college basketball notes
Kentucky gets best of rival Louisville
Tyler Herro had a career-high 24 points, Keldon Johnson added 15 and No. 16 Kentucky beat Louisville 71-58 on Saturday in Louisville, Ky.
A close game for 10 minutes quickly swung toward the Wildcats (10-2) behind an 11-0 run for a 31-17 lead. The spurt typified their success on both ends. They kept the Cardinals (9-4) from passing and driving inside and grabbed offensive rebounds leading to second and third chances.
Herro thrived the most, making 10 of 13 from the field with four 3-pointers to pass his previous best of 18 achieved twice, most recently Dec. 1 against UNC Greensboro. Johnson was just 5 of 13 but helped Kentucky keep a double-digit lead for much of the final 30 minutes. The Wildcats won their third in a row overall and 10th of 12 in the Bluegrass rivalry.
Azubuike hit the ground running after missing four games, scoring seven points in the first six minutes, highlighted by a couple of and-one dunks. He finished with 14 in the first half and added nine in the second before being sat to rest.
The 7-footer’s presence opened things up offensively for the Jayhawks (11-1) as they racked up a season-high 25 assists and had 10 players score.
The Hilltoppers improved to 7-6, while the Badgers fell to 10-3.
In Tempe, Ariz., Princeton held on to stun No. 17 Arizona State 67-66.
The Tigers (7-5) beat a ranked opponent for the first time since a victory over then-No. 25 Harvard in 2012.
For the Sun Devils (9-3), the loss comes one week after they upset then-No. 1 Kansas.