PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- UConn has sealed another Big East win here at the RAC tonight, as Jeff Adrien proved to be the difference with a game-high 27 points.

The Huskies had little problem taking down Rutgers, 79-61, and put themselves in strong position in the conference standings at 22-6 overall and 11-4 in the Big East. Rutgers, meanwhile, lost its eighth straight game, falling to 10-19 and 2-14 on the season.

Jeff Adrien led both sides with 27 points and Craig Austrie and Stanley Robinson each tallied 18 points as the Huskies' three double-digit scorers. Robinson led the UConn effort on the glass with a game-high 13 rebounds, while Jeff Adrien grabbed 11 and sophomore center Hasheem Thabeet collected 10 of his own. Thabeet had an unusual night with just two points on 0-for-7 shooting, but his defense kept Rutgers from threatening UConn's lead throughout the second half.

UConn's three-point shooting was also impressive tonight. Jim Calhouns' team, which has a talented backcourt with Jerome Dyson now back from his suspension, shot 6-for-11 (54.5%) from three thanks to Austrie's perfect 4-for-4 night behind the arc.

Earl Pettis was the only Scarlet Knight to register double figures, finishing with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting (2-for-2 fhas rom three). Byron James and Anthony Farmer each had nine points for Rutgers, which shot 42.4 percent for the game and 50 percent (8-of-16) from three.

UConn, at the other end, knocked down 51.8 percent of its shots, including 6-of-11 from three (54.5%).

We'll head down to the press conferences that follow this one and will have more on this game at Hang Time. So until then, we say goodnight from Piscataway, N.J.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 09:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Jeff Adrien has continued to lead the way for UConn by a setting a new career high with 25 points, and Craig Austrie has given the Huskies a 12-point lead with a three off a free throw miss by Adrien.

Time is ticking away for the Scarlet Knights and Fred Hill's players need to make a move soon if they hope to get back in this one and upset the No. 15-ranked team in the country.

And recently it's been the Hasheem Thabeet block party, as the sophomore center just sent two back on Rutgers' last trip down the floor.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- UConn is starting to pull away in this Big East battle at the RAC, as Craig Austrie just hit a three from the right wing to put the Huskies up, 65-52.

Stanley Robinson had a two-handed breakaway dunk on the previous possession, and it's Jim Calhoun's team who looks like the stronger of the two teams on the floor right now.

After a pair of free throws by Rutgers' Byron Jones, it's UConn leading, 65-54, with 8:12 left.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 09:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- It didn't take long for UConn to retake control of the game, as Jeff Adrien just tallied his 20th point of the game and the Huskies got two more on a fastbreak flush from Stanley Robinson.

It's UConn leading, 55-45, with 14:28 left.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers has made things very interesting thing here at the RAC as Jaron Griffin has shown a hot hand from three for the Scarlet Knights.

UConn, however, has answered quickly back with a Stanley Robinson dunk and a Hasheem Thabeet block at the other end.

Right now it's the Huskies leading Rutgers, 51-45, with 15:34 remaining in the second half.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Corey Chandler gave Rutgers a boost with a baseline jumper just before the halftime buzzer, and Rutgers trails No. 15 UConn by only six, 43-37, at halftime.

Chandler started to show some rhythm toward the end of the first half with smooth-looking jumper off a screen and roll, but Jeff Adrien has been too much for the Scarlet Knights to handle, posting a game-high 16 points in the first half.

Craig Austrie has complemented Adrien's frontcourt play with fine shooting in the backcourt, making both of his threes to tally eight points. Stanley Robinson has seven and Doug Wiggins has five for the Huskies, who are welcoming back sophomore guard Jerome Dyson (three points) after his suspension last month.

One of the biggest surprises has been absence of Hasheem Thabeet in the Huskies' scoring line, as the sophomore center did not tally a point in the first half, going 0-for-3 and grabbing five rebounds.

Rutgers, on the other hand, has gotten much of its scoring from its bench and from one player in particular in guard-forward combo Earl Pettis, who has a team-high 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting (1-for-1 from three) from the field. Corey Chandler has dropped in eight and Byron James added seven to the Scarlet Knight's scoresheet, which also shows the home team shooting a solid 48.4-percent clip.

But it hasn't been able to overcome what UConn has done so far, hitting 53.6 percent of its shots and nine of its first 10 free throws. Rutgers, meanwhile, has only gotten to the line four times so far.

The second half is about to get going so we'll turn our attention to the two teams taking the floor for the final 20 minutes of tonight's game.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers has cut UConn's lead to under double digits, but the Scarlet Knights are having a tough time stopping the Huskies on the defensive end.

Jeff Adrien, in the meantime, continues to increase his stat line, and Earl Pettis has hit two straight jumpers for Rutgers. That kind of perimeter shooting might be just the spark that Fred Hill's squad with a couple minutes left before halftime.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- UConn has gotten out to a double-digit lead with nine minutes remaining in the first half here at the RAC, and it's Craig Austrie who's leading the charge for the Huskies, canning two threes for a 27-16 lead.

The Scarlet Knights, in the meantime, are struggling to take care of the ball, committing six turnovers while burning three timeouts in less than two minutes. Fred Hill knew if his team was going to compete tonight that it would need to be efficient on the offensive end, and that has happened so far tonight.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 07:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Jeff Adrien is continuing to make Rutgers pay on the defensive end, using his low post skills to score over defenders and find open teammates around the rim.

Rutgers trailed by five just a few moments ago, but a three by Doug Wiggins just put UConn back up by eight with the scoreboard reading 18-10.

UConn has won the rebound battle so far with Adrien and 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet, and Jim Calhoun has seen how much the Huskies' effort on the glass lately helped them during that 10-game winning streak.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 07:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Jeff Adrien has started out strong for UConn in the early going, hitting a field goal from the right baseline and knocking down a couple free throws to get the Huskies on board first.

J.R. Inman has Rutgers close, but it's Adrien again attacking the basket to give the Huskies a 8-5 lead.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Good evening everyone from the RAC, where tonight we see the host Scarlet Knights square off with its third straight ranked opponent with No. 15 UConn coming to northern New Jersey for a late February Big East brawl.

Connecticut (21-6, 10-4) is coming off its first loss in 11 outings, a 67-65 setback at Villanova, after putting together a 10-game winning streak that's put the Huskies in contention with league leaders Georgetown and Louisville for the Big East title. Jim Calhoun's team currently sits fourth in the conference standings and welcome back sophomore guard Jerome Dyson tonight. Dyson and Doug Wiggins had been suspended earlier in the season for an alcohol-related incident, which caused both players to take a drug test under the policy of UConn's department of athletics. While Wiggins was allowed to return to the team following a critical win at Indiana, Dyson failed his test and was forced to sit out for the last month. Now with Dyson able to return, it will be interesting to see the dynamic of UConn's offense after playing so well shorthanded over in the past four weeks.

Rutgers (10-18, 2-13), meanwhile, suffered a dismantling 78-48 loss to No. 24 Marquette over the weekend. The Scarlet Knights got off to a good start in that contest against the Golden Eagles but struggled after halftime shooting the ball with just a 27.6 percent. Corey Chandler led the way for Fred Hill's club, hitting 5-of-10 field goals for a team-high 12 points, while J.R. Inman added 11 points.

And we'll also get to see two of the nation's best shotblockers tonight, as Rutgers' Hamady Ndiaye (ninth in blocks with three per game) takes on UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, who ranks third in the country with 4.4 blocks per game.

We still have some time before the tip but we'll be back with all the action between the Huskies and Scarlet Knights...

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Several of Drake's fans are still hanging around Hinkle after the game, cheering on the players as they emerge from the locker room.

Some stats and notes from Drake's 71-64 win over Butler.

Both teams shot 24-54 from the floor. Drake made one less three pointer, shooting 5-17. Butler was 6-24, but only 1-8 in the second half. The teams each averaged just over 9 made threes per game, so those are pretty low totals.

