Top-25 College Basketball Game Capsules

Berkeley, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Not since the days of Jason Kidd in a California uniform had the Golden Bears beaten a No. 1 ranked team. That all changed Saturday night. Senior point guard Justin Cobbs hit the winning jump shot with 0.9 seconds remaining and California shocked No. 1 Arizona, 60-58. Cobbs scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, including the final 12 points for the Golden Bears (15-7, 6-3 Pac-12), who earned their first win over a top-ranked team since Jan. 30, 1994 when Kidd, the current head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, had a triple-double in a victory over UCLA at Oakland Coliseum. California, which owns a 3-24 all-time record against No. 1 teams, also received 14 points and 11 rebounds from David Kravish. Not only were the Wildcats (21-1, 8-1) dealt their first defeat of the season, but they also lost the services of forward Brandon Ashley, who injured his right foot early in the first half. He was in a walking boot on the bench for the second half. Head coach Sean Miller said Ashley likely broke his foot, although they were still checking x-rays. Miller suggested Ashley could be out the remainder of the season.

Final Score: (2) Syracuse 91, (17) Duke 89 (OT)

Syracuse, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – The Carrier Dome’s most anticipated game of the season more than lived up to its advance billing. It was certainly one C.J. Fair, Jerami Grant and the Syracuse Orange won’t easily forget. With Fair pouring in a career-high 28 points and Grant tallying a personal- best 24, the second-ranked Orange won a school-record 21st straight game to begin a season by outlasting No. 17 Duke in overtime, 91-89, in a classic played in front of the largest on-campus crowd in NCAA basketball history. Fair went 12-of-20 from the field and Grant hit 7-of-11 shots while adding 10 rebounds as Syracuse (21-0, 8-0 ACC) kept its unblemished record intact despite a determined effort from a Duke squad that had its two main post players, Jabari Parker and Amile Jefferson, foul out in the final two minutes of regulation. The Blue Devils survived the ejections by knocking down 15-of-36 attempts from 3-point range, none bigger than Rasheed Sulaimon’s 22-footer at the buzzer that forced extra time. Sulaimon finished 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in a 16- point effort, while Parker had 15 points and nine rebounds prior to exiting. Jefferson totaled 14 points and seven boards for Duke (17-5, 6-3), which entered the marquee matchup having won five straight.

Final Score: (3) Florida 69, Texas A&M 36

Gainesville, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Michael Frazier II registered a game- high 21 points to go with eight rebounds, as No. 3 Florida cruised to its 13th straight victory with a 69-36 decision over Texas A&M on Saturday at O’Connell Center. Patric Young celebrated his 22nd birthday with a nine-point, 14- rebound effort, while Dorian Finney-Smith supplied 11 points and nine boards off the bench for the Gators (19-2, 8-0 SEC), who have won a school-record 27 in a row at home. Florida held Texas A&M to 25.9 percent shooting (14-of-54) from the field and outrebounded the Aggies, 57-27, en route to securing its third 19-2 start in school history. Kourtney Roberson and Jamal Jones each scored seven to lead Texas A&M (12-9, 3-5), which has dropped five straight games.

Final Score: (4) Wichita State 81, Evansville 67

Wichita, KS (SportsNetwork.com) – To upset undefeated Wichita State on its home floor, Evansville had to be perfect for 40 minutes. The Purple Aces were well on their way early, making their first eight shots and building a 15- point lead in front of a stunned Charles Koch Arena crowd. The fourth-ranked Shockers answered the barrage, however, and wound up pulling away for an 81-67 victory to keep their perfect season in tact. Fred VanVleet and Ron Backer led the comeback effort with 14 points apiece as Wichita State (23-0, 10-0 MVC) took control by ending the first half on a 25-4 flurry. Cleanthony Early and Tekele Cotton added 13 and 12 points, respectively, for the victors. D.J. Balentine, who was coming off a 43-point showing in a loss to Northern Iowa on Wednesday, paced Evansville (10-13, 3-7) with 26 points but missed nine of his final 14 shots after starting out 6-of-7.

Final Score: (5) San Diego State 65, Colorado State 56

San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Xavier Thames poured in 24 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead No. 5 San Diego State to a 65-56 win over Colorado State at Viejas Arena. Winston Shepard added 17 points and six rebounds and J.J. O’Brien pulled down 10 boards for the Aztecs (19-1, 8-0 MWC), winners in 18 straight. The victory was SDSU coach Steve Fisher’s 300th with the Aztecs. Jon Octeus scored a game-high 24 points and J.J. Avila had nine points and 13 rebounds for the Rams (12-10, 3-6), losers in three straight.

