STORRS, Conn. — Connecticut lost its coach this week, but found its swagger.

Jerome Dyson scored a career-high 32 points and UConn overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to upset top-ranked Texas, 88-74, yesterday.

Kemba Walker had 19 points and 10 assists, and Stanley Robinson added 17 points and 12 rebounds for UConn (13-6), which again was without coach Jim Calhoun, who missed his second game on a doctor-ordered leave of absence.

"We've got to play for him," said Dyson, who said Calhoun was proud and excited on the phone after the game. "We know these wins will help him get better, because it will take some of the stress off him having to worry about us, and he can focus on getting himself better."

It was the Longhorns' second consecutive loss after winning their first 17 games, and all but ensures that Texas will fall from the top spot in the poll tomorrow.

"I think it has been great for the younger guys to go through this and realize that right now, at this time of year, the intensity has got to go up," said Texas coach Rick Barnes.

The win likely will put the Huskies back into the Top 25 after they missed the poll for the first time in 36 weeks. It was their second straight victory after three consecutive losses, and UConn's first win over a ranked opponent this season in five attempts.

"Now you know you're good, you know you can play," said George Blaney, Calhoun's longtime assistant, who is running the team in his absence. "You just beat the No. 1 team in the country, so that should tell you that you're good."

Damion James had 23 points and seven rebounds for Texas (17-2), and Avery Bradley added 15 points for the Longhorns, who lost to Kansas State, 71-63, on Monday.

"It's tough, and I'd be lying to you if I said it ain't," James said. "We'll get back on a roll now. I know me and I know this team and we'll get back going. Maybe this is what it takes to bring us back down to reality."

Texas controlled this game early. The Longhorns led 42-34 at the half, and 44-34 after UConn committed its 17th turnover of the game on the second-half inbound pass.

That's when Dyson got going. He made two steals, one of which he converted into a fast-break dunk to pull the Huskies to 44-41.

A 13-0 run gave UConn a 58-52 lead.

The Huskies tied the game at 52 on a free throw by Ater Majok with 12:52 to play, and the sellout crowd erupted when the Huskies took their first lead of the half when Dyson hit a pull-up jumper on their next possession.

A reverse layup by Walker gave UConn a 10-point lead at 68-58, and his 25-foot 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring made it 71-58 with 6:11 left.

Dyson extended the lead to 15 with another 3-pointer with 4:55 left.

NO. 2 KENTUCKY 101, ARKANSAS 70

Darius Miller had 18 points and DeMarcus Cousins got his 10th double-double — 16 points and 14 rebounds — as the host Wildcats (19-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) kept alive the nation's only unblemished record with a rout of the Razorbacks (8-11, 1-3).

Kentucky, which hasn't topped The Associated Press poll since 2003, is almost certain to replace top-ranked Texas, which has lost its last two games.

NO. 3 KANSAS 84, IOWA STATE 61

Cole Aldrich had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the visiting Jayhawks (18-1, 4-0) closed the first half with a 25-11 run for a 38-35 lead in beating the Cyclones (12-7, 1-3) for their fourth straight victory.

NO. 4 VILLANOVA 81, ST. JOHN'S 71

Scottie Reynolds scored 19 points as the visiting Wildcats (18-1) matched the 1950-51 team for the best start in school history and also moved to 7-0 in the Big East for the first time with a victory over the Red Storm (12-7, 2-5).

NO. 5 SYRACUSE 76, MARQUETTE 71

Wes Johnson scored 22 points and added 15 rebounds as the host Orange (19-1, 6-1 Big East) beat the Golden Eagles (11-8, 2-5) to win 19 of their first 20 games for the fourth time under coach Jim Boeheim.

NO. 6 MICHIGAN STATE 65, MINNESOTA 64

Kalin Lucas scored 22 points, including a 3-pointer to break a 62-all tie with 1:27 left, helping the visiting Spartans (17-3, 7-0 Big Ten) hold off the Gophers (12-7, 3-4), who missed a jumper and a tip as time expired.

NO. 7 DUKE 60, NO. 17 CLEMSON 47

Nolan Smith scored 22 points, including nine during a 14-2 second-half run that put the visiting Blue Devils (16-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) ahead 43-30 with 12:33 left, and the Tigers (15-5, 3-3) got no closer than six points the rest of the way.

GEORGIA 78, NO. 8 TENNESSEE 63

Trey Thompkins scored 21 points and Ricky McPhee hit a 3-pointer for a 5-4 lead just two minutes into the game and the host Bulldogs (9-8, 1-3 Southeastern Conference) never trailed again in ending the Vols' (15-3, 3-1) seven-game winning streak.

OKLAHOMA STATE 73, NO. 10 KANSAS STATE 69

James Anderson scored 30 points and Obi Muonelo hit two key 3-pointers in the final minutes to lead the visiting Cowboys (15-4, 3-2 Big 12) past the Wildcats (16-3, 3-2) just six days after Kansas State beat No. 1 Texas on the same court.