Drake won the game at the line, shooting 18-20 Butler was 10-16, with a couple of missed front ends of 1-and-1s in the second half.

In the first half, Butler had 8 assists and one turnover. In the second half, they had two assists and 9 turnovers.

Drake outrebounded Butler by seven today, which lines up with the team stats. Drake has a 3 board per game lead over its opponents, but Butler gets outrebounded by an average of one per game.

Josh Young led Drake with 25 points on 7-13 shooting from the floor, including 3-5 from beyond the arc. He was also 8-8 from the line.

Leonard Houston had 16 and Jonathan Cox had 11 in support.

Butler was led by Graves' 18 and Matt Howard's 16. Mike Green had 12.

There were only four fast break points in the entire game, two by each team.

There wasn't much noteworthy said after the game. Butler coach Brad Stevens and Graves, already changed into a t-shirt and jeans, were pretty somber, as you might expect.

Keno Davis, Josh Young and Adam Emmenecker were happier, of course, but not in the "we've never done this before" way. They weren't overly exuberant either.

Emmenecker did talk about how they were looking forward to playing here. He said, "It's a historic place. We were all excited to come here. Even though I'm from Michigan, I had heard a lot about this place. It's an honor to play here."

And that's a wrap from Indy. I think security may have to kick the Drake fans out. They aren't in any hurry to go.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Drake and Butler meet today in the highlight game of this year's bracket buster series to decide which is the better Bulldog. There isn't much else at stake though. Like most of the bracket buster games over the years, this one really has no bearing on selection for the tournament. Both of these teams are in barring a major collapse.

Seeding could be affected though. Neither team has a win over a sure tournament team this year, and neither has even played many. Drake's best opponent by far was St. Mary's, which beat the Bulldogs in the second game of the year. Butler smoked Ohio St at home in December. The committee is unlikely to reward either of these teams with terribly high seeds (compared to their respective poll rankings), but the winner would have an edge over the loser.

Both teams like to bomb away from the three-point line. Drake is 15th in the nation in made threes per game with 9.3, and Butler is right behind them at 9.2. Both are also in the top 25 in the nation in free throw percentage, which makes coming back on either of them difficult.

The game may end up getting won in the post then, where Butler has freshman Matt Howard. Howard is having a terrific debut season, leading the Horizon league in FG percentage. He is also second in offensive rebounds and fourth in blocked shots. Keeping him off the offensive glass will be a key for Drake.

They also need to stop the penetration of Mike Green, who creates a lot off offense for Butler by getting into the lane.

For Drake, the formula is easy - hit their long range shots and take care of the ball. Sophomore Josh Young leads the league in three pointers made and is second in scoring. His range has no limit and he doesn't care if he's open. When I saw him at Illinois St a few weeks ago, he only shot two of his 11 three pointers inside of 25', and was only a step closer on those. Only four or five of those shots were open. In spite of that, he's second in the league and 33rd nationally in three point percentage.

You can follow along with the action in the box below. You can vote in polls, comment or ask questions about the game, so feel free to pitch in.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - Russell Westbrook and UCLA hope tonight's 56-46 Pacific-10 Conference victory over host USC is the start to another successful run to a conference title and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

USC and freshman OJ Mayo probably would rather just forget the second game between the crosstown rivals even happened.

UCLA (22-3, 10-2 Pac-10) dominated on the defensive end - forcing 22 USC turnovers - and holding Mayo below double-digits for the first time in his career. The 6-foot-5 freshman scored just four points with nine rebounds and a career-high 10 turnovers.

"OJ is a great player and I just came out tonight and did the things I knew I had to do," Westbrook said. "Playing defense is what I do and I wanted to make every shot tough for him. I didn't notice (if he was frustrated) because I was just making sure he wasn't scoring."

Mayo said the last time he scored so few points might have been his first youth game and admitted turnovers were the clear difference.

"I didn't step up when my teammates needed me to," said Mayo, who denied a groin injury which held him out of practice earlier this week played a major factor in his poor play. "We had opportunities to win this game time and time again and to be honest, we just didn't take care of the ball. Coach (Tim) Floyd and the coaching staff preaches that and tonight we failed to do it."

The victory kept UCLA alone in first place in the Pac-10 while USC (15-9) fell to 6-6 in conference. UCLA point guard Darren Collison had a team-high 14 points. Freshman Kevin Love called the game a must-win earlier in the week and played like it after a slow start. The 6-foot-10 center had 13 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, two assists and two blocks.

"I'd be lying if I said we didn't look at the standings," Love said. "We just wanted to keep this first place and we want to win the Pac-10 outright. Like I said, it was a big game for us."

Coach Ben Howland pointed to the turnovers and an improved effort in transition defense for the Bruins, who clearly appreciated the efforts of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who played in his first game since February 2, and had 10 points, 10 rebounds and two assists.

"I haven't practiced for 14 days," Mbah a Moute said. "I was winded pretty bad. But Coach told me I had to gut it out."

Mbah a Moute and the rest of his teammates displayed a toughness it lacked in the first meeting.

"They really guarded us tonight," USC coach Tim Floyd said. "We guarded as well as we've guarded and gave up 33 percent shooting and still got beat. We just didn't get enough shots because of the turnovers."

Collison said his team took things personal after losing at Washington and knowing the Bruins had already lost to USC at home.

"Guys took it personal," Collison said. "When we play defense like that, it's real hard to beat us."

UCLA just hopes its defensive performance is a first of many to come.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 12:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - OJ Mayo just finished off his most disappointing performance at USC. The freshman didn't score in double figures for the first time this season with just four points agianst UCLA, which captured a 56-46 victory over the host Trojans in the Pacific-10 Conference game.

Mayo had nine rebounds but he also committed 10 turnovers - USC had 22 as a team - which was the ultimate explanation for the Trojans inability to keep up with the crosstown rivals. UCLA took better care of the ball and finished with a 38-31 rebounding advantage.

More to come a little later after interviews.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - OJ Mayo missed a 3-pointer which could have cut UCLA's lead in half. Kevin Love missed a shot near the basket on the following possession for UCLA but he was able to grab the offensive rebound and score on the second chance. The bucket gives UCLA a 50-42 lead with 2:34 remaining and the back-to-back plays show the kind of night the two freshmen have had. Love has found a way to fight through his slow start while Mayo has had to rely on his nine rebounds to contribute for the Trojans.

Love has 13 points, 10 rebounds and five steals for the Bruins.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - UCLA is holding onto a narrow 48-42 lead with 3:41 remaining and while USC is playing inspired defense down the stretch, it's costing itself a chance at this game with turnovers.

Kevin Love blocked Dwight Lewis and grabbed the ball away in the process and the next possession was another turnover. USC has 19 turnovers for the game.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - A pair of excellent passes set up Dwight Lewis with a 3-pointer and triggered a huge outburst from the pro-USC crowd. UCLA still leads, 46-40, but it's clear the Trojans won't lay down in this one.

The Trojans have also amped up their defense - forcing UCLA to bleed the entire shot clock the past two possessions and come away with nothing. Tough defense forced Josh Shipp into a carrying violation on the last possession.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - USC hopes it's in the midst of a serious run as it now trails, 45-37, with 9:28 remaining. The Trojans' 5-0 run is in response to UCLA scoring 10 unanswered points to take a 12-point lead. UCLA lead by eight points at halftime.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - UCLA is on the verge of putting this game away. The Bruins lead 44-33 with 11:33 remaining and Darren Collison is set to go to the line to finish off a 3-point play. Turnovers continue to plague the Trojans while UCLA freshman Kevin Love has scored five points during UCLA's current 9-0 run.

USC already has six turnovers in the second half and UCLA has scored a point off each of them.

