Thomas leads OSU to victory

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Deshaun Thomas scored 21 points — missing nine straight shots at one point and making five in a row at another — to lead No. 7 Ohio State past Winthrop 65-55 on Tuesday night.

It was the last tuneup for the Buckeyes (9-1) before Saturday's rematch with No. 9 Kansas. The Jayhawks beat them twice last year, once at Allen Fieldhouse and then in the Final Four.

Whether Ohio State was looking past Winthrop (4-5) and ahead to Kansas, or whether the Eagles just played well and the Buckeyes did not, the game was in doubt until Thomas got hot.

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Jeff Withey had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Ben McLemore added 14 points and Kansas used another big first-half run to put away Richmond.

Travis Releford and Naadir Tharpe each added 11 points, and Elijah Johnson had seven assists for the Jayhawks (9-1), who will ride an eight-game win streak into Saturday's showdown at No. 7 Ohio State — a rematch of last year's national semifinal won by Kansas.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Gary Harris and Denzel Valentine scored 12 points apiece to lead Michigan State to a victory over Bowling Green.

Branden Dawson added 10 points for the Spartans (10-2).

Michigan State held Bowling Green (5-5) to just two points over a six-minute stretch in the second half to take control.

AKRON, Ohio — Andrea Hoover and Cassie Sant scored 18 points as No. 16 Dayton blew out Akron in nonconference action.

WACO, Texas — Brittney Griner scored the first six points of the game and third-ranked Baylor had the first 17, extending its home winning streak to 45 in a row with a victory over 10th-ranked Tennessee.