Tar Heels’ Barnes shuts door on FSU

Men’s basketball: Another clutch shot for Harrison Barnes.

Another down-to-the-wire victory for North Carolina at the Tucker Center.

Barnes – an Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year favorite who had previously made four go-ahead and/or winning shots this season – added a fifth to his tally Wednesday night, swishing a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 3.1 seconds left to beat Florida State 72-70 at Tallahassee, Fla.

The 13th-ranked Tar Heels (23-6, 13-2 ACC) have won six games in a row; and if they stretch their streak to seven against Duke on Saturday, they will secure the ACC regular-season title and earn the top seed in next week’s conference tournament.

Having Barnes – who finished 6 for 10 with 18 points – should help that cause.

“He’s going to miss some one day; I know that. But I’m not surprised (that he keeps hitting winners),” UNC coach Roy Williams said after Barnes helped his team shoot 48.3 percent – its best tally since it beat FSU (20-9, 10-5) at home last month. “Great players who have that kind of focus, who have that kind of ability, can make those kinds of plays.”

With about four minutes left, it didn’t look like Barnes would have to repeat his heroics from previous wins over Virginia Tech on Jan. 13 (when he scored eight of UNC’s final 14 points), Clemson on Jan. 18 (go-ahead 3-pointer with less than 5 minutes to go), at Miami on Jan. 26 (winning 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left) and at Clemson on Feb. 12 (go-ahead dunk with 3:02 left).

The Tar Heels led 67-60 with 3:56 remaining on point guard Kendall Marshall’s 3-pointer. But they systematically squandered their advantage, turning the ball over three times and forcing a couple of questionable shots, which allowed the Seminoles to take a 70-69 lead, on two Derwin Kitchen free throws, with 18 seconds left.

• Kansas wraps up share of title: Marcus and Markieff Morris both scored 13 points and No. 2 Kansas (28-2, 13-2) wrapped up at least a share of its seventh straight Big 12 regular-season championship with a 64-51 victory over No. 24 Texas A&M (22-7, 9-6) at Lawrence, Kan.

The only season since Bill Self arrived as coach that Kansas did not take home trophy was his first, when the Jayhawks finished second.

In an emotional postgame ceremony, the crowd bid farewell to seniors Mario Little, Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar. Reed and Morningstar, two of the most popular Kansas players in recent years, both played key roles in the Jayhawks’ 27th straight Senior Night win.

Kansas holds a one-game lead over No. 8 Texas with one game left.

• Mountaineers level No. 16 UConn: Kevin Jones scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half and West Virginia (19-10, 10-7 Big East) used a late run to beat No. 16 Connecticut 65-56 at Morgantown, W.Va.

Kemba Walker led Connecticut (21-8, 9-8) with 22 points and Shabazz Napier added 18.

Durant sprains ankle in Thunder victory

NBA: Kevin Durant scored 21 points before leaving with a sprained left ankle and the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped their first three-game losing streak of the season by beating the visiting Indiana Pacers 113-89.

Durant, the NBA’s scoring leader with a 28.5-point average, was helped to the locker room by two trainers after he stepped on Tyler Hansbrough’s foot and got fouled on a drive to the basket with 2:44 left in the third quarter. He did not return.

• Blazers topple Kings: Wesley Matthews scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and the Portland Trail Blazers pulled away for a 107-102 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Sacramento, Calif.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Blazers, who had dropped three of four.

• Celtics scorch Suns: Kevin Garnett scored 28 points with 11 rebounds, Paul Pierce had 16 and 13 and Rajon Rondo scored 16 with 15 assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 115-103 victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns.

Kansas State trips No. 5 Texas A&M

Women’s basketball: Brittany Chambers scored 35 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lift Kansas State (19-9, 9-6 Big 12) to a 71-67 victory over No. 5 Texas A&M (24-4, 12-3) at Manhattan, Kan.

• Middle Tennessee player killed: Police say Middle Tennessee basketball player Tina Stewart has been stabbed to death at her apartment, and officers have two people in custody while searching for another.

Murfreesboro Police spokesman Kyle Evans said Wednesday night that the 21-year-old Stewart had multiple wounds when found at her apartment. Police had been called because of a disturbance, and Evans said officers took a man and a woman into custody before finding Stewart inside the apartment.

Blackhawks notch sixth straight win

NHL: Jonathan Toews scored two goals and the Chicago Blackhawks held off the visiting Calgary Flames 6-4 to extend their winning streak to a season-high six games.

• Ducks nip Red Wings: Bobby Ryan scored on a penalty shot at 2:50 of overtime and the Anaheim Ducks snapped the Detroit Red Wings’ five-game road winning streak with a wild 2-1 victory at Anaheim, Calif.

Ryan was hauled down on a breakaway moments after the Ducks killed off a penalty, and the American goal-scorer put a quick shot past Jimmy Howard’s glove for his 30th goal of the season.

• Maple Leafs break through in OT: Mikhail Grabovski scored 42 seconds into overtime to give the host Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

U.S. women capture Algarve Cup opener

Soccer: Amy Rodriguez and Megan Rapinoe scored first-half goals and Abby Wambach returned from a heel injury as the United States defeated Japan 2-1 Tuesday in its opener at the Algarve Cup in Vila Real de San Antonio, Portugal.

Rodriguez scored her 15th international goal in the seventh minute, a left-footed shot that beat goalkeeper Miho Fukimoto.

Rapinoe doubled the lead in the 18th from 7 yards off a cross from Heather O’Reilly, Rapinoe’s ninth international goal.