WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Keaton Wagler scored a career-high 46 points, making nine 3-pointers, as No. 11 Illinois beat No. 4 Purdue 88-82 on Saturday.
Wagler, a freshman guard, shot 13 for 17 overall, 9 of 11 from 3-point range and 11 of 13 on free throws. David Mirkovic added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Illini (17-3, 8-1 Big Ten).
Braden Smith led the Boilermakers (17-3, 7-2) with 27 points and 12 assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points for Purdue, which lost its second consecutive game.
The Illini hit 18 of 38 3-pointers while Purdue was 7 of 19.
Wagler had 24 of the Illini’s 39 first-half points, including the first 14.
Smith’s 3-pointer cut Illinois’ lead to 82-80 with 45 seconds left. Wagler answered with a jumper with 18 seconds left, and after Smith made two from the line to again make it a two-point game, Wagler hit two to make it 86-82 with 9.3 seconds left. Purdue then turned the ball over.
Purdue shot 63% percent in the opening half compared to 43% for Illinois. However, the Illini countered that by hitting 9 of 21 3-pointers while the Boilermakers were 3 of 8 on 3-point shots.
NO. 2 UCONN 75, VILLANOVA 67, OT
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Solo Ball had 24 points, including a key 3-pointer in overtime, and Alex Karaban had all of his 17 after halftime as UConn beat Villanova.
Silas Demary Jr. and Tarris Reed Jr. each finished with 10 for UConn (19-1, 9-0 Big East), which won its 15th game in a row.
Matthew Hodge hit a 3-pointer with 1:06 left in the second half to give Villanova a two-point lead, but Reed tied it on a tip that bounced off the rim a couple of times.
Villanova’s Tyler Perkins opened overtime with a 3-pointer, but that was the Wildcats’ only field goal in the extra period. Perkins and Duke Brennan had 16 points apiece for Villanova (15-5, 6-3).
UConn coach Dan Hurley was called for a technical foul with 15:06 left in the second half after no foul was called on a shot in the paint by Karaban and then Villanova’s Acaden Lewis went to the line after being fouled. Devin Askew made both free throws on the technical and Lewis hit both foul shots to put Villanova up 39-33. Ball had five points in a 7-0 UConn run and his 3-pointer with 12:12 remaining gave the Huskies their first lead of the second half.
NO. 5 DUKE 90, WAKE FOREST 68
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Cameron Boozer scored 32 points to lead Duke’s dominating interior play that helped the Blue Devils beat Wake Forest.
The star freshman big man made 11 of 20 shots to go with nine rebounds and four assists, controlling large stretches with his scoring and his playmaking ability to passing out of oncoming double teams.
And with the 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward in charge, Duke (18-1, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) outscored its longtime instate league foe 48-16 in the paint. The Blue Devils also outrebounded the Demon Deacons by 21 and finished with a 18-7 edge in second-chance points.
It marked Boozer’s fourth output of at least 30 points this season, while Duke shot 50% overall.
NO. 12 TEXAS TECH 90, NO. 6 HOUSTON 86
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — JT Toppin had 31 points and 12 rebounds for his 44th career double-double and Donovan Atwell hit consecutive 3-pointers late to put Texas Tech ahead to stay in a win over Houston, ending the Cougars’ 11-game winning streak.
True freshman Kingston Flemings had a season-high 42 points with six assists for the Cougars (17-2, 5-1 Big 12), who had won their past 16 true road games — all conference games — since a loss at No. 8 Kansas two years ago. That was a school record and the nation’s longest active streak.
Texas Tech (16-4, 6-1) had 10 made 3s in the first half when scoring 55 points against a Houston team that coming in ranked second nationally allowing only 60.1 points. The Red Raiders made only two from beyond the arc after halftime, Atwell hitting the go-ahead 3 with 5:55 left and adding another 34 seconds later.
There were eight lead changes and eight ties in the game that Houston led for 18 minutes, 41 seconds, and Tech led 18:12.
NO. 7 NEBRASKA 76, MINNESOTA 57
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pryce Sandfort scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and grabbed 10 rebounds for Nebraska, helping the Huskers remain unbeaten by surging past Minnesota.
Sam Hoiberg had 14 points and seven assists and Jamarques Lawrence added 14 points for the Huskers (20-0, 9-0 Big Ten), who maintained sole possession of first place in the conference and matched the program’s best start in conference play since the 1965-66 team began 9-0 in the Big Eight. That season was also the last time Nebraska won five straight conference road games.
The Huskers, who entered the weekend as one of three undefeated NCAA Division I teams along with No. 1 Arizona and No. 25 Miami of Ohio, outscored the Gophers 46-21 in the second half behind a stifling defensive performance. Sandfort finished with four blocks and two steals.
