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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, January 18, 2009

No. 20 Louisville topples No. 1 Pitt

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Louisville's Earl Clark, who scored 16 points, had a clear shot over Pittsburgh's Sam Young.

ED REINKE | Associated Press

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Pittsburgh's perfect season unraveled in a perfect storm of missed shots, missed opportunities and one exquisitely timed birthday party by Louisville's Earl Clark.

The junior forward scored 16 points — including the clinching jumper with 45 seconds remaining — and grabbed 11 rebounds on his 21st birthday to lift the 20th-ranked Cardinals over the No. 1 Panthers, 69-63, last night.

"This game will help," said Pittsburgh guard Levance Fields. "Nobody wants to lose, but it's always good to get a loss on yourself so you know you're not unbeaten — so you know somebody can beat you."

Clark and the surging Cardinals (13-3, 4-0) left no doubt.

Louisville smothered the Panthers (16-1, 4-1) over the game's final 8 minutes, holding Pittsburgh to 1-of-16 shooting down the stretch to end Pittsburgh's first run at the top of the poll. The loss left No. 2 Wake Forest as the only unbeaten team in Division I.

"Give them credit, they beat us," said Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon, after his team turned the ball over a season-high 20 times against Louisville's full-court pressure. "We played well, they played well. They made shots down the stretch."

The biggest of them coming from Clark, who shrugged off a sluggish first half to lead Louisville on a 24-8 burst over the final 8:55 and lift the Cardinals to their first win over a No. 1 team since beating Florida on Dec. 13, 2003.

"It's a great win, it just happens to be on my birthday," Clark said.

Maybe, but Louisville's most talented player isn't the only one coming of age. So is his suddenly red-hot team.

"We made great plays," said Louisville coach Rick Pitino. "This is the fourth game in a row right now where we did really smart things down the stretch."

Jermaine Dixon had a career-high 19 points but missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 1:25 remaining and the Panthers trailing by four points. Sam Young added 14 points for Pittsburgh, but the Panthers battled foul trouble all night. Center DeJuan Blair had just nine points and 10 rebounds in 20 foul-plagued minutes.

"We talked about staying out of foul trouble and that was the difference," Jamie Dixon said.

NO. 2 WAKE FOREST 78, NO. 10 CLEMSON 68

CLEMSON, S.C. — Jeff Teague scored 24 points and the Demon Deacons (16-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) set a school record with their 16-0 start, while handing the Tigers (16-1,2-1) their first loss of the season.

The Demon Deacons led 58-44 after L.D. Williams' 3-pointer with 9:32 left. But the Tigers used a 16-3 run over the next 5 minutes to pull within 61-60. Wake Forest then went on a 7-0 run to surpass the school mark for best start since 1926-27.

NO. 3 DUKE 76, NO. 13 GEORGETOWN 67

DURHAM, N.C. — Gerald Henderson scored 23 points, Kyle Singler added 15 points and 16 rebounds and the Blue Devils (16-1) held off the Hoyas (12-4) in winning their Division I-best 68th straight nonconference game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

DaJuan Summers scored 21 points in his 17th straight double-figure game, and Austin Freeman added 15 for the Hoyas, who trailed by 15 points in the second half before using a 13-2 run to get within 46-42 with 15 1/2 minutes left.

NO. 5 NORTH CAROLINA 82, MIAMI 65

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — After a scoreless first half, Wayne Ellington hit his first eight shots — seven 3-pointers —and finished with 23 points, helping the Tar Heels (16-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) turn back the Hurricanes (13-4, 2-2).

Tyler Hansbrough added 24 points for the Tar Heels, who used a 13-0 run to end the first half with a 36-32 lead. Jack McClinton had 21 points for the Hurricanes, who led by nine in the first half and trailed by just four with 17 minutes left before Ellington's outburst.

NO. 6 OKLAHOMA 69, TEXAS A&M 63

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Austin Johnson had 19 points, Blake Griffin added 16, and the Sooners (17-1, 3-0 Big 12) led from start to finish, but allowed the Aggies (15-3, 1-2) to cut a 13-point second-half lead to two on a 3-pointer by Donald Sloan with about 2 minutes remaining.

Johnson pushed the lead to 62-57 with a 3-pointer about 30 seconds later and Johnson had four free throws and Griffin added two to secure the Sooners' fifth straight win.

NO. 7 MICHIGAN STATE 63, ILLINOIS 57

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Kalin Lucas scored all 10 of his points in the second half, Raymar Morgan made two free throws for a 54-53 lead with 4:49 left, and the Spartans (15-2, 5-0 Big Ten) never trailed thereafter in beating the Fighting Illini (15-3, 3-2) for their 11th straight win and 28th in a row at home.

Michigan State hasn't lost at the Breslin Center since Feb. 3, 2007. Alex Legion scored a season-high 15 points for the Fighting Illini, who led 34-27 at halftime.

NO. 8 SYRACUSE 93, NO. 12 NOTRE DAME 74

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Arinze Onuaku scored 19 points, Paul Harris added 15 points and 10 rebounds and the Orange (17-2, 5-1 Big East), coming off a loss at Georgetown that stopped a seven-game winning streak, snapped a three-game losing streak against the Irish (12-5, 3-3).

Luke Harangody had 25 points and 16 rebounds, his 10th straight 20-point game and seventh consecutive double-double, to lead the Irish. Kyle McAlarney finished with seven 3-pointers and 24 points.

