college basketball notes
Washington powers Kentucky to victory
PJ Washington scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half, and No. 8 Kentucky beat No. 9 Kansas 71-63 on Saturday in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.
Washington had 13 rebounds, helping the Wildcats to a 49-36 advantage on the glass. Reid Travis had 18 points and 12 boards, and Keldon Johnson added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Neither team reached 40 percent shooting, but the host Wildcats (16-3) were much better in the second half and held the Jayhawks in check down the stretch of the marquee matchup between college basketball’s two winningest programs.
Dedric Lawson had 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Jayhawks.
Tennessee (18-1) erased its first double-digit deficit of the season and took command by ending the first half on a 24-2 run.
It was the Volunteers’ 14th consecutive victory in the school’s longest win streak since it opened the 1922-23 season with 14 straight wins.
West Virginia (9-11) lost for the seventh time in its last eight games.
The Wolfpack (16-4, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed by six with 26.5 left, but Clemson missed four straight free throws to keep the door ajar.
Marcquise Reed scored 19 points for the Tigers (11-8, 1-5).
Happ, a preseason All-American, tallied 10 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in the Badgers’ season-opening 85-63 victory Nov. 6 over Coppin State.