Simply put, USC must treat its possessions with more respect. It wouldn't hurt to get OJ Mayo going either. The freshman hasn't scored in the second half and is now 1-for-5 from the field.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - USC hasn't been able to cut into UCLA's lead, which is now 35-27 with 18:05 left in the second half. But if it does, there's a great chance Taj Gibson is going to have something to do with it. The junior forward has scored both of the Trojans' baskets this half and now has a game-high 12 points and eight rebounds.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - USC knows it's turned over control of its rivalry game with UCLA. The Bruins lead 31-23 at halftime in large part because USC has committed 10 turnovers. UCLA has scored seven points off the Trojans' mistakes but its not just the lost possessions which are hurting USC.

UCLA also leads 21-14 in the rebounding department and have scored 12 second-chance points.

USC has to do a better job rebounding in the second half and take better care of the ball. Clearly, the turnovers are a clear sign the Trojans miss point guard Daniel Hackett, who is not playing due to a back injury.

The Bruins have to feel pretty good about their first half, especially considering Kevin Love wasn't an offensive factor for most of the half. Coach Ben Howland won't be very happy about his team making just 4 of 8 free throws nor that his team is allowing USC to shoot nearly 48 percent from the field.

If UCLA keeps forcing USC turnovers, the Bruins should be able to continue to pull away. USC needs to find a way to get OJ Mayo further involved in the offense. The freshman phenom has scored just two points - on an alley-oop dunk late in the half. It's been a good first half and there's no reason to expect it to slow down after the break.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - Kevin Love just scored his first basket of the game with a 3-pointer and followed it on the next possession with a floater to finish a nice baseline drive. UCLA has started Love on the perimeter in several of its offensive sets.

Coach Ben Howland might be keeping Love away from the post to prevent fatigue. It's allowed Love to show off his passing skills as he set up Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for an easy layup with a nice pass.

Love's contributions have helped the Bruins take a 29-21 lead with 2:12 left in the first half.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - You can say what you want about USC but it definitely has the school spirit covered. The Galen Center crowd went wild during a time out as the Trojans presented their women's soccer team which won the 2007 National Championship.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - We're over halfway through the first half and both star freshmen, OJ Mayo and Kevin Love, have yet to score for either USC or UCLA.

Love has done a good job on the glass for UCLA while Mayo seems to be helping post players Davon Jefferson and Taj Gibson get plenty of quality looks. Love has missed a couple shots while Mayo has tried not to force anything with Russell Westbrook playing good defense against him.

Don't expect either to stay silent for the entire game and which ever one does get hot could make a huge difference considering UCLA leads 20-19, with 6:22 to go in the first half.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - Post players everywhere should watch USC forward Taj Gibson pass the ball. Gibson threw a behind-the-back pass to a cutting Davon Jefferson for an easy and thrilling slam dunk. Then, he kicked it out to an open Angelo Johnson on the next possession. When Johnson's 3-point shot attempt went long, Gibson was in perfect position to get it and get a dunk of his own.

UCLA leads, 14-13, with 10:56 left in the first half.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - Dwight Lewis made a transition 3-pointer for USC but other than that, it's been UCLA which has been taking advantage of the transition game. The Bruins have a 11-9 lead with 13:58 to go in the first half in what's been a great start to this rivalry game.

The Bruins are forcing turnovers and trying to keep USC from scoring off the break. Russell Westbrook has made an early impact on defense with a couple of steals.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES - USC fans answered the request of a blackout for tonight's Pacific-10 Conference game against crosstown rival UCLA. Nearly everyone in the soldout Galen Center is wearing black and the crowd appears to be very excited for tonight's game.

Of course USC shocked UCLA at Pauley Pavilion but many believe the absence of Daniel Hackett will prevent the Trojans from winning again. I learned after the last game not to count the Trojans out -- and this crowd is absolutely electric. Every fan in here is standing up during the pregame lineup announcement.

This is going to be fun.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- After seeing Marquette completely dismantle Seton Hall with a 89-64 victory here at the Prudential Center tonight, it was four scorers in double digits that got it done for Tom Crean's Golden Eagles.

Forward Lazar Hayward led everyone with 23 points (8-of-16 shooting) and nine rebounds in 30 minutes, and Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal each dropped in 14 and grabbed four boards.

David Cubillan was the Marquette fourth scorer in double figures at 10, and point guard Dominic James had a quiet game with nine points and a game-high six assists.

For Seton Hall, guard Jeremy Hazell led the Pirates with 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting and Brian Laing added 17 to go along with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Eugene Harvey was the third double-digit scorer for the Pirates with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor in addition to collecting six rebounds.

Looking at the shooting percentages of both teams, Marquette led the way with 42.3 percent overall (30-for-71) and 47.6 from three (10-for-21). SHU, on the other hand, shot 38 percent overall (19-for-50) and 27.8 (5-for-18) from three.

On the glass, the Golden Eagles held a commanding 43-29 edge, and UM also won the turnover battle with the Pirates committing 17 to Marquette's 11.

I'll have more on the game in Hang Time in a little bit, so with that said, we say goodnight from Newark, N.J.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 09:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- With the final seconds ticking off the clock, it's Marquette defeating Seton Hall, 89-64, in Big East play.

The Golden Eagles move to 17-6 overall and 7-5 in the Big East, while the Pirates fall to 15-10 and 5-7.

SHU never really seemed to be in the game with UM taking control early and often, and with the lack of energy that the Pirates seemed to show, it will be interesting to see what head coach Bobby Gonzalez has to say in his press conference.

That will come rather soon as we head back to the press room to wrap things up here from the Prudential Center with some stats and quick notes.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- Things are getting a little chippy here at The Rock after Marquette forward Ousmane Barro just drove to the basket and took a hard foul from Seton Hall's Mike Davis. Barro had some words for Davis as he walked back to the free throw line, and the referees quickly T'd up both of them before much more could be said or done.

With less than five minutes remaining, it's Marquette holding a commanding 81-57 lead now on the Pirates.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- Marquette junior guard Jerel McNeal is one of the big-time offensive threats for Tom Crean's Golden Eagles and the Chicago native has just back-to-back threes on the left side of the arc.

Seton Hall, in the meantime, is trying to put together a run of its own with less than 10 minutes remaining, but after a pair of free throws from Maurice Acker, it's Marquette still leading, 69-44.

It's now or never for the Pirates.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- Seton Hall senior guard Jamar Nutter has just been ejected from the game after committing a flagrant foul on Marquette's Dominic James. The call happened on the offensive end of the floor for SHU, but the foul came underneath the basket.

With an already short bench, the Pirates are looking to be in a lot of trouble now as they trail, 59-35, with 12 minutes to go in the second half.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 09:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- With 15 minutes left in the second half, this one is sadly all but over already, as Marquette leads Seton Hall, 51-30.

Lazar Hayward, who paced the Golden Eagles in the first half with 12 points, has just canned a three from the left wing and Seton Hall can't seem to answer with free throws at the other end.

I know there are some real clunkers at the bottom of the Big East -- USF, Rutgers, Providence and St. John's of course -- but I'm surprised that Seton Hall has even been able to win five games in the Big East so far this season.

The crowd here at The Rock has started to get on the officials after a couple of calls, and Bobby Gonzalez is hoping that the referees can let these guys play a little before it's all over.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- Some halftime stats from the first half of our Big East contest here at the Prudential Center...

Lazar Hayward leads all scorers with 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the floor and has also tallied a game-best seven rebounds in 16 minutes of action. Ousmane Barro has added seven points in the frontcourt for the Golden Eagles while Dominic James and Jerel McNeal have combined for just seven points (James, five points; McNeal, two points). The diminutive James has also dished out a team-high four assists and snatched three steals in his 18 minutes of work.

Wesley Matthews has also dropped in six points for Marquette, which dominated Seton Hall on the glass, 26-14, and outshot the Pirates, 36.8 percent to just 29.2. Seton Hall, meanwhile, was 0-for-6 from three with Marquette shooting 4-for-10.

Brian Laing was the one Pirate to show up for Bobby Gonzalez's team, recording 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting, while Eugene Harvey was the next best scorer for SHU with four points. But that will certainly have to change if the Pirates want to even give Marquette a run for its money in the second half.

