College Basketball Roundup : Sooners Get Past Kansas in Overtime

While the Oklahoma football team has hit rock bottom, the basketball Sooners are on top and struggling to stay there.

Top-ranked Oklahoma fell behind by 12 points early, but Stacey King scored seven points in overtime to lead the Sooners to a 94-89 victory over Kansas Wednesday night in a Big Eight Conference game at Lawrence, Kan.

“We’ve started the last four games very soft,” Oklahoma Coach Billy Tubbs said. “I mean, we weren’t as physical and aggressive as we needed to be. Tonight we were not taking it to them, they were taking it to us and we were kind of laid back.”

The Sooners (22-3 overall, 8-1 in the Big Eight) gained the top ranking two weeks ago, fell back to No. 5 but reclaimed the No. 1 spot with victories over Missouri and Arizona last week.

King, who had only 14 points when regulation play ended in an 80-80 tie, scored the first two baskets in overtime, but Kansas (16-9, 3-7) rallied to get within 90-89 on a basket by Lincoln Minor. However, the Jayhawks didn’t score again.

Kansas had a chance to take the lead, but missed. King got the rebound and moments later scored to finish off the Jayhawks.

King finished with 21 points, and Mike Bell had 20 for Kansas. Mark Randall score 29 points for Kansas, and Milt Newton had 23, but both fouled out early in overtime.

Louisiana State 99, Kentucky 80--Ricky Blanton scored all 18 of his points in the final 11:40 to lead the 20th-ranked Tigers past the Wildcats in a Southeastern Conference game at Baton Rouge, La.

Kentucky (11-14, 6-7) took its only lead of the game, 57-56, on a basket by LeRon Ellis with 12:25 left. Blanton missed a three-point shot on LSU’s next possession, but Dennis Tracey got the rebound of a missed Kentucky shot and fed Blanton for a layup with 11:40 left.

That touched off a 27-8 run that put LSU (18-6, 10-3) ahead, 83-65. Blanton had 14 points in the run after being held scoreless on three shots in the first half.

Chris Jackson scored 34 points for LSU. Ellis had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Derrick Miller scored 26 points for Kentucky.

Seton Hall 72, Connecticut 69--Ramon Ramos scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half and Andrew Gaze added 22 points as the No. 12 Pirates turned back the Huskies in a Big East game at Hartford, Conn.

Connecticut (13-8, 4-7), which trailed by 10 points at halftime, scored eight straight points to make it 70-69 on a basket by Willie McCloud with 55 seconds left.

Gaze made a running one-hander with 14 seconds left to give Seton Hall (21-4, 8-4) some breathing room, and Chris Smith missed a desperation 3-pointer for the Huskies.

North Carolina State 90, Clemson 75--Avie Lester scored 17 points and Chris Corchiani had 16 to spark the No. 19 Wolfpack to an Atlantic Coast Conference victory over the Tigers at Raleigh, N.C.

Clemson (15-7, 4-5) was within 26-24 with 8:24 left in the first half, but N.C. State (16-5, 7-2) ran off nine straight points to take control.

Elden Campbell scored 21 points for Clemson.