MEN'S TOP 25 Pittsburgh topples Providence, 85-77

Aaron Gray led the ninth-ranked Panthers with 22 points.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Aaron Gray had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead No. 9 Pittsburgh to its third straight victory, 85-77 over Providence on Wednesday night.
The Panthers (20-3, 9-3 Big East) reached the 20-win mark for a school-record fifth consecutive season and extended their winning streak over the Friars to five games.
Senior guard Donnie McGrath matched his career high with 28 points for Providence (11-11, 4-7), which had won its last two games.
No. 7 George Washington 69,Massachusetts 66
WASHINGTON -- George Washington stretched its winning streak to 13 games. The Colonials (21-1, 11-0 Atlantic 10) shot 35 percent from the field, 54 percent from the free throw line and ended a 6-year home losing streak to the Minutemen -- but only after a wild ending in which seven points were scored in the final 10 seconds.
No. 8 Tennessee 105, Auburn 89
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The shots were falling for both teams, and Tennessee's Chris Lofton knew what was coming. The sophomore guard scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half and JaJuan Smith added a career-high 19 to lead the Volunteers in a game that included a school-record 16 3-pointers.
No. 10 Florida 73, Vanderbilt 68
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Sophomore Corey Brewer scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Gators in coach Billy Donovan's 250th career victory. Vanderbilt (13-9, 4-7) has lost seven of nine overall, including three at home.
No. 14 Illinois 63, Northwestern 47
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Rich McBride scored 17 points and Dee Brown single-handedly squashed a Northwestern rally to lead Illinois. Northwestern (12-11, 4-7), playing without top scorer Vedran Vokusic, mounted a final push with a 12-2 run that trimmed a 13-point lead to three. But Illinois answered with 14 straight points to put the game away.
No. 21 N.C. State 86, Florida St. 64
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Engin Atsur had five of North Carolina State's 13 3-pointers and scored 19 points to help the Wolfpack avoid their first losing streak of the season. It was the third straight game with at least 12 3s for N.C. State (20-5, 9-3), which solidified its hold on second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference behind Duke (12-0).
No. 23 North Carolina 82, Georgia Tech 75
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Freshman Tyler Hansbrough set the Smith Center scoring record with 40 points to help North Carolina rally from a 20-point deficit. Hansbrough also set the school's freshman scoring record in leading the Tar Heels (16-6, 7-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) to their fifth win in six games.
No. 24 Bucknell 69, Lafayette 49
EASTON, Pa. -- Charles Lee had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Kevin Bettencourt scored 14 points to lead Bucknell in its first game as a ranked team. The Bison (21-3) won their 16th straight game, became the first Patriot League team to start conference play 12-0 and matched the best start in school history.
No. 25 LSU 72, Mississippi St. 59
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Glen Davis and Tyrus Thomas had double-doubles to lead LSU. Davis, who had five points in the first half, finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Thomas, who was 7-for-11 from the field, had 16 points and 13 rebounds.