No. 1 Connecticut Batters Oklahoma

Emeka Okafor had a hard time hiding a smile. That happens when you and your team play a game that has people throwing around superlatives and compliments.

Okafor fell one blocked shot short of a triple-double, and No. 1 Connecticut put on one of the most impressive defensive displays of the season, knocking No. 6 Oklahoma from the ranks of the unbeaten, 86-59, Sunday at Storrs, Conn.

“That’s easily the best defense we played all year, and we did it against a quality opponent,” Okafor said. “Everything’s contagious. The great defense led to our offense, and it just keeps on going. We were all in sync, and it showed out on the court.”

Okafor had 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocked shots for the Huskies, who improved to 13-1.

On defense, Connecticut contested every pass and forced the Sooners (10-1) into quick shots time after time in winning their 10th in a row.

“They may be as good as anyone we’ve played in 10 years,” said Oklahoma Coach Kelvin Sampson, whose team shot 27.4% from the field (20 for 73).

Denham Brown had 14 points for the Huskies, Rashad Anderson had 13, and Ben Gordon and Charlie Villaneuva each had 11.

Freshman Drew Lavender had 22 points and seven assists for the Sooners.

No. 2 Duke 93, Virginia 71 -- Shelden Williams scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, and the Blue Devils (12-1, 2-0) had five other players in double figures to defeat the Cavaliers (10-3, 0-2) in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Charlottesville, Va.

Plagued by foul trouble in the first half, Williams took over down low in the second half, overpowering the Cavaliers to give the Blue Devils their ninth consecutive victory.

Duke’s J.J. Redick set an ACC record for most consecutive free throws made when he converted both ends of a one-and-one midway through the first half. It gave him 50 consecutive free throws made dating to last season, breaking the record of 48 set by Virginia’s Jeff Lamp during the 1979-80 season.

No. 12 North Carolina 103, No. 8 Georgia Tech 88 -- Raymond Felton had 25 points and nine assists, and the Tar Heels (10-2, 1-1) never trailed in defeating the Yellow Jackets (12-2, 0-1) in an ACC game at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Sean May had 28 points for the Tar Heels, who have won 10 of the last 12 games in the series.

Jarrett Jack scored 22 points to lead the Yellow Jackets, who have lost five consecutive conference openers.

Indiana 59, Michigan 57 -- Marshall Strickland scored 14 points, and the visiting Hoosiers (7-6, 1-1) made two stops in the last 10 seconds to hold off the Wolverines (10-3, 1-1) in a Big Ten Conference game at Ann Arbor, Mich.