NO. 8 GONZAGA 68, SAN FRANCISCO 66
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Jalen Warley scored 19 points and Davis Fogle added 15 points and a last-second rebound as Gonzaga edged San Francisco for its 14th consecutive victory of the season and 34th win in a row over the Dons.
Tyon Grant-Foster added 15 points for Gonzaga (21-1, 9-0 West Coast Conference), which was without its two leading scorers for the third straight game. Forward Braden Huff (17.8 points per game) is out for several weeks with a knee injury. Forward Graham Ike (18 ppg) is expected back soon from an ankle injury.
Legend Smiley scored 18 points and Ryan Beasley 14 for San Francisco (13-9, 5-4), which has not beaten Gonzaga since 2012. The Dons’ last win in Spokane was in 1989.
San Francisco sank 14 of 28 3-point attempts to nearly end its long victory drought at Gonzaga.
Junjie Wang had a basket and two free throws to cut Gonzaga’s lead to 60-57 with five minutes left. But the Dons went cold after that and Grant-Foster’s basket and a late 3-pointer with two minutes left lifted the Zags to a 67-57 lead.
Vukasin Masic hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Dons to cut Gonzaga’s lead to 68-66 with 30 seconds left.
The Dons played for the final shot and Wang launched a long 3-pointer that clanged off the rim. Fogle rebounded for Gonzaga and time expired.
NO. 9 IOWA STATE 84, OKLAHOMA STATE 71
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Milan Momcilovic scored 29 points, and Iowa State defeated Oklahoma State.
Momcilovic made 8 of 12 field goals, including 5 of 9 3-pointers, and all eight of his free throw attempts. The 6-foot-8 junior guard has averaged 27.7 points in his past three games.
Joshua Jefferson added 20 points for Iowa State, (18-2, 5-2 Big 12), which led by 30 points at halftime.
Kanye Clary and Jaylen Curry each scored 19 points for the Cowboys (14-6, 2-5), who outscored the Cyclones 50-33 in the second half, but lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Iowa State jumped out to an 11-2 lead. Momcilovic hit a 3-pointer, was fouled and made the free throw to push Iowa State’s lead to 23-4 seven minutes into the game. Oklahoma State missed nine of its first 10 shots and its first six 3-pointers.
Iowa State kept the pressure on and led 51-21 at halftime. Momcilovic scored 19 points in the first half as Cyclones made nine of 17 3-pointers before the break.
NO. 10 MICHIGAN ST. 91, MARYLAND 48
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Fears had 17 points and a career-high 17 assists and Coen Carr scored 14 points while adding to his highlight reel of dunks, leading Michigan State to a win over Maryland.
The Spartans (18-2, 8-1 Big Ten) jumped out to a 24-4 lead and didn’t let up in the second half, scoring 15 straight points to lead 71-34 with 11:11 to play.
Michigan State’s 43-point margin of victory in a Big Ten game trailed only a 51-point win over Michigan during its 2000 national championship season.
The Spartans have won six straight games and 10 of 11, losing only to then-No. 13 Nebraska by two points on the road. They also lost to then-No. 4 Duke 66-60 at home in December.
NO. 13 BYU 91, UTAH 78
PROVO, Utah (AP) — AJ Dybantsa scored 43 points to break BYU’s freshman scoring record, leading the Cougars to a victory over Utah.
Dybantsa went 15 for 24 from the floor and 9 for 10 from the free throw line for his first 40-point game. He surpassed Danny Ainge’s record for points in a game by a BYU freshman and added six rebounds, three assists and blocked a shot.
Rob Wright III finished with 21 points and Richie Saunders added 12 to help the Cougars (17-2, 5-1 Big 12) bounce back from an 84-71 loss to Texas Tech a week earlier. BYU shot 60% in the second half to pull away in its final test before facing No. 1 Arizona on Monday.
Keanu Dawes led Utah with 23 points and six rebounds. Terrence Brown chipped in 22 points and Dom McHenry added 16 for the Utes (9-11, 1-6), who shot 62% from 3-point range.
NO. 15 VANDERBILT 88, MISSISSIPPI ST. 56
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Tyler Tanner scored 24 points and Duke Miles added 17 as Vanderbilt snapped a three-game losing skid with a win over Mississippi State.
The 32-point margin was the third-largest defeat for coach Chris Jans in his tenure at Mississippi State.
Tyler Nickel scored 13 points and Devin McGlockton 10 for Vanderbilt (17-3, 4-3 SEC).
Jayden Epps led Mississippi State (10-10, 2-6) with 14 points. After winning their first two SEC games, the Bulldogs have dropped five straight.