Final Score: (25) Texas 81, (6) Kansas 69

Austin, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Isaiah Taylor scored 23 points and No. 25 Texas came through with another impressive victory over a ranked opponent, an 81-69 decision over sixth-ranked Kansas that dealt the Jayhawks their first Big 12 loss. The Longhorns (17-4, 6-2 Big 12) vaulted into the top 25 on the strength of successive wins over Iowa State, Kansas State and Baylor — all of whom were ranked at the time — then further validated themselves by stifling the Jayhawks into one of their worst offensive performances of the season. Kansas (16-5, 7-1), which came in shooting 51 percent on the campaign, was held to a 38.5 percent success rate from the field and trailed by double digits much of the way en route to having a seven-game win streak halted. Freshman sensation Andrew Wiggins mustered just seven points on 2-of-12 shooting against the Longhorns’ stout defense. Jonathan Holmes aided Texas’ cause with a 22-point effort, while DeMarcus Holland pulled down 11 rebounds in the Longhorns’ sixth straight triumph overall. Wayne Selden paced the Jayhawks with 21 points.

Final Score: Georgetown 64, (7) Michigan State 60

New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Markel Starks scored 16 points and Georgetown held off a sluggish Michigan State team to deliver a stunning 64-60 victory over the seventh-ranked Spartans at Madison Square Garden. The Hoyas (12-9) entered the non-conference matchup mired in a five-game losing streak, but pulled off the upset behind a stout defensive effort that rendered the Spartans out of sync all throughout the afternoon. Still without injured starters Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson, Michigan State (19-3) shot an off- target 39.6 percent from the field and committed 15 turnovers, while finishing a poor 9-of-16 from the free throw line. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera added 12 points and eight rebounds in Georgetown’s first win since Jan. 11, with Mikael Hopkins contributing 10 points. Gary Harris had 20 points for the Spartans despite being saddled with foul trouble for much of the game. Denzel Valentine recorded 11 points and seven rebounds in the loss, Michigan State’s second in three outings after an 18-1 start to the season.

Final Score: Baylor 76, (8) Oklahoma State 70

Stillwater, OK (SportsNetwork.com) – Brady Heslip scored 20 points to lead Baylor to a 76-70 win over No. 8 Oklahoma State at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Rico Gathers contributed 14 points off the bench, while Cory Jefferson and Gary Franklin chipped in 11 points apiece for the Bears (14-7, 2-6 Big 12), which snapped Baylor’s five-game losing streak. Markel Brown scored a game-high 24 points for the Cowboys (16-5, 4-4), Le’Bryan Nash tallied 19 points and Marcus Smart added 15. Oklahoma State has now dropped two straight and three of its last four contests.

Final Score: (9) Villanova 90, Temple 74

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – James Bell scored 19 points to lead No. 9 Villanova to a 90-74 thrashing of Temple. JayVaughn Pinkston scored 13 points, Darrun Hillard II notched 12 points and Daniel Ochefu added 11 for the Wildcats (19-2). Will Cummings led all scorers with 24 points for Temple (6-14), which has dropped nine of 10. Quenton DeCosey tallied 18 points and Anthony Lee deposited a 12-point, 10- rebound double-double in defeat.

Final Score: (11) Kentucky 84, Missouri 79

Columbia, MO (SportsNetwork.com) – Aaron Harrison scored 21 points and James Young added 20 as No. 11 Kentucky defeated Missouri, 84-79, on Saturday. Julius Randle finished with 18 points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (16-5, 6-2 SEC), who bounced back from an 87-82 loss to LSU on Tuesday. Jabari Brown had a career-high 33 points and Jordan Clarkson added 28 points for Missouri (16-5, 4-4), which had its two-game winning streak snapped.

Final Score: (12) Louisville 87, UCF 70

Louisville, KY (SportsNetwork.com) – Russ Smith racked up 27 points and three other Louisville players scored in double figures as the 12th-ranked Cardinals cruised to an 87-70 win over UCF at the KFC Yum! Center. Luke Hancock contributed 16 points, Montrezl Harrell had 14 and Wayne Blackshear netted 10 for Louisville (18-4, 7-2 AAC), which opened the game on a 12-1 run and never trailed in bouncing back from Thursday’s tough 69-66 home loss to American Athletic Conference leader Cincinnati. Smith finished 9-of-14 from the field. Tristan Spurlock amassed 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the loss, the sixth in a row for the Golden Knights (9-10, 1-7). Calvin Newell and Kasey Wilson added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Final Score: (24) Ohio State 59, (14) Wisconsin 58