Speaking of which, here comes our second 20 minutes of play.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 08:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- If you're a New York basketball fan or a native of the area, this has to be downright depressing.

After 20 minutes of play here at the Prudential Center, it's Marquette leading Seton Hall by a hefty 40-22 margin as both teams head to the locker room. I'll have more halftime stats in just a bit before we get to see the second half of this yawner, but it isn't looking good if you're a Pirates fan after the way Tom Crean's team dominated at both ends of the floor in the first half.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- Seton Hall just hit the 10-point mark with less than five minutes to go in the first half and it's Marquette stomping all over the Pirates, 28-10, with a timeout called at 4:18.

Dominic James just hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to extend the Golden Eagles' margin to 18 and after watching St. John's put up a whopping 14 points in the first half on Georgetown the other week at the Garden, this effort from another one of the NYC metro area teams isn't looking much better across the Hudson. And down in Piscataway, Rutgers hasn't been a whole lot better -- in fact, even worse at 2-10 in the conference.

On the court, Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez has just been assessed with a technical foul, and we've hit the under four-minute timeout here, so we'll be back with the rest of the action before halftime.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- Things are starting to get ugly here at The Prudential, or The Rock as the locals refer to, as it's Marquette up big on Seton Hall, 19-4, with 9:34 remaining in the first half.

And it's not like the Golden Eagles are looking that good. Marquette has missed several wide-open jump shots but it hasn't mattered with the lack of defensive rebounding that the Pirates have shown so far. Tom Crean's team, in the meantime, is also able to get to the basket pretty much any time it wants, so if I were coaching I'd certainly be telling Dominic James and Jerel McNeal to take it to the basket and kick when necessary.

With 8:45 left now, it's Marquette 21, Seton Hall 4. Quite a barn burner I'll tell ya.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 07:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- The Pirates are looking pretty static on offense and defensive, as Marquette seems to get any offensive rebound it wants and Seton Hall can't get much penetration against the Golden Eagles' defense.

Marquette leads, 13-4, at the 12-minute mark and it will be up to SHU coach Bobby Gonzalez to energize his team against an opponent that looks motivated to get snap a two-game losing streak and head back home with some momentum to face Pittsburgh Friday.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- Three minutes into this game, and not much has gone on to be honest. Dominic James got fouled on a three-point attempt in the left corner and hit 2-of-3 free throws to give Marquette a 6-4 lead over Seton Hall.

Looking over at SHU coach Bobby Gonzalez, it's pretty clear from the five players on the bench that the Pirates don't have a lot of depth. That means a lot of minutes for Gonzalez's starters and ultimately a more fatigued team in the second half, so we'll keep an eye on that toward the end of the game.

Anyway, we've just hit the first media timeout, so we'll take a break and be back with more in a little bit.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 07:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWARK, N.J. -- Good evening everyone from the Prudential Center in downtown Newark, N.J., as tonight we'll witness host Seton Hall taking on Marquette, who fell out of this week's AP Top 25 after suffering losses to Louisville (home) and Notre Dame (away) last week.

Tom Crean's club comes into tonight's matchup against a Pirate team that has had its own bit of struggles of late in losing its last three. So with that in mind, we'll surely get to see tonight who needs a win more than the other.

Seton Hall is coming off a heartbreaking loss over the weekend to Villanova, who suffered its own bit of heartbreak last night in that wacky Big East showdown at Georgetown. And sure it's already been said by many earlier today and last night, but a call 70 feet away from the basket with no shot attempt and 0.1 of a second left on the clock can not and should not be made. In the Pirates' loss to 'Nova, though, it was Dwayne Anderson who did the damage, drilling a three-pointer with 12 seconds left to give the Wildcats the victory.

Anyhow, this is the second meeting between SHU and Marquette this season. The Golden Eagles won, 61-56, the first time around in Milwaukee on Jan. 8 and lead the all-time lead series, 3-1, having won the last three meetings with the Pirates.

Seton Hall, however, won't have Paul Gause this time around, as the junior guard will miss the remainder of the 2007-08 season after tearing his ACL and MCL in his left knee against Notre Dame last Wednesday. Freshman Jeremy Hazell did step up in Gause's absence in turning in a game-high 26 points on 8-for-14 shooting along with a career-high five steals, so we'll see if he can keep that up against a Marquette team that should be making its way back to the NCAA Tournament this March.

But after losing two straight games, tonight's game against Seton Hall becomes that much more important for Crean's team to win, so we'll see how the Golden Eagles respond.

We'll be back with the action with the tip to come at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Seton Hall Game Notes

Marquette Game Notes

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 06:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- For Longhorns fans, a win can't taste much sweeter.

With UT football star Vince Young in the house, the No. 11 Texas hoops team refused to give in on the hardwood, battling back from a four-point halftime deficit to knock off No. 3 Kansas, 72-69.

After D.J. Augustin missed the back end of two free throws in the game's final seconds, Kansas had a chance to tie the game with a three, but Kansas' Mario Chalmers shot at the buzzer rattled out as Texas held on for the victory.

"Kansas is a very difficult team to guard and they do a great job of passing the ball," Texas head coach Rick Barnes said. "But it was really an effort from our guys and they just found a way to get it done."

Another factor in UT's victory was a sold out and rowdy home crowd, which coach Barnes attributed to the team's success.

"When this building is full, its as good as any in the country," Barnes said.

And boy is he right.

Just ask Kansas' head coach Bill Self.

"I think they just outmanned us in the second half," Self said. "That was our focus at halftime and our guys did not respond to their aggressiveness."

According to Self, one of the reasons for the rise of the UT basketball program is due to the fact that the Texas defense has improved tremendously, one of the key reasons for the Longhorns big victory.

After getting outscored 42-38 in the first half of play, the Horns battled back to outscore the Jayhawks, 34-27, in the second half en route to a three-point nail-biting win at the Erwin Center.

However, when the Jayhawks' Chalmers addressed the media following the Longhorns' victory, he informed the reporters that Kansas is still the team to beat in the highly competitive Big 12 Conference.

"We're still the favorites and I think we're the best team in the conference," Chalmers said at the conclusion of Monday's game.

Texas might have something to say about that.

And sure enough, they did... But the Horns aren't about to get ahead of themselves.

"When you're behind and when it's a close game, it feels the same because you get lost in the game and just try to take care of the details," Texas junior guard A.J. Abrams said. "Sometimes you get behind and have to fight back, but fortunately today we shot the ball well in the first half and hung with them."

Connor Atchley led the Longhorns in scoring with 16 points, going 4-for-4 from 3-point range as well as grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assists.

Longhorn sophomore guard D.J. Augustin also played a clutch game, despite a poor shooting first half.

"I've told him many times that I don't care what he's done up until the end of the game, but he's our guy and we're going to go to him," Barnes said. "I trust him totally."

And that's a good thing, especially considering the star guard's penetration in the second half helped propel the Horns to a big victory.

"There is no question when we get down to the end of the game, we are going to put it in his hands, because he knows his teammates so well," Barnes said. "He's got a lot of confidence and he's certainly going to do something to get A.J. [Abrams] involved."

Speaking of A.J., the junior guard notched 14 points in the Texas victory while teammate Damion James had a monster game, garnering a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

With the victory, Texas moves to 20-4 overall while improving to 7-2 in Big 12 play, as the Jayhawks drop to 23-2 overall and 8-2 in the conference.

"Our crowd really came out today and supported us," sophomore guard Justin Mason said. "We all can feel it in the atmosphere, the crowd was there early when we were shooting around, and I think that really helped us out with the victory."

Final Notes:

With Monday's victory over Kansas, Texas secured its ninth consecutive 20-win season, building on the prior school record of four (from the 1988-89 season to 1991-92).

In addition, UT is now 9-3 against Top 10 teams at the Erwin Center under the helm of Rick Barnes and improves to 12-2 at home in Big Monday contests.

