Making their NCAA Tournament cases: Tar Heels dump Duke

For the first time since 1990, an unranked North Carolina team has beaten a Duke team ranked in the top five. The Tar Heels won their eighth in a row, 74-66, over fifth-ranked Duke, touching off a mad on-court celebration at Chapel Hill.

Marcus Paige scored all 13 of his points in the second half, including two big baskets in the final 2½ minutes. Senior Leslie McDonald added a season-high 21 points for the Tar Heels, who are 19-7 overall and 9-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina started the ACC season 0-3.

The Tar Heels rallied from 11 down in the second half to snap a two-game home losing streak to the Devils. Duke played its third of four games within an eight-day stretch.

For Duke, it doesn't get any easier. The Blue Devils host top-ranked Syracuse Saturday night. The Orange are coming off their first loss of the season, an upset loss Wednesday night to Boston College.

In other AP Top-25 hoops:

— Tom Izzo's 13th-ranked Michigan State Spartans had one of their biggest offensive showings of the season in routing Purdue 94-79. The Spartans made a school-record 17 3-pointers and never were threatened. Gary Harris scored 25 points and Adreian Payne added 23 for the 22-5 Spartans.

— Number-22 Memphis reached the 20-victory mark with a 64-59 win over Rutgers. Michael Dixon Jr. scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half for the Tigers, who were coming off an overtime loss at Connecticut last weekend.

__ No. 21 Connecticut beat Temple 68-55, holding the Owls to 33 percent shooting. Shabazz Napier had 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the 21-5 Huskies.

__ BYU improved its NCAA tournament credentials by knocking off 25th-ranked Gonzaga 73-65. Anson Winder (WYN'-dur) scored 15 points for BYU, making all 10 of his free throws. The Cougars improved to 19-10.