NO. 11 WEST VIRGINIA 71, NO. 21 OHIO STATE 65

Da'Sean Butler scored 21 points and the host Mountaineers (15-3) rallied from a 14-point deficit, taking the lead for good (57-54) on Butler's 3-pointer with 8:56 to play in beating the Buckeyes (14-6) for the second straight season.

NO. 12 GEORGETOWN 88, RUTGERS 63

Greg Monroe made his first eight shots and finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, and the host Hoyas (15-3, 6-2 Big East) never trailed in defeating the Scarlet Knights (9-10, 0-7), who have lost eight straight.

NO. 13 PURDUE 69, MICHIGAN 59

JaJuan Johnson scored 21 points to help the host Boilermakers (16-3, 4-3 Big Ten) beat the Wolverines (10-9, 3-4). Michigan was without guard Manny Harris, the conference's top scorer, who was suspended during Friday's practice.

NO. 14 BYU 71, SAN DIEGO STATE 69

Jimmer Fredette scored 33 points, including five during a 15-0 run for a 60-50 lead with 6:33 left, helping the visiting Cougars (20-1, 5-0 Mountain West Conference) hold off the Aztecs (14-6, 3-3) for their 15th straight victory.

NO. 15 GONZAGA 85, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 69

Freshman Elias Harris scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and the host Zags (16-3, 5-0 West Coast Conference) opened the second half with an 8-0 run for a 50-42 lead and never looked back in beating the Lions (10-11, 1-4 WCC) for their eighth consecutive victory.

NO. 16 TEMPLE 62, FORDHAM 45

Juan Fernandez scored 13 points, Scootie Randall had 12 and the visiting Owls (17-3, 5-0 Atlantic 10) beat the Rams (2-16, 0-6), who are 1-12 since Jared Grasso took over as interim coach after Dereck Whittenburg was fired.

NO. 22 MISSISSIPPI 73, LSU 63

Terrance Henry, Eniel Polynice and Chris Warren each scored 14 points, with Warren's coming in the final nine minutes, as the visiting Rebels (15-4, 3-2 SEC) held off the Tigers (9-10, 0-5).

ALABAMA 62, NO. 23 MISSISSIPPI STATE 57

Mikhail Torrance scored 20 points, and Anthony Brock and JaMychal Green each made two free throws in the final 18 seconds to help the host Crimson Tide (12-7, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) upset the Bulldogs (15-4, 3-1).

NO. 25 BAYLOR 71, MASSACHUSETTS 45

Ekpe Udoh and Tweety Carter each scored 23 points to help the Bears (15-3) to their school-record 11th straight home win with a rout of the Minutemen (7-12), who lost their fifth consecutive game. UMass was the first team this season to outrebound the Bears (42-33).

WAC

SAN JOSE STATE 93, NEW MEXICO STATE 84

Mac Peterson scored a career-high 25 points, Adrian Oliver added 22 points and five assists, and the host Spartans (11-8, 4-3 Western Athletic Conference) made a season-high 12 3-pointers to upset the Aggies (12-8, 5-2). The Spartans were coming off an 87-76 win over first-place Louisiana Tech on Thursday. Jahmar Young had a career-high 34 points for New Mexico State.

UTAH STATE 60, IDAHO 48

Jared Quayle scored 16 points, Tai Wesley added 11 points and six rebounds, and the visiting Aggies (15-6, 5-2) defeated the Vandals (8-9, 1-5) to give coach Stew Morrill his 500th victory as a Division I coach. Morrill is 500-235 (.680) in 24 seasons as a Division I head coach. This is his 12th season at Utah State.

FRESNO STATE 87, NEVADA 77

Greg Smith had 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and the host Bulldogs (11-10, 4-3) built a 17-point lead then held off the Wolf Pack (12-8. 4-3). Luke Babbitt scored 29 points for Nevada, including 10 in a row as the Wolf Pack trimmed a 17-point deficit to five with 3:43 remaining.

PACIFIC WEST CONFERENCE

BYU-HAWAI'I 89, HAWAI'I PACIFIC 88

Rory Patterson scored 22 points to lead three teammates in double figures as the host Seasiders (8-5, 2-2) handed the Sea Warriors (13-4, 5-1) their first Pacific West Conference loss last night at Cannon Activities Center.

Marques Whippy added 17 points, Anthony Reilly 16 and Garrett Sandberg 10 for BYUH, which led 49-37 at halftime. Mike Helton scored 25 points, Ray Murdock had 15 points and 15 rebounds, Cliff Hodge added 13 points and Jeff Ingram 10 points for HPU.

CHAMINADE 68, HAWAI'I-HILO 62

Steven Bennett scored 23 points and Chandler Pearson had 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead the host Silverswords (5-8, 2-2) over the Vulcans (10-6, 4-2) at McCabe Gym.

Mat Cousins contributed 11 rebounds for the Silverswords, which led 30-25 at halftime. Justin Smith scored 19 points and Lavell Shipman added 13 for UH-Hilo.