The freshman Eli Carter had 19 points and Rutgers beat a top-10 team for the second time this season, upending No. 8 Connecticut, 67-60, Saturday in Coach Jim Calhoun's return from a three-game NCAA suspension. The freshman Myles Mack added 14 points for the host Scarlet Knights (9-7, 1-2 Big East), who beat No. 10 Florida on Dec. 29. It is the second time Rutgers has beaten two top 10 teams in the same season; the Scarlet Knights beat UCLA and West Virginia in 1981-82. “When we pay attention to details and we're communicating, these things can happen,” Rutgers Coach Mike Rice said. The win snapped Connecticut's 10-game winning streak against Rutgers, and it was just the Huskies' second loss in 19 games with the Scarlet Knights. The last time Connecticut (12-3, 2-2) lost to Rutgers was in 2002. “I am incredibly disappointed in how we're playing right now,” Calhoun said. “We're not in sync right now.” Rutgers used a 10-0 run in the second half to take the lead for good. Syracuse 73, Marquette 66: Top-ranked Syracuse remained unbeaten with a victory at home. The Orange (17-0, 4-0 Big East) are two wins from matching the program's best start. Marquette (12-4, 1-2) entered the game 1-7 against top-ranked teams. Syracuse limited Marquette to 6-of-20 field-goal shooting in the first half, and shut out the Golden Eagles for more than 11 minutes during a 19-0 spurt. Kentucky 79, South Carolina 64: Terrence Jones made his first eight shots from the field to finish with 20 points as No. 2 Kentucky beat visiting South Carolina. The Wildcats (15-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) have won seven in a row. The Gamecocks (8-7, 0-1) have lost three times this season to a team ranked No. 1 or No. 2. N. Carolina 83, Boston College 60: Harrison Barnes scored 25 points and No. 3 North Carolina opened Atlantic Coast Conference play with its eighth straight win. Tyler Zeller added 20 points for the Tar Heels (14-2, 1-0), who have won 27 in a row at home. The Eagles (5-10, 0-1) started five freshmen and had 20 turnovers. Duke 81, George Tech 74: No. 5 Duke (13-2, 1-0 ACC), which lost Wednesday at Temple, beat host Georgia Tech (7-8, 0-1) to avoid consecutive defeats for the first time since 2009. Kansas State 75, Missouri 59: Rodney McGruder scored 20 points to help No. 23 Kansas State (12-2, 1-1 Big 12) hand No. 7 Missouri its first loss. The visiting Tigers (14-1, 1-1) never threatened in the second. West Virginia 74, Georgetown 62: Truck Bryant scored 25 points and host West Virginia (12-4, 3-1 Big East) ended No. 9 Georgetown's 11-game winning streak. Coach John Thompson III of the Hoyas (13-2, 3-1) fell to 4-7 against the Mountaineers. Notre Dame 67, Louisville 65: Notre Dame defeated No. 11 Louisville in double overtime for its first road victory of the season. The Irish (10-6, 2-1 Big East) held the Cardinals (13-3, 1-2) without a field goal in the second overtime until a tip-in at the buzzer. Tennessee 67, Florida 56: Tennessee beat No. 13 Florida in their SEC opener. The Volunteers (8-7) held the Gators (12-4), the SEC's top-scoring team, to 35.7 percent shooting. Arkansas 98, Mississippi State 88: Julysses Nobles scored a career-high 24 points as host Arkansas opened SEC play with a win over No. 15 Mississippi State (13-3, 0-1). Murray State 87, Austin Peay 75: Isaiah Canaan scored 35 points and No. 19 Murray State (16-0, 4-0 Ohio Valley) won at home to tie the best start in program history. Harvard 63, Dartmouth 47: No. 22 Harvard pulled away in the second half to beat visiting Dartmouth in their Ivy League opener. Oliver McNally had 17 points for the Crimson (13-2). Dartmouth (3-13) has lost six in a row.
