LAWRENCE, Kan. — Cole Aldrich had 11 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks to lead the top-ranked Kansas men’s basketball team over Belmont 81-51 Tuesday night.
Kansas (12-0) was rusty coming off a long break, even playing with just four players for a stretch of about 15 seconds in the first half. The Jayhawks pulled it together and played a superb second half at both ends, pulling away for their 50th straight home victory.
Ian Clark and Drew Hanlen had 11 points each for Belmont (7-5), which shot 31 percent in its first trip to Allen Fieldhouse.
No. 2 Texas 95, Gardner-Webb 63
AUSTIN, Texas — Damion James had 14 points and 13 rebounds — his 43rd career double-double — and Texas (12-0) overcame a sluggish start. Jai Lucas had 15 points and Dexter Pittman added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Longhorns. C.J. Hailey was 5-for-5 on 3-pointers and scored 20 points for Gardner-Webb (3-8).
No. 3 Kentucky 104, Hartford 61
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Freshman point guard John Wall set a Kentucky record with 16 assists. Wall added nine points and four rebounds as the Wildcats (14-0) matched their best start in 32 seasons. Joe Zeglinski led Hartford (2-10) with 19 points.
No. 4 Purdue 67, Iowa 56
IOWA CITY, Iowa — E’Twaun Moore scored 21 points, 15 in the second half, for Purdue. The Boilermakers (12-0, 1-0 Big Ten) are off to their best start in 16 seasons. Aaron Fuller had a season-high 15 points for Iowa (5-8, 0-1).
No. 5 Syracuse 80, Seton Hall 73
NEWARK, N.J. — Wesley Johnson had 20 points and a career-best 19 rebounds for Syracuse (13-0, 1-0 Big East). Kris Joseph added 16 points for the Orangemen, who overcame a 12-point first-half deficit and continued their best start since winning their first 19 games to start the 1999-2000 season. Jeremy Hazell scored 38 points to lead Seton Hall (9-3, 0-2).
No. 6 West Virginia 63, Marquette 62
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Da’Sean Butler’s 20-foot jumper with 2 seconds left lifted West Virginia (11-0, 2-0 Big East) past Marquette. West Virginia, which overcame a five-point deficit in the final minute, is off to its best start since a Jerry West-led team won 14 straight to open the 1957-58 season.
Lazar Hayward scored 24 points and Darius Johnson-Odom added 14 for Marquette (9-4, 0-1).
No. 7 Duke 84, Long Beach St. 63
DURHAM, N.C. — Jon Scheyer scored 22 points and Nolan Smith added 19 for Duke (10-1). Larry Anderson scored 14 points for Long Beach State (6-7), which couldn’t get closer than 13 points in the second half and lost its third straight.
No. 12 Kansas St. 85, Cleveland St. 56
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly sparked a first-half run that lifted Kansas State (12-1) to its ninth straight victory. Pullen had 18 points and Kelly added 17 as the Wildcats (12-1) closed out an unbeaten December with their first nine-game win streak since 1997. Jeremy Montgomery had 20 points for Cleveland State (4-10).
No. 16 Mississippi 90, Jacksonville St. 75
OXFORD, Miss. — Terrico White scored 29 points and Mississippi (11-2) connected for a school-record 14 3-pointers. Trenton Marshall led Jacksonville State (5-6) with 20 points.
No. 19 N. Mexico 90, No. 20 Texas Tech 75
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Darington Hobson had 23 points and 12 rebounds for New Mexico (13-1). Hobson was one of five Lobos to score in double figures. Reserve David Tairu led Texas Tech (10-2) with 18 points.
No. 21 Clemson 70, South Carolina St. 67
CLEMSON, S.C. — Demontez Stitt made two free throws after Andre Young’s steal in the final minute and Clemson (12-2) avoided a big upset in its final non-conference game.
Darnell Porter led South Carolina State (6-4) with 19 points.
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