COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Kentucky a Little Less Sloppy Than Syracuse

It’s not that No. 6 Kentucky or No. 10 Syracuse didn’t want to win, they just didn’t play like it on Sunday.

Kentucky prevailed, 77-71, at Lexington, Ky., but not until after the teams committed a total of 58 turnovers, 33 by Syracuse (16-3) and 25 by Kentucky (15-3), both season highs.

“Normally we don’t like to play this kind of horror show at night, because you go home and have nightmares,” Kentucky Coach Rick Pitino said. “At least this was a day game. Both teams couldn’t have played any worse.”

Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim put it more simply.

“They didn’t let us do what we wanted to do, and we didn’t let them do what they wanted to do,” he said.

The victory was the first for Pitino in seven games against Boeheim and marked the Wildcats’ first triumph this season over a top-10 team.

Jeff Sheppard gave Kentucky the lead for good, 64-62, when he made two free throws with 5:14 to go. Syracuse then turned it over once and missed four shots on its next five possessions.

Anthony Delk, recovering from a sprained left shoulder, made a three-point shot from the left wing as Kentucky held a 67-62 advantage with 3:20 to go. Syracuse got no closer than the final score.

Delk finished with 16 points. Walter McCarty added 15 and Andre Riddick 11 for Kentucky, which made 39% (25 for 64) of its shots.

Syracuse was led by Lawrence Moten’s 23 points. The Orangemen shot 42% (25 for 60) from the field.

Marquette 59, No. 23 Cincinnati 52--The Golden Eagles avenged their worst loss of the season and gave the Bearcats their longest losing streak at home in five years.

Marquette, 11-7 and 3-3 in the Great Midwest Conference, led the entire game by taking advantage of Cincinnati’s poor shooting and sloppy play. The Bearcats (15-8, 5-3) have lost three in a row for the first time since 1990.

Four Marquette players scored in double figures, led by Ron Eford with 15.

Cincinnati had its worst half in two years and fell behind, 26-17, at the intermission. Marquette led by 10 points with 6:40 to go.

Nebraska 71, No. 24 Oklahoma 59--Led by the play of alternating centers Mikki Moore and Chris Sallee, the Cornhusker defense held the Sooners to a season-low point total in a Big Eight game at Lincoln, Neb.

Oklahoma (16-5, 3-4) shot only 36%. Moore had 12 points and Sallee 11 for Nebraska (15-6, 2-4), which forced 25 turnovers.

Memphis 53, Temple 51--Sophomore point guard Chris Garner made a 16-foot jump shot at the buzzer at Philadelphia. Memphis is 17-5 and Temple fell to 9-7.