Category: NCAA Basketball

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Braden Smith scored all 16 of his points in the second half and tied the Big Ten record for assists in conference play, and No. 5 Purdue overcame a nine-point to beat Iowa 79-72 on Wednesday night.

Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points, Fletcher Loyer had 11 and Oscar Cluff 10 to help the Boilermakers (16-1, 6-0 Big Ten) win their eighth straight game. They have won their first six conference games for only the fifth time since 1940.

Smith finished the game with 478 assists in league games — the same number former Michigan State player Cassius Winston had.

Bennett Stirtz had 19 points to lead Iowa (12-5, 2-4). Kael Combs added 16 points as the Hawkeyes lost their third in a row overall, fell to 0-4 against ranked teams this season and extended their losing streak against top-10 opponents to 10 since 2021-22.

NO. 13 ILLINOIS 79, NORTHWESTERN 68

EVANSTON, Ill.(AP) — Keaton Wagler scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, and Illinois beat Northwestern for their season-high sixth consecutive victory.

Tomislav Ivisic added 21 points and seven rebounds as Illinois (14-3, 5-1 Big Ten) won at Northwestern for the first time since Jan. 29, 2022. The Illini had dropped their last three games in Evanston.

Jayden Reid led Northwestern with a career-high 28 points, including 20 in the second half. Nick Martinelli had 20 points.

STANFORD 95, NO. 14 NORTH CAROLINA 90

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Freshman Ebuka Okorie had 36 points and nine assists and Stanford rallied from 12 points down in the second half to beat North Carolina.

Okorie outdueled Tar Heels freshman star Caleb Wilson and helped the Cardinal (14-4, 3-2 ACC) knock off the Tar Heels (14-3, 2-2) for the second straight season as conference opponents. North Carolina had won all 13 meetings between the schools before coach Kyle Smith took over last season in Stanford’s first year in the ACC.

Jeremy Dent-Smith hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:04 to play for his sixth long ball of the night to make it 88-87. After Wilson turned it over at the other end, Ryan Agarwal hit another 3 to but the Cardinal up by four points with 32 seconds to play.

The Cardinal held on from there for their second win over a ranked opponent this month after beating No. 16 Louisville at home on Jan. 2. That matches the most wins against ranked wins in a season for Stanford since the Cardinal had five in 2013-14 in the last season when they made the NCAA Tournament.

Dent-Smith and Agarwal each finished with 20 points as Stanford won despite playing without second-leading scorer Chisom Okpara, who is out with a lower-body injury.

Wilson and Henri Veesaar each scored 26 points for North Carolina.

NO. 15 TEXAS TECH 88, UTAH 74

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — JT Toppin had 31 points and 13 rebounds for his sixth consecutive double-double and Christian Anderson had his own with 26 points and 10 assists as Texas Tech beat Utah.

It was Toppin’s 11th double-double this season, his 30th in 49 games over two seasons with Tech since transferring from New Mexico, and his 42nd overall. The 6-foot-9 junior forward also had seven assists and five blocked shots while making a career-high three 3-pointers.

Donovan Atwell added 12 points on four 3-pointers for the Red Raiders (13-4, 3-1 Big 12), who shot 51.4% overall from the field (36 of 70) while improving to 9-0 at home this season. Anderson had six of their 13 made 3-pointers.

Keanu Dawes and Don McHenry each had 18 points, and Terrence Brown 17 for Utah (8-9, 0-4). The Utes have lost 11 consecutive true road games.

NO. 17 ARKANSAS 108, SOUTH CAROLINA 74

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Darius Acuff Jr. had 18 points and 13 assists as Arkansas routed South Carolina.

Meleek Thomas led six Razorbacks in double figures with 21 points off the bench. Reserve forward Malique Ewin scored 18, Trevon Brazile had 13 and D.J. Wagner added 12.

Nick Pringle, who spent last season at South Carolina, set a season high with 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Acuff, a freshman, posted his third double-double and set a career best for assists. He’s scored in double figures in every game for Arkansas (13-4, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) this season.

Meechie Johnson paced the Gamecocks (10-7, 1-3) with 29 points.

MISSISSIPPI 97, NO. 21 GEORGIA 95, OT

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Patton Pinkins sank a follow-up shot with 1 second remaining in overtime and Mississippi beat Georgia despite Jeremiah Wilkinson’s season-high 32 points for the Bulldogs.

