Simon Says - Cincy Falls

Top 25/Pac-10

Miles Simon grabbed a loose ball and banked in a 65-footer at the buzzer Sunday, giving No. 16 Arizona a 79-76 victory over No. 5 Cincinnati at Phoenix’s Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum.

After Cincinnati missed a shot in the closing seconds, Simon picked up the loose ball at the top of the Bearcats’ free-throw circle, took one dribble and heaved it with two hands for the winning basket.

The shot gave Arizona coach Lute Olson his 500th career win.

The Wildcats (18-4) led 41-38 when the second half began, but Cincinnati (18-2) got nine points from Darnell Burton during a prolonged run which gave them a 68-59 lead with 5:37 to play. Michael Dickerson, of Federal Way, Wash., made a basket and two 3-pointers as Arizona fought back to lead, 74-73, with 1:32 remaining.

After Cincinnati regained the lead, Arizona’s Reggie Geary tied it at 76 with 14 seconds to go.

(1) Massachusetts 84, Temple 55

At Amherst, Mass., Carmelo Travieso’s eight 3-pointers and a smothering defense kept the top-ranked Minutemen the only major unbeaten team with the win over Owls.

The margin was the second biggest for UMass (23-0, 11-0 Atlantic 10) this season and came just 10 days after they won at Temple (12-10, 8-3) 59-35.

Travieso scored 26 points and tied a school record for 3-pointers as he led all five UMass starters in double figures. Marcus Camby was held to 10 points but had five blocks and four assists. Donta Bright, Dana Dingle and Edgar Padilla had 13 points each.

(2) Kentucky 88, Arkansas 73

Tony Delk scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, including five during a decisive 10-3 spurt that carried the Wildcats to the victory over the Razorbacks at Lexington, Ky.

Kentucky (20-1, 10-0 Southeastern Conference) won its 19th consecutive game and posted its first regular-season win over Arkansas (14-8, 6-4) since the Razorbacks joined the league in 1991.

(9) Wake Forest 79, Duke 65

At Winston-Salem, N.C., Tim Duncan scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Demon Deacons to the victory over the slumping Blue Devils.

Duncan also had four blocks and three assists as Wake Forest (16-3, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) defeated Duke (13-10, 4-7) for the eighth consecutive time.

(19) Iowa 76, Indiana 50

At Iowa City, Iowa, the Hawkeyes shut down Big Ten scoring leader Brian Evans and got a big lift from Kenyon Murray off the bench in beating the Hoosiers (14-9, 7-4 Big Ten).

Murray, who asked to be taken out of the starting lineup, led Iowa (17-6, 6-5) with 16 points and got two baskets during a 9-0 second-half run that gave the Hawkeyes control.

Pac-10

N.C. St. 89, Arizona St. 69

Todd Fuller had 28 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Wolfpack past the Sun Devils at Phoenix.

Fuller scored 18 of his points in the second half as N.C. St. (14-9) held off an Arizon State charge and turned the game into a rout.

Ron Riley scored 27 points to lead Arizona State (8-11), which lost its second straight game, and Lenny Holly added 19 points off the bench.