Ohio State All Business in Victory

There was no postgame party after beating Illinois this time. Ohio State still has other big games to play.

Jamar Butler scored 22 points, Terence Dials had 19 and 16 rebounds, and Je’Kel Foster had 18 points to lead the 19th-ranked Buckeyes to a 69-53 victory over No. 10 Illinois on Sunday at Columbus, Ohio.

A year after ruining top-ranked Illinois’ 29-0 season on Matt Sylvester’s three-point basket with 5.1 seconds left, the Buckeyes relied on their outside shooting and Dials’ muscle inside to win their fourth straight game and remain in a virtual tie for first place in the Big Ten with Iowa.

“There was jubilation in the locker room last year,” Coach Thad Matta said. “This year we still have six games to play -- and a lot of work to do.”

The Buckeyes, 18-3 overall and 7-3 in the Big Ten, made 13 of 23 three-point attempts three days after going 15 for 24 in a victory at No. 22 Michigan. It was the first time in five years Ohio State had beaten two ranked opponents in the same week.

Butler was five for six on three-pointers, and Foster was six for eight.

“Heck, we’ve got guys who don’t shoot free throws that well,” Illinois Coach Bruce Weber said.

Dee Brown scored 12 points to lead Illinois (20-4, 6-4) but made only five of 13 shots against Ohio State’s suffocating pressure. James Augustine had 11 points -- all in the first half -- and 13 rebounds.

No. 9 West Virginia 69, No. 15 Georgetown 56 -- Kevin Pittsnogle followed a scoreless game with 25 points in the Mountaineers’ victory at Washington.

Pittsnogle made 10 of 15 shots and scored six of the first eight points in a 15-5 game-ending run as West Virginia (18-5, 9-1 Big East) ended Georgetown’s seven-game winning streak.

He was shut out in a 57-53 loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Brandon Bowman scored 13 for the Hoyas (17-5, 8-3).

No. 14 Pittsburgh 89, Cincinnati 69 -- Carl Krauser had 18 points, and reserve Keith Benjamin scored a career-high 16 as the Panthers (19-3, 8-3) beat the visiting Bearcats (16-9, 5-6) in the first Big East meeting between the schools.

Cincinnati got a game-high 21 points from Jihad Muhammad but never led as Pittsburgh won its 15th in a row at home.

Georgia Tech 71, No. 16 North Carolina State 68 -- Reserve Zam Fredrick scored a career-high 22 points at Atlanta to help the Yellow Jackets (10-12, 3-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) end an eight-game losing streak. Ilian Evtimov scored 17 for the Wolfpack (19-5, 8-3).

No. 23 North Carolina 80, Miami 70 -- Tyler Hansbrough scored 25 points, and the Tar Heels (15-6, 6-4 ACC) used a late 13-2 run to beat the Hurricanes (14-10, 6-5) at Coral Gables, Fla.

Guillermo Diaz had 21 points for Miami.

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Missouri completed its settlement with Quin Snyder, 39, who resigned as coach on Friday. Terms will be announced this week, Athletic Director Mike Alden said.