Connecticut Keeps Its Cool in Upset

Usually almost untouchable at home, Notre Dame lost its poise. Connecticut had plenty to do with that.

Connecticut played a controlled game and hung on to defeat No. 9 Notre Dame, 87-79, Monday night at South Bend, Ind., after nearly blowing a 17-point second-half lead.

“Usually we have a lot of unforced turnovers and that causes us to give the other team extra possessions and chances,” said Ben Gordon, who led the Huskies with 25 points and eight assists. “Tonight we cut that down and every time we touched the ball we did something good with it.”

The loss ended Notre Dame’s home winning streak at 16 games, its longest in 19 seasons. The Irish had been 15-0 at home this season. The victory was the second straight for the Huskies since Coach Jim Calhoun returned after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer on Feb. 3.

Connecticut improved to 18-6 overall and 9-4 in the Big East. Notre Dame is 21-6 and 9-4.

“We just kept our poise, kept collected and pulled off the win,” said Emeka Okafor, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Connecticut, now two wins ahead of second-place Villanova in the East Division.

Notre Dame fell a half-game behind Syracuse and Pittsburgh in the West Division.

Texas Tech 62, No. 16 Oklahoma State 57 -- Andre Emmett scored 30 points and the Red Raiders (16-8, 6-7) rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to upset the Cowboys (20-6, 9-4) in a Big 12 game at Stillwater, Okla.

Texas Tech had lost two of three and played poorly in scoring only 18 first-half points. But Emmett and Kasib Powell, who scored 17, got going in the second half to help keep Tech’s NCAA tournament chances alive.

No. 22 Utah 71, Brigham Young 64 -- Nick Jacobson scored 23 points for the Utes (21-4, 9-1 in the Mountain West Conference). Travis Hansen had 13 points for Brigham Young (18-7, 7-3).

WOMEN

No. 2 Duke 97, Maryland 55 -- Lindsey Harding scored a career-high 19 points and Alana Beard scored 18 to lead the Blue Devils (26-1, 14-0) over the Terrapins (10-16, 4-11) at College Park, Md., to clinch Duke’s third consecutive ACC regular-season title.

No. 8 North Carolina 80, Coastal Carolina 48 -- La’Tangela Atkinson and Candace Sutton each scored 13 points and freshman Jessica Sell made four three-pointers in her first career start to lead the Tar Heels (24-3) over the Chanticleers (10-14) at Chapel Hill, N.C.