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Tag: Men's basketball

  • March Madness: Duke, NC State, UNC head to Sweet 16 of NCAA Men’s Tournament

    March Madness: Duke, NC State, UNC head to Sweet 16 of NCAA Men’s Tournament

    RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — This week marks the start of the NCAA Men’s Tournament Sweet 16.

    UNC, NC State and Duke have all advanced to the next round. Here’s what’s in store:

    UNC

    No. 1 North Carolina is moving on in the NCAA Tournament at the expense of No. 9 Michigan State and Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo.

    With 20 points, guard RJ Davis helped UNC defeat the Spartans 85-69 on Saturday, advancing them to the Sweet 16. Forward Harrison Ingram made five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points.

    The Tar Heels remain undefeated in March Madness against Izzo’s teams in a series going back 26 years.

    No. 1 North Carolina will face No. 4 Alabama at 9:39 p.m. on CBS.

    NC State

    Two weeks ago, No. 14 North Carolina State was on the outside of the tournament bubble.

    Seven wins in 12 days later-including five in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament to earn an automatic NCAA berth-the Wolfpack is headed to the Sweet 16 after their win against No. 14 Oakland 29-73 on Saturday.

    Forward DJ Burns Jr. with the under-the-rim game scored 24 points, including a go-ahead putback that ignited a 9-0 run in overtime. This is the first time the team has advanced to the Sweet 16 since 2015.

    No. 11 NC State will face No. 2 Marquette on Friday at 7:09 p.m. on CBS.

    Duke

    McCain and Duke emphatically ended the nation’s longest active winning streak at 14 games, taking a 22-point lead into halftime and never letting the advantage slip below 20 in the second half.

    The Dukes (32-4) finished with a program record for victories.

    Duke reached the second weekend of March Madness for the 27th time in 39 tournaments since the event expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

    No. 4 Blue Devils will face No. 1 Houston in the South Region semifinals on Friday at 9:39 p.m. on CBS.

    Associated Press contributed.

    Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.

    WTVD

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  • March Madness: Northwestern, Illinois among men’s basketball teams seeded in NCAA Tournament

    March Madness: Northwestern, Illinois among men’s basketball teams seeded in NCAA Tournament

    CHICAGO (WLS) — Northwestern University and the University of Illinois were among the teams Sunday who were selected and seeded for the March Madness college basketball tournament.

    Northwestern will be a No. 9 seed in the east region, playing No. 8 seed Florida Atlantic on Friday in Brooklyn, New York. Illinois will be a No. 3 seed in the east region, facing Moorhead State in a first-round game Thursday in Omaha, Nebraska.

    Most Northwestern Wildcats fans celebrating the announcement Sunday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston said they were expecting to get in, and they can’t wait to keep cheering the team on.

    Just to see us in the dance for the second year in a row is incredible

    Will Klearman, Wildcats fan

    The Northwestern men’s basketball team is going dancing. For the first time in school history, the men’s team has clinched back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

    The Northwestern men’s basketball team is going dancing. For the first time in school history, the team has clinched back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

    Fans of all ages packed Welsh-Ryan Arena to take in the moment with the team.

    “I mean it’s incredible… it’s a blessing,” Northwestern fan Will Klearman said. “I’ve been coming to these games since I was four years old, and just to see us in the dance for the second year in a row is incredible.”

    Fans at the watch party didn’t have to wait long for the celebration as Northwestern’s matchup was quickly announced as the second matchup to open the selection show.

    “Very quick… not much time before the confetti started to fall, which was great,” Northwestern fan Elliot Kadar said.

    Some fans were never worried.

    “We knew we were making it,” Northwestern fan Yosef Bolkowitz said. “There was no sweating.”

    It has been a special year for the Wildcats, with the team upsetting some of the top teams in the nation during the regular season.

    SEE ALSO | Wrigleyville Draft Kings bar begins in-person sports betting just in time for March Madness

    Members of the team took time to sign autographs for kids after the announcement. The community continues to rally around the school.

    “It’s a great experience,” team equipment manager Jaren McGee said. “Northwestern back-to-back years in the NCAA Tournament… never happened before, so we’re happy to do this and bring our fans out, and experience this as well. It’s been great.”

    Fans know a tough road is ahead as the reigning national champs at UConn are in their region, but there’s no shortage of confidence as March Madness begins.

    “I’m happy. Go cats!” Northwestern fan Jayden Wharton said. “It’s our year, we’re winning the natty. Let’s go!”

