Category: NCAA Basketball

Chase Johnston's 31 points led High Point over Coppin State 93-51 on Wednesday night. Johnston shot 11 for 13, including 9 for 11 from beyond the arc for the Panthers (1-0). Kezza Giffa scored 16 points while shooting 3 for 7 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 8 of 11 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds.

After a slow start in two preseason exhibition games, Arkansas graduate senior guard Johnell Davis blossomed in the Razorbacks' season-opening 76-60 win over Lipscomb on Wednesday night inside Bud Walton Arena. The former highly-touted Florida Atlantic transfer shot 7-of-12 from the floor (58.3%) with six rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and only two turnovers. According to HogStats, Davis is the first Razorback since Marshawn Powell in 2009 with 15+ points, 6+ rebounds, 1+ blocks and 1+ steals in a debut game.

Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa scored 22 points as Columbia beat Villanova 90-80 on Wednesday night. De La Rosa added three steals for the Lions (2-0). Avery Brown scored 18 points, going 5 of 7 and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line.

HawgBeat takes a look at how Arkansas' three highly-touted freshmen looked in the team's season-opener against Lipscomb.

Thomas Sorber scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Georgetown won its season opener with an 85-77 victory over Lehigh 85-77 on Wednesday night. Micah Peavy added 20 points while shooting 8 for 13 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Hoyas. Jayden Epps shot 6 of 11 from the field, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 4 from the line to finish with 17 points.

Arkansas coach John Calipari, Zvonimir Ivisic and Johnell Davis postgame press conference after the win over Lipscomb.

Dawson Garcia scored 30 points and Minnesota defeated Oral Roberts 80-57 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both. A three-point play by Josh Jones got the Golden Eagles within single digits — 38-29 — for the first time since early in the first half but Garcia and Parker Fox scored five points each to help the Gophers push their lead to 50-33 with 13 1/2 minutes left. Minnesota continued to extend its lead as Oral Roberts could not put a rally together.

Jalen Reed scored a career-high 24 points, Cam Carter added 21 and LSU won its season opener with a 95-60 victory over UL Monroe on Wednesday night. Reed shot 8 of 9 from the field, made all eight free-throw attempts and grabbed eight rebounds. Carter was 7-of-12 shooting and made four of LSU's 10 3-pointers.

John Calipari won his debut as Arkansas coach when the 16th-ranked Razorbacks held off a second-half rally by Lipscomb and pulled away for a 76-60 victory Wednesday night. Freshman guard Boogie Fland scored 17 points and Florida Atlantic transfer Johnell Davis added 15 for Arkansas. Calipari, who left Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky after last season, had previously been booed incessantly whenever stepping foot in Bud Walton Arena.

Miles Kelly scored 21 points, Denver Jones added 16 and No. 11 Auburn cruised to a 94-43 season-opening home victory over Vermont on Wednesday night. Chaney Johnson had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Tigers, who have now won 55 consecutive non-conference home games. Auburn led Vermont by 25 at halftime and opened the second half on a 35-4 run.

Arkansas basketball head coach John Calipari. © Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images On a picture-perfect night in Fayetteville, the Arkansas basketball team (1-0) defeated the Lipscomb Bisons (0-1), 76-60, in front of a sparse crowd inside Bud Walton Arena.

Matt Allocco added 10 points for the Fighting Irish and Kebba Njie grabbed 10 rebounds to go with nine points. Todd Brogna scored 16 points and Ethan Meuser and Louie Semona had 11 each for the Skyhawks (1-1).

Alex Karaban had 20 points, seven rebounds, seven blocks and six assists as No. 3 UConn opened the season with a 92-56 win over Sacred Heart on Wednesday night.

Freshman Jacob Cofie had 16 points, Elijah Saunders scored nine of his 11 points in the second half and Virginia outlasted Campbell 65-56 on Wednesday night to begin the Ron Sanchez era. Sanchez was named interim head coach on Oct. 18 after three-time national coach of the year Tony Bennett retired. Sanchez spent 10 seasons on Bennett’s staff at Virginia in two different stints, 2009-19 and 2023-24.

Liam McNeeley added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Huskies, seeking their third consecutive NCAA championship. Solo Ball scored 16. Tarris Reed Jr. finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench as Connecticut outrebounded Sacred Heart 47-25.