LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Quentin Snider scored a career-high 22 points, including a key drive with 1:44 remaining, and Jaylen Johnson and Donovan Mitchell combined for four points in the final 16 seconds to help No. 10 Louisville beat No. 6 Kentucky 73-70 on Wednesday night in the 50th battle for Bluegrass bragging rights.
After managing just two rebounds in 28 minutes last year in Lexington, Snider rebounded with 10-of-19 shooting to help the Cardinals earn a signature win against their in-state rival. But he needed help down the stretch with Johnson’s layup with 16 seconds left and Mitchell’s two free throws with 8 seconds left for a three-point edge that helped end a four-game losing streak in the series.
Malik Monk’s 3-point attempt to tie for Kentucky bounced off the front of the rim with 3 seconds left, and Deng Adel grabbed the rebound to seal the win for Louisville (11-1).
De’Aaron Fox led Kentucky (10-2) with 21 points while Monk had 16 a game after scoring a freshman-record 47 against North Carolina.
No. 1 Villanova 90, American 48
Josh Hart scored 20 points to lead No. 1 Villanova to its 18th straight win, 90-48 over American on Wednesday night.
The Wildcats (12-0) shook off a sluggish first half and crushed the Patriot League’s Eagles over the final 20 minutes. The Wildcats, seeded third, rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat American in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia. Playing on campus, this one was never that close.
Delante Jones led the Eagles (3-8) with 12 points.
No. 4 Baylor 89, Texas Southern 63
Johnathan Motley had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead five double-digit scorers, and No. 4 Baylor finished its perfect run through nonconference play with a 89-63 victory over Texas Southern on Wednesday night.
The Bears (12-0) shot 59 percent from the field, including 8 for 14 from 3-point range.
Kevin Scott was 7 for 8 for 15 points to lead the Tigers (4-9), who have dropped eight straight. Their last win was a 67-56 decision against James Madison on Nov. 21.
No. 5 Duke 72, Elon 61
Luke Kennard scored 21 points while Duke star Grayson Allen received a technical foul for his third tripping incident in a year during the fifth-ranked Blue Devils’ 72-61 victory over Elon on Wednesday night.
Duke (12-1) trailed 35-34 at halftime before rallying for its 10th straight win in its final game before starting Atlantic Coast Conference play.
Brian Dawkins scored 18 points for the Phoenix (7-5).
No. 8 North Carolina 85, Northern Iowa 42
Kennedy Meeks scored 10 of his 18 points during No. 8 North Carolina’s dominant second half, leading the Tar Heels past Northern Iowa 85-42 on Wednesday night.
Justin Jackson added 12 points while Joel Berry II and Isaiah Hicks finished with 11 apiece for the Tar Heels (11-2).
They shot 52 percent – hit 62 percent of their shots in the second half while outscoring Northern Iowa 52-16 – and established a 42-24 rebounding advantage to bounce back from a 103-100 loss to No. 6 Kentucky last weekend.
No. 13 Butler 81, Vermont 69
Andrew Chrabascz scored a season-high 28 points and No. 13 Butler shot 69.6 percent from the field in the second half Wednesday night to pull away from Vermont 81-69.
The Bulldogs (11-1) have won three straight and extended their home winning streak against non-conference foes to 36.
No. 15 Purdue 91, Norfolk St. 45
Caleb Swanigan had a career-best 32 points and 20 rebounds – his fourth consecutive double-double – and No. 15 Purdue defeated Norfolk State 91-45 on Wednesday night, the Boilermakers’ sixth straight victory.
Swanigan, who is averaging 23 points and 15.3 rebounds during the past four games, had 20 points and 14 rebounds in 17 first-half minutes, when the Boilermakers (11-2) built a commanding 53-25 lead over the Spartans (3-10).