    Defending champion Connecticut, along with Houston, Purdue and North Carolina, are the top seeds in a March Madness bracket that started going haywire even before the pairings came.

    Of the four top seeds, only UConn heads into the tournament coming off a win. That played into the Huskies receiving the No. 1 overall seed. The other three top seeds lost in their conference tournaments.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

    Maher Kawash

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  • Gilgeous-Alexander scores 35 as Thunder rally past Hawks

    Gilgeous-Alexander scores 35 as Thunder rally past Hawks

    ATLANTA — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Josh Giddey had 12 of his 17 points in the final period, and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks 121-114 on Monday night.

    Dejounte Murray finished with 24 points and Trae Young had 23 points and 10 assists for the Hawks (13-11), who have squandered six double-digit leads this season. They began the night tied for second-most in the NBA in that category.

    In winning its third straight, Oklahoma City (11-13) has outscored its last three opponents 106-68 in the fourth. The Thunder trailed 88-84 entering the final period.

    “It was an up and down game for us for sure, but when it really mattered it was a good gut check for us tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Kind of midway through the third to end the third and to start the fourth we were really good again. That won us the game.”

    Giddey’s three-point play early in the fourth made it 91-90 for the Thunder’s first lead since late in the first. They never trailed again as Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s third-leading scorer, kept hitting free throws down the stretch. He scored 12 points in the fourth and finished 15 for 15 from the foul line, all in the second half.

    “Try to be aggressive, I try not to seek them too much, just play aggressive basketball and then when the opportunity presents itself I like to get there,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Unfortunately I didn’t get there in the first half and I knew that going into halftime that I was going to try to get there in the second half for sure.”

    Oklahoma City went on a 23-8 run over an eight-minute span until the 2:53 mark of the fourth, putting too much distance for the Hawks to overcome. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a pair of free throws to make it 111-103 with 1:04 remaining to all but finish off Atlanta.

    “I thought they were able to break down our defense early in the game and forced the defense to collapse and they had their kick-outs,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “They established the tempo that they wanted to play and with that and our help in the turnovers and outworking us on the glass, it’s going to be tough to beat them.”

    Young threw a backward pass over his right shoulder to feed Murray for a dunk that made it 63-54 early in the third, and Oklahoma City called timeout. A.J. Griffin later followed with a 3 that put the Hawks up 66-56, and Atlanta pushed the lead to 14 before the Thunder went on a 17-6 run to close within two on a pair of free throws by Gilgeous-Alexander.

    Young was 0 for 5 from the field before his baseline runner gave Atlanta a 56-52 lead in the final minute before halftime. The Hawks were ahead 59-54 at intermission.

    “The good thing about our team is we don’t give in,” Giddey said. “We play through it. When things get tough, we come together.”

    TIP-INS

    Thunder: Coach Mark Daigneault said swingman Kenrich Williams, who missed the game with a right knee sprain, isn’t expected to be sidelined for long. … Jalen Williams started instead F Aleksej Pokusevski and had 12 points in 31 minutes. … The Thunder won in Atlanta for the first time since March 2018.

    Hawks: Prior to the game, longtime TV announcer Bob Rathbun briefly lost consciousness on the court and was treated for dehydration. He was listed as stable, responsive and heading to a nearby hospital for further evaluation. … Griffin has connected on at least one 3 in nine straight games, the longest such active streak among NBA rookies.

    UP NEXT

    Thunder: At Memphis on Wednesday.

    Hawks: At New York Knicks on Wednesday.

    ———

    More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Trail Blazers beat Pacers in Lillard’s return from injury

    Trail Blazers beat Pacers in Lillard’s return from injury

    PORTLAND, Ore. — Jerami Grant scored 28 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers over the Indiana Pacers 116-100 on Sunday night.

    Blazers star Damian Lillard scored 21 points and had six assists in his first game since returning from a calf strain he suffered on Nov. 19. He’s missed 12 games so far this season.

    “It felt good especially coming off last night. We picked up a big win and I just wanted to encourage the team and bring that energy to get us on a win streak,” Lillard said. “I felt normal, I felt good. I think this time it wasn’t as bad as the first time.”

    Anfernee Simons had 22 points and six assists on the night, while Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points and six rebounds.

    The win helped Portland sweep a back-to-back set after winning in Utah on Saturday night.

    One night after Grant and Simons combined to score 78 points in a win at Utah, Lillard wanted to make sure his return didn’t lead to them turning down their own offense.

