Texas Southern stuns Michigan State
Chris Thomas scored 22 points, and unheralded Texas Southern beat 25th-ranked Michigan State, outlasting the Spartans, 71-64, in overtime Saturday in East Lansing.
The Tigers (2-8) were coming off a 40-point loss to Gonzaga, but coach Mike Davis’ team was poised throughout against Michigan State, becoming the second team this month to score a shocking win in Michigan over a Big Ten team. New Jersey Institute of Technology won at Michigan.
The Spartans (8-4) were without starting forward Branden Dawson, who fractured his wrist in a win over Eastern Michigan earlier in the week. Michigan State needed a free throw by Javon Bess with 6.8 seconds left in regulation just to force overtime, and the Spartans never led in the extra session.
It was Texas Southern’s first win over an AP Top 25 team since beating 16th-ranked Minnesota on Dec. 21, 1994.
No. 1 Kentucky 83, UCLA 42: Devin Booker had 19 points and No. 1 Kentucky scored the game’s first 24 points in an 83-42 victory over UCLA.
Aaron Harrison added 15 points, and the Wildcats (12-0) handed the Bruins (8-4) one of their most-lopsided losses ever.
The first meeting between the storied programs in eight years turned ugly as soon as the game started, with Kentucky dominating UCLA in every possible way.
The 24-0 run at the start of the game was eight shy of the record between two Division I teams, set by Connecticut against New Hampshire on Dec. 12, 1990. And the 41-point margin was seven shy of the Bruins’ record.
Wildcats led 41-7 at the intermission, the lowest points total in a half for UCLA and the fewest by a Kentucky opponent since December 1943.
No. 4 Louisville 76, Western Kentucky 67: Terry Rozier took charge after the first-half ejection of Montrezl Harrell to score a career-high 32 points, including 26 in the second half for Louisville.
Rozier closed Louisville’s scoring with five free throws to finish 11 of 13 from the line and made three 3-pointers that quashed the Hilltoppers’ hopes of seizing momentum following Harrell’s exit with 38.7 seconds remaining in the first half. The preseason first-team All-American was assessed a flagrant-2 foul for throwing an elbow following a shoving match after a loose ball scramble.
No. 7 Villanova 82, Syracuse 77, OT: JayVaughn Pinkston had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Darrun Hilliard scored 23 points and Villanova beat Syracuse to improve to 11-0.
The Wildcats never led until overtime and rallied from a 15-point hole to stun their former Big East rival. Josh Hart buried a 3-pointer and Pinkston tied it at 69-with 4.2 seconds left in regulation.
Josh Hart added 21 points for the Wildcats.
Rakeem Christmas and Michael Gbinije each scored 18 points for Syracuse (6-4).
No. 10 Kansas 96, Lafayette 69: Freshman Kelly Oubre Jr. had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Frank Mason added 14 points and nine assists for Kansas.
Wayne Selden Jr. finished with 12 points, all in the second half for Kansas (9-1). Freshman Svi Mykhailiuk and Jamari Traylor each had 11 points, and freshman Cliff Alexander had 10.
No. 24 North Carolina 82, No. 12 Ohio State 74: Brice Johnson had 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and nine rebounds, and North Carolina used its stout defense to hold off Ohio State.
Marcus Paige added 16 points for the Tar Heels (8-3), and Kennedy Meeks finished with eight points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots. Meeks and Johnson led North Carolina to a 53-40 rebounding advantage.
Marc Loving made five 3-pointers and scored 19 points for Ohio State (9-2), which had won four in a row.
No. 13 Iowa State 83, Drake 54: Naz Long scored 13 points, Monte Morris had 12 and 13th-ranked Iowa State routed Drake. Dustin Hogue added 10 points to help the Cyclones (9-1) run their winning streak to six following a loss to Maryland last month.
No. 21 Notre Dame 94, Purdue 63: Pat Connaughton had 19 points and 14 rebounds, leading No. 21 Notre Dame over Purdue in the Crossroads Classic. Demetrius Jackson scored 22 points for the Fighting Irish (11-1).
Indiana 82, No. 23 Butler 73: Troy Williams matched his career high with 22 points and Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell added 20 to help Indiana beat Butler.
Coach Tom Crean earned his 300th victory. Indiana (9-2) beat a ranked opponent for the 17th time since 2011-12, the most in the Big Ten.