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College basketball: Baylor upsets No. 7 Texas Tech

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Terry Maston scored 24 points and Baylor beat No. 7 Texas Tech 59-57 on Saturday night, ending the Red Raiders’ seven-game winning streak after the Big 12 leaders lost top scorer Keenan Evans to a foot injury in the first half.

Maston, who finished two points shy of his career high set in the previous game against Texas, hit the go-ahead shot with 1:26 remaining as the Bears (17-10, 7-7 Big 12) continued their push for the NCAA Tournament with a fifth straight win following a 2-7 start in the rugged conference.

Baylor moved into sole possession of fifth place, and Texas Tech (22-5, 10-4) dropped into a tie for first with No. 13 Kansas with four regular-season games remaining.

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Freshman Zhaire Smith led the Red Raiders with 15 points, but had just two points and attempted just two shots after halftime. Justin Gray had 13 points and eight rebounds before fouling out in the final minute.

Evans, the No. 2 scorer in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma freshman sensation Trae Young, limped off with 1:14 left in the first half and didn’t return. He jogged to and from the locker room at halftime and tested the injured foot on the court before the second half started.

But Evans bent over at the waist at midcourt with a Texas Tech staff member next to him while his teammates warmed up, looking unfit to play.

at South Carolina 84, No. 10 Auburn 75: Frank Booker scored 19 points, and South Carolina built a 26-point lead before holding on to defeat No. 10 Auburn 84-75 on Saturday, ending the Gamecocks’ six-game losing streak.

The Tigers (23-4, 11-3 Southeastern Conference) had won seven of their past eight and were heavy favorites to keep that going at South Carolina (14-13, 5-9). Instead, the Gamecocks used a 21-1 run in the first half on the way to a 37-11 lead.

Auburn played most of the game without starting forward Anfernee McLemore, who dislocated his left ankle in a gruesome-looking injury at the end of the first half. Still, the Tigers rallied to within 64-59 on Bryce Brown’s free throws with 6:58 to go.

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But South Carolina scored the next seven points to restore the double-digit lead, and Auburn could get no closer than six points the rest of the way.

South Carolina beat a top-10 program for the third straight season and defeated its first top-10 team at home since taking out No. 1 Kentucky in January 2010.

Chris Silva had 14 points and 11 rebounds for South Carolina, his sixth double-double of the season.

Mustapha Heron led Auburn with 16 points, just four of those coming in the second half. Brown, the Tigers’ leading scorer this season, was held to 10 points (six fewer than his average) on 3-of-16 shooting.

at Georgia 73, No. 18 Tennessee 62: Yante Maten scored 19 points and Georgia held off No. 18 Tennessee for a 73-62 victory Saturday that denied the Volunteers an opportunity to pull within a game of the SEC lead.

Derek Ogbeide had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Georgia (15-11, 6-8 Southeastern Conference) won its second straight in a late attempt to return to NCAA Tournament consideration.

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Tennessee (19-7, 9-5) remained two games behind No. 10 Auburn, the SEC leader, which lost to South Carolina 84-75 on Saturday. The Vols have lost two of their last three.

Lamonte Turner led Tennessee with 14 points. Jordan Bowden had 13, and Admiral Schofield 11.

at Arkansas 94, No. 21 Texas A&M 75: Jaylen Barford scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half to lead Arkansas to its fourth straight win, 94-75 over No. 21 Texas A&M on Saturday.

The triumph was the 10th straight over the Aggies in Fayetteville for the Razorbacks (19-8, 8-6 Southeastern Conference), who lost 80-66 in College Station on Jan. 30. It was also Arkansas’ third home win over a ranked opponent this season, joining victories over Minnesota and Tennessee.

Barford added five rebounds and five assists for the Razorbacks, who have won seven of their last nine. Daryl Macon finished with 20 points for Arkansas, the eighth time in the last nine games he’s scored 20 or more.

Freshman Daniel Gafford scored 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, and C.J. Jones had 13 points for the Razorbacks.

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Robert Williams had 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead Texas A&M (17-10, 6-8), which lost its second straight after entering the rankings this week. The 6-foot-10 sophomore also had three blocks and finished 10 of 13 from the field.

Admon Gilder also scored 20 points for the Aggies. Tyler Davis added 15 points and T.J. Starks had 12.

Texas 77, at No. 23 Oklahoma 66: Dylan Osetkowski scored 21 points, Texas slowed national scoring leader Trae Young, and the Longhorns beat No. 23 Oklahoma 77-66 on Saturday to extend the Sooners’ losing streak to five games.

Young, a freshman point guard, scored 26 points on 7 for 21 shooting. Christian James scored 11 points and was the only other Sooner to score in double figures.

Kerwin Roach scored 12 points, Matt Coleman scored 11 and Mohamed Bamba added 10 points and 18 rebounds for Texas (16-11, 6-8 Big 12), which never trailed and swept the season series for the first time since 2011-12. The Longhorns, who had lost three straight, got a much-needed win to boost their NCAA Tournament hopes.

