KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Chris Lofton scored 28 points, including six 3-pointers, and No. 4 Tennessee routed South Carolina 89-56 on Sunday, prompting fans to engage in a delayed celebration of the school’s first outright SEC title since 1967.
JaJuan Smith fouled out with 17 points and four 3s, receiving a hearty standing ovation from the crowd on his and Lofton’s final home games as Volunteers.
The 33-point margin was the worst of the season for South Carolina, which suffered its second worst defeat when the Vols won 80-56 in Columbia in January.
It was the final regular season game for South Carolina coach Dave Odom, who will retire after a 22-year head coaching career after the Gamecocks play in the SEC tournament.
No. 9 Texas 62, Oklahoma St. 57
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – D.J. Augustin scored 20 points and the Longhorns captured a share of the Big 12 regular-season championship, and clinched the top seed in the league tournament because of a victory over co-champion Kansas in February.
Damion James added 13 points and 18 rebounds for Texas (26-5, 13-3), making four free throws in the final 36 seconds to help maintain the lead. After the game, Texas players hoisted the championship trophy at midcourt. Texas has won a share of the conference title two of the last three seasons and three overall in 10 years.
Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris each scored 12 points for the Cowboys (16-14, 7-9).
No. 15 Purdue 72, Michigan 58
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) – E’Twaun Moore and Keaton Grant each scored 17 points, and Purdue put together a 21-4 run midway through the second half to finish alone in second in the Big Ten.
Robbie Hummel had 11 points for the Boilermakers (24-7, 15-3), who finished off their best regular season in a decade by winning 14 of the last 16 games.
DeShawn Sims scored 19 for the Wolverines (9-21, 5-13), Ekpe Udoh had 13 points and Manny Harris added 10 despite being benched for much of the first half.
Ohio St. 63, No. 17 Michigan St. 54
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Jamar Butler said goodbye to the home crowd with 20 points, and the Buckeyes closed out the game with a 15-2 run to enhance its prospects of an NCAA berth.
Othello Hunter added 13 points, including a pivotal one-handed jam of a rebound in the closing minutes, David Lighty scored 12 and Kosta Koufos 11 for the Buckeyes (19-12, 10-8).
Raymar Morgan had 19 points for Michigan State (24-7, 12-6), which was frazzled by Ohio State’s defense down the stretch, missing its last six shots with three turnovers.
Penn St. 68, No. 18 Indiana 64, OT
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – David Jackson tied the game in regulation with a 3-point play and hit a decisive bucket in overtime to help Penn State overcome Eric Gordon’s 26 points.
Stanley Pringle hit one of two foul shots to put Penn State up 67-64 with 15 seconds left in overtime, and Indiana’s D.J. White secured the rebound. Armon Bassett missed an open 3 from the wing, and Pringle lunged out of bounds to try to save the ball but ended up throwing it to Gordon.
The Indiana freshman, known for his 3-point shooting, missed a 3 to tie. Talor Battle added a free throw with 0.5 seconds remaining to send the Hoosiers to their second straight road loss.
Fans rushed the court after Penn State (15-15, 7-11 Big Ten) won its fifth straight home game and secured seventh place in the Big Ten. Indiana (25-6, 14-4) finished third in the regular season.
No. 20 Drake 79, Illinois St. 49
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Adam Emmenecker added the conference tournament MVP to his regular-season MVP, finishing with 16 points and six assists as Drake won its first postseason championship in the 32-year-old Missouri Valley tournament.
Jonathan Cox had 20 points and Klayton Korver added 10 for Drake (28-4), which became the first school to sweep the regular-season and tournament titles since co-champ Creighton in 2002.
A 19-0 run late in the first half allowed the celebration to commence early for the automatic NCAA berth, Drake’s first since 1971.
Osiris Eldridge had 14 points for Illinois State (24-9), the No. 2 tournament seed.
No. 24 Clemson 70, Virginia Tech 69
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) – Freshman Demontez Stitt hit two free throws with 3.8 seconds left, and the Tigers held on to lock up third place in the ACC, its best finish since 1990.
The Hokies (18-12, 9-7) led 69-68 after Deron Washington tipped in A.D. Vassallo’s miss with 9 seconds left. But Stitt drove and was fouled by Vassallo with 3.8 seconds to go.
Vassallo led all scorers with 23 points. Washington had 15 points and eight rebounds and Allen added 11 points and 12 boards for Virginia Tech.
Terrence Oglesby led the Tigers (22-8, 10-6) with 17 points. Stitt added 12.
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