Villanova needed overtime to dispatch Marquette, with a pair of free throws from James Bell icing the game, 94-85. Bell scored 30 overall, including four three-pointers.
College basketball scores: No. 4 Villanova holds off Marquette in OT, 94-85
In a wild game with a twinge of controversy, the Wildcats held on behind 30 points from James Bell.
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Down three with five seconds to go, Todd Mayo hit all three free-throw attempts, sending Marquette's student section into a furor:
The free throws made it 10 points for Mayo in the final 35 seconds of regulation. On the following possession, there was controversy as Nova’s Tony Chennault was called for a charge when it appeared Marquette’s defender had a foot in the restricted area:
No matter, Villanova pulled away in the extra period to improve to 6-1 in Big East play this season. Next up for the Wildcats is a road game against Georgetown on Monday night.
With the game tied at 49 heading into the final minutes, the Orange finished on a 15-3 run to secure the win on the road. This was the second time the Hurricanes have played Syracuse tough, with the first coming in a 49-44 loss on Jan. 4. On Saturday, Jerami Grant scored 16 to move the Orange to 6-0 in ACC play and 19-0 overall. Here are two of Grant's 16:
No. 10 Iowa 76, Northwestern 50
The Hawkeyes continued their run of success, blowing out Northwestern in Evanston. Iowa shot over 50 percent on the day, with Roy Devyn Marble and Gabriel Olaseni each scoring 14 points. After handling the Wildcats, Fran McCaffery's team is now 5-2 in the Big Ten. Iowa will face conference-leading Michigan State on Jan. 28. With the Spartans missing Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson, the Hawkeyes could record a signature win this week.
Le'Bryan Nash carried the Cowboys, scoring a career-high 29 points in Stillwater. All-American Marcus Smart had an off-day, but Nash's career performance and a double-double from Markel Brown more than made up for it. Brown finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Oklahoma State improved to 4-2 in conference play and 16-3 overall. Amazingly, in a close game with a defender present, Brown did this:
No. 14 Kentucky 79, Georgia 54
Four Wildcats scored in double digits as Kentucky rolled against Georgia on Saturday. Willie Cauley-Stein was a marvel on the defensive end for the Wildcats, blocking six shots and recording six steals, and Aaron Harrison led the team in scoring by netting 15 points in the win. John Calipari’s team improved to 5-1 in SEC play, trailing only undefeated Florida.
No. 16 Iowa State 81, No. 22 Kansas State 75
Iowa State avoided its fourth straight loss by defeating Kansas State in Ames. Melvin Ejim and Georges Niang combined for 38 points and four blocks, doing work on both ends of the floor. With the win, Iowa State improved to 3-3 in Big 12 play; the streaky Cyclones began conference play 2-0 but then proceeded to lose three straight. Their next game will be their toughest of the season, a road contest against No. 8 Kansas. Fred Hoiberg's team lost to the Jayhawks in their first meeting, a Jan. 13 game in Ames.
No. 18 Duke 78, Florida State 56
Duke appears to be back on track after a slow start to conference play. The Blue Devils whooped Florida State after taking an 18-point lead at the half to give coach Mike Krzyzewski his 900th victory with the team. Jabari Parker was ridiculous on the glass, grabbing 10 of his 14 rebounds on the offensive end. He also scored 14 points, trailing only Rodney Hood's 18 in the game. The superb freshman added to his highlight reel:
Texas 74, No. 24 Baylor 60
Texas buried Baylor, handing the Bears their fifth loss in Big 12 play. Baylor is done, as far as national rankings and a regular-season conference title are concerned. For Texas, Isaiah Taylor had 27 points on 10-for-18 shooting on the day and center Cameron Ridley grabbed 14 rebounds. The Longhorns improved to 5-2 in the Big 12, and should be in the AP Top 25 by Monday.
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