LEXINGTON, Ky. - Antwain Barbour, making his second start, scored a career-high 23 and No. 8 Kentucky beat Alabama 66-55 Tuesday. Barbour, who started in place of the injured Gerald Fitch, the Wildcats' leading scorer, went 10-of-13 from the field and had five rebounds for Kentucky (17-3, 7-2 SEC), which handed Alabama (11-9, 3-6) its fifth consecutive loss.
Earnest Shelton scored 13 to lead Alabama, which had won two of its previous three meetings against Kentucky, including one in Lexington.
Barbour's previous career high was 13, which came in his first NCAA Division I game, last season against Arizona State. He matched that just 111/2 minutes into Tuesday's game, as he scored Kentucky's first 13.
"I was trying to play and keep us in the game," Barbour said. "Fitch just told me, now is my time. He's been telling me all along to have fun and play. I've got the poise. I never try to put pressure on myself. It just makes things worse."
NO. 15 GEORGIA TECH 88, NO. 14 NORTH CAROLINA 77: B.J. Elder scored 30 to lead the host Yellow Jackets (18-5, 5-4 ACC). Rashad McCants had 28 of his career-high 31 in the second for the Tar Heels (14-7, 4-6), while Melvin Scott added 10. Elder hit consecutive 3s to give the Yellow Jackets the lead for good at 60-57. They cruised from there, thanks to a technical foul on Tar Heels coach Roy Williams.
NO. 11 TEXAS 84, BAYLOR 58: Kenny Taylor, the first Baylor transfer to return to Waco, scored all of his 18 on 3-pointers to lead the Longhorns. With Baylor students holding signs calling him a traitor and booing each time he touched the ball, Taylor made four 3-pointers in the first as the Longhorns (17-3, 8-1 Big 12) took a 36-19 lead. Taylor was the Bears' third-leading scorer last season.
VAN CRASH: Students and teachers at a small junior college in Corsicana, Texas filled the gym with tears and prayers for two players killed in a traffic wreck that injured seven others. The crash occurred Monday as Navarro College was returning in two vans after a victory at Paris Junior College. The second vehicle was broadsided by a tractor-trailer as it followed the first van in making a U-turn, Paris police spokesman Todd Varner said. The dead were identified as Pa Sarr, 21, of Gambia, Africa; and Jason Rashard Trier, 18, of Giddings, Texas. Two players were in serious condition. Coach Lewis Orr and the van's driver, graduate assistant Bilal Batley, 21, were in good condition, and three players were fair. The driver of the tractor-trailer wasn't injured.
UTAH: Rick Majerus said he will not coach the Utes again this season, ending his 15-year association with the school he brought to prominence. "No. I won't come back this year, and I won't coach next year for sure," Majerus told ESPN. He also ruled out coaching Utah in the future. "They need to hire a coach," he said. "I've divorced myself from this." Majerus left the team Jan. 28 because of heart problems.
SYRACUSE: Billy Edelin did not dress for the Orangemen's 63-61 home win over Rutgers, and coach Jim Boeheim refused to speak about it. "We'll release a statement (today)," Boeheim said. Edelin, a sophomore guard, sat out against Virginia Tech and UConn for before returning to play 23 minutes in a loss at Providence Saturday. Boeheim said no NCAA violations are involved.