Vanderbilt led by as many as 34 points in the second half and shot 54% for the game. The Commodores shot 8 for 25 from 3-point range and were 10 for 11 at the foul line. Vanderbilt outscored Mississippi State 50-22 in points in the paint and never trailed.
AUBURN 76, NO. 16 FLORIDA 67
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Keyshawn Hall scored 24 points, including 22 in Auburn’s dominant and stunning first half, and the Tigers upset Florida for the program’s first win in Gainesville since 1996.
Auburn used 7-0, 8-0 and 12-0 runs en route to a 15-point halftime lead in a matchup of 2025 Final Four teams, building enough of a cushion to withstand the Gators’ frantic rally after the break.
Defending national champion Florida (14-6, 5-2 Southeastern Conference), an 11 1/2-point favorite, tied the game twice in the second half, but Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford hit a driving layup with 4:24 remaining to push the lead to 62-56. The Tigers (13-7, 4-3) held on from there for their third consecutive win.
The outcome ended Florida’s five-game winning streak, its 16-game home winning streak and its 15-game winning streak in the series.
Hall was the difference. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound senior made 8 of 17 shots, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range, to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. He got just about anything he wanted in the first half inside and made an array of shots from every level.
The Tigers mostly neutralized the best rebounding team in the country, outscoring Florida 36-28 in the paint and holding big men Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon to a combined 11 points and 16 rebounds.
KeShawn Murphy added 16 points and nine rebounds for Auburn, and Pettiford chipped in 11 points and five boards while being heckled by chants of “D-U-I, D-U-I” every time he touched the ball.
TENNESSEE 79, NO. 17 ALABAMA 73
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Tennessee freshman Nate Ament scored a career-high 29 points, Ja’K Gillespie added 23 and the Volunteers upset Alabama.
The loss spolied the debut of Charles Bediako for Alabama. He was playing in his first college game in nearly three years after securing a temporary restraining order in an ongoing eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA. Bediako received a loud ovation when he checked into the game nearly 4 minutes in. He scored two quick baskets and finished with 13 points and three rebounds in 25 minutes.
He provided a lift for Alabama (13-6, 3-3 SEC) , which was without two starters on Saturday — guard Aden Holloway and forward Amari Allen, who are the team’s second and third leading scorers. Alabama’s offense, which ranks third nationally in points per game (93.7), had its lowest total of the season.
Labaron Philon led Alabama with 26 points and Latrell Wrightsell added 14.
The win marked the fifth straight for Tennessee over Alabama — its longest streak since 1968-1972.
NO. 18 CLEMSON 77, GEORGIA TECH 63
ATLANTA (AP) — Jake Wahlin and Nick Davidson scored 13 points apiece and Clemson got hot from long range, bouncing back from its first Atlantic Coast Conference loss to beat Georgia Tech.
After making only 4 of 16 beyond the 3-point stripe in the first half, the Tigers (17-4, 7-1 ACC) went 7 of 12 over the final 20 minutes. Jestin Porter’s step-back 3 with just over a minute left sealed the victory.
Wahlin made all three of his 3-point attempts in the second half after going 0 for 3 in the opening period. He also led Clemson with eight rebounds, along with a thunderous dunk after the inside game opened up.
NO. 19 KANSAS 86, KANSAS STATE 62
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Flory Bidunga had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Elmarko Jackson added 19 points, and Kansas overcame the absence of standout guard Darryn Peterson with a big finishing kick for a win over Kansas State.
Melvin Council Jr. contributed 17 points and Bryson Tiller had 16 for the Jayhawks (15-5, 5-2 Big 12), who ended the game on a 27-7 run in the return to the sideline for coach Bill Self, who had missed their previous game because of a health-related issue.
Peterson, one of the nation’s best freshmen, had been on a tear after finally overcoming a series of cramping issues. But the Jayhawks’ high-scoring guard was sidelined against Kansas State after spraining his ankle in Tuesday night’s win over Colorado.
P.J. Haggerty had 18 of his 23 points in the second half to lead the Wildcats (10-10, 1-6). Andrej Kostic added 12 points.
NO. 22 NORTH CAROLINA 85, NO. 14 VIRGINIA 80
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Caleb Wilson scored 20 points, Jarin Stevenson added all of his 17 in the second half and North Carolina rallied past Virginia for a big ACC road victory.
Trailing by two points with 3:50 to play, Carolina got three-point plays from Stevenson and Seth Trimble to build a 78-74 lead, then hung on. The Tar Heels outscored the Cavaliers 18-9 over the final 5:25.
Thijs DeRidder had 20 points and seven rebounds for UVA, which had its 11-game home winning streak snapped.
