NCAA News Wire
Top 25 roundup: Kentucky vanquishes Vandy
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky sophomore forward Marcus Lee erupted for six consecutive points early in the second half, helping the top-ranked and undefeated Wildcats to a 65-57 victory over Vanderbilt at Rupp Arena.
Lee entered the game as Kentucky’s 11th-best scorer at just 2.7 points per game. But against the Commodores, Lee had seven points and six rebounds in just 12 minutes. More important, his three-basket surge gave Kentucky its first double-digit lead.
For its part, Vanderbilt (11-7, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) never let Kentucky put the game out of reach, thanks in large part to freshman guard Riley LaChance. Playing with a clear, protective mask, LaChance scored 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
Guard Aaron Harrison paced the Wildcats (18-0, 5-0 SEC) with 14 points. Center Dakari Johnson added 10 points.
Wisconsin 82, Iowa 50
MADISON, Wis. — Bronson Koenig hit three 3-pointers, and the sixth-ranked Badgers dominated the 25th-ranked Hawkeyes.
Koenig scored 13 points while making his third consecutive start and second in a row in place of guard Traevon Jackson, who broke his foot at Rutgers on Jan. 11. He was one of four Badgers to score in double figures. Forward Sam Dekker led the way with 17, and forward Nigel Hayes added 16. Center Frank Kaminsky finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Wisconsin was dominant in all aspects of the game, shooing 49.2 percent from the field and outrebounding the Hawkeyes 37-23. Iowa, which shot 42.6 percent overall, got a team-high 12 points from forward Jarrod Uthoff.
Iowa State 77, Kansas State 71
AMES, Iowa — The ninth-ranked Cyclones limited the Wildcats to one field goal in the final four minutes to pull out the win.
Guard Marcus Foster hit a layup to give the Wildcats a 69-67 lead with 4:02 left, they struggled to score again. Iowa State (14-3, 4-1 Big 12) held Kansas State (11-8, 4-2) without a point on its next seven offensive possessions. A dunk by Cyclones forward Jameel McKay tied the game at 69, and Iowa State took the lead with two free throws by guard Naz Long.
Iowa State had a balanced scoring attack. McKay came off the bench to lead the Cyclones with 15 points while adding seven rebounds. Forward Georges Niang had 12 points. Kansas State forward Nino Williams scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Davidson 77, Dayton 60
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Freshman forward Peyton Aldridge scored 22 points, and the Wildcats’ long-range shooting sparked the offense in the victory over the 22nd-ranked Flyers.
Guard Tyler Kalinoski added 21 points for the Wildcats (13-4, 4-2 Atlantic 10), who made 12 3-point shots and beat a ranked foe for the first time since topping Kansas on Dec. 19, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo.
It marked the end to an eight-game winning streak for Dayton (15-3, 5-1 A-10), which dropped out of a share of first place. The Flyers were denied their first 6-0 start in league play since 2003-04.
