ROSEMONT, Ill.-Cassius Winston scored 17 points, and No. 2 Michigan State erased a 27-point deficit on Saturday to beat Northwestern 65-60 and extend its winning streak to 10 games.
Nick Ward added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Miles Bridges hit four free throws in the final minute, and the Spartans (26-3, 14-2 Big Ten) used a huge second half to pull out the win when they looked like they were headed to a stunning blowout loss.
Vic Law cooled off after a blistering start to finish with 21 points, and Northwestern (15-13, 6-9) made just 3 of 26 field goals in the second half.
The Wildcats gave themselves a great chance at their first win over a Top 5 team since 1979 even though star guard Bryant McIntosh sat out with a shoulder injury.
They led by as much as 27 and were up 49-27 after a stunning first half that had fans chanting "Overrated!" But the Spartans outscored the Wildcats 29-4 over the first 14 minutes of the second half.
NO. 3 VILLANOVA 95, NO. 4 XAVIER 79
CINCINNATI-Mikal Bridges led an early 3-point shooting spurt that put Villanova in control, and the Wildcats showed they're not ready to relinquish their reign in the Big East, beating Xavier in a showdown for the league lead.
The Wildcats (24-3, 11-3) have won all four regular-season titles since the league was reconfigured. Xavier (24-4, 12-3) had a chance to take control of the race, but simply wasn't up to the Wildcats' level in the biggest game of the season. Now, Xavier's lead is down to a half game and Villanova has swept the season series.
Bridges scored 25 points in a balanced attack that got the best of a matchup between the league's top offenses. Trevon Bluiett had 26 points for Xavier, which had its nine-game winning streak snapped.
The Wildcats ended their three-game shooting slump by making 11 3-pointers in the first half when they pulled out to a 19-point lead and silenced a raucous crowd at the Cintas Center, where Xavier was undefeated this season.
SOUTH CAROLINA 84,
NO. 10 AUBURN 75
COLUMBIA, S.C.-Frank Booker scored 19 points, and South Carolina built a 26-point lead before holding on to defeat Auburn, ending the Gamecocks' six-game losing streak.
The Tigers (23-4, 11-3 Southeastern Conference) had won seven of their past eight and were heavy favorites to keep that going at South Carolina (14-13, 5-9). Instead, the Gamecocks used a 21-1 run in the first half on the way to a 37-11 lead.
Auburn played most of the game without starting forward Anfernee McLemore, who dislocated his left ankle in a gruesome-looking injury at the end of the first half.
South Carolina beat a top-10 program for the third straight season and defeated its first top-10 team at home since taking out No. 1 Kentucky in January 2010.
Mustapha Heron led Auburn with 16 points, just four of those coming in the second half.
NO. 13 KANSAS 77,
NO. 20 WEST VIRGINIA 69
LAWRENCE, Kan.-Udoka Azubuike scored 21 points and Devonte' Graham added 15 to help Kansas past West Virginia.
Both teams struggled to create much separation in the first half, neither establishing more than a six-point lead. After being tied at halftime, the Mountaineers (19-8, 8-6 Big 12) took the lead with 17:22 left and held it until the game was tied again at 66 with about two minutes remaining. The Jayhawks (20-7, 10-4 Big 12) wouldn't reclaim the lead until Svi Mykhailiuk hit a pair of free throws 30 seconds later.
Daxter Miles Jr. led West Virginia with 22 points and hit 6-of-9 shots from behind the arc. Jevon Carter added 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
The Mountaineers had previously won 74 of their last 76 games when holding opponents to 69 points or less.
GEORGIA 73, NO. 18 TENNESSEE 62
ATHENS, Ga.-Yante Maten scored 19 points, and Georgia denied the Volunteers an opportunity to pull within a game of the SEC lead.
Derek Ogbeide had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Georgia (15-11, 6-8 Southeastern Conference) won its second straight in a late attempt to return to NCAA Tournament consideration.
Tennessee (19-7, 9-5) remained two games behind No. 10 Auburn, the SEC leader, which lost to South Carolina 84-75. The Vols have lost two of their last three.
Lamonte Turner led Tennessee with 14 points. Jordan Bowden had 13, and Admiral Schofield scored 11.
NO. 24 NEVADA 93, UTAH STATE 87
LOGAN, Utah-Cody Martin scored 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting and twin brother Caleb Martin added 23 points to lead Nevada past Utah State.
Jordan Caroline chipped in with 20 points for the Wolf Pack. Nevada (23-5, 11-2 Mountain West) shot 59.3 percent from the field-including 11-of-21 from 3-point range-to pull away from the Aggies.
Koby McEwen scored 32 points and Sam Merrill added 16 to lead Utah State. The Aggies (14-14, 7-8) have lost 14 straight to ranked opponents and fell to the Wolf Pack at home for the second time in five games.