Also, the Horns had four players score in double figures on Monday night against Kansas, the sixth time for that to occur this season.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 12:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Longhorns have finally done it.

UT knocked off Kansas in front of a sold out, rowdy crowd in Austin as 'The Eyes Of Texas' rained down on KU.

Texas finished the night on 22-for-51 shooting from the field (43.1 percent), while Kansas finished shooting 43.9 percent from the field (25-for-57) as UT held on for the W.

With the victory, Texas now joins the leaders in the Big 12 Conference as the Horns drilled home the biggest win of the season thus far.

The Longhorn's three-point victory came due primarily to fantastic, clutch free throw shooting by UT in the game's closing seconds.

Check back soon for postgame quotes and final stats...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- I told you it was a good time to be A.J. Abrams...

Abrams just blocked a potential game-tying 3-pointer by KU's Rush as Texas holds a 67-64 lead with 0:40 left and James at the line for two free throws...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- The tides have turned, and now it's KU facing a four-point deficit. Kansas just called a timeout in an attempt to cool down the hot Horns.

UT currently holds a 67-63 lead with 2:29 left in regulation....

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- With a little under 2:30 left in regulation, the Texas Longhorns have a 66-63 lead over Kansas with Augustin headed to the line when we return to action.

As of lately, the Horns have taken control of the game and aim to close things out with a big victory here at home over KU.

Check back soon for the latest...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- With just about 5:30 left in regulation, Texas holds a 62-57 lead over Kansas as the home crowd continues to voice their support for UT...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- It's a good time to be A.J. Abrams.

The UT guard drew a charging foul against KU with 7:28 left in regulation and the game tied at 57-57 prior to a media timeout.

When we return to the hardwood, it's Longhorns ball as this dog fights continues in Austin...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- The City of Austin may very well be the biggest fans of Texas Hold 'Em.

If the Horns can do just that over the final 11:18 of regulation, UT can pick up a big win in the Big 12 on Big Monday.

Currently, Texas holds a 54-53 lead over Kansas and we're midway through the second half of play.

This one's coming down to the wire...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- After trailing by four at the break, the Texas Longhorns now hold a three point lead over KU.

And Kansas was just forced to call a timeout with 14:42 left in regulation as UT holds a 51-48 lead and the crowd continues to grow louder by the second...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- You can't ask for a better game.

With UT down four at the break, the Horns came out hot to begin the second half and currently hold a 50-48 lead over Kansas with 15:44 left in regulation...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks currently lead by four at halftime over the pesky No. 11 Texas Longhorns, who refuse to go away as the burnt orange host KU.

Both teams have shot quite well, with Texas shooting 46.2 percent on 12-of-26 shooting from the field and Kansas shooting 45.9 percent (17-of-37).

Meanwhile, both squads are hot from the charity stripe, with UT shooting 80 percent on 7-for-9 shooting from the line compared to KU netting 85.7 percent from the line (6-for-7).

From beyond the arc, UT leads the 3-point charge on 6-for-13 shooting (46.2 percent) compared to 2-for-7 from the 3-point line for KU (28.6 percent).

In the scoring department, Texas' Atchley leads the Horns with 12 points while teammate Abrams has 10 at the break. For KU, Texas native Arthur (14 points) and Jackson (11) lead the Jayhawks in scoring at the half.

Looking at halftime stats, Kansas is pounding the ball in the paint, scoring 24 points inside compared to only 6 points for Texas. In addition, Kansas has done a remarkable job on the glass, pulling down 23 boards (while Texas only managed 13).

With the halftime clock hitting seven minutes and counting until the second half of play, it's time to get this blog at the half updated as we prepare to return to hardwood action here in Austin...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Kansas Jayhawks just called a 30-second timeout as Head Coach Bill Self aims to get his team on the same page with KU on top, 41-38.

When we return to play, it's KU ball with 55 ticks left in the first half...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Longhorns just called a 30-second timeout in an effort to cool down the Jayhakws.

Returning to action, it's UT ball with the Horns down 39-36 with just over two minutes remaining in the first half...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- With 3:35 left in the first half of play, KU has a 35-33 lead after Kansas slammed home the go-ahead shot just seconds ago.

Texas has called a quick timeout and will retain possession when we return to play.

Halftime is right around the corner, and I will make sure to give fans the latest stats and news for tonight's game...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- Leave no doubt, we are in for a battle here in Austin.

With 7:42 remaining in the first half of play, UT holds a slim 29-26 lead after A.J. Abrams drained a three-pointer to put Texas on top after KU battled back to knot the game at 26.

When we return to action, it's Kansas ball after a tough no-call drive to the basket by D.J. Augustin led to a UT turnover...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- Near the midway mark of the first half, Texas holds a 20-18 advantage over Kansas with 11:50 remaining in the first half.

Atchley has drained three big 3's for UT, helping to propel the Longhorns to an early lead as Gary Johnson awaits free throws for Texas after we return from the timeout...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- With 15:20 left in the first half, UT has a 15-12 lead over KU, due in a large part to two big 3-pointers by Connor Atchley.

Texas was just fouled driving to the lane and will get the ball after the TV timeout...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- In just under two minutes, two of the nation's best teams will battle it out on the hardwood in Austin.

For NCAA basketball fans, nothing is sweeter than a match-up such as this one.

And right now, it's hard to both think and talk as 'Texas, Fight' echoes throughout the walls of the arena...

Check back soon as the Horns prepare to host the Jayhawks on ESPN on Big Monday. The lights are off and UT's players are about to be announced... Tipoff is right around the corner...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Jayhawks just hit the hardwood to the boos of the Texas faithful, which means game time is just around the corner.

Shortly after the blue and red jerseys found their end of the court, UT's band struck up their fight song as the Longhorns hoops team hit the floor to a standing ovation.

It's hard not to get goose bumps in this type of setting, and as mentioned earlier, America, we're in for a fight to the finish... no doubt.

Vince Young just walked past press row to a roaring applause from the Texas band and student section, as a group of Longhorns fans quickly surrounded the football star to shake his hand and welcome him back to Austin.

With Vince in the house tonight, who knows ... maybe it's time for the Longhorn's losing streak against Kansas to end tonight with UT's super star at the Erwin Center showing his support.

We'll all find out soon enough, as tipoff is just mere minutes away.

And I can tell you right now that Vince and those in attendance are ready to bring down the house with a UT victory.

Check back soon for the game's opening tip and live coverage of tonight's super showdown between two of the Big 12's best...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- Despite the hype surrounding this evening's highly anticipated match-up between the Longhorns and Jayhawks, the stadium remained only half-filled by 7:20 p.m. CT.

Don't worry, though, come tipoff time, I have no doubt that UT's house will be rocking.

A school with a rich tradition in football, it's taken a while for the Longhorns faithful to fall in love with basketball.

However, that is no longer an issue and the Horns look to take care of business tonight at home in a pre-March madness match-up with the No. 3 Jayhawks.

It's now 7:30 p.m. CT, and this place is beginning to fill to the brim with burnt orange passion... just 30 minutes and counting until game time.

A win for Texas could very well help propel the Longhorns to the next level by proving to the doubters that they can, and will, take care of business on their home hardwood.

A Kansas win, meanwhile, will solidify the Jayhawks as one of the best team's in the country, putting the Big 12 leader in the mix with teams such as Memphis and Duke as the nation's best squad.

Check back soon and often for the latest and greatest in Monday night's Big 12 battle between No. 3 Kansas and No. 11 Texas...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas -- Kansas (23-1, 8-1 Big 12), ranked No. 3 in the nation in both the AP Poll and the ESPN Poll, will be battling it out with the No. 11 Texas Longhorns (19-4, 6-2) in a little over an hour here at the Frank Erwin Center.

Whether you love the Horns or hate them, this place is going to be rocking come 8 p.m. CT... and it will most likely be an automatic ESPN Classic.

