MSU Takes On Wisconsin For Big Ten Title
ASSOCIATED PRESS - The top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats remain perfect on the season and one win away from capturing the SEC tournament.
Willie Cauley-Stein scored 18 points and Andrew Harrison added 15 as the Wildcats clobbered Auburn 91-67 to reach the conference title game against No. 21 Arkansas. The Wildcats shot 56 percent and outrebounded the Tigers 39-25 for the tournament's most lopsided victory.
Kentucky now sits at 33-0 as it tries to become the first team to finish an entire Division I season unbeaten since Indiana in 1976.
The Razorbacks advanced with a 60-49 triumph over Georgia as Michael Qualls delivered 15 points for Arkansas. The Razorbacks prevailed despite the shooting of Bobby Portis, who scored just four points on 1 of 14 shooting but grabbed 12 rebounds.
In other men's basketball action:
- Fourth-ranked Villanova is celebrating a Big East title after Dylan Ennis scored 16 points and had six rebounds in the Wildcats' 69-52 win against Xavier. Josh Hart chipped in 15 points on 7 of 9 shooting and grabbed seven boards off the bench to help the Wildcats earn their 15th straight victory and improve to 32-2.
- Fifth-ranked Arizona crushed Oregon 80-52 to win the Pac-12 championship and bolster its chances for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Brandon Ashley dropped in 20 points, Stanley Johnson had 14 and T.J. McConnell delivered 12 and six assists in the blowout.
- Sixth-ranked Wisconsin will take on Michigan State for the Big Ten title. Bronson Koenig scored a career-high 19 points and the Badgers claimed their 30th win by thumping Purdue 71-51. Nigel Hayes had 15 points for the Badgers, who trailed by five at halftime before holding the Boilermakers to 24 percent shooting the rest of the way.
- The unranked Spartans knocked off No. 8 Maryland 62-58 as Travis Trice scored a team-high 20 points for Michigan State. The Terrapins led by eight at the break before damaging their shot at a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.
- Notre Dame is the reigning ACC champion after reeling off a 26-3 run in the second half of a 90-82 triumph over No. 19 North Carolina. Jerian Grant had team highs of 24 points and 10 assists for the 11th-rated Irish, while Pat Connaughton finished with 20 points on 4 of 5 shooting from 3-point range.
- The Big 12 title belongs to Iowa State after Georges Niang (nee-ANG') scored 19 points and the 13th-ranked Cyclones rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half to beat No. 9 Kansas 70-66. Adbel Nader contributed 13 points, including the go-ahead foul shots with 48 seconds remaining.
- No. 20 SMU is in the American Athletic Conference title game after Markus Kennedy scored 17 points in the Mustangs' 69-56 victory over Temple. Cannen Cunningham and Yanick Moreira each added 11 points for the Mustangs, who will take on unranked Connecticut for the conference crown.
- No. 24 Davidson was hammered in an Atlantic-10 semifinal by VCU 93-73. Mo Alie-Cox and Treveon Graham each added 18 to lead the Rams to the conference title game for the third straight year.
- Albany, Alabama-Birmingham, Hampton, Wyoming and Buffalo earned automatic berths in the NCAA tournament by winning their conference tourneys on Saturday. New Mexico State, Texas Southern, Eastern Washington, UC Irvine and Stephen F. Austin also won their conference tournament to reach the NCAAs.