Virginia led by 16 in the first half and went to the locker room ahead 43-34. That lead was thanks, in part, to a 26-16 rebounding edge that helped the Cavaliers score 14 second-chance points in the first 20 minutes.
But the Tar Heels rallied after the break, executing crisp, efficient offense and taking their first lead since the game’s opening minutes on a dunk by Stevenson with 11:57 to go. That put UNC up 59-58. They’d go ahead by as many as five.
NO. 18 CLEMSON 77, GEORGIA TECH 63
ATLANTA (AP) — Jake Wahlin and Nick Davidson scored 13 points apiece and Clemson got hot from long range, bouncing back from its first Atlantic Coast Conference loss to beat Georgia Tech.
After making only 4 of 16 beyond the 3-point stripe in the first half, the Tigers (17-4, 7-1 ACC) went 7 of 12 over the final 20 minutes. Jestin Porter’s step-back 3 with just over a minute left sealed the victory.
Wahlin made all three of his 3-point attempts in the second half after going 0 for 3 in the opening period. He also led Clemson with eight rebounds, along with a thunderous dunk after the inside game opened up.
Georgia Tech (11-9, 2-5) trailed by as many as 16 before rallying down the stretch. Kam Craft swished a 3 to close the gap to 71-63 with about 2 minutes to go, but the Yellow Jackets would get no closer.
Kowacie Reeves Jr. led Georgia Tech with 19 points. No one else scored more than 10 for the Yellow Jackets, who shot just 37% from the field.
Clemson, on the other hand, had four players in double figures. Ace Buckner and Dillon Hunter chipped in with 12 points apiece.
NO. 20 ARKANSAS 85, LSU 81
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Darius Acuff Jr. scored 24 of his career-high 31 points in the second half to lead Arkansas to a victory over LSU.
Acuff shot 10 for 11 from the field in the final 20 minutes, making all three of his 3-pointers. Fellow freshman Meleek Thomas joined him in double figures for the Razorbacks (15-5, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) with 13 points and Billy Richmond III added 11.
Arkansas made nine consecutive shots starting midway through the second half and Acuff had a hand in all of them. He made six of the baskets, including three from 3-point range, and assisted on the other three.
LSU (13-7, 1-6) stayed in the game by getting inside. The Tigers scored 19 second-chance points and outscored the Razorbacks in the paint, 42-36. Arkansas only made 7 of 18 free throws to LSU’s 22-of-25 mark, as well.
Acuff missed two free throws with 31 seconds remaining and Arkansas ahead by three points, giving LSU a chance. But Dedan Thomas Jr. missed a jumper on the Tigers’ next possession.
Thomas scored 18 points to lead all five LSU starters in double figures. Pablo Tamba had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
TEXAS 87, NO. 21 GEORGIA 67
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Dailyn Swain scored 26 points, Tramon Mark added a season-best 23 and Texas overwhelmed Georgia with a strong second half.
Texas (12-8, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) trailed by seven at halftime but outscored Georgia 57-30 in the second half while shooting 69% from the field.
Swain hit 12 of 16 shots from the field overall, and Mark made 10 of 16.
Mark scored 10 straight points for Texas in the second half, including consecutive 3-pointers. Mark had 16 points in the second half, and Swain had 14. Swain also had five steals.
After Mark’s scoring streak, the Longhorns made a 17-2 push that included a pair of 3-pointers by Cam Heide. Texas hit 5 of 11 3-pointers in the second half.
NO. 23 LOUISVILLE 85, VIRGINIA TECH 71
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Mikel Brown Jr. returned from an eight-game absence and scored 20 points to lead Louisville to a victory over Virginia Tech.
Brown had been sidelined by a back injury. The 6-foot-5 freshman point guard went 7 for 11 from the field in his fourth 20-point game of the season and added a team-high six assists.
Neither team shot particularly well in the first half, but the Cardinals (14-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) warmed up toward the end as they outscored the Hokies 14-3 over the final 3:54 to take a 37-22 halftime lead.
Virginia Tech (15-6, 4-4) shot just 24.2% (8 for 33) before intermission. The point total and shooting percentage in the first half were both the second-lowest of the season for the Hokies.
Louisville led 49-29 with 14:24 left, but Virginia Tech finally found its touch and made 10 of its next 11 shots, with Amani Hansberry hitting two 3-pointers 30 seconds apart to cut the deficit to 64-56 with 7:22 remaining.
That was the only time the Cardinals’ lead went under 10 points in the second half. A 12-2 run capped by Ryan Conwell’s four-point play put Louisville up 17 with 5:11 to play, and the Cardinals were never threatened the rest of the way.
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