It turns out the Big East’s three-time defensive player of the year can play a little offense.
Eastern Illinois beats Earlham 97-61
Artese Stapleton scored 17 points as Eastern Illinois beat Earlham 97-61 on Wednesday night. Stapleton added eight assists for the Panthers (1-1). Kooper Jacobi added 16 points while going 5 of 12 from the floor, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and 4 for 4 from the line while he also had 11 rebounds and three steals.
Stanley’s 15 help Boise State down Oakland 87-43
O'Mar Stanley's 15 points helped Boise State defeat Oakland 87-43 on Wednesday night. Stanley also added eight rebounds for the Broncos in their season opener. Tyson Degenhart finished 6 of 13 from the field to finish with 13 points.
Todorovic’s 25 lead Pepperdine past Western Illinois 77-64
Stefan Todorovic scored 25 points as Pepperdine beat Western Illinois 77-64 on Wednesday night. Todorovic added five rebounds for the Waves (1-0). Moe Odum scored 18 points and added eight assists.
Aubin Gateretse scores 24 in Utah State’s 101-46 victory over Alcorn State
Aubin Gateretse scored 24 points and Utah State won its season opener 101-46 over Alcorn State on Wednesday night. Tucker Anderson scored 12 points, shooting 4 for 12, including 2 for 9 from beyond the arc for the Aggies. Ian Martinez shot 3 of 5 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the line to finish with 12 points.
Creighton star Ryan Kalkbrenner drops career-high 49 points to lift Bluejays to historic season-opening win
Creighton snuck out a tight win thanks to a historic outing from Ryan Kalkbrenner on Wednesday night.
Ryan Kalkbrenner scores 49 points as No. 15 Creighton wins opener 99-86 over UT-Rio Grande Valley
Big East preseason player of the year Ryan Kalkbrenner scored a career-high 49 points and 15th-ranked Creighton needed just about every one of them in a season-opening 99-86 win over UT-Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday night. The 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner's point total was the second-highest in program history behind Bob Portman's 51 against UW-Milwaukee in 1967. Steven Ashworth scored 25 points for the Bluejays.
Johnston scores 31, High Point defeats Coppin State 93-51
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.
Johnell Davis blossoms in physical Arkansas debut
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.
Columbia beats Villanova 90-80
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.
Razorback Freshman Report: Fland leads all scorers vs. Lipscomb
HawgBeat takes a look at how Arkansas' three highly-touted freshmen looked in the team's season-opener against Lipscomb.
Sorber scores 20 in Georgetown’s 85-77 victory over Lehigh
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.
VIDEO: Calipari, players postgame – Arkansas 76, Lipscomb 60
Arkansas coach John Calipari, Zvonimir Ivisic and Johnell Davis postgame press conference after the win over Lipscomb.
Garcia scores 30 and Minnesota wins its opener 80-57 over Oral Roberts
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.
Reed scores career-best 24 points, Carter adds 21 in LSU’s season-opening win over UL Monroe 95-60
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.