NO. 16 ARIZONA STATE 61, NO. 9 UCLA 58

LOS ANGELES — James Harden scored 24 points, including a layup in overtime, and Derek Glasser made two free throws to give the Sun Devils (15-3, 4-2 Pac-10) a 61-58 lead with one second left in overtime, and the Bruins (14-3, 4-1) were unable to get a final shot off.

Josh Shipp scored 16 points and Darren Collison added 14 for the Bruins, who had their 15-game home winning streak end. They had beaten the Sun Devils eight straight games.

NO. 11 TEXAS 71, TEXAS TECH 49

LUBBOCK, Texas — Damion James scored 18 points, Gary Johnson and Justin Mason added 15 points each as the visiting Longhorns (13-4, 2-1 Big 12) used a 12-4 run to go ahead 54-36 with 12:31 remaining to beat the Red Raiders (10-7, 0-2).

Texas players went to the basket consistently, getting 30 points in the paint, and went to the line 20 times, making all but five. Tech only got to the free-throw line 13 times, making six.

NO. 14 MARQUETTE 91, PROVIDENCE 82

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Jerel McNeal and Lazar Hayward each scored 25 points, and the Golden Eagles (16-2, 5-0 Big East) rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit, taking the lead for good, 82-79, on McNeal's 3-pointer to beat the Friars (11-6, 3-2).

Providence played most of the second half without Jeff Xavier, who was knocked in the face with 17 minutes left. While the players were waiting at the free-throw lane, a fan came onto the court to confront the referee, and arena officials said it was Xavier's brother, Jonathan.

NO. 17 BUTLER 59, ILLINOIS-CHICAGO 52

CHICAGO — Gordon Hayward hit seven 3-pointers and tied his career-high with 25 points, helping the visiting Bulldogs (16-1, 7-0 Horizon League), who rally from a 13-point second-half deficit to beat the Flames (9-8, 2-5) for their eighth straight victory.

Hayward hit two free throws and consecutive 3-pointers to give the Bulldogs a 53-45 lead with 2:21 left.

NO. 21 BAYLOR 98, OKLAHOMA STATE 92

WACO, Texas — Curtis Jerrells had 31 points and 10 assists, and Tweety Carter hit two 3-pointers to start overtime for an 88-82 lead and the host Bears (14-3, 2-1 Big 12) never trailed again in ending the Cowboys' (12-4, 1-1) seven-game winning streak.

Carter, who had three points while playing 32 minutes in regulation, finished with 11 points.

STANFORD 75, NO. 22 CALIFORNIA 69

STANFORD, Calif. — Lawrence Hill matched his career high with 25 points and the Cardinal (12-3, 2-3 Pac-10) spoiled former coach Mike Montgomery's return to Maples Pavilion with a victory over his Golden Bears (15-3, 4-1).

Anthony Goods added 19 points and Landry Fields had 15 points, five rebounds and two blocks for Stanford, which avoided dropping three in a row for the first time since ending the 2006-07 season by losing three straight.

NO. 24 TENNESSEE 82, SOUTH CAROLINA 79

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tyler Smith scored 20 points and the Volunteers (11-5, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) saw their 17-point, second-half lead dwindle to the final margin in a victory over the Gamecocks (12-4, 1-2).

The Volunteers avoided their first three-game home losing streak under coach Bruce Pearl. Tennessee has lost two in a row twice in Pearl's four seasons.

OHIO STATE 65, NO. 25 MICHIGAN 58

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Evan Turner scored 19 points, and William Buford and B.J. Mullens each added 15 to help the Buckeyes (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) upset the Wolverines (13-5, 3-3).

Michigan's Stu Douglass hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 47 with five minutes to play, but the Buckeyes went on a 10-0 run in the next four minutes to put the game away. Mullens had five points during the decisive spurt.

WAC

UTAH STATE 79, BOISE STATE 65

LOGAN, Utah — Tai Wesley scored a season-high 26 points and had eight rebounds, Jared Quayle also scored 18 and Gary Wilkinson added 10 as the Aggies (17-1, 5-0) defeated the Broncos (12-5, 3-2) in a Western Athletic Conference game.

Trailing 43-33 at halftime, Boise State started the second half with an 11-4 run, but could never catch the Aggies. Ike Okoye scored 15 and Paul Noonan added 14 for the Broncos.

Utah State jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the first half, before Boise State went on a 14-5 run of their own to take a 24-22 lead on a 3-pointer by Anthony Thomas. Utah State ended the half with a 7-0 run, capped by a half-court shot by Wesley as the horn sounded.

LOUISIANA TECH 74, IDAHO 63

RUSTON, La. — Kyle Gibson scored 21 points and the Bulldogs (8-10, 2-3) took a 38-30 lead into halftime to beat the Vandals (8-10, 2-3) and end a three-game losing streak.

The Vandals, trailing by 14 points with 17:27 left, closed to 62-55 with 3:03 left on a 3-pointer by Mac Hopson, but Louisiana Tech made 10 of 12 free throws the rest of the game to seal the win.

NEVADA 65, FRESNO STATE 60

RENO, Nev. — Luke Babbitt scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and the Wolf Pack (11-7, 4-1) opened the second half with a 13-4 run for a 46-31 lead and the Bulldogs (7-11, 0-4) got no closer than four points thereafter.

Paul George scored 16 points and Sylvester Seay added 13 as Fresno State lost for the fourth consecutive game.

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