Top-25 College Basketball Game Capsules
Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Arizona was tested on the road, but timely free throws and defensive stops helped the No. 1 Wildcats hold off UCLA, 79-75, to match the best start in program history. Nick Johnson netted a game-high 22 points for Arizona (16-0, 3-0 Pac-12), which nearly squandered a 13-point lead in the final minutes at Pauly Pavilion. UCLA went in front 70-69 with 1:44 remaining before Johnson’s floater re-established the Wildcats’ edge. The nation’s top team made 8-of-10 from the charity stripe down the stretch to seal the outcome. Kaleb Tarczewski tallied 16 points and eight rebounds in the triumph for the unbeaten Wildcats, who are off to their best start since the 1931-32 season. Gabe York added 12 points off the bench, Aaron Gordon donated 10 and T.J. McConnell tallied eight points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Kyle Anderson paced UCLA (12-3, 1-1) with 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the setback. Jordan Adams and Bryce Alford scored 12 points apiece while Tony Parker contributed 10 off the bench. The Bruins saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
Final Score: (24) Memphis 73, (12) Louisville 67
Louisville, KY (SportsNetwork.com) – Shaq Goodwin and Joe Jackson netted 15 points apiece to help the 24th-ranked Memphis Tigers upset No. 12 Louisville, 73-67, in an AAC clash from KFC Yum! Center. Memphis led by one with less than 40 seconds remaining in the contest when Jackson’s scoop layup was swatted away by Montrezl Harrell. The referees, however, whistled Harrell for goaltending, and the basket counted for a 70-67 edge. Luke Hancock then missed a triple at the other end and Jackson split a pair at the free throw line to seal the outcome. Goodwin’s dunk with a second remaining put an exclamation point on head coach Josh Pastner’s second win against a ranked foe this season. The fifth-year head coach is just 2-14 against ranked opponents in his tenure. Geron Johnson recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds as Memphis (11-3, 2-1 AAC) snapped a four-game losing streak against the Cardinals. Jackson handed out a game-high six assists, Goodwin grabbed eight boards and Chris Crawford and Austin Nichols donated 12 and 10 points, respectively. Luke Hancock led all scorers with 20 points off the bench for Louisville (13-3, 2-1), which lost at home for the first time this season. Russ Smith had 19 points and four steals, while Harrell tallied his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Final Score: California 96, (17) Oregon 83
Eugene, OR (SportsNetwork.com) – California has been far from a welcoming sight on Oregon’s schedule over the past few years. Jordan Mathews scored 20 of his career-high 32 points in the first half to help lead California to its 12th straight win over No. 17 Oregon with a 96-83 decision from Matthew Knight Arena. Justin Cobbs scored 20 points with 11 assists, while Richard Solomon posted 16 points with nine rebounds for the Bears (11-4, 2-0 Pac-12), who snapped Oregon’s 11-game home winning streak in the process. The Ducks’ last loss on their home floor came to none other than California via a 48-46 setback on Feb. 21. Tyrone Wallace added 14 points, while David Kravish tallied 12 points to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks in the win. Joseph Young scored a team-high 29 points on 16-of-17 from the free- throw line and Mike Moser recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Oregon (13-2, 1-2), which has dropped two straight in conference following a 100-91 loss over then-No. 20 Colorado over the weekend. Johnathan Loyd and Damyean Dotson scored 14 and 10 points, respectively, in defeat.
Final Score: (20) Iowa 93, Northwestern 67
Iowa City, IA (SportsNetwork.com) – Aaron White recorded a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead four Iowa players in double figures as the 20th-ranked Hawkeyes took care of Northwestern, 93-67, from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Melsahn Basabe also deposited a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Hawkeyes (13-3, 2-1 Big Ten) pushed their home winning streak to 19 games and won their 28th straight at home against unranked opponents. Roy Devyn Marble finished with 15 points and six assists, while Adam Woodbury posted 10 points in the win. Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw served as the interim head coach in place of Fran McCaffery, who was serving a one-game suspension for his antics in Iowa’s 75-71 loss to Wisconsin last Sunday. JerShon Cobb tallied 18 points with seven rebounds for Northwestern (7-9,0-3), which dropped its fourth consecutive game following a three-game winning streak. Drew Crawford was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 12 points in defeat.
Final Score: Portland 82, (22) Gonzaga 73
Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) – Portland’s long drought against perennial West Coast Conference power Gonzaga ended in convincing fashion Thursday as the Pilots stunned the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs, 82-73, at Chiles Center. Portland put a halt to a slew of streaks in the wire-to-wire surprise. The Pilots (10-7, 2-3 WCC) upended the Bulldogs for the first time in nearly 10 years, recorded their first home victory against them since 1996 and snapped Gonzaga’s 22-game conference winning streak. They did it behind a scorching 51.9 percent shooting effort and five double-digit scorers. Bryce Pressley led the way with 16 points, Alec Wintering added 14, Kevin Bailey netted 13 and Bobby Sharp and Thomas van der Mars checked in with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Sam Dower paced Gonzaga (14-3, 4-1) with 14 points, while Kevin Pangos added 12 in the rare league setback. The Bulldogs came in as the nation’s best 3-point shooting team at 44.3 percent, but made just 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) from long range in front of a mixed crowd.
Categorized in: NCAA Basketball