Top-25 College Basketball Game Capsules
Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) – Kentucky shot 1-for-12 from 3-point range and was outrebounded 42-31 on its home floor. But Willie Cauley-Stein and the No. 1 Wildcats still found a way past sixth- ranked Texas, 63-51, in their first real test of the season. Cauley-Stein’s best game as a college player couldn’t have come at a better time for the Wildcats, who struggled to score all night but got it done on the defensive end. The 7-footer was dominant on D while also posting a career-high 21 points. He finished with 12 rebounds, five steals and three blocked shots. Dakari Johnson scored 11 points, Karl-Anthony Towns netted 10, and Alex Poythress chipped in eight for the unbeaten Wildcats (8-0). Open looks were at a premium for Texas (7-1), which finished just 14- of-47 from the floor and 4-for-20 from behind the arc. Jonathan Holmes paced the Longhorns with 14 points and Demarcus Holland had 10 with a game-high five assists.
Final Score: (5) Louisville 82, FIU 57
Louisville, KY (SportsNetwork.com) – Montrezl Harrell scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead No. 5 Louisville to an 82-57 win over Florida International on Friday. The Cardinals (7-0) used strong defense and a balanced attack to dominate the Panthers. Anton Gill led Louisville with 15 points, including three shots from beyond the arc, and three others — including Wayne Blackshear — added double-digit totals. Louisville collected 21 assists on 32 made shots. Dennis Mavin paced FIU (5-4) with 15 points, but the Panthers could never establish any offense. Louisville forced 25 turnovers and scored 32 points off them. The Cardinals shot 57.1 percent from the floor and dominated down low, blocking nine shots and outscoring FIU 44-26 in the paint.
Final Score: (11) Kansas 71, Florida 65
Lawrence, KS (SportsNetwork.com) – Wayne Selden Jr. scored a game-high 21 points as No. 11 Kansas stormed from behind for a 71-65 win over Florida in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge game on Friday. Cliff Alexander had 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Frank Mason III and Perry Ellis scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Jayhawks (6-1), who outscored Florida 47-26 in the second half to win their fifth consecutive game. Devin Robinson supplied 13 points and Chris Walker donated 12 points and five boards for the Gators (3-4), who led by as much as 18 points in the second half, but still lost their second game in a row.
Final Score: (22) Oklahoma 82, Missouri 63
Norman, OK (SportsNetwork.com) – Ryan Spangler had a season-high 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting and No. 22 Oklahoma dismantled Missouri, 82-63, in another installment of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Buddy Hield scored 17 points and Isaiah Cousins netted 16 for the Sooners (5-2), who had a week to reflect on their 69-56 loss at No. 2 Wisconsin before returning to the court. Hield and Cousins both made three 3-pointers. Houston transfer TaShawn Thomas added nine points and five blocks. Johnathan Williams III led Missouri (4-4) with 16 points and eight rebounds and Montague Gil-Caesar scored 15 in the setback. The Tigers haven’t been .500 through eight games since the 2005-06 season, which is also the last time they finished a campaign with a losing record.
Categorized in: NCAA Basketball