Marcus “Smurf” Millender made one of two free throws for Georgia (14-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) with 10.2 seconds remaining in overtime to tie the game at 95.

Following a miss by AJ Storr, who led Ole Miss (10-7, 2-2) with 27 points, Pinkins grabbed the rebound and sank the winning shot to finish with 18 points.

Kanon Catchings scored 17 points for Georgia, including a 3-pointer for a 94-91 lead.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kiki Rice had 25 points on 8-for-9 shooting and Lauren Betts posted her third straight double-double, leading No. 3 UCLA past Minnesota 76-58 on Wednesday night.

Betts staved off early foul trouble to finish with 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Bruins (16-1, 6-0) stayed unbeaten in Big Ten play and pushed their winning streak to 10 straight games. Their only loss was to No. 4 Texas in Las Vegas on Nov. 26.

Rice hit all three of her 3-point attempts to make the Gophers pay for packing the paint, as the Bruins shot 60% from the floor (27 for 45) against the top defensive team in the nation. UCLA had by far the highest final score in a regulation game this season against Minnesota, which was allowing an average of 51.8 points per game entering the night.

The Gophers lost 100-99 in double overtime to then-No. 7 Maryland on Dec. 7. They beat then-No. 21 USC 63-62 on Sunday for the program’s first win over a ranked team since 2019.

Amaya Battle scored 16 points and Mara Braun added 15 points for the Gophers (12-5, 3-3), who forced 17 turnovers but managed only three fast-break points.

NO. 10 TCU, WEST VIRGINIA

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Marta Suarez hit a 3-pointer as time expired to lift TCU to a win over West Virginia.

Suarez, who had missed her first five tries from beyond the arc, took an inbounds pass from Donovyn Hunter, set her feet and sank the winner to cap off an otherwise sloppy effort from the Horned Frogs (17-1, 5-1 Big 12).

Olivia Miles led TCU with 14 points and Suarez finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Jordan Harrison led West Virginia (14-4, 4-2) with 19 points.

NO. 14 OHIO STATE 108, PENN STATE 84

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jaloni Cambridge scored 33 points, Chance Gray had 23 points and seven 3-pointers, and Ohio State made a season-high 17 3-pointers in a victory over Penn State for its fifth straight victory.

Elsa Lemmilä added 21 points for Ohio State (16-2, 6-1 Big Ten). Cambridge, the Big Ten player of the week, also had four 3-pointers.

Moriah Murray scored 25 points, Gracie Merkle had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Kiyomi McMiller added 20 points for Penn State (7-11, 0-7), which has lost seven straight games. Tea Cleante came off the bench to score 10 points.

NO. 18 BAYLOR 61, UTAH 45

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 14 points to lead Baylor to a victory over Utah.

Scott was 5-of-21 shooting and 3 of 9 from behind the arc for the Bears (16-3, 5-1 Big 12) Darianna Littlepage-Buggs had 11 points and nine rebounds. Jana Van Gytenbeek had 10 points and six assists. Kiersten Johnson added nine rebounds.

Chyra Evans posted a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Utes (13-5, 4-2), while Lani White had 14 points and eight rebounds.

COLORADO 68, NO. 19 IOWA STATE 62

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Desiree Wooten scored a season-high 24 points, and Jade Masogayo added 15 as Colorado held off Iowa State.

Zyanna Walker added 10 for the Buffaloes (11-6, 3-3 Big 12). Anaelle Dutat had 12 rebounds to go with nine points. It was the first time Colorado has beaten Iowa State since rejoining the Big 12.

Colorado took it first lead with 1:55 left to play in the third quarter off a 6-0 run, 40-37. Iowa State tied it 42-all heading into the final frame, where another 6-0 run for the Buffaloes set them up with their biggest lead of the night, 48-42, forcing the Cyclones to call a timeout.

Iowa State tied the game at 52, but a foul sent Dutat to the line, where she sank both shots. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Tabitha Betson put the Buffs up 60-55. Wooten hit a shot from beyond the arc with 46 seconds left to seal the victory.

