MIAMI, FL — NCAA basketball AP Top 25 scores on Wednesday, with Kansas, Villanova, Virginia, UCLA and Florida among the Top 15 teams securing wins on the night.
No. 3 KANSAS, No. 2 BAYLOR 68
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Josh Jackson had a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 3 Kansas beat No. 2 Baylor 73-68 to continue its quest for its 13th straight Big 12 title.
Despite struggling from the floor where he went just 3-of-12, Frank Mason III knocked down all 12 of his free throws to finish with 19 points to go with six assists and three steals and Devonte Graham added 13 for the Jayhawks (20-2, 8-1 Big 12).
Johnathan Motley had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Baylor, while Manu Lecomte also scored 16 in the defeat.
Terry Maston ended with 14 points and five rebounds off the bench and Joe Lual-Acuil Jr. finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for the Bears (20-2, 7-2), who now trail Kansas by a game in the race for the Big 12 title.
As a team, the Jayhawks trailed 34-28 at halftime, shot 55.6 percent from 3-point range and 46.2 overall in the second half to squeeze out the victory and improved to 15-0 at Allen Fieldhouse against Baylor.
No. 4 VILLANOVA 66, PROVIDENCE 57
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Jalen Brunson scored 21 points, including 15 in the second half and fourth-ranked Villanova fended off Providence for a 66-57 victory on Wednesday night.
Brunson, who shot 8-of-13 from the floor, also had five assists to go with two steals in the win.
Josh Hart added 17 points with four 3-pointers and pulled down eight rebounds and Eric Paschall finished with 12 points and six rebounds for the Wildcats (21-2, 8-2 Big East), who never trailed.
Freshman Alpha Diallo scored 18 points to lead the way for Providence, which trailed by as many as 13 in the second half but managed to trim the gap to two points more than two minutes left.
With the victory on Wednesday night, Villanova, which shot 46.4 percent and held the Friars (14-10, 4-7) to just 39.6, to complete the season sweep.
In other NCAA basketball Top 25 scores on Wednesday night, No. 9 Virginia easily put away Virginia Tech, 71-48, No. 14 Cincinnati picked up a late 57-55 victory over Tulsa, while No. 15 Florida cruised to a 75-57 victory over rivals Miami (FL).
Complete NCAA Basketball Top 25 Scores
No. 3 KANSAS, No. 2 BAYLOR 68
No. 4 VILLANOVA 66, PROVIDENCE 57
No. 9 VIRGINIA 71, VIRGINIA TECH 48
No. 11 UCLA 95, WASHINGTON STATE 79
No. 14 CINCINNATI 57, TULSA 55
No. 15 FLORIDA STATE 75, MIAMI 57
No. 19 SOUTH CAROLINA 88, LSU 63
No. 23 PURDUE 80, No. 25 NORTHWESTERN 59
