Blue Devils keep pace with UNC
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Reserve Andre Dawkins scored 22 points and freshman Austin Rivers added 20 to lead No. 5 Duke to a 74-66 victory over No. 15 Florida State on Thursday night.
The win kept the Blue Devils (24-4, 11-2) tied with No. 7 North Carolina for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference while Florida State (19-8, 10-3) dropped a game behind.
Dawkins scored 18 points over the last 11:23 of the first half, going 5 of 7 from 3-point range as Duke took a 39-32 lead. The Blue Devils took the lead for keeps at 17-15 on a layup by Rivers with 10:44 remaining in the half.
Ryan Kelly added 13 points and Miles Plumlee had 10 for Duke, which shot 42.3 percent from the field, including 13 of 28 from 3-point range.
Michael Snaer had 18 points for the Seminoles, while Bernard James added 13 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots. Snaer, whose first of two buzzer-beating game-winning 3-pointers this season ended Duke’s 45-game home winning streak 33 days ago, sat out the last 9:49 of the first half after drawing his second personal foul.
The Seminoles, who have never won an ACC title, beat Duke and North Carolina last month. But they never got a shot at any last-second heroics Thursday although they got within three points twice, the last at 61-58 with 4:17 left on a three-point play by James.
Dawkins scored 12 points in a 3-minute span that sparked a 14-4 run midway through the half that gave the Blue Devils a 26-17 lead. The 6-foot-4 Dawkins hit successive 3s just 24 seconds apart a bit later to give the Blue Devils their largest lead of the half, 39-26. Duke led 53-40 6 minutes into the second half.
Dawkins finished 6 of 9 and Rivers was 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
Florida State was just 4 of 15 from long range, 12 of 12 at the free throw line and shot 39.7 percent overall.
Florida State, which had won 10 of its last 11 games, was unbeaten in six previous conference home games while Duke was undefeated in six league road games.
Murray St. 80, Tennessee St. 62
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Isaiah Canaan scored 16 of his 24 points in the first half, and No. 14 Murray State routed Tennessee State, avenging the Racers’ lone loss this season.
The Racers (27-1, 14-1 Ohio Valley Conference) blew a 13-point lead in losing 72-68 on Feb. 9. They used a 14-0 run over the final 2:31 of the first half Thursday with four Racers each hitting a 3-pointer in blowing open a tight game.
WOMEN’S ROUNDUP Delaware 71, George Mason 53
NEWARK, Del. — Elena Delle Donne had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 9 Delaware coasted past George Mason to stretch its winning streak to 15.
The Blue Hens (25-1, 16-0 Colonial Athletic Association) scored the game’s first six points and never trailed. Delle Donne outscored George Mason 22-21 in the first half and finished 9 for 16 from the field, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc, and went 7 for 8 at the foul line.
It was a redemptive performance for the 6-foot-5 junior, who tallied a season-low 12 points on 4-for-19 shooting in a 40-39 win over Drexel on Sunday. She did hit the game-winner in that game with 2 seconds left.
Arkansas 72, Tennessee 71
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Lyndsay Harris scored 20 points and hit a pair of free throws with 6 seconds left to help Arkansas beat No. 10 Tennessee in overtime.
Shekinna Stricklen hit a layup for Tennessee with 48 seconds left to play to cut Arkansas’ lead to 70-69. The Lady Vols got the ball back when Keira Peak lost it out of bounds under the Arkansas basket.
Peak fouled Stricklen, who missed both of her free throws with 10 seconds left. Kamiko Williams fouled Harris, who sealed the win for Arkansas (21-6, 10-5 Southeastern Conference).
Georgia 87, Mississippi 52
ATHENS, Ga. — Meredith Mitchell scored 20 points and 18th-ranked Georgia pulled away in the second half for a Southeastern Conference victory over Mississippi.
Jasmine Hassell added 15 points and Anne Marie Armstrong and Khaalidah Miller had 14 apiece for the Lady Bulldogs (21-7, 10-5), who came into the game tied for third in the league with Arkansas, LSU and South Carolina.
Purdue 60, Michigan 49
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Brittany Rayburn scored 15 points to help No. 22 Purdue break a three-game losing streak with a victory over Michigan.
Rayburn hit double figures for the 88th time in her career. Chantel Poston added 12 points and Courtney Moses 11 for the Boilermakers (20-8, 10-5 Big Ten).
Michigan State 73, Nebraska 53
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Klarissa Bell scored 19 points to pace Michigan State to its third straight victory with a decision over No. 23 Nebraska.
Taylor Alton hit four 3-pointers and scored 18 points for the Spartans (18-10, 10-5 Big Ten), who shot 52 percent (29 of 56) and went 9 of 18 from long range. Porsche Poole added 13 points and nine assists.
Kentucky 53, South Carolina 50
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A’dia Mathies scored 21 points and the No. 13 Kentucky women defeated South Carolina.
The win give the Wildcats a 17-0 home record this season, the third time in program history they have gone undefeated at home.