Kansas, coming off a hard-fought 100-90 victory over the Big 12's big surprise, the Baylor Bears, is looking to secure their lead in the race for the conference title, currently sitting alone with in-state rival Kansas State with just one loss in Big 12 play.

Texas, meanwhile, aims to prove to the nation that they can beat the big names at the big times, especially at home, including a much-needed victory over the Jayhawks tonight in Austin.

If the game is anything like the prior four match-ups between these two highly touted squads, we're in for a fight to the finish.

Also, keep an eye on Texas native Darrell Arthur (Kansas' leading scorer) and UT guard A.J. Abrams. If either Arthur or Abrams catch fire, it may be smart for the opposing team's coach to call a quick timeout and stop the bleeding before it becomes a massacre.

Check back at 8 p.m. CT for the latest news and notes on the Kansas-Texas Big 12, Big Monday game of the week on ESPN.

Until then, break out a few cold ones and open those bags of Lays... an Austin barn-burner tips off in just over an hour...

Posted by Denton Ramsey at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- This time there was no blood and no last-second mayhem. But there was also no Ty Lawson for North Carolina. That was certainly a factor in No. 2 Duke stealing a game on their arch-rival's floor, beating No. 3 North Carolina 89-78 on Wednesday night at the Smith Center.

Still, North Carolina's coach and his players didn't blame their loss on missing Lawson.

They blamed it on giving way to many open looks to the Blue Devils, who took full advantage, knocking down shots all night and getting six scorers in double figures.

Duke's offense is successful when players can drive and kick out for open looks, and they did it all night against UNC, which couldn't seem to stop dribble penetration. When the help came, that left somebody open.

In more than a few instances that somebody was point guard Greg Paulus, who scored all of his 18 points from beyond the arc, where he was 6 for 8.

The Blue Devils hit 13 threes in all, hitting at almost a 45-percent rate.

"We did a poor job of defending the ball," UNC forward Marcus Ginyard said. "Obviously, they're a great shooting team, so the lack of ability to guard the ball really hurt us."

That ability to put the ball in the basket helped the Blue Devils (20-1, 8-0 in the ACC) offset another huge game by UNC forward Tyler Hansbrough, who finished with 28 points and 18 rebounds.

But every time Carolina looked like it was going to make a move, the Blue Devils -- who led for the entire second half -- answered with either a stop or a big bucket.

"This is a game where there are so many points where the game can go the other way," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "It just seemed like when it was going to turn, one of our guys made a play."

While the media picked UNC to win the league in the preseason, Duke is now in the driver's seat in the ACC race now that it's two up on the Heels in the loss column.

"It's a good win for us," Paulus said. "It's a big ACC win, and it's an even bigger win doing it on someone else's home court. It's a good sign for us, and hopefully we can keep it going. We don't want to stop there. We want to keep building on it and keep getting better."

Of course, the season-ending matchup in Durham should be an exciting one, assuming Lawson is healthy and the Tar Heels are back to their top offensive speed.

"They ran their stuff a little differently," Duke's Gerald Henderson said. "Their transition wasn't as fast because of him. He's a real jet, so it's unfortunate that he's hurt. (But) we still had to go out there and execute our game plan and not worry about him not being in the game."

The Blue Devils did just that. And in the process they showed that right now they're the team to beat in the ACC.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Maybe those students were right, sort of. Carolina certainly made it interesting by pressuring Duke in the backcourt. A Danny Green three after a Duke turnover cut the lead to five with 54 seconds to go. But that's as close as the Tar Heels would get, as Duke hung on for an 89-78 win.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Tar Heels still can't buy a bucket. Wayne Ellington had a three go just about all the way down before jumping back out of the basket. Hansbrough is missing free throws. And Duke is in full stall mode. Things are certainly looking good for the Blue Devils, up nine with two minutes to play.

In typical Carolina fashion, a good portion of the crowd is starting to filter out, prompting the student section to start a chant of "Game's not over."

But it sure looks like it is.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Greg Paulus has had an unbelievable shooting night for the Blue Devils.

After UNC cut the Duke lead to six and starting feeling a little momentum, Paulus bagged a fall-away three-pointer in front of his own bench to push the lead back to nine. It wasn't the first fall-away he has hit from beyond the arc tonight, where he has been nearly perfect.

With an eight-point lead, Duke is now content to slow things down and milk some clock. If UNC has any tricks up its sleeve, now is the time to use them.

UPDATE: Deon Thompson just fouled out of the game with 4:26 to go.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- When the Tar Heels are passing it to Hansbrough, they look a heck of a lot better on offense. Duke can't seem to stop him -- but in the Devils' defense, not many teams have -- and Carolina has gotten the big man the ball on the last two possessions.

The result?

Two baskets. It's still a five-point Duke lead, but those scores were enough to prompt Coach K to call a timeout and discuss with his team how to slow down UNC's big man.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Tar Heels are getting Duke to miss, but they're not taking advantage.

Instead, turnovers and missed shots are all Carolina is getting at the offensive end, allowing Duke to hang on to a seven-point lead. This is where not having Lawson really hurts UNC. Ginyard just can't do the things that Lawson can do, and neither can Thomas, though the Heels seem to fare better when the senior is in.

That said, Thomas just committed a turnover and foul, and the Blue Devils don't look like they're going to give up this lead no matter how many shots they miss.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Bad news for the Tar Heels: Deon Thompson, who combined with Tyler Hansbrough to go 13-of-18 in the first half (mostly Psycho T, though), picked up a pair of cheap fouls within 30 seconds. The second of the two was his fourth of the game, which could hurt UNC's inside advantage.

North Carolina trails, 55-51, at the moment and absolutely must get it to Hansbrough, who had 18 points at the half.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The crowd here, which hit a HUGE lull when Duke opened up a decent lead, woke up a bit as the Tar Heels did some work in the final two minutes of the half. Thanks to a pair of Ginyard free throws and consecutive buckets by Tyler Hansbrough, the Tar Heels pulled within three, 42-39 at the half.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Some fans here at the Smith Center have begun holding up VCU shirts -- the Rams knocked Duke out of last year's NCAA tourney -- when the Blue Devils shoot free throws. But other than that little bit of enjoyment, it hasn't been great fun for the Carolina fans, as their team went down by nine.

The Blue Devils are trying to get to Marcus Ginyard with a full-court press, and it seems to have had at least some affect on the fill-in point guard (normally a forward). Ginyard did hit a big three, though, to keep things from getting too bad. But as it stands, Duke is up by 10 -- the first double-digit lead of the game.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Duke broke the tie with back-to-back threes and then added another after a Quentin Thomas layup, and suddenly the Blue Devils had a seven-point lead.

While Duke is killing it from outside, Roy Williams is starting to show a little frustration with a few of Thomas' passing decisions. But UNC has been tough on defense inside the arc and are going to the line -- after a timeout -- to try to cut into Duke's 27-22 lead.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Duke briefly took a one-point lead on a three-pointer from Nolan Smith after a UNC turnover, but Deon Thompson answered back quickly with a jump shot to put UNC back on top.

Thompson and Hansbrough scored 16 of Carolina's first 18 points, proving that even with Lawson out, the focus will be to get the ball inside. But Jon Scheyer hit a three that just tied the game at 18 and quieted this crowd a bit.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The fans here are booing just about everything that Gerald Henderson does (except when he missed a jumper on Duke's second possession). But hostilities aside, this is already shaping up to be quite a game.

While the Carolina offense hasn't looked perfect, and the Heels really haven't gotten out in transition, Thomas appears to be handling himself fine. And UNC's big men are having their way underneath against the smaller Blue Devils.

Duke, though, is doing its usual good job from the outside. Thanks to a pair of threes, they trail the Tar Heels by just two, 12-10 five minutes in.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- With just 15 minutes to go before tipoff, we just got an update: UNC sophomore point guard Ty Lawson will not play. That means Quentin Thomas will get the start against a Duke defense that leads the league in steals.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Duke-North Carolina rivalry is always guaranteed to be a big game, and it's even bigger with the Blue Devils ranked second in the country and the Tar Heels checking in at No. 3. But for all the things we know about this rivalry, there is one lingering question tonight here at the Smith Center: Will UNC point guard Ty Lawson play?

