Texas Keeps Pace With a Victory

Brandon Mouton keeps scoring at a torrid pace, and the Texas Longhorns are staying right on Oklahoma State’s heels in the Big 12.

Mouton scored 23 points Monday night at Austin, Texas, to lead the 10th-ranked Longhorns to an 82-67 win over No. 20 Kansas, keeping Texas within half a game of the league-leading, sixth-ranked Cowboys.

Mouton, who went scoreless in a win over Baylor on Feb. 10, has scored at least 20 points in the last four games for the Longhorns, 20-4 overall and 11-2 in the Big 12.

“Our intensity as a team has stepped up,” Mouton said. “I’m feeding off of them, and they’re feeding off me.”

P.J. Tucker had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Longhorns, who secured their school-record fifth consecutive 20-win season.

Texas’ seniors had never beaten Kansas, and the win kept the Longhorns within sight of their second Big 12 regular-season title. Texas has three games left on the schedule, including a matchup next Monday with Oklahoma State in Stillwater. The Cowboys beat Texas in Austin in January.

Keith Langford led Kansas (17-7, 9-4) with 17 points. The Jayhawks have lost four straight road games and are 6-5 in their last 11 games under first-year coach Bill Self.

Utah 73, New Mexico 43 -- Nick Jacobson, Utah’s all-time leader in three-point shooting, tied his career-high with 28 points, including six from beyond the arc at Salt Lake City.

In his final regular-season home game, Jacobson made three-point baskets on three consecutive possessions in the second half to run his Utah record to 262. The fifth-year senior tied his high mark of six three-pointers in a game for the Utes (20-7, 8-4 Mountain West), who reached 20 wins for the 12th time in the last 15 seasons.

Danny Granger led the Lobos (13-11, 4-7) with 12 points. They dropped their 25th road game in a row.

Rice 63, Fresno State 60 -- Michael Harris scored 17 points, including 11 in the second half, and Rice held off a late rally at Houston.

Harris also had 10 rebounds for Rice (19-7, 10-4 Western Athletic). Fresno State is 12-13, 8-7.

Syracuse 64, Villanova 59 -- Hakim Warrick and Gerry McNamara teamed for 36 points, 21 of them on free throws, to lead the Orangemen at Syracuse, N.Y.

It was the third win in four games for the Orangemen (18-6, 8-5 Big East) and the fourth loss in five games for Villanova (14-12, 6-7).

Texas El Paso 71, Hawaii 62 -- John Tofi scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds at El Paso for the Miners, who remained atop the Western Athletic Conference standings.

Texas El Paso (20-5, 11-4) won its ninth game in the last 10. Michael Kuebler scored 22 points for Hawaii (17-8, 9-5).

WOMEN’S TOP 25

No. 11 North Carolina shook off a sluggish offensive performance and gave Sylvia Hatchell her 650th coaching win, beating Georgia Tech, 58-46, at Atlanta.

Hatchell is sixth on the all-time list.

Camille Little and Ivory Latta scored 13 points each for the Tar Heels (20-5, 10-4 ACC). Georgia Tech is 13-13, 4-10.