NEW YORK (Sporting Alert) — NCAA top 25 teams swept the schedule on Tuesday night, with No. 1 Kentucky leading the way with a comfortable 66-48 victory over Tennessee.
Devin Booker scored 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench and the Wildcats (26-0, 13-0 SEC) let loose in the second half to improve its season record to 26-0 for the first time in school history.
“At a school like Kentucky, to hold the records that they’re holding, it’s incredible stuff now,” head coach John Calipari said of the undefeated start.
“But there’s so much more. We don’t need all this other stuff that’s out there.
“I’m watching closely all these shows that are saying how to beat us because I want to make sure that I learn what to do when they say, `This is what you do to beat them.’ I’m watching those shows so closely.”
Andrew Harrison had 14 points and Trey Lyles added 10 points and five rebounds in the win for Kentucky, which outscored the Volunteers 31-17 in the second half.
Kevin Punter paced Tennessee (14-11, 6-7 SEC) with 14 points and Josh Richardson ended with 10 in the defeat for the Vols, who dropped two in a row and four in the last five.
After a blow opening half in their last game, which they dropped 73-55 at LSU, Tennessee got off to a good start Tuesday night and shot 54.2 percent in the first half.
However, the hosts failed to connect in the second half, where they shot just 25.0 percent and Kentucky ran away with the contest after shooting 41.5 percent in the game overall.
Leading 48-44 with 9:09 remaining in the game, the Wildcats used an 18-4 run to open a big gap as Tennessee struggled to get going from the field.
At the Purcell Pavilion, in Indiana, Jerian Grant collected a double-double of 24 points and 10 assists, while picking up five steals, and No. 10 Notre Dame beat Wake Forest 88-75.
The Fighting Irish (23-4, 11-3 ACC) were collecting their second successive win and three in the last four, with their most recent defeat being a 90-60 hammering against No. 4 Duke on February 7.
Pat Connaughton scored 13 points and Steve Vasturia and Zach Auguste each added 12 in the win.
Devin Thomas finished with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Codi Miller-McIntyre and Darius Leonard ended with 10 apiece in the defeat for the Demon Deacons (12-15, 4-10 ACC).
Elsewhere, No. 17 Oklahoma rallied for a 71-69 win against Texas, while fellow Big 12 outfits No. 20 Baylor had a 54-49 win over Texas Tech
Top 25 Games
RESULT BASKETBALL
(1) Kentucky 66, Tennessee 48
(10) Notre Dame 88, Wake Forest 75
(13) Wichita St 84, Southern Illinois 62
(17) Oklahoma 71, Texas 69
(20) Baylor 54, Texas Tech 49
(25) Virginia Commonwealth 74, Saint Louis 54