    “Don’t let me stop you from being aggressive,” Lillard said of Grant and Simons, who combined to score 50 in Sunday’s win. “I’m going to have the ball in my hands and I’m going to find opportunities to do what I do. That’s what I do.”

    Myles Turner led the Pacers with 24 points and nine rebounds. Buddy Hield had 22 points in support as the Pacers were without starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton.

    Lillard connected on his first field goal attempt — a step back 3-pointer from the corner. With Lillard back in uniform, Portland kept the Pacers at bay for much of the game. Although the Pacers jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter by hitting six of 10 shots, Portland was in control for most of the game.

    “I think at the start of the second half we lost some of our principles defensively,” Turner said. “We got a little too excited offensively and it hurt our defense. We need to play 48 minutes of basketball.”

    The Blazers were hot from the outside, shooting 17 of 40 (42.5%) from the 3-point line. Ball movement was key for Portland as they had 32 assists on 42 made field goals.

    “If we’re really going to win, then it has too be collective,” Lillard said. “It’s really encouraging for me to see it really unfold.”

    Lillard picked up his third foul in the second quarter and the Blazers took him out for the final 2:24 of the first half. During Lillard’s stint on the bench to close the first half, the Blazers extended their lead to 54-49.

    A 3-pointer by Grant extended the lead to 69-53 with 8:54 left in the third quarter and a 3-pointer by Simons pushed the lead to 89-67 with under two minutes in the quarter. Portland took a 93-74 lead into the final period.

    Portland held 22 point leads several times on Sunday night.

    The Pacers showed some grit to start the fourth quarter, cutting the Portland lead to 11 a few times but that was as close as they would get in the final period.

    HALIBURTON OUT

    Haliburton missed his first game of the season with a groin injury on Sunday.

    Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said he also expects Haliburton to sit out when the Pacers travel to the Bay Area to face off against the Golden State Warriors.

    UP NEXT

    Indiana: At Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

    Portland: Host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

    ———

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Walker scores 22, Huskers upset No. 7 Creighton 63-53

    Walker scores 22, Huskers upset No. 7 Creighton 63-53

    OMAHA, Neb. — Sam Griesel grew up in Lincoln watching his hometown Nebraska Cornhuskers lose to in-state rival Creighton year after year.

    Days like Sunday were what he envisioned when he decided to play his final season for the Huskers after spending the previous four years at North Dakota State.

    When the final buzzer sounded on a 63-53 upset of the No. 7 Bluejays, Griesel celebrated Nebraska’s first win in 14 regular-season games in Omaha since 1995 with a long embrace of his parents. It was Nebraska’s second win in 11 meetings with Creighton overall.

    “When I committed here, this was the game that I wanted the most, obviously, for a lot of reasons,” Griesel said. “Just thinking back to players that I idolized that wore this jersey, that didn’t get this win, and especially in this arena. … I get a little bit emotional thinking about it just because it means so much to me and so much to this group and to the state. This is a day that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

    Derrick Walker scored a career-high 22 points and Griesel had 13 of his 18 in the second half to lead the Huskers (6-3).

    “To be able to get a signature win like this is huge,” said Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg, whose team is playing with more confidence so far this season after going 24-67 his first three years.

    Creighton (6-3) lost its third straight, with its previous two against ranked opponents.

    “It’s different being the hunted,” Bluejays coach Greg McDermott said. “This team hasn’t totally adjusted to that. You play four ‘buy’ games, you play four ranked teams. This is the first one where we played a good basketball team that everybody expected us to beat. It takes maturity to prepare for that. You can dissect this 100 different ways but the bottom line is Nebraska was better today.”

    The Huskers, picked to finish last in the Big Ten, wanted to slow down the Bluejays’ “Let It Fly” offense, and they did better than they could have imagined against the Big East preseason favorites. It also didn’t hurt that Creighton’s cold shooting from its loss at second-ranked Texas on Thursday carried over.

    Nebraska beat its highest-ranked opponent since toppling third-ranked Texas 70-67 on Feb. 19, 2011, and its highest-ranked opponent on the road since a 74-69 overtime win at Iowa State on Feb. 22, 1997.

    Walker, playing his fourth game since missing the first five with what Hoiberg described as a health issue, gave the Huskers their biggest lead, 57-45, on a dunk with 2:22 left.

