Kentucky 59, Florida 58
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Victoria Dunlap scored 12 points, including two free throws with 10 seconds remaining, to help No. 19 Kentucky rally to beat Florida 59-58 on Thursday night.
Jennifer O’Neill added 15 points for the Wildcats (14-4, 3-2 Southeastern Conference), who overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 5:29 for their third consecutive victory.
Dunlap’s layup put Kentucky ahead 57-55 with 44 seconds remaining, but Florida’s Deana Allen answered with a 3-pointer on the other end. The Gators were up 58-57 when Azania Stewart fouled Dunlap in the closing seconds. She calmly sank both free throws. The Gators (12-8, 2-4) failed to rally and lost their third straight.
Allen led Florida with 13 points. Jaterra Bonds and Jordan Jones added nine points apiece.
The Wildcats overcame 15 turnovers and 13 missed 3-pointers with 10 offensive rebounds and 10 steals.
Men’s basketball
Rutgers 71, South Florida 62
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — James Beatty and Jonathan Mitchell each scored 20 points to help Rutgers overcome South Florida 71-62 on Thursday night.
Mike Coburn added 13 for the Scarlet Knights (11-7, 2-4 Big East). The Bulls, now 0-8 on the road, got 14 each from Augustus Gilchrist and Hugh Robertson and 11 from Jawanza Poland.
USF (7-13, 1-6) scored the first five points of the second half for a 30-25 lead before Beatty, who had 18 after intermission, hit three straight 3-pointers to put Rutgers ahead. It went back and forth until Beatty’s 3-pointer made it 47-44 and gave Rutgers the lead for good.
The Scarlet Knights took control when nine straight points made it 61-50 with 3:19 left. Poland missed a wide-open breakaway slam in the midst of the run that would have brought the Bulls within five, and USF got no closer than six the rest of the way.
MSM 61, Sacred Heart 45
EMMITSBURG, Md. — Shawn Atupem scored 20 points to lead Mount St. Mary’s over Sacred Heart 61-45 on Thursday night.
Atupem was 8 for 9 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line as the Mountaineers (6-14, 4-3 Northeast Conference) beat Sacred Heart for the sixth straight time. Mount St. Mary’s also swept the season series with the Pioneers (7-11, 2-5) after winning 66-52 at Sacred Heart on Dec. 2.
The Mountaineers outscored Sacred Heart 34-14 in the paint Thursday night, behind the play of forward Atupem.
Mount St. Mary’s forced the Pioneers into 18 turnovers and held them to 29.2-percent shooting from the field (14 of 48). Sacred Heart’s poor shooting continued to the free-throw line where they made just 12 of 21 (57.1 percent).
Julian Norfleet scored 13 points and Lamar Trice added 11 for the Mountaineers.
Chris Evans led Sacred Heart with 15 points off the bench.