Audi Crooks had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Iowa State (14-3, 2-4), which has lost four straight. Sydney Harris added 16 points for the Cyclones, who scored a season-low 62 points. Their previous low was 63, which came earlier this month in their loss to Cincinnati.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Tarris Reed Jr. scored 21 points and Silas Demary Jr. made four free throws in the last 29 seconds as No. 3 UConn extended its winning streak to 13 games with a 69-64 win over No. 25 Seton Hall on Tuesday night.

The Huskies nearly squandered an 18-point lead — 42-24 — with 17:20 left to play. Seton Hall battled back and closed within a point at 65-64 on a 3-pointer by Mike Williams III with 48 seconds left.

Demary made two free throws to give UConn a 67-64 lead with 29 seconds to play. Williams had a chance to tie it for Seton Hall on its next possession, but his 3-point attempt was blocked by freshman guard Braylon Mullins. Demary closed out the win with two more free throws with 11 seconds remaining.

The Huskies (17-1, 7-0 Big East) were held without a field goal for the final 5:40 of the game

Seton Hall had beaten UConn in the teams’ last four games at the Prudential Center.

Seton Hall (14-3, 4-2) had overcome double-digit deficits after halftime in all three of its wins since losing to Villanova on Dec. 23.

Alex Karaban had 13 points and Mullins scored 11 points for the Huskies.

Williams scored 16 points, Adam Clark added 12 and Najai Hines 10 for Seton Hall, which shot 1 for 16 (6%) from 3-point range. The Pirates were making third first appearance in The Associated Press’ Top 25 rankings since a No. 20 ranking nearly four years ago.

NO. 12 MICHIGAN STATE 81, INDIANA 60

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Fears scored 19 of his career-high 23 points in the first half and Jaxon Kohler finished with 16 points, leading Michigan State to a win over Indiana.

The Spartans (15-2, 5-1 Big Ten) trailed by seven midway through the first half when Fears was their only scorer and led 39-32 at halftime after some of his teammates contributed offensively.

The Hoosiers (12-5, 3-3) tied the game with 11:19 to remaining, before giving up 19 straight points while being held scoreless for nearly seven minutes.

Indiana’s Lamar Wilkerson scored 19 points and didn’t get much help because none of his teammates scored in double figures. Reed Bailey, who is averaging 10 points, fouled out for the Hoosiers.

NO. 16 VIRGINIA 79, NO. 20 LOUISVILLE 70

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Malik Thomas made six 3-pointers and scored 19 points, Johann Grunloh added 16 points and Virginia shot 55% in the second half to beat Louisville.

Thomas went 6 of 8 from beyond the arc and 6 of 9 overall for the Cavaliers (15-2, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). Virginia shot just 40% from the field but led throughout and made 7 of 13 3-pointers after halftime in its first meeting with a ranked foe this season.

Grunloh, a 7-foot freshman, went 3 of 4 on 3-pointers and added seven rebounds and four blocks.

Isaac McKneely, who spent the previous three seasons at Virginia, scored a season-high 23 points for Louisville (12-5, 2-3), which shot 36% and has dropped three of four.

Ryan Conwell added 14 points for the Cardinals, who played a seventh consecutive game without guard Mikel Brown Jr. (back) and were missing forward Khani Rooths because of an illness. Ex-G League player London Johnson dressed but did not play for a second straight game.

NO. 22 CLEMSON 74, BOSTON COLLEGE 50

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Nick Davidson scored 21 straight points in the first half and finished with a season-high 25 as Clemson beat Boston College to remain undefeated in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Tigers (15-3, 5-0 ACC) won their eighth straight game, one day after reaching the Top 25 rankings for the first time this season.

Davidson, the Nevada transfer, accounted for all of Clemson’s scoring in a 21-9 run in the first to turn a four-point deficit into a 32-24 lead.

Clemson started the second half on a 9-2 run. The Tigers were led by RJ Godfrey’s five points and extended their lead to double digits.

Davidson’s two foul shots with 9:50 to play extended Clemson’s lead to 21 points and Boston College (7-10, 0-4) failed to respond. The Tigers eventually led by 25 in the second half.

Davidson made 8 of 11 shots from the field, including four of Clemson’s eight 3-pointers. He finished a point shy of his career high, set against Sam Houston State in November 2024.

Fred Payne led Boston College with 20 points.

NO. 24 TENNESSEE 87, TEXAS A&M 82, 2OT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nate Ament scored 23 points, 10 of which came in the two overtime periods, as Tennessee beat Texas A&M.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 18, Bishop Boswell had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Felix Okpara had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Volunteers (12-5, 2-2 in Southeastern Conference), who outrebounded the Aggies 60-35.

