Top-25 College Basketball Game Capsules

Tucson, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) – Visiting Washington pushed No. 1 Arizona to the brink, but Nick Johnson and the Wildcats survived with a 71-62 win to stay unbeaten on the season. Johnson scored a game-high 24 points for Arizona (15-0, 2-0 Pac-12), which was coming off one of the most impressive defensive performances in program history. The nation’s top team beat Washington State 60-25 on Thursday, shattering the McKale Center record for least points given up in the process. Aaron Gordon donated 18 points and 11 rebounds to help Arizona take sole possession of the second best start in program history. C.J. Wilcox netted 20 points in the setback. Perris Blackwell added 12 points and 12 rebounds as the Huskies (9-6, 1-1) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

Final Score: (2) Syracuse 49, Miami-Florida 44

Syracuse, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – The second-ranked Syracuse Orange came away with a hard-fought victory in their first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference game. C.J. Fair had 15 points and six rebounds in the Orange’s 49-44 win over the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday at the Carrier Dome. Trevor Cooney added 11 points for Syracuse (14-0, 1-0 ACC), which made the move to the ACC this season after a lengthy run in the Big East. Tyler Ennis tallied 10 points and seven assists. Garrius Adams ended with nine points for the Hurricanes (8-6, 0-2), who had a three-game winning streak snapped. James Kelly and Manu Lecomte each had eight points.

Final Score: (3) Ohio State 84, Nebraska 53

Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – Amedeo Della Valle scored 15 points off the bench as No. 3 Ohio State dominated Nebraska with an 84-53 win on Saturday. Marc Loving chipped in with 13 points in a reserve role, while Shannon Scott added 13 points with five assists and LaQuinton Ross finished with 11 points for Ohio State (15-0, 2-0 Big Ten). Terran Petteway led the way for the Cornhuskers (8-6, 0-2) with 15 points and Leslee Smith contributed a double- double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Final Score: (5) Michigan State 73, Indiana 56

Bloomington, IN (SportsNetwork.com) – Gary Harris posted a game-high 26 points as No. 5 Michigan State had an easy time with Indiana, taking away a 73-56 victory at Assembly Hall. Keith Appling added 14 points and Branden Dawson contributed 13 with six rebounds for the Spartans (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten), winners of six in a row heading into a matchup with Ohio State on Tuesday in East Lansing. Kevin Ferrell totaled 17 points and Will Sheehey 13 for the Hoosiers (10-5,0-2), who have dropped their first two conference games of the season and lost at home to MSU for the first time in nearly four years.

Final Score: Kansas State 74, (6) Oklahoma State 71

Manhattan, KS (SportsNetwork.com) – Marcus Foster had 17 points and eight rebounds as the Kansas State Wildcats took down the sixth-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, 74-71, on Saturday. Nino Williams added 15 points for the Wildcats (11-3, 1-0 Big 12), who have won nine in a row. Thomas Gipson tallied 10 points and 11 boards. Le’Bryan Nash ended with 20 points for the Cowboys (12-2, 0-1), who had a five-game winning streak snapped. Markel Brown and Marcus Smart donated 16 and 15 points, respectively, with Brown also pulling down nine boards.

Final Score: Notre Dame 79, (7) Duke 77

South Bend, IN (SportsNetwork.com) – Eric Atkins tallied 19 points and 11 assists to lead Notre Dame to a 79-77 upset over seventh-ranked Duke in the program’s first game as a member of the ACC. Pat Connaughton went for 16 points, eight rebounds and five helpers for the Irish (10-4, 1-0 ACC), who snapped Duke’s streak of six consecutive wins to open conference play. Garrick Sherman reached double figures for the 11th straight tilt with 14 points. Notre Dame beat Duke (11-3, 0-1) for just the third time in 22 meetings all- time and snapped an 11-game losing skid to the Blue Devils. Rodney Hood netted 27 points to lead the visitors, while Quinn Cook added 22 as Duke’s five-game winning streak came to an end. Freshman phenom Jabari Parker, who had scored double digits in all 13 of his collegiate games entering Saturday, had just seven points on 2-of-10 shooting in the setback.