The Sooners (16-10, 6-8) shot just 30.8 percent overall and posted their lowest-scoring game of the season. Even an appearance by Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield wasn’t enough to get the Sooners going.

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Oklahoma’s Kameron McGusty hit a 3 at the first-half buzzer to cut Texas’ lead to 32-29. The Sooners shot just 25.8 percent in the first half and matched their lowest point total for a half this season, yet hung tough by making 9 of 12 free throws.

Young hit a 3-pointer with about 13 minutes remaining to cut Texas’ lead to a point. Oklahoma’s Brady Manek attempted a corner 3-pointer, but Osetkowski blocked it and saved the ball to a teammate. The resulting fast break led to a layup by Texas’ Jacob Young that put the Longhorns up 51-44.

The Longhorns expanded their lead to 13 before a layup and a 3-pointer by Young led to a Texas timeout, but the Longhorns were able to keep the Sooners at bay.

No. 2 Michigan State 65, at Northwestern 60: Cassius Winston scored 17 points, and No. 2 Michigan State erased a 27-point deficit on Saturday to beat Northwestern 65-60 and extend its winning streak to 10 games.

Nick Ward added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Miles Bridges hit four free throws in the final minute, and the Spartans (26-3, 14-2 Big Ten) used a huge second half to pull out the win when they looked like they were headed to a stunning blowout loss.

Vic Law cooled off after a blistering start to finish with 21 points, and Northwestern (15-13, 6-9) made just 3 of 26 field goals in the second half.

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The Wildcats gave themselves a great chance at their first win over a Top 5 team since 1979 even though star guard Bryant McIntosh sat out with a shoulder injury.

They led by as much as 27 and were up 49-27 after a stunning first half that had fans chanting “Overrated!” But the Spartans — tied for the Big Ten lead coming into the game — sure did turn it around after halftime.

They outscored Northwestern 29-4 over the first 14{ minutes, tying it on Nick Ward’s tip-in and taking their first lead of the game at 56-53 on Jaren Jackson’s three-point play with 5:26 remaining.

The Wildcats went more than 11 minutes without scoring before Dererk Pardon hit two free throws with just over five minutes left.

With the Spartans clinging to a two-point lead in the final minute, Bridges hit two free throws and Winston added two more to make it 63-57. Law nailed a 3 for Northwestern to make it a three-point game with 11.4 seconds remaining, but Bridges hit two more foul shots.

No. 3 Villanova 95, at No. 4 Xavier 79: Mikal Bridges led an early 3-point shooting spurt that put Villanova in control, and the third-ranked Wildcats showed they’re not ready to relinquish their reign in the Big East, beating No. 4 Xavier 95-79 on Saturday in a showdown for the league lead.

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The Wildcats (24-3, 11-3) have won all four regular-season titles since the league was reconfigured. Xavier (24-4, 12-3) had a chance to take control of the race, but simply wasn’t up to the Wildcats’ level in the biggest game of the season. Now, Xavier’s lead is down to a half game and Villanova has swept the season series.

Bridges scored 25 points in a balanced attack that got the best of a matchup between the league’s top offenses. Trevon Bluiett had 26 points for Xavier, which had its nine-game winning streak snapped.

The Wildcats ended their three-game shooting slump by making 11 3-pointers in the first half when they pulled out to a 19-point lead and silenced a raucous crowd at the Cintas Center, where Xavier was undefeated this season.

Bluiett led a second-half surge that cut it to 64-61 with 11 minutes left before Bridges’ basket blunted the comeback. Donte DiVincenzo hit back-to-back 3s as the Wildcats rebuilt their lead to double digits and pulled away. DiVincenzo finished with 21 ponits.

In the end, it was like the last four games between the league’s heavyweights. Villanova has won 10 of 11 against Xavier in the Big East, the last four by margins of 25, 22, 24 and 16 points.

at No. 9 Gonzaga 81, Pepperdine 67: Johnathan Williams had 18 points and 12 rebounds and No. 9 Gonzaga held off last-place Pepperdine 81-67 on Saturday night to remain in first place in the West Coast Conference.

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Killian Tillie and Josh Perkins each scored 15 points for Gonzaga (25-4, 15-1 West Coast), which has won nine consecutive games since suffering its only league loss to No. 15 Saint Mary’s.

Colbey Ross scored 21 points for Pepperdine (4-24, 1-15), which has lost seven straight.

Gonzaga has won 35 straight games against Pepperdine dating to 2002. The Waves have not won in Spokane since 1998.

Williams had his sixth consecutive double-double.

at No. 13 Kansas 77, No. 20 West Virginia 69: Udoka Azubuike scored 21 points and Devonte’ Graham added 15 to help No. 13 Kansas beat No. 20 West Virginia 77-69 on Saturday night.