Carolina coach Roy Williams has said Lawson won't go unless he's at least 90 percent, but it's hard to keep a kid out of this rivalry game if he really wants to play. If Lawson doesn't go, it will be senior Quentin Thomas, who played 36 minutes in relief of Lawson in a win against Florida State the other day.

The good news for the Tar Heels (21-1, 6-1 in the ACC) is that Thomas' cumulative stats against the Blue Devils (19-1, 7-0) in the last two years are: 29 minutes, eight assists and one turnover. But there's a huge difference between spot duty and 40 minutes of handling Duke's pressure.

The other big question coming in to tonight's game is what kind of reception Gerald Henderson will receive (Hint: It won't be a warm one). After Henderson's flying elbow broke Tyler Hansbrough's nose last season, unleashing a torrent of blood onto the floor of the Dean Dome, you can bet the Tar Heel faithful will be targeting him from the get-go.

Other than that, what is there to say with a little more than an hour to go before tipoff? Carolina has won three straight games in this rivalry, but once the ball tips, all bets are off.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- For No. 7 Tennessee it wasn't how it started, but how it finished in a 104-82 win over Florida Tuesday night. The win moves the Vols to 20-2 on the season, the best start in the program's history.

The Gators jumped out to a 16-3 lead at the start of the game catching the Vols off guard with quick three-pointers and transition layups over the Tennessee press.

"We knew coming out they are a great starting team," JaJuan Smith said. "We knew they were going to come out well, we just told each other to maintain our effort."

The lead didn't last as Tennessee evened things up in the first half then used a barrage of three-pointers and transition points in the second half to break things open against one of their biggest rivals.

Chris Lofton led Tennessee with 26 points and was one of three Volunteers to score over 20. JaJuan Smith added 23 and Tyler Smith scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half, all while playing with three fouls. Lofton and JaJuan Smith combined for 12 three-pointers and made some big shots to extend the lead in the second half.

"In the second half our experience was a factor," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. "With three senior guards and a little bit more depth, playing at home we are supposed to do what we did tonight."

Florida was led by center Marreese Speights who had 23 points and nine rebounds. Freshman guard Nick Calathes had a strong first half scoring 12 points, but only added three in the second half as the Vols limited his open looks from the outside.

Pearl said his team made an effort in the second half to make sure that Calathes didn't get open looks, even comparing the effort to the New York Giant's pressure they put on New England quarterback Tom Brady.

"That is what we said in the second half, we have to get pressure on Brady, pressure on Calathes," Pearl said with a smile.

The game was close during the much of the second half, the Vols were only up five with under 10 minutes to play, but after Florida's Dan Werner was called for an intentional foul against J.P. Prince the momentum began to swing in Tennessee's favor. The Vols closed on a 33-16 run. Prince fell hard to the ground and immediately popped back up and got in Werner's face for the hard contact. Prince was given a technical foul for the confrontation, something coach Pearl was not pleased with after the game.

"You take the foul, get off the ground, dust yourself off, walk to the line. That's part of the game," Pearl said. "I was not happy at how we reacted to that foul."

Luckily for the Vols Calathes missed one of the technical free-throws and the Vols started their run. The Vols were up nine when Lofton hit a fade-away three-pointer with a Florida defender in his face to put the Vols up double digits for the first time. JaJuan Smith then stole the ball on the Gators next two possessions and found Tyler Smith both times for two monstrous dunks.

JaJuan Smith sealed the deal for the Tennessee fans scoring the last five points including a long three-pointer under a minute to go.

Play of the game: Chris Lofton helped start an 11-2 Tennessee run by hitting a step-back three-pointer in the face of a Florida defender. The Vols stole the ball on the next two Gator possessions and turned them into Tyler Smith dunks.

Players of the game: Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith and Tyler Smith: The Tennessee trio dominated in the second half and were the reason why the Vols managed to pull away at the end. The three combined for 72 points and 12 three-pointers.

Next up for Tennessee: Saturday @ LSU
Next up for Florida: Saturday vs. Georgia

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- A close game was blown wide open late as Tennessee won 104-82 over Florida. The Vols used a late 11-2 run to pull ahead for good behind a Chris Lofton three-pointer and two straight steals by JaJuan Smith who found a cutting Tyler Smith for the dunks.

Chris Lofton led all scorers with 26 points and was one of three Volunteers that scored over 20 on the night along with Tyler Smith and JaJuan Smith.

There will be more from Knoxville after the coaches and players teleconference.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee just scored eight points in under a minute to take a 97-79 lead. Duke Crews just fouled out on the defensive end, but it looks like the Vols are going to hold on for a big SEC win.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- It hasn't been a pretty second half for either team as Tennessee holds a 90-79 lead over Florida with 3:41 left. Both teams are battling foul problems, but no one has fouled out yet. Florida has three players on the floor with four fouls each.

Chris Lofton has really stepped up of late hitting a deep fade away three-pointer then faking a shot and finding a cutting Duke Crews for a short jumper.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee fans are getting a testy after a hard intentional foul was called on Nick Calathes when he hit J.P. Prince going up for a layup attempt. Prince then got into Calathes' face and and a technical foul was called. Both teams are in the double bonus with 9:18 left. Tennessee leads, 75-68, but at this rate we're going to see a lot of players foul out.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NORMAL, Ill. -- The historic run continues for Drake after a 73-70 win over Illinois State. The Bulldogs are now 21-1, which is the best start in school history. It's only the fifth time ever they have won 21 in one season, and it hasn't happened in 37 years.

Their 20-game winning streak is obviously the longest in school history and the fourth-longest ever by a MVC team. It is also the first time since 1970 that Drake has won 12 conference games.

After the game, coach Keno Davis talked about how his team feels about having a four game lead.

"We haven't talked to our team about our lead, what place we're in, our streak or any of that. We only talk about playing our best when we get to St. Louis [the site of the MVC tournament]. Usually, that's the only chance we have at the post season. This year is a little different in that regard."

He also talked about shot selection.

"We have no real inside presence, so we need to rely on the threes. People watch tapes of us and see quick shots and say, 'That's a bad shot,' because it's early in the shot clock, but Josh Young open from 19' 9" is probably the best shot we're going to get, even if we pass the ball 10 more times, so why not shoot it then?"

Of course, Young didn't get anywhere near 19' 9" on his three pointers tonight. He was always at least two full steps behind the line, but that doesn't change his point.

When ISU coach Tim Jankovich was asked what he told his team after the game, he said, "I told them I'm proud of them. They gave great effort. Sure, they made some mistakes, but they were 'trying' mistakes. How could I not be proud of them?"

He kind of rambled on a bit, but ended with, "too often we get focused on the wins and losses. I think if you going and give it your best effort, you should be happy with that as an athlete."

It's not the kind of thing you hear winning coaches say, I suppose, but I liked it. When I coach kids, that's always my message. Play hard, do the best you can, and let wins and losses take care of themselves. Sometimes, the other team is just better. That's what happened to ISU today.

I got to write all this while listening to some opera singer practice singing the fight song with the pep band. I'm not even sure he was singing it in English, but whatever he was singing, he sang it well.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee holds onto a 67-64 lead over Florida, but both teams are in foul trouble and in the double bonus with 10:43 left in the game.

Tennessee's Wayne Chism and Duke Crews just picked up their fourth fouls depleting the Vols post depth. Numerous Florida players have three and four fouls.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Chris Lofton's fourth three of the game has given No. 7 Tennessee a 53-52 lead over Florida. Lofton leads all scorers with 18 points.

The Vols started the second half slowly, but have clawed back forcing the Gators into numerous turnovers. There's 15:54 left in the game.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- After a crazy first half the Florida Gators have a 48-44 lead over No. 7 Tennessee.