Final Score: (12) Florida 67, Richmond 58

Gainesville, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Michael Frazier II scored a team-high 18 points to lead No. 12 Florida to a 67-58 win over Richmond on Saturday. Patric Young tallied 15 points, while Casey Prather and Scottie Wilbekin scored 12 and 10, repectively, for the Gators (11-2). Cedrick Lindsay paced the Spiders (10-5) with 19 points and Kendall Anthony added 15 in defeat.

Final Score: (13) Iowa State 73, Texas Tech 62

Lubbock, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Georges Niang had 17 points and seven rebounds to help lead No. 13 Iowa State to a 73-62 win over Texas Tech in the Big 12 opener for both teams at the United Spirit Arena. Melvin Ejim tallied 16 points, while DeAndre Kane scored 15 with six assists for the Cyclones (13-0, 1-0), who tied a program-best with 13-straight wins dating back to Dec. 3, 1999-Jan. 19, 2000. Jaye Crockett registered a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Dusty Hannahs netted 16 points off the bench for the Red Raiders (8-6, 0-1), who have dropped 32 in a row to Top 25 foes.

Final Score: (14) Louisville 83, Rutgers 76

Piscataway, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) – Russ Smith scored 22 points and No. 14 Louisville held on to beat Rutgers 83-76 on Saturday. Luke Hancock added 15 points, Terry Rozier had 14 and Wayne Blackshear scored 13 for the Cardinals (13-2, 2-0 American Athletic). Myles Mack had 19 points and Craig Brown scored 17 for the Scarlet Knights (7-8, 1-1), who kept it close against the reigning NCAA champions but had a three-game winning streak snapped. The game groaned along through 62 combined fouls and was marked by 36 combined turnovers.

Final Score: SMU 74, (17) Connecticut 65

Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Nic Moore scored a game-high 20 points to go along with six assists, and the SMU Mustangs defeated the No. 17 UConn Huskies, 74-65, from newly renovated Moody Coliseum. Nick Russell finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Markus Kennedy chipped in with 10 points off the bench for the Mustangs (11-3, 1-1 AAC). Ryan Boatright paced UConn (11-3, 0-2) with 15 points, while Shabazz Napier and Lasan Kromah added 12 points apiece in defeat.

Final Score: Cincinnati 69, (18) Memphis 53

Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) – Sean Kilpatrick scored 18 points and Justin Jackson added 13, leading Cincinnati to a 69-53 victory over 18th-ranked Memphis at FedEx Forum. Jackson also chipped in with eight rebounds and seven blocked shots for the Bearcats (13-2, 2-0 AAC), who have won six straight since dropping two in a row in mid-December. Shaquille Thomas contributed 10 points in the victory. Joe Jackson scored 13 points and Michael Dixon Jr. netted 12 for Memphis (10-3, 1-1), which had won three straight and lost at home for the first time in six tries this season.

Final Score: (23) Massachusetts 73, Miami-Ohio 65

Amherst, MA (SportsNetwork.com) – Chaz Williams had 18 points and eight assists as No. 23 Massachusetts defeated Miami-Ohio 73-65 on Saturday afternoon. Maxie Esho added 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench, while Cady Lalanne chipped in with 12 points and six boards for the Minutemen (12-1), who have started 8-0 at home and won two straight since their lone defeat of the year against Florida State on Dec. 21. Will Felder led the RedHawks (4-7) with 22 points and seven rebounds.

Final Score: (24) Gonzaga 86, Pacific 64

Spokane, WA (SportsNetwork.com) – Kevin Pangos and Drew Barham netted 16 points apiece and No. 24 Gonzaga defeated Pacific 86-64 on Saturday. David Stockton added 15 points and five assists for the Bulldogs (14-2, 4-0 WCC), who have won four straight. Sam Dower registered 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench in the triumph. Pacific has yet to win a game in the WCC in its first year back since leaving the conference in 1971.

Final Score: Final Score: (25) Missouri 69, Long Beach State 59

Columbia, MO (SportsNetwork.com) – Jabari Brown scored 22 points in 25th- ranked Missouri’s 69-59 win over Long Beach State to cap the non-conference slate for both teams. Earnest Ross had 16 points and Jordan Clarkson added 11 as Missouri (12-1) extended the nation’s best home winning streak to 26 games. Ryan Rosburg grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Tyler Lamb paced LBSU (4-10) with 17 points in the 49ers’ first loss since Dec. 7. Kris Gulley contributed 13 points off the bench and Mike Caffey had 10 and five assists.

Categorized in: NCAA Basketball