Illinois Clinches a Share of Title

Dee Brown scored 20 points, including six three-point baskets, to lead No. 1 Illinois to an 84-48 victory over Northwestern on Wednesday night at Champaign, Ill., that clinched a share of the Big Ten Conference title for the Fighting Illini.

Illinois (28-0 overall, 14-0 in the Big Ten) can win the championship outright with a victory in either of its last two games -- Purdue and Ohio State -- or a loss by second-place Michigan State. Illinois never trailed en route to its 24th consecutive Big Ten win and its 20th in a row at Assembly Hall.

The Wildcats are 13-13 and 5-8.

No. 5 Kentucky 81, Auburn 73 -- Kelenna Azubuike had career-highs of 30 points and 11 rebounds as the Wildcats (21-3, 12-1 Southeastern) held off an upset bid by the Tigers (12-14, 3-10) at Lexington, Ky.

No. 6 Wake Forest 88, Longwood 47 -- Taron Downey scored 13 points as the Demon Deacons (23-4) routed the Lancers (1-29) at Winston-Salem, N.C.

No. 7 Duke 60, Georgia Tech 56 -- The Blue Devils (20-4, 10-4 Atlantic Coast) continued their dominance over the Yellow Jackets (15-9, 6-7) at Atlanta, with their 18th victory in the last 19 games in the series.

No. 15 Syracuse 83, St. John’s 69 -- Hakim Warrick scored at a career-high 35 points, and the Orange (23-5, 10-4 Big East) broke a two-game losing streak by defeating the Red Storm (9-15, 3-11) at Syracuse, N.Y.

West Virginia 70, No. 18 Pittsburgh 66 -- Kevin Pittsnogle scored 22 points as the Mountaineers (17-8, 7-7 Big East) surprised the Panthers (18-6, 8-5) at Pittsburgh.

No. 21 Charlotte 80, Memphis 77 -- Eddie Basden scored 24 points as the 49ers (20-4, 11-2 Conference USA) defeated the Tigers (16-11, 9-4) at Charlotte, N.C.

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OTHER GAMES

Jeff Hagen scored 14 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to help Minnesota (16-10, 8-6 Big Ten) to a 65-57 victory over Iowa (16-10, 4-9) at Minneapolis.... Michigan’s Dion Harris scored 24 points, and the Wolverines (13-15, 4-10 Big Ten) ended a 10-game losing streak with a 63-48 win over Penn State (7-19, 1-12) at Ann Arbor, Mich.

Anthony Roberson had 23 points as Florida (17-7, 9-4 Southeastern) defeated Vanderbilt, 69-61, at Gainesville, Fla. The Commodores fell to 16-11 and 6-7.... Lawrence Roberts had 19 points and 12 rebounds to help Mississippi State (19-8, 7-6 Southeastern) to a 76-62 victory over Georgia (8-16, 2-11) at Athens, Ga.