The Aggies (13-4, 3-1), who had their six-game winning streak snapped, were led by Jacari Lane with 20 points, Pop Isaacs with 16 and Ruben Dominguez with 15.

Chattanooga Mocs (7-10, 1-3 SoCon) at Wofford Terriers (11-6, 3-1 SoCon)

Spartanburg, South Carolina; Wednesday, 6 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Wofford hosts Chattanooga after Nils Machowski scored 33 points in Wofford's 109-97 loss to the Mercer Bears.

The Terriers are 6-1 on their home court. Wofford ranks seventh in the SoCon in rebounding averaging 32.5 rebounds. Kahmare Holmes leads the Terriers with 6.0 boards.

The Mocs are 1-3 against SoCon opponents. Chattanooga is second in the SoCon with 16.1 assists per game led by Jordan Frison averaging 4.2.

Wofford averages 9.8 made 3-pointers per game, 2.2 more made shots than the 7.6 per game Chattanooga allows. Chattanooga has shot at a 44.5% rate from the field this season, 1.9 percentage points below the 46.4% shooting opponents of Wofford have averaged.

The Terriers and Mocs meet Wednesday for the first time in SoCon play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Holmes is shooting 48.2% and averaging 17.5 points for the Terriers. Machowski is averaging 19.5 points over the last 10 games.

Billy Smith is shooting 31.3% from beyond the arc with 2.1 made 3-pointers per game for the Mocs, while averaging 9.6 points. Frison is shooting 52.1% and averaging 16.5 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Terriers: 7-3, averaging 81.0 points, 31.5 rebounds, 14.1 assists, 7.9 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.5 points per game.

Mocs: 3-7, averaging 75.0 points, 29.8 rebounds, 15.0 assists, 6.9 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.0 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

East Tennessee State Buccaneers (12-5, 4-0 SoCon) at Western Carolina Catamounts (5-10, 1-3 SoCon)

Cullowhee, North Carolina; Wednesday, 6 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: East Tennessee State takes on Western Carolina after Blake Barkley scored 24 points in East Tennessee State's 86-60 victory against the UNC Greensboro Spartans.

The Catamounts are 4-1 in home games. Western Carolina is the SoCon leader with 11.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Samuel Dada averaging 2.9.

The Buccaneers are 4-0 in conference play. East Tennessee State has a 0-1 record in one-possession games.

Western Carolina scores 77.2 points, 11.0 more per game than the 66.2 East Tennessee State allows. East Tennessee State averages 7.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.0 fewer made shots on average than the 9.7 per game Western Carolina gives up.

The matchup Wednesday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams in conference play.

TOP PERFORMERS: Marcus Kell is scoring 13.7 points per game with 4.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists for the Catamounts. Cord Stansberry is averaging 11.5 points over the last 10 games.

Cam Morris III is averaging 14 points for the Buccaneers. Maki Johnson is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Catamounts: 2-8, averaging 79.0 points, 34.8 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 7.0 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 84.1 points per game.

Buccaneers: 6-4, averaging 76.6 points, 30.1 rebounds, 14.0 assists, 8.7 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.6 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Nevada Wolf Pack (12-4, 4-1 MWC) at Utah State Aggies (14-1, 5-0 MWC)

Logan, Utah; Wednesday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Nevada visits No. 23 Utah State after Corey Camper Jr. scored 31 points in Nevada's 92-83 victory over the Wyoming Cowboys.

The Aggies have gone 6-0 in home games. Utah State is 2-0 in one-possession games.

The Wolf Pack have gone 4-1 against MWC opponents. Nevada ranks fifth in the MWC with 10.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Elijah Price averaging 3.1.

Utah State averages 8.8 made 3-pointers per game, 1.0 more made shot than the 7.8 per game Nevada gives up. Nevada has shot at a 43.9% rate from the field this season, 3.7 percentage points above the 40.2% shooting opponents of Utah State have averaged.

The Aggies and Wolf Pack face off Wednesday for the first time in MWC play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Collins Jr. averages 2.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Aggies, scoring 20.5 points while shooting 47.8% from beyond the arc. Mason Falslev is shooting 52.3% and averaging 16.2 points over the last 10 games.

