THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 11,2015
PAGE 9
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GERALD HERBERT/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein, right, slam dunks as he is fouled by LSU forward Jordan Mickey in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday night.
No.1 Kentucky survives again, beating LSU 71-69
BRETT MARTEL Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. — Willie Cauley-Stein scored 15 points and top-ranked Kentucky skied unbeaten with another tough road win, 71-69 over LSU when the Tigers missed a 3-pointer that could have won it at the buzzer Tuesday night.
Devin Booker added 14 and Aaron Harrison had 13 for the Wildcats (24-0, 11-0 SEC) who can tie a school record for the best start to a season by winning at home on Saturday against South Carolina.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 12 points and 13 rebounds, including a jump-hook that put the Wildcats up for good with 1:30 left, and a clutch offensive rebound inside the final minute.
Trailing by two with roughly six seconds left, LSU got the ball to Keith Hornsby on the wing, who missed an off-balanced 3-pointer that bounced
harmlessly off the rim as time expired.
jarell Martin had 21 points and 11 rebounds for LSU (17-7,6-5), while Hornsby scored 17 points.
Early in the second half, LSU appeared to be struggling with Kentucky's height, with Cauley-Stein dunking twice within a few possessions as the Wildcats built a 10-point lead. Harrison then drained a 3 to give the Wildcats their largest lead at 58-45 with 12:46 to go.
It started with a 3 by Josh Gray. Hornsby scored eight points during the surge, including a 3 and a fast-break layup off of Cauley-Stein's turnover that capped the run and put LSU up 66-60.
LSU called timeout, and responded well, surging into the lead with a stunning 21-2 run during the next five-plus minutes that sent a sellout crowd into an ear-ringing frenzy.
The Wildcats briefly appeared to be losing their composure during the LSU surge.
Towns was called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim after a missed dunk, after which coach John Calipari pulled the 6-foot-11 forward from the game and gave him a scolding on the bench.
But it was Towns who snapped the run with a short jumper after being put back in, starting an 14-3 run to close the game.
But the Wildcats' second unit was able to quickly close the gap as Devin Booker hit three of his first four shots for seven points, pulling the Wildcats to 17-15.
The Tigers started quickly and led by eight several times in the first five minutes, thanks largely to Martin and Mickey, who combined for 12 of LSU's first 14 points.
The Tigers managed to maintain a slim lead most of the half until jumps by Booker and Cauley-Stein capped an 8-2 Kentucky run shortly before halftime, giving the Wildcats a 38-34 lead.
RICHARD SHIRO/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Notre Dame's Jerian Grant (22) drives to the basket while defended by Clemson's Landry Noko during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday in Clemson, S.C.
Grant leads Notre Dame to 60-58 win at Clemson
PETE IACOBELLI
Associated Press
But Grant followed with two foul shots, then stole the ball to lead to Jackson's tying layup. After Jackson's basket put Notre Dame up for good 58-56, Grant hit a fadeaway jumper.
The Irish (22-4, 10-3) overcame a four-point deficit down the stretch to push past Clemson with Grant, a major factor in the rally. Notre Dame trailed 56-52 after Rod Hall's three-point play for the Tigers with 4:07 to go.
CLEMSON, S.C. — Jerian Grant scored 22 points and Demetrius Jackson hit the tying and go-ahead baskets as No. 10 Nore Dame outlasted Clemson 60-58 on Tuesday night.
Notre Dame bounced back after a 90-60 loss at home last Saturday to No. 4 Duke.
The Tigers (14-10, 6-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) missed two shots at the end, including a 3-pointer by Damarcus Harrison that hit off the rim as time ran out.
Jaron Blossomgame led Clemson with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Notre Dame is second in the ACC, scoring 80 points a game, yet looked like it would fall victim to Clemson's style of tough defense and grinding out each possession before scoring.
The dynamic Grant pulled the Irish out of that funk in the final four minutes for the
win to match the program's best 26-game start last accomplished in 1980-81.
Pat Connaughton had 14 points, including three of Notre Dame's six 3-pointers. Jackson finished with 11 points.
Harrison scored 15 points for Clemson.
fading down the stretch in a 56-45 loss at Miami that ended the 'Tigers' four-game win streak.
Clemson came out fast in this one, using a 9-0 run early on the way to a 25-17 lead after Harrison's jumper with 7:52 left in the half.
Both teams entered hoping to bounce back from disappointing losses.
Neither team was particularly sharp in the final five minutes before the break, combining to hit just five of 18 shots down the stretch.
Notre Dame's 30-point loss to Duke was its most lopsided loss since 1999. Clemson missed its chance to jump into the upper part of the ACC standings last Sunday,
Clemson did not attempt a foul shot in the opening half after finishing with just one in the Miami loss.
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