PITTSBURGH — Ashton Gibbs scored 21 points as Pittsburgh’s balance overcame Kemba Walker’s one-man offense for No. 4 Connecticut (10-1), and the No. 6 Panthers (13-1) easily won the Big East’s first matchup of top-10 teams 78-63 on Monday night.
Walker scored 31 points, but missed 17-of-27 shots as Pittsburgh repeatedly limited the Huskies to a single shot in a possession. UConn shot 31.7 percent, 19-of-60.
“They came to play, they wanted it and they got it,” Walker said. “They made me work for every basket. It was a tough night for me.”
“Our transition defense was good and we really emphasized it,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “We wanted to force them to take tough shots, and we did that.”
No. 2 Ohio St. 100, Tenn.-Martin 40
COLUMBUS, Ohio — William Buford scored 23 to lead the Buckeyes (13-0) to remain one of eight unbeaten teams in Division I.
No. 10 Missouri 97, Northern Illinois 61
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Marcus Denmon scored 24 points to lead the Tigers (12-1). It was the 100th win for coach Mike Anderson, who needed just 147 games to reach the milestone.
No. 22 Louisville 104, Morgan State 74
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Preston Knowles scored a career- high 31 points as the Cardinals (11-1) routed the Bears (4-5) in their final tuneup before facing rival Kentucky on Friday.
The Associated Press