The Gators jumped out to an 18-5 lead, but saw Tennessee climb back into it and even take a brief lead. Both teams had 30 points int he first ten minutes, but the scoring slowed down a bit in the latter part of the first half.

Tennessee has won three of the last four games against Florida, but were sluggish at the beginning as the Gators had numerous open 3s and layups in transition.

Marreese Speights leads three Florida players in double figures with 15 points. Chris Lofton leads the Vols with 13. Lofton made his first three 3-pointers, but the Florida zone helped slow him down near the end.

Tennessee's Tyler Smith picked up his third foul near the end of the first half, which could be a factor for the Vols. Smith is the Vols third leading scorer on the year.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee's Tyler Smith just picked up his third foul of the game with 1:36 left in the half. Smith is the Vols leading scorer and is arguably their best one-on-one player. Let's see if Florida can stretch the lead going into the half. The Gators lead, 46-37.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- J.P. Prince has ignited the Tennessee fans with dunk off the alley-oop pass from JaJuan Smith. Prince has eight points on the night.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee and Florida have both come out scorching from the field. Both teams are shooting over 60 percent as the Gators hold a 32-30 lead with eight minutes left in the first half.

Chris Lofton has 11 early points on 4-of-4 shooting and has knocked down three threes.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- It's a high scoring fare at Tennessee as the Vols have climbed back from a double-digit deficit to tie the game at 30-30. JaJuan Smith and Chris Lofton have just hit three huge threes to bring the Vols within three, then Wayne Chism took a shot at the top of the key to tie it up.

Thompson-Boling Arena is rocking right now.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 09:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Florida has jumped out to a 16-3 lead over Tennessee behind some tough defense and numerous fast break layups. Chris Lofton hit a three-pointer early on, but the Vols have failed to score since then missing multiple inside shots.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 09:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- After two straight road wins, No. 7 Tennessee returns home to face rival Florida, a game that will determine first place in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division.

The Vols hold a one game lead over the Gators in the standings seven games into the conference schedule.

Tennessee has had recent success against Florida beating the two-time defending champions in three of the four last meetings. Their lone loss was a 94-78 setback in Gainesville last season when Chris Lofton was out with a sprained ankle.

After struggling during much of the early part of the season Lofton has returned to form recently, scoring over 20 points in four straight games. Last season's SEC Most Valuable Player is shooting almost 50 percent from three-point range during the stretch. Earlier this season Lofton became the SEC's career three-point leader. His 383 career threes are eighth in NCAA history.

Florida is coming off an 80-61 loss at Arkansas on Feb. 2, a game where they trailed by 25 at the half. This year's team barely resembles the team that cut down the nets the last two years. Ten of the 12 players on this year's team are either freshmen or sophomores.

The Gators aren't without talent though. Freshman Nick Calathes leads Florida in scoring at over 15 points a game. He is one of the many guards that Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said will give his team problems because of his ballhandling skills.

Tennessee is forcing an average of 20 turnovers a game, but Pearl said on Monday he was worried that Florida could be tough to turn over.

Pearl has played a deep lineup this season. Eleven players average double digit minutes on the year and the team will add another fresh body tonight. Ryan Childress looked like he is back in good health during pregame warmups after he didn't travel to last Saturday's game against Mississippi State.

The Tennessee students have come out early for this SEC battle and have already booed one Florida fan out of the student section. It should be loud in Thompson-Boling tonight as a sellout crowd is on hand to see the two rivals.

Players to watch for: Tennessee's Chris Lofton has finally broken out of an early season slump and has four straight 20-point games.

Florida's Nick Calathes has been one of the best freshmen in the SEC this season. He leads the Gators in points and assists and could be a matchup problem for Tennessee with his 6-foot-6 height.

Posted by Hunter Pavlik at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Welcome to live, Super Tuesday coverage of the Drake-Illinois St primary from Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena in Normal, IL.

15th-ranked Drake is undefeated in Missouri Valley play at 11-0, while ISU is second at 7-3.

Drake has won 19 straight overall and is one of the nation's biggest surprises. They are seventh in the nation in three pointers made per game with 9.5. They are led in scoring by sophomore Josh Young at 16.1 ppg. The Bulldogs are also an excellent FT shooting team. Only one player in their nine-man rotation shoots below 71% (Brent Heemskerk, 47%)

ISU has lost three of five entering this game, but stgaring forward Anthony Slack missed two and a half of those games with a shoulder injury. He returned with a 12 rebound performance against Missouri St on Saturday.

The Redbirds leading scorer is Osiris Eldridge, a sophomore, with 15.2 ppg.

Drake won the first meeting on January 19th by a score of 79-73 in Des Moines. In spite of that, exit polling shows Illinois St as a 3.5 point favorite.

The rest of the blogging will take place in the box below. Feel free to join in the conversation as the evening goes on.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES -- On a court with three highly-touted freshmen, Arizona sophomore Chase Budinger was a case study on why even a little experience can go a long way.

The 6-foot-7 forward dazzled in the second half of an 80-69 Pacific-10 Conference victory over USC on Thursday night. He had a game-high 29 points with eight rebounds and stroked four of Arizona 10 3-pointers in the victory. Before a record crowd of 10,258 at the Galen Center, he helped lead the Wildcats back into the Pacific-10 Conference title race.

Arizona's 3-point shooting and a 37-30 rebounding advantage helped the Wildcats move into a tie for third place in the Pac-10 standings.

Budinger and Arizona hope to take another step on Saturday in Pauley Pavilion against first-place UCLA but not before he made sure Arizona handled its business against the Trojans.

Budinger didn't do it all by himself, with Jawann McClellan firing away for 23 points and grabbing eight of his rebounds and 6-foot-10 forward Jordan Hill grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds but Budinger delivered when necessary. He made a 3-pointer to tie it 55-55 in the second half and his next 3-ball put Arizona up 60-56 and the Wildcats just kept adding to their lead.

"We came in very confident," Budinger said. "We came off a couple of great games shooting and hopefully, this keeps on going for us."

Arizona coach Kevin O'Neill said afterward he was happy to see his team overcome a rough night for freshman Jerryd Bayless, who had 10 points and four rebounds but also had three turnovers.

USC freshman OJ Mayo led USC with 23 points but he wilted down the stretch. The 6-5 guard made just 9 of 23 shots and made just 4 of 14 after halftime. Davon Jefferson, another dynamite freshman for the Trojans, added 19 points and seven rebounds. He probably could have finished with a double-double if he hadn't dropped a few defensive rebounds which lead to Arizona baskets.

"Frustrating, real frustrating," USC sophomore Taj Gibson said of being outrebounded. "We're big enough we should be able to get all of the rebounds."

The loss snapped a four-game win streak for USC and the hold further cause for concern due to the injury to starting guard Daniel Hackett. USC coach Tim Floyd said Hackett was going to be taken in for X-rays and the worst-case scenario could be a chipped bone in his hip and a broken rib.

"He's one of the toughest guys I know," Floyd said. "I fear the worst because he didn't come back."

It's not the best time for a thin USC team to lose a starter either. The Trojans find four teams ahead of them in the Pac-10 standings and are tied with Arizona State, which plays at the Galen Center on Saturday night.

"You get a win in this league and you cherish it," Gibson said. "Every game in the Pac-10 is hard to win."

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 01:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES -- Arizona dominated in the closing minutes to capture an 80-69 victory over USC and pull ahead in the Pacific-10 Conference standings. Chase Budinger had a game-high 29 points with eight rebounds to lead the Wildcats, who improved to 15-6 overall and 5-3 in conference.

USC fell to 13-7 overall and 4-4 in conference.

We'll have more after talking to both teams.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 12:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES -- Arizona has taken a 67-59 lead with 3:41 left in the second half. The Wildcats continue to outrebound USC and offensive rebounds have helped Arizona during a 12-3 run, which included a two-minute scoreless span for USC.

Posted by Bob Holtzman at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)