Both teams struggled to create much separation in the first half, neither establishing more than a six-point lead. After being tied at halftime, the Mountaineers (19-8, 8-6 Big 12) took the lead with 17:22 left and held it until the game was tied again at 66 with about two minutes remaining. The Jayhawks (20-7, 10-4 Big 12) wouldn’t reclaim the lead until Svi Mykhailiuk hit a pair of free throws 30 seconds later.

Daxter Miles Jr. led West Virginia with 22 points, and hit 6-of-9 shots from behind the arc. Jevon Carter added 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

No. 14 North Carolina 93, at Louisville 76: Joel Berry scored 23 points, Luke Maye had 13 rebounds and No. 14 North Carolina dominated the boards and second-chance points to beat Louisville 93-76 Saturday night for its fifth consecutive victory.

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The Tar Heels (21-7, 10-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) scored 10 straight points for a 12-3 lead before warming up from long range to eventually build a 19-point cushion before withstanding several Louisville’s rallies. UNC made eight from behind the arc in the first half alone and 12 of 27 overall in a fast pace that Louisville struggled to keep up with.

Maye’s rebounding offset a slow shooting start and helped the Tar Heels win the glass 44-32 and frequently get timely offensive boards to outscore the Cardinals 22-6 in second-chance points.

Theo Pinson and Maye each had 19 points, Cameron Johnson 12 and Kenny Williams 11 as North Carolina won its first visit to Louisville in five tries.

No. 15 Saint Mary’s 73, at Portland 61: Jock Landale had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 15 Saint Mary’s rebounded from a pair of losses with a 73-61 victory over Portland on Saturday night.

Tanner Krebs added 16 points for the Gaels (25-4, 14-2 West Coast Conference), who have won seven straight against the Pilots (10-19, 4-12). With the victory, Saint Mary’s has its third straight 25-win season.

Marcus Shaver Jr. had 15 points for Portland, which has dropped four straight games.

The Gaels sit in second in the West Coast Conference standings behind Gonzaga (25-4, 15-1) with just two more games to go. The conference championship tournament is set to start March 1 in Las Vegas.

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The Pilots are eighth place in the 10-team conference, ahead of Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine.

The Gaels lost their last two after a school-record 19-game winning streak. Saint Mary’s fell at home to then-No. 12 Gonzaga 78-65 before getting upset at San Francisco, 70-63 on Thursday night.

The Pilots were coming off an 81-72 loss at home Thursday to Santa Clara.

No. 24 Nevada 93, Utah State 87: Cody Martin scored 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting and twin brother Caleb Martin added 23 points to lead No. 24 Nevada to a 93-87 win over Utah State on Saturday.

Jordan Caroline chipped in with 20 points for the Wolf Pack. Nevada (23-5, 11-2 Mountain West) shot 59.3 percent from the field — including 11-of-21 from 3-point range — to pull away from the Aggies.

Koby McEwen scored 32 points and Sam Merrill added 16 to lead Utah State. The Aggies (14-14, 7-8 MW) have lost 14 straight to ranked opponents and fell to the Wolf Pack at home for the second time in five games.

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UC Davis 71, at UC Santa Barbara 54: TJ Shorts II scored 20 points on nine-for-10 shooting with six assists and the Anteaters beat the Big West Conference leader, ending the Gauchos’ eight-game winning streak and handing them their first home loss. Gabe Vincent scored 17 points for the Gauchos (20-6, 9-3). Max Heidegger, the top scorer in the Big West at more than 20 per game, made only one of five from beyond the arc and finished with 13 points.

at San Francisco 72, Loyola Marymount 63: Frankie Ferrari scored 17 points on six-for-nine shooting and Chase Foster scored 13 as the Dons won for the fourth time in five games. James Batemon led the Lions with 18 points, and Mattias Markusson had 17 points and 14 rebounds.

at No. 9 Gonzaga 81, Pepperdine 67: Johnathan Williams had 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Bulldogs held off last-place Pepperdine to remain in first in the West Coast Conference. Killian Tillie and Josh Perkins each scored 15 points for Gonzaga (25-4, 15-1), which has won nine straight since its only league loss to No. 15 Saint Mary’s. Colbey Ross scored 21 points for the Waves (4-24, 1-15), who have lost seven straight.

at Cal State Fullerton 88, Cal State Northridge 70: Khalil Ahmad scored 29 points and Kyle Allman scored 27 to lead the Titans. Jackson Rowe had 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Carl Brown led the Matadors with 16 points.

UC Irvine 75, at Cal Poly 58: John Edgar Jr. and Evan Leonard scored 21 points apiece as the Anteaters remain tied with UC Davis for second in the Big West.

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Hawaii 74, at UC Riverside 69, OT: Sheriff Drammeh had 23 points as the Rainbow Warriors handed the Highlanders their 12th loss in 14 games. Chance Murray scored 21 for UCR.

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USC at Oregon State 1 p.m.

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