Madison, WI (SportsNetwork.com) – LaQuinton Ross scored 13 points, and No. 24 Ohio State edged 14th-ranked Wisconsin 59-58 in a matchup between struggling Big Ten squads at Kohl Center. The Buckeyes survived following a wild sequence at the end of the game. Amir Williams made 1-of-2 free throws to put Ohio State up 59-57 with 26 seconds remaining. Traevon Jackson was fouled on a drive on the next Wisconsin possession. He made the first free throw before missing the second with 16.5 seconds left. The Buckeyes got the rebound and were able to get the ball down the floor. Lenzelle Smith, Jr. missed a layup and then was called for a travel when he fell to the floor with the rebound, giving Wisconsin a chance to win the game. Sam Dekker, however, missed an off- balanced 3-pointer at the buzzer. Amedeo Della Valle scored nine of his 11 points during a first-half surge for Ohio State (17-5, 4-5 Big Ten), which went 2-5 in January. Nigel Hayes had 17 points to lead the Badgers (17-5, 4-5), who have dropped five of six after starting a school-best 16-0.

Final Score: (15) Iowa 81, Illinois 74

Champaign, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Iowa beat Illinois in Champaign for the first time since 1999. Roy Devyn Marble had 17 points in the 15th-ranked Hawkeyes’ 81-74 victory over the Fighting Illini on Saturday. Gabriel Olaseni added 15 points and 12 rebounds for Iowa (17-5, 6-3 Big Ten), which had lost in its previous 11 trips to Champaign. Aaron White tallied 14 points and six boards. The Hawkeyes, who went 24-of-30 from the foul line, bounced back from a 71-69 overtime loss to Michigan State on Tuesday. Joseph Bertrand ended with 20 points for the Illini (13-9, 2-7), who have lost seven in a row. Rayvonte Rice and Tracy Abrams tallied 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Final Score: (16) Iowa State 81, (23) Oklahoma 75

Ames, IA (SportsNetwork.com) – Georges Niang poured in a career-high 27 points to lead 16th-ranked Iowa State to an 81-75 win over the 23rd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday. Melvin Ejim scored 22 points and pulled down 16 rebounds, while Matt Thomas and Monte Morris finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively, for the Cyclones (16-4, 4-4 Big 12), winners in two of their last three. Iowa State will visit No. 8 Oklahoma State on Monday. Buddy Hield scored a game-high 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting — 5-of-8 from 3-point range — and Isaiah Cousins finished with 13 points and 10 boards for the Sooners (17-5, 6-3), who had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Final Score: (19) Saint Louis 87, George Mason 81 (OT)

St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) – Rob Loe buried a game-tying 3-pointer late in regulation and then poured in 10 points in the extra session, as No. 19 Saint Louis secured its best start in school history with an 87-81 triumph over George Mason on Saturday at Chaifetz Arena. Loe drained a triple from the top of the key with 44.1 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, which the senior from New Zealand opened with a trey from nearly the same spot, giving the Billikens the lead for good. Bryon Allen made consecutive layups with 2:19 left in the extra session to get George Mason within 75-74, but Loe knocked down another shot from long distance at the other end to put the Billikens up by four. Allen supplied his team’s final 11 points in overtime to keep the Patriots within striking distance, but Saint Louis went 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the final minute to hang on for the victory. Loe finished with a career-high 23 points, while Jordair Jett tallied 18 points and five assists for the Billikens (20-2, 7-0 A-10), who have won 14 straight games to match the longest single-season win streak in school history. Allen led George Mason (7-14, 0-7) with a career-high 30 points to go with seven boards, while Patrick Holloway supplied 15 points off the bench for the Patriots, who have lost eight straight games.

Final Score: Saint Joseph’s 73, (21) Massachusetts 68

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Halil Kanacevic scored 18 points with six rebounds and five assists to lead Saint Joseph’s to a 73-68 win over No. 21 Massachusetts. Ronald Roberts Jr. deposited 17 points, DeAndre Bembry had 13 points, and Chris Wilson added 12 for the Hawks (15-6, 5-2 A-10), who have won five of their last six games. Derrick Gordon paced UMass (17-4, 4-3) with 21 points and Chaz Williams finished with 16 points and 10 assists. Cady Lalanne added 12 points in the Minutemen’s second straight loss.

Final Score: SMU 87, (22) Memphis 72

Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Markus Kennedy had a career-high 21 points and 15 rebounds as the SMU Mustangs routed the No. 22 Memphis Tigers, 87-72, at Moody Coliseum. Sterling Brown contributed a career-high 15 points, while Nic Moore supplied 14 points and 10 assists. Nick Russell had 11 points and seven helpers as the Mustangs (17-5, 6-3 AAC) stayed perfect on the year at home with their 11th straight win as the host. Memphis (16-5, 6-3) was paced by Joe Jackson, who had a game-high 22 points and eight boards. Geron Johnson scored 18 points for the Tigers, who won four straight entering the contest.

Categorized in: NCAA Basketball