pointer late in overtime.
Georgia (12-12, 3-7) earned its first Southeastern Conference road win this season and only its second road victory overall. Gerald Robinson Jr. added 13 points, including eight in overtime. Dustin Ware had 11.
Mississippi State (19-6, 6-4) was led by Dee Bost's 21 points. The senior guard missed a jumper at the buzzer that would have tied it.
Georgia trailed for much of the game, but Robinson hit a driving layup with 27 seconds remaining that sent the game to overtime. Georgia won at Humphrey Coliseum for the first time since 2002.
NO. 24 LOUISVILLE 77, WEST VIRGINIA 74
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Kyle Kuric scored 17 points to lead five Louisville players in double figures.
Louisville (20-5, 8-4 Big East) scored 13 of the game's final 16 points to extend its winning streak to six games.
Russ Smith had 16 points for the Cardinals. Chris Smith and freshman Wayne Blackshear added 13 apiece and Peyton Siva scored 10.
Blackshear, a McDonald's All-American, saw in his first action of the season. He injured his right shoulder in October and wore a protective sleeve in the game on his 20th birthday.
Kevin Jones had 22 points and 11 rebounds for West Virginia (16-10, 6-7). Deniz Kilicli added 17 points and Darryl "Truck" Bryant scored 13.
PRINCETON 70, NO. 25 HARVARD 62
PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) - Ian Hummer had 20 points and Princeton handed Harvard its first Ivy League loss of the season.
T.J. Bray added 12 points for the Tigers (13-10, 4-3), who defeated the Crimson at home for the 23rd straight time. Princeton has not lost to Harvard at Jadwin Gym since 1989.
Keith Wright had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Harvard (21-3, 7-1), which had won nine straight and was attempting to go 8-0 in the Ivy League for the first time. Brandyn Curry had 15 points and Kyle Casey added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Bray's jumper gave Princeton a 48-46 lead with 5:13 remaining and Harvard trailed the rest of the way. The Tigers went 14 of 17 from the free throw line in the final five minutes.
Hummer also had nine rebounds and six assists.