LAWRENCE, Kan. – Markel Brown scored 28 points, Marcus Smart added 25 and Oklahoma State held on to upset No. 2 Kansas 85-80 on Saturday, ending the Jayhawks’ nation-leading 18-game winning streak.

Smart had a pair of key putbacks in the closing minutes, helping the Cowboys (15-5, 5-3 Big 12) go on a 13-2 run that turned a 66-62 deficit into a 73-68 lead with just over a minute left.

The Jayhawks (19-2, 7-1) took advantage of a couple missed free throws, trimming Oklahoma State’s lead to 81-80 on a layup by Elijah Johnson with 18.8 seconds left.

But unflappable freshman Phil Forte, an 89 percent foul shooter, made both of his tries with 7.9 seconds to go, and Johnson turned the ball over before Kansas could try a tying 3-pointer.

Forte converted the turnover into a buzzer-beating layup, punctuating the Cowboys’ first road win over a top 5 team since beating then-No. 2 Kansas 52-50 in overtime on Jan. 2, 1958. 

(5) DUKE 79, FLORIDA ST. 60: The Blue Devils (19-2, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) simply shot the Seminoles (12-9, 4-4) out of the Tallahassee gym and likely out of any NCAA postseason hopes. Duke’s backcourt of Seth Curry (21 points) and Quinn Cook (18) led the onslaught. 

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PITTSBURGH 65, (6) SYRACUSE 55: The deep and quickly improving Panthers pulled away from the undermanned Orange, sending Syracuse to its first losing streak in nearly two years.

The Orange (18-3, 6-2 Big East) had just seven scholarship players in uniform and after about 30 minutes, it became too much to bear as the Panthers (18-5, 6-4) slowly pulled away. 

(9) BUTLER 75, RHODE ISLAND 68: Rotnei Clarke scored 23 points and Roosevelt Jones added 18 to lead Butler.

The Bulldogs (18-4, 5-2 Atlantic 10) trailed 32-30 at the break, then went on a 15-3 run. Nikola Malesevic led Rhode Island (6-14, 1-6) with 18 points in the Rams’ fourth straight loss. 

CALIFORNIA 58, (10) OREGON 54: Justin Cobbs made an 18-foot jumper with 1:35 remaining then added a pair of free throws and host California handed the Ducks their second straight loss to an unranked team this week.

Allen Crabbe and Richard Solomon scored 13 points apiece, and Tyrone Wallace added 12 while helping the Golden Bears (13-8, 5-4 Pac-12) win back-to-back games for the first time since December. The Ducks (18-4, 7-2) were held scoreless over the final four minutes. 

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(14) MIAMI 79, (19) N.C. STATE 78: Reggie Johnson tipped in a missed shot with 0.8 seconds left for the winning points and kept the Hurricanes (17-3, 8-0 ACC) unbeaten in the league. Johnson finished with 15 points in his best performance since returning from a broken thumb four games ago.

C.J. Leslie had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Wolfpack (16-6, 5-4), who played without starting point guard Lorenzo Brown due to an ankle injury. 

NORTHERN IOWA 57, (15) WICHITA STATE 52: Anthony James scored 16 points and host Northern Iowa sent the Shockers into their first losing streak of the season.

Seth Tuttle had eight points, eight rebounds and four blocks for the Panthers (12-11, 5-6 Missouri Valley Conference) who became just the fourth Valley team in the last 23 games to beat Wichita State at home.

The Shockers (19-4, 8-3) pulled within 52-50 on Carl Hall’s steal and bucket with 1:18 left. But Northern Iowa’s Seth Tuttle blocked a Nick Wiggins try that would have tied it and then sealed the win with a breakaway dunk. 

(17) MISSOURI 91, AUBURN 77: Rob Chubb was quick to list the reasons for Auburn’s loss.

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“We had no defense on the perimeter,” Chubb said. “They were just straight-line driving whenever they wanted and finishing around the rim. When they were around the rim, people were coming in too late, giving weak fouls and allowing them to complete and-ones. It was a recipe for disaster.”

Keion Bell scored 24 points and Earnest Ross added 23, both season highs, for Missouri (16-5, 5-3). Auburn fell to 8-13 and 2-6 in the SEC. 

(21) CREIGHTON 75, BRADLEY 58: Host Creighton scored its first four baskets of the second half in the paint to turn a 30-27 deficit into a 35-30 lead.

The Bluejays (20-3, 9-2 Missouri Valley Conference), who have won 15 straight over Bradley at home, hit the 20-win mark for the 14th time in 15 seasons. Bradley (13-10, 5-6) lost its eighth in a row against a ranked opponent. 

AIR FORCE 70, (22) SAN DIEGO STATE 67: Michael Lyons scored 20 points as the Falcons (14-6, 5-2 Mountain West Conference) won their fifth straight at Clune Arena, while the Aztecs (16-5, 4-3) lost for only the second time in their last 10 games against Air Force. 

(24) CINCINNATI 65, SETON HALL 59: Sean Kilpatrick scored 21 points, Cashmere Wright added 17 and Cincinnati held off Seton Hall after blowing nearly all of a 20-point lead.

Cincinnati (18-4, 6-3 Big East) was up 48-28 just 5 minutes into the second half but twice allowed the Pirates (13-9, 2-7) to get within four.

Fuquan Edwin and Brandon Mobley both had 16 points for Seton Hall.

 


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