Tayshawn Comer is averaging 13.9 points and 3.8 assists for the Wolf Pack. Price is averaging 12.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Aggies: 9-1, averaging 86.1 points, 31.1 rebounds, 17.9 assists, 9.3 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 53.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.5 points per game.

Wolf Pack: 8-2, averaging 76.1 points, 29.3 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 6.4 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.6 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Fordham Rams (10-7, 1-3 A-10) at Saint Louis Billikens (15-1, 3-0 A-10)

St. Louis; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Fordham visits Saint Louis after Dejour Reaves scored 31 points in Fordham's 81-77 win over the Saint Bonaventure Bonnies.

The Billikens have gone 11-0 in home games. Saint Louis has a 1-1 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Rams are 1-3 in A-10 play. Fordham has a 2-1 record in one-possession games.

Saint Louis averages 10.6 made 3-pointers per game, 2.8 more made shots than the 7.8 per game Fordham gives up. Fordham scores 6.2 more points per game (73.6) than Saint Louis gives up to opponents (67.4).

The Billikens and Rams meet Wednesday for the first time in conference play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Trey Green averages 2.7 made 3-pointers per game for the Billikens, scoring 10.9 points while shooting 44.8% from beyond the arc. Robbie Avila is averaging 12.9 points and 3.8 assists over the past 10 games.

Reaves is shooting 47.2% and averaging 17.4 points for the Rams. Akira Jacobs is averaging 1.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Billikens: 9-1, averaging 93.6 points, 40.2 rebounds, 21.5 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 66.6 points per game.

Rams: 5-5, averaging 71.1 points, 35.6 rebounds, 14.6 assists, 6.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 65.4 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 10 of the season:

Nick Boyd, Wisconsin

The 6-foot-3 senior guard was named co-player of the week in the Big Ten after helping the Badgers stun previously unbeaten Michigan on the road. Boyd had 22 points, six assists, three rebounds, one block and one steal with no turnovers in 31 minutes against the then-No. 2 Wolverines. Earlier in the week, he had 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists in a win against UCLA.

Runner-up

Richie Saunders, No. 11 BYU. The 6-5 senior was named Big 12 player of the week after big scoring outputs in wins against Arizona State and Utah. Saunders had a career-high 31-points on 10-for-13 shooting with eight rebounds and six 3-pointers in the win against the Sun Devils. He followed with 24 points and 14 rebounds against the Utes. He also had three assists in each win while shooting 19 for 29 (.655) in the two games.

Honorable mention

Silas Demary Jr., No. 3 UConn; Tre Donaldson, Miami; Joshua Jefferson, No. 2 Iowa State.

Keep an eye on

Cruz Davis, Hofstra. The 6-3 junior guard has been putting up big numbers all season for the Pride, which has won eight straight games and started 4-0 in Coastal Athletic Association play. He had 32 points in Thursday's win at Towson, a performance that included him going 13 of 14 at the foul line. He followed that by scoring 16 of his 19 points after halftime in an overtime win against Monmouth, and he's snagged at least five rebounds in four straight games.

Davis — who has thrice won or shared CAA player of the week honors this year — ranks 11th in Division I in scoring (21.7) and scored 36 points in a win at Pittsburgh in early December. He also ranks third in Division I in minutes per game (37:48).

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Arizona tightened its hold on the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday while Vanderbilt’s unbeaten season has landed the Commodores in the top 10.

Louisville leads the ACC, Emilee Skinner will redshirt, the search for Joe McKeown's successor is on and UCLA's Megan Grant shifts to softball.

Michigan was unseated from the top of the Coaches Poll after losing to Wisconsin over the weekend, giving the Arizona Wildcats the top spot.

There are now only five undefeated teams left in the country after Michigan's loss to Wisconsin.

Arizona tightened its hold on the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll on Monday while Vanderbilt's unbeaten season has landed the Commodores in the top 10. A week ago, Arizona led then-No. 2 Michigan by a single point for the top spot to barely avoid what would have been only the second-ever tie at No. 1 in the poll's 78-year history. Iowa State got the other and moved up one spot to No. 2, followed by UConn.

Michigan basketball has been usurped by Arizona for No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. The Wolverines schedule now takes them to West Coast.

There's a new No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll with Arizona rising to the top spot after a loss by Michigan.