Feb 25, 2013 3 min read

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Davante Gardner scored a career-high 26 points and No. 22 Marquette beat No. 12 Syracuse 74-71 on Monday night in a game that further tightened things at the top of the Big East.

Gardner played only 11 minutes in Marquette’s 60-56 loss at Villanova Saturday, with coach Buzz Williams saying he benched the junior center because “he played really bad.”

Gardner was the exact opposite against the Orange, making all seven of his shots and converting 12 of 13 free throws in 33 minutes to pull Marquette (20-7, 11-4 Big East) into second place, one-half game behind No. 7 Georgetown.

C.J. Fair had 20 points for Syracuse (22-6, 10-5), which has lost three of five and dropped into a tie for fourth with No. 21 Notre Dame.

No. 10 Louisville is alone in third, a game behind Georgetown.

Reserve guard Todd Mayo hit two 3-pointers during a decisive 15-2 Marquette run in the second half, and Gardner gave the Golden Eagles the lead for good at 56-55 on an 8-foot jumper in the lane with 5:05 left.

Michael Carter-Williams hit a 3-pointer with 1 second left to pull the Orange within 73-71, but Vander Blue hit a free throw with two-tenths of a second to go. Syracuse didn’t get a shot off and the game ended.

Mayo’s second 3 made it 59-55 with 3:54 to go, and Junior Cadougan was fouled while attempting a fast-break layup.

Syracuse called time out, and Gardner and teammate Jamil Wilson didn’t immediately go to the bench. They tried to clean up sweat in the Syracuse lane. Wilson grabbed a mop with Gardner pointing out the perspiration while Marquette assistant coaches frantically waved for them to leave the cleanup for others and join the huddle.

Cadougan hit two free throws to extend the lead to 61-55 with 3:37 to go.

Kansas State 75, Texas Tech 55: Thomas Gipson scored 20 points, Angel Rodriguez added 16 and No. 13 Kansas State beat Texas Tech 75-55 on Monday night giving the Wildcats 12 conference wins for the first time in 40 years.

The 12 league wins are the most ever for a first-year coach at Kansas State (23-5, 12-3 Big 12) and more importantly for Bruce Weber and his team is that win keeps the Wildcats tied with No. 6 Kansas for first place in the Big 12.

Dusty Hannahs scored 14 points for the Red Raiders (9-17, 2-13) and Jaye Crockett added 13.

Louisiana Tech rolling: The last time Louisiana Tech was this good, Karl Malone patrolled the courts on the Ruston campus.

Louisiana Tech moved into the Top 25 Monday for the first time since a 13-week run during the 1984-85 season, edging Colorado State for the No. 25 spot. The Bulldogs (24-3, 14-0 Western Athletic Conference) are on a 16-game winning streak. Their last was an 80-72 setback against McNeese State Dec. 12.

Louisiana Tech has two home games this week to bask in its newfound popularity – Thursday against Utah State and Saturday versus San Jose State.