Morning Dribble: K-State Among Three Bubble Teams Notching Huge Wins

No. 7 North Carolina enjoyed playing the spoiler on Tuesday night, beating rival North Carolina State, 86-74, on the same night that the Wolfpack honored their 1989 team, their last to win the ACC regular-season title.

Point guard Kendall Marshall, who entered the game averaging just 6.6 points per game, scored a career-high 22 to go with 13 assists. It was the first time all year that he’s scored more than 14 points, and only the fourth time that he’s cracked double-digits. And although it was his scoring that caught everyone off guard, he also reached a lofty milestone distributing the ball. From Carolina March:

The Lobos knew they were in for a fight from the outset, as they entered halftime trailing by a score of 30-29. The home team kept up the pressure and opened up a definitive lead late in the second half before clamping down for the win.

With the loss, New Mexico is now 8-3 in the MWC, with an overall record of 22-5. They remain in first place in the conference, 1.5 games ahead of the UNLV Rebels. The Colorado St. Rams improve to 6-5 in the conference, with an overall record of 17-9.

The Wolverines spent the rest of the period bleeding the clock and shooting free throws, eventually winning, 67-55, with a margin of victory that belies just how competitive this game was for most of the night.

It was a fitting ending for Michigan, who relied on the long ball all night long -- including long-distance buckets from Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. in the final minutes of regulation to send the game to overtime. As a team, the Wolverines shot 14-for-38 from beyond the arc, with long balls accounting for the majority of their 56 field-goal attempts on the night.

Kentucky took their first lead with 4:10 remaining in the game, when Kidd-Gilchrist made a layup while being fouled to create an opportunity for a three-point play. He missed the free throw, but his field goal gave Kentucky a 63-62 lead that they would never relinquish.

For more on the two teams, check out Kentucky Wildcats blog A Sea Of Blue and Mississippi State Bulldogs blog For Whom The Cowbell Tolls.

Virginia might have expected Virginia Tech, who entered the game with a 4-8 ACC record, to be a bit more of a pushover, but the Hokies took the game right down to the wire. Virginia Tech actually entered halftime holding a 35-32 lead, but the Cavs bounced back in the second half and went ahead. Still, the Hokies managed to stay within two points right into the final seconds. Virginia was able to hold on for the win to improve to 21-6 overall, with an 8-5 ACC record.

For all news and information regarding the Virginia Cavaliers, please visit Streaking the Lawn. For updates and perspective on the Virginia Tech Hokies, head on over to Gobbler Country. For complete coverage of the NCAA basketball season, stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated college hoops hub.

For more on the two teams, head over to Auburn Tigers blog Track Em Tigers and Florida Gators blog Alligator Army.

For more on the two teams, check out Ohio State Buckeyes blog Along The Olentangy and Illinois Illini blog Hail to the Orange.

The away win is a huge one for Frank Martin’s team, which now sits at 8-7 in the Big 12. They were in need of a big signature victory, and this win will certainly count. Those who care about style points will be impressed as well; Kansas State took the lead eight minutes into the game and never relinquished it.

For more on the two teams, check out Missouri Tigers blog Rock M Nation and Kansas State Wildcats blog Bring On The Cats.

For more on the two teams, check out Georgetown Hoyas blog Casual Hoya and Seton Hall Pirates blog South Orange Juice.