Category: NCAA Basketball

Mason Falslev had 15 points in Utah State's 72-67 win over Saint Bonaventure on Thursday night at the NIT Season Tip-Off. Falslev added 12 rebounds for the Aggies (6-0). Dexter Akanno scored 14 points while shooting 4 for 10 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line.

Jahmyl Telfort scored 23 points, Andre Screen added 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks Thursday night as Butler blew a 15-point lead before the Bulldogs beat Northwestern 71-69 at the Arizona Tip-Off. Ty Berry hit a 3 and then stole a pass that led to a layup by Jalen Leach 2 seconds later that gave Northwestern a one-point lead — its first since 6-4 — at 53-52 with 6 1/2 minutes to play.

Jaylen Murray scored nine of his career-high 28 points in overtime and No. 23 Mississippi beat BYU 96-85 on Thursday in the Rady Children's Invitational to extend its nonconference winning streak to 19 games, the longest in the country. Murray hit a jumper 1:17 into OT to give the Rebels the lead for good. Dre Davis and Matthew Murrell added 18 points apiece for the Rebels (6-0) in a fast-paced, sometimes-chippy game, while Sean Pedulla had 13.

Tyler Harris scored 24 points and made five 3-pointers, and Washington took advantage of a flagrant-1 foul with 38.1 seconds left to beat Colorado State 73-67 on Thursday night in the Acrisure Invitational. Washington (5-1) will play Santa Clara on Friday in the championship game. Colorado State (3-3) goes against TCU for third place.

Freshman Jeremiah Fears scored a season-high 26 points, Jalon Moore added 24 and Oklahoma held off No. Arizona 82-77 on Thursday in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Duke Miles made a high-arching floater in the lane with 2:55 remaining for a 78-69 lead, but Oklahoma failed to make another field goal the rest of the game.

Arkansas was exposed from beyond the arch on both ends of the court in its Thanksgiving loss to Illinois.

Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis scored a season-high 23 points, Tomislav Ivisic had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Illinois beat No. 19 Arkansas 90-77 on Thursday in the Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase. Jakucionis hit two free throws to give Illinois a double-digit lead with 3:49 remaining in the game. Arkansas had a turnover and a missed jumper on its next two possessions and Jakucionis hit an open 3-pointer to make it 85-71 at 2:42.

Arkansas basketball head coach John Calipari. © William Purnell-Imagn Images On a bitter afternoon in Kansas City, Missouri, the No. 19 Arkansas Razorbacks (5-2) were defeated by the Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1), 90-77, inside the T-Mobile Center.

Carlos Stewart Jr. scored 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and Santa Clara pulled away from TCU in the second half for a 69-52 win in the Acrisure Invitational on Thursday. The Broncos broke the game open with a 24-3 run to turn a one-point deficit into a 20-point lead with less than five minutes to play. Elijah Mahi added 13 points and Camaron Tongue 11 for Santa Clara (3-4).

Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 15 of his 22 points points in the second half and Camden Heide added 15 for No. 13 Purdue, which beat N.C. State 71-61 on Thursday in the opening game of the Rady Children’s Invitational. It was a rematch of last season’s Final Four game, which Purdue won 63-50 before losing to UConn in the championship game. Braden Smith had 11 points and and Fletcher Loyer 10 for Purdue (6-1).

Khalif Battle led a balanced attack with 16 points, Ryan Nembhard had a double-double and No. 3 Gonzaga used a first-half blitz to beat No. 14 Indiana 89-73 in the consolation round of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday. Nembhard had 11 points and a career-high 13 assists for the Bulldogs (6-1). Michael Ajayi and Nolan Hickman added 15 points and Ben Gregg 13.

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 21 points and Alijah Martin added 16 as No. 18 Florida beat Wake Forest 75-58 in the ESPN Events Invitational on Thursday. Florida (7-0) opened the second half with a 10-0 run to add to its 32-28 halftime lead. The Gators trailed by as many as nine points in the first half before going on a 12-2 run and taking a 23-22 lead with 4:46 remaining in the half.

This week’s Club Sportico focuses on the college basketball’s “new villain,” UConn men’s coach Dan Hurley, who is drawing attention—and plenty of criticism—for his animated and often angry sideline demeanor. Hurley’s Huskies have won the last two national championships, but the team is struggling. UConn lost three straight games in Maui, despite being favored against Memphis, Colorado …

The Gamecocks held the Cyclones scoreless for nearly 15 straight minutes.

Justin Hill hit two free throws with 4.6 seconds left in overtime and Wichita State pulled out a 68-66 win over Minnesota in the ESPN Events Invitational on Thursday. Minnesota's Brennan Rigsby put up a double-pump, contested 3-pointer from the right wing as time expired and the ball bounced softly off the rim three times before falling off. The Golden Gophers were down 66-62 as the clock neared 20 seconds and Femi Odukale forced a pair of quick turnovers that turned into Rigsby baskets at the rim, tying the game with 13.5 seconds remaining.