Illinois tops poll, UW still tenth
Illinois is No. 1 in the Associated Press college basketball poll for an eighth consecutive week, earning all but one first-place vote. That ballot was cast for the new No. 2 team: Duke.
The Blue Devils (15-0) moved up two spots to second, replacing Kansas (14-1), which dropped to sixth following its 83-62 loss at Villanova on Saturday. The Jayhawks fell below No. 2 for the first time this season.
Utah (16-3), under the helm of former Eastern Washington coach Ray Giacoletti, was the lone newcomer to the poll this week, moving in at No. 25 and replacing Marquette, which lost two games last week.
Washington was 10th for the second straight week, the Huskies’ first appearances in the top 10 since December 1984.
Men’s top 25 games
Sooners stun Cowboys
Kevin Bookout scored 23 points and Taj Gray added 22 as the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners (16-2, 5-0 Big 12) beat the ninth-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys (14-3, 4-2) with a 67-57 win at Norman, Okla. The Sooners gave back most of an early 17-point lead before taking over again in the second half and giving coach Kelvin Sampson his 250th win at Oklahoma.
(4) Syracuse 86, Rutgers 84: At Piscataway, N.J., Terrence Roberts’ three-point play with 7.2 seconds left capped the Orange’s comeback from an 18-point halftime deficit and gave Syracuse (20-1, 7-0 Big East) a victory over the Scarlet Knights (7-9, 1-5). The victory gave coach Jim Boeheim 20 victories for the 27th time in his 29 seasons at his alma mater. He moved into a tie with Texas Tech’s Bob Knight for second place among coaches with 20-win seasons, three behind former North Carolina coach Dean Smith.
(25) Utah 63, Air Force 51: At Salt Lake City, Andrew Bogut scored 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting to lift the Utes (17-3, 5-0 Mountain West) over the Falcons (12-7, 3-1). Utah shot a school-record 80 percent from the field (24 of 30) against the nation’s No. 1 defense.
Olson donates $1 million
Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson and his family are making a $1 million gift to the Arizona Cancer Center in the name of his late wife, Bobbi.
The gift will benefit the Bobbi Olson Endowment for Ovarian Cancer Research. The endowment is named for Olson’s first wife, Bobbi, who died of ovarian cancer on Jan. 1, 2001, after a 2 1/2 -year battle with the disease.
Women’s top 25 games
Tar Heels upset Blue Devils
Leah Metcalf had a pair of clutch baskets and Ivory Latta sealed it with two free throws in the final seconds, and the No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels (15-3, 3-2 ACC) ended nearly five years of misery in their Tobacco Road rivalry by beating the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils (18-2, 4-1) 56-61 at Chapel Hill, N.C. … (14) Boston College 92, Providence 47: At Providence, R.I., Kathrin Ress scored 19 points and Brooke Queenan added 13 as the Eagles (14-2, 5-0 Big East) beat the Friars (1-16, 0-6). … (21) Florida St. 81, Virginia Tech 78 (2 OT): At Blacksburg, Va., Alicia Gladden scored 24 points and converted a three-point play with 2:18 remaining in the second overtime, as the Seminoles (18-2, 5-1 ACC) beat the Hokies (12-5, 2-3).