Playing Through the Tears

Andrew Bryant of Boston College told teammates and reporters there was a reason for his emotional performance Saturday -- his mother, Deborah, had died Thursday.

Later, though, school spokesman Dick Kelley clarified matters. Bryant’s mother had been taken off life support but was still alive, he said.

There was no doubt Bryant had his mother on his mind as he helped the Eagles defeat No. 14-ranked Connecticut, 95-71, at Storrs, Conn.

“Everything I did today was for her,” Bryant said. “I cried a little bit before the game, pulled myself together, then came out and played as hard as I could.”

Bryant, a junior forward from Denison, Texas, scored 14 points on five-for-seven shooting, including three three-point baskets.

He leaped, shouted and pounded his chest after making his third three-pointer in the span of a minute to give Boston College a 29-9 lead in the first half.

Teammates dedicated the game to Bryant’s mother and were heartened by his performance.

Bryant scored in double figures for the third consecutive game for the first time in his college career.

“We just wanted to come out and play well for him,” Boston College guard Troy Bell said.

Boston College Coach Al Skinner said Bryant struggled with being so far from home until his last visit to Texas, when his mother urged him to keep playing.

“It’s a very emotional issue for all of us,” Skinner said.

Collision Course

Kentucky center Marquis Estill said he and his teammates didn’t talk about Florida last week.

“We don’t know much about them, except what we see on TV,” Estill said.

That should change after Kentucky and Florida extended winning streaks to set the stage for their Southeastern Conference showdown Tuesday night at Lexington, Ky.

Freshman Anthony Roberson scored 16 points to help No. 4 Florida tie a school record with its 14th consecutive victory, 77-66 over Arkansas at Gainesville, Fla., and No. 7 Kentucky used a big first half by Estill to win its 10th straight by routing South Carolina, 87-69, at Columbia, S.C.

Estill took advantage of man-to-man defense to score 16 points in the first half, when a 21-4 Kentucky run broke the game open.

“I like it when teams play me one on one,” said Estill, who made seven of 11 shots in the first half. “I don’t think anybody can stop me when I get the ball inside.”

He won’t get any arguments from South Carolina Coach Dave Odom.

“Marquis Estill is the most improved center in the league,” Odom said.

The Wildcats (16-3, 6-0 in the SEC) extended their longest winning streak since the 1998 national champions closed with 13 consecutive victories, a streak that grew to 17 at the start of the 1998-99 season.

Florida, meanwhile, matched the school-record winning streak it set last season while tuning up for Tuesday’s battle for first place in the SEC Eastern Division.

The Gators (18-2, 7-0) thrived with balance. David Lee and Matt Bonner supported Roberson, a reserve, by each scoring 13 points. Roberson and the starters each took at least seven shots, but none attempted more than 11.

Florida Coach Billy Donovan credited his team’s unselfishness.

“Some frontcourts, you throw it in there and it’s a black hole -- it goes in there and doesn’t come back out,” Donovan said. “With this team, it comes back out.”

Florida’s guards were hot. Roberson made four of eight three-point shots, and Brett Nelson, who scored eight points, made two of four from behind the arc.

The Gators had 17 assists and committing only seven turnovers.

It was another example of how a team loaded with underclassmen has won all of its games since a Dec. 3 loss at West Virginia.

“We’re so young,” Donovan said of a roster that includes seven freshmen and two sophomores. “We haven’t reached our potential yet.”

Blowing His Stack

If you thought Cincinnati Coach Bob Huggins would try to keep his emotions under control after suffering a heart attack on Sept. 28, think again.

Showing that he’s holding nothing back, Huggins yelled at his players and the officials during an 82-76 loss to No. 18 Marquette at Cincinnati.

Huggins became so enraged at his team’s shoddy defense that he substituted the entire lineup three minutes into the game. He also tried switching defenses, but nothing worked as the Bearcats lost consecutive games for the first time in two years.

“There’s no reason you don’t play hard,” Huggins said, his face still red after the game. “There’s no excuse for that.”

Reform School

With disciplinary action serving as an overriding theme, No. 25 Missouri avoided a late collapse for a 73-70 victory over Colorado at Columbia, Mo.

Ricky Clemons, who was suspended last month after he was charged with domestic assault, led the Tigers with 23 points, four assists and five steals.

With forward Jeffrey Ferguson serving a two-game suspension for violating unspecified team rules, Missouri had only eight scholarship players for the game.

Colorado didn’t escape the disciplinary bug.

Center David Harrison did not start after drawing two technical fouls and rushing a Texas Tech player in a 66-56 loss Wednesday.

Associated Press contributed to this report.