LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jamiya Neal had 21 points and nine rebounds to lead No. 21 Creighton past Notre Dame 80-76 on Saturday in the seventh-place game of the Players Era Festival.
Notre Dame cut the lead to three with 24 seconds left, but Creighton (5-3) closed the game 6 of 6 from the free-throw line to seize the win and snap a three-game losing skid.
Steven Ashworth had 15 points and six assists for Creighton. Fredrick King scored 14.
Braeden Shrewsberry and Tae Davis each had 17 points to lead Notre Dame (4-4). Matt Allocco scored 12.
Notre Dame erased a 17-point first-half deficit and took a one-point lead midway through the second half when Shrewsberry drilled a 3-pointer to give Notre Dame a 53-52 lead.
No. 1 KANSAS 86, FURMAN 51
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — KJ Adams matched a career-high 22 points and No. 1 Kansas used a 30-9 run at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second to beat Furman.
Hunter Dickinson had 10 points and six rebounds for the Jayhawks (7-0), who handled the trap game nestled between last week’s win over No. 11 Duke in Las Vegas and next week’s trip to No. 21 Creighton for the Big 12-Big East Battle.
The Jayhawks and Paladins (7-1) began the day as two of 23 unbeatens left in men’s Division I basketball.
Kansas led just 27-26 before Flory Bidunga’s basket completed a 12-2 run to end the first half. The charge continued in the second, and Adams eventually converted a three-point play to give the Jayhawks a 57-35 lead with 13 1/2 minutes to go.
Eddrin Bronson scored 14 points and Garrett Hien had 12 points for the Paladins.
No. 2 UCONN 99, MD.-EASTERN SHORE 45
Hartford, Conn. (AP) — Liam McNeeley and Jaylin Stewart each scored 16 points as the second-ranked UConn men’s basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Maryland Eastern Shore.
UConn played without leading scorer Alex Karaban. Karaban hit his head on the floor late in a loss to Dayton in UConn’s final game at the Maui Invitational. He was at the XL Center but did not play in the game. Stewart made his first career start in place of Karaban.
Solo Ball had 12 points, Aidan Mahaney had 11 points and four assists, Jayden Ross added 10 points and 10 rebounds while Tarris Reed Jr finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for UConn (5-3).
KC Shaw had 13 of his 18 points in the second half for Maryland Eastern Shore (2-9).
SAN DIEGO ST. 73, No. 6 HOUSTON 70, OT
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Miles Bird scored 18 points and Jared Coleman-Jones added 16 to help San Diego State edge No. 6 Houston in overtime in the third place game of the Players Era tournament.
Nick Boyd added 14 points and freshman Pharoah Compton 13 for the Aztecs (4-2).
Bird made two free throws with 13.4 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 65. Emanual Sharp missed a baseline jumper with 1 second remaining and the game went to overtime.
San Diego State built a five-point advantage in OT, but L.J. Cryer hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 72-70. Magoon Gwath made one of two free throws with 12 seconds left to make it a three-point game. Cryer had a chance to tie it, but missed a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left.
Sharp finished with 23 points and Cryer added 21.
OREGON 83, No. 9 ALABAMA 81
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nate Bittle scored the winning shot on a putback dunk with 4.4 seconds left to lead undefeated Oregon to a win over No. 9 Alabama in the championship game of the Players Era Festival.
Keeshawn Barthelemy scored 22 points off the bench to lead the Ducks (8-0), and Bittle had 19 on the night.
Alabama’s Aden Holloway made a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 81-78 with 26 seconds left. The Ducks turned it over, and Mark Sears made a free throw to pull within two. Sears missed the second free throw, but Mouhamed Dioubate grabbed the offensive rebound, was fouled and tied the game at 81 with two free throws.
On the ensuing possession, Barthelemy missed a layup, and Bittle followed with the jam.
Labaron Philon led Alabama (6-2) with 15 points, while Sears, Holloway and Jarin Stevenson each scored 11.
No. 10 MARQUETTE 94, W. CAROLINA 62
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kam Jones had 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds as No. 10 Marquette remained unbeaten by breezing to a victory over Western Carolina.
Marquette (8-0) continued its fastest start since 2011-12, when it won its first 10 games. That team ended up 27-8 with a Sweet 16 appearance.
Jones threatened to get his second triple-double of the season. He headed to the bench for good with 5:42 remaining, 37 seconds after recording his 10th assist.
The 6-foot-5 guard had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 76-58 victory over No. 13 Purdue on Nov. 19.
No. 15 WISCONSIN 74, CHICAGO ST. 53
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — John Tonje had 22 points and Nolan Winter scored 12 to pace No. 15 Wisconsin to a win over Chicago State.
Wisconsin (8-0) gained control with a 17-3 run early in the second half, going in front 49-30 on a dunk by Winter with 11:21 remaining. The Cougars (0-9) made just 1 of 13 shots during that stretch.
Jalen Forrest was the only Cougars player to score in double figures. He had 10 points.
Chicago State, which missed its first 10 shots from beyond the arc, pulled within 30-25 on Greg Spate’s 3-pointer with 1:37 left in the first half. Tonje’s lay-in put the Badgers up 32-25 at the break.
No. 20 TEXAS A&M 81, RUTGERS 77
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Wade Taylor IV scored 24 points and No. 20 Texas A&M defeated Rutgers in the fifth-place game of the Players Era Festival.
Rutgers overcame a six-point halftime deficit and led by nine with 12:51 left, but the Aggies closed the game on a 27-14 run to seal the win.
Solomon Washington, Henry Coleman III and Manny Obaseki added 11 apiece for the Aggies (6-2).
Rutgers (5-3) was led by Ace Bailey, who finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jeremiah Williams added 20, and Dylan Harper scored 18.
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
