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Louisville sparked by grieving star

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - On an emotional day for Francisco Garcia, his best friend gave him something to smile about.

Louisville sophomore Taquan Dean sank a 3-pointer with 1:09 left as the Cardinals defeated Seton Hall 80-71 on Wednesday night.

Garcia matched a career high with 24 points the day after learning his brother had been fatally shot in New York City.

Garcia insisted on playing and accepted a long embrace from Dean before the game. Dean learned of the shooting through his girlfriend earlier in the day.

He spoke with Garcia privately before the game.

"I told him he lost a brother, but he gained one in me," Dean said.

When his focus turned to basketball, Dean was ready.

It was tied at 71 when Dean followed a flurry of screens to the top of the key and sank his third 3-pointer to put Louisville ahead to stay.

"When the game is on the line, I look for those shots," Dean said. "I pride myself in making big shots, and it fell through for me."

Luke Whitehead had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Dean added 13 for the Cardinals, who host No.1 Florida on Saturday.

"I wasn't concerned about looking ahead to Florida. We know how good Seton Hall is," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said.

Andre Barrett scored 21 and Marcus Toney-el and J.R. Morris 15 each for Seton Hall.

The Cardinals led by six when Barrett and Andre Sweet hit back-to-back 3-pointers to tie at 69.

After Dean's 3-pointer, Sweet missed a 3, and Garcia put the game out of reach from the free-throw line.

"It was a great win for us," Pitino said. "We threw everything at them, and they came right back at us."

TEXAS TECH 67, TCU 60: Andre Emmett scored 27 as the host Red Raiders held off a late charge. The Horned Frogs used an 8-0 run to whittle the deficit to 63-59 on a 3-pointer and a field goal by Marcus Shropshire with 2:48 left.

ECU 86, N.C. A&T 53: Moussa Badiane had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead the host Pirates, who made 30 of 50 free throws.

NO.5 KANSAS 80, FORT HAYS ST. 40: Freshman David Padgett scored seven in a 17-2 run to start the second half, and the host Jayhawks cruised.

Kansas, coming off a 64-58 loss to Stanford that dropped it from the No.1 ranking after one week, could have beaten the Division II Tigers much worse, but coach Bill Self substituted liberally.

NO.23 WISCONSIN 73, WIS.-G.B. 57: Devin Harris scored 18 and Freddie Owens 16 for the Badgers. Mike Wilkinson added 12 points for Wisconsin, which ended the game on a 15-5 run to win its 17th straight at home and improve to 10-0 against the Phoenix.

NO.2 UCONN: Former coach Donald "Dee" Rowe had surgery for liver cancer, the school said. Rowe, 74, coached the Huskies from 1969-77 and now is a special adviser for sports.

NO.3 MISSOURI: Coach Quin Snyder defended two assistants accused of giving money to players, saying he had the "utmost confidence" in them.

Former player Ricky Clemons said in taped jailhouse phone calls over the summer that he and two current players received cash from coaches Tony Harvey and Lane Odom.

AUBURN 73, MONTANA 51: Ronny LeMelle scored 18 and made 4 of 6 3-pointers to lead the host Tigers. Auburn led by three early in the second half but still managed to get its sixth consecutive blowout.

VANDERBILT 85, TENN. ST. 64: David Przybyszewski scored 17 and Matt Freije added 16 and four rebounds as the host Commodores improved to 6-0.

ARKANSAS: The Razorback Foundation filed a counterclaim against former coach Nolan Richardson, saying he breeched his contract by filing a federal lawsuit against it. The foundation asked the court to require Richardson either to return $874,000 he has been paid to buy out the rest of his contract through Dec. 1 or throw his lawsuit out of court.

FSU: Junior guard LaQuinta Neely will miss the rest of the season after tearing her right ACL, the main stabilizer of the knee, in practice Tuesday. Neely, a two-year starter, was averaging 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists, tied for first on the team.

NO.14 OKLAHOMA 90, MONTANA ST. 59: Caton Hill scored a season-high 23 and added 10 rebounds for the visiting Sooners.

GW 76, NO.23 BC 75 (OT): Marsheik Witherspoon's layup with 10 seconds left in overtime lifted the host Colonials. The Eagles finished regulation with an 18-5 run.

- Times staff writer Brian Landman contributed to this report.