Villanova upends No. 5 Louisville
PHILADELPHIA - Achraf Yacoubou hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer late in the second half to help Villanova upset No. 5 Louisville 73-64 on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats (12-7, 3-3 Big East) led by as many as 10 points in the first half and rallied late in the second to send the Cardinals to their second straight loss. Louisville (16-3, 4-2) had an 11-game win streak end Saturday in a 70-68 loss to Syracuse.
Ryan Arcidiacono scored 15 points, and JayVaughn Pinkston and Mouphtaou Yarou each scored 11 for Villanova.
The Wildcats students packed behind each basket stormed the court in a wild celebration for a win coach Jay Wright's struggling program badly needed.
Yacoubou hit the go-ahead 3 with about four minutes left, and the Wildcats held on from there.
Peyton Siva had 15 points and 13 assists and Wayne Blackshear 17 points for the Cardinals, who shot 12 of 24 on free throws.
"We did a lot of things wrong tonight, and they did a lot of things right," Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said. "Our free throws were a turnover. Our foul shooting was despicable. Very simple."
AROUND THE NATION
• KANSAS EDGES K-STATE - At Manhattan, Kan., Travis Releford had 12 points as No. 3 Kansas (17-1, 5-0 Big 12) pushed its nation-leading win streak to 16 games with a 59-55 win over No. 11 Kansas State (15-3, 4-1). Shane Southwell scored a career-high 19 points for the Wildcats, whose eight-game win streak ended.
• SPARTANS NOTCH ROAD WIN - At Madison, Wis., Keith Appling had 19 points and Branden Dawson 18 as No. 13 Michigan State (17-3, 6-1 Big Ten) held on for a 49-47 win over Wisconsin (13-6, 4-2). Both teams went more than four minutes without scoring until Dawson hit two free throws with about two minutes left.
• DEACONS UPEND N.C. STATE - At Winston-Salem, N.C., freshman Devin Thomas had 25 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks as Wake Forest (10-8, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) overcame a 12-point halftime deficit in an 86-84 victory over North Carolina State (15-4, 4-2).