    Walker was 11 of 16 from the field and time after time imposed his will in the post against Creighton’s 7-foot-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner. The Huskers held a 46-16 scoring advantage in the paint.

    Francisco Farabello scored 16 points to lead the Bluejays, going 5 for 9 on 3-pointers. Baylor Scheierman and Kalkbrenner had 10 points apiece.

    Creighton shot 30.8% overall, including 25% (10 of 40) on 3s.

    “We’ve been making a lot of strides as a team,” Walker said, “and getting this win for us. It meant so much for the program and it means so much for the people around us. We’re going to celebrate this moment, but we can’t wait to just keep improving and getting better and showing the world what we’re made of.”

    BIG PICTURE

    Nebraska: The Huskers have won three straight and have elevated their game since Walker re-entered the lineup.

    Creighton: The Bluejays are in an offensive funk. The 3-pointer is a huge part of its offense, and they are just 14 of 67 (21%) over their last two games.

    “We’ve had a rough week shooting the basketball,” McDermott said. “I can’t put my finger on why.”

    POLL IMPLICATIONS

    Creighton came into the game with its highest ranking in program history. The Bluejays should stay in the Top 25 in Monday’s poll, but a big drop is likely.

    UP NEXT

    Nebraska: The Huskers opened a stretch of three games against top-10 opponents. They open Big Ten play at No. 10 Indiana on Wednesday and host No. 5 Purdue on Saturday.

    Creighton: The Bluejays head to Las Vegas for two games in the Jack Jones Hoopfest, against BYU on Saturday and against Arizona State on Monday, Dec. 12.

    ———

    AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25

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  • Mount St. Mary’s takes down Saint Peter’s 73-58

    Mount St. Mary’s takes down Saint Peter’s 73-58

    JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Jalen Benjamin’s 28 points helped Mount St. Mary’s defeat Saint Peter’s 73-58 on Thursday night.

    Benjamin added five rebounds for the Mountaineers (4-4). Deandre Thomas added 11 points while shooting 3 for 8 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free throw line, and he also had five assists. Frantisek Barton recorded eight points and shot 2 of 4 from the field and 4 for 6 from the line.

    The Peacocks (4-3) were led in scoring by Jaylen Murray, who finished with 13 points. Isiah Dasher added 13 points for Saint Peter’s. Jayden Saddler also had seven points.

    ———

    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Marquette’s defense overwhelms No. 6 Baylor in 96-70 win

    Marquette’s defense overwhelms No. 6 Baylor in 96-70 win

    MILWAUKEE — Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 24 points and Marquette capitalized on a dominant start from its defense to roll past No. 6 Baylor 96-70 on Tuesday night in the Big 12-Big East Battle.

    Marquette (6-2) raced to a 51-25 halftime lead thanks to a 24-0 edge in points off turnovers. Baylor (5-2) already had a season-high 16 turnovers by halftime and finished with 20.

    The margin never dropped below 22 points in the second half.

    This was the highest-ranked team Marquette has beaten under second-year coach Shaka Smart. Marquette owns a 7-6 record against AP Top 25 teams under Smart.

    Kam Jones had 20 points and David Joplin added 19 as Marquette shot 58.3% overall to win its third straight. The Golden Eagles shot 12 of 25 from 3-point range, with Jones going 4 of 7 and Prosper and Joplin each going 3 of 4.

    LJ Cryer scored 19 points, Adam Flagler 16 and Keyonte George 12 for Baylor.

    Prosper scored 10 points and sank two 3-pointers during a 23-2 run that turned an early 7-2 deficit into a 25-9 advantage. Chase Ross capped the spurt by getting a steal and throwing down a left-handed dunk.

    Baylor committed seven turnovers during that run, which lasted a little over five minutes.

    Marquette didn’t let up.

    Baylor took better care of the ball in the second half, but it didn’t matter much because Marquette didn’t cool off. The Golden Eagles made their first six shots of the half to prevent Baylor from threatening.

    BIG PICTURE

    Baylor: The Bears shot 48.2% (27 of 56) but had no answers for Marquette’s defense and dug too deep a hole. Baylor rallied from a 25-deficit to force overtime in an NCAA Tournament loss to North Carolina last season, but the Bears never mounted any kind of comeback Tuesday.

    Marquette: After losing to Purdue and Mississippi State earlier this season, the Golden Eagles delivered the kind of performance that showed they’re capable of beating anyone. Marquette will try to prove that again when it hosts Wisconsin on Saturday.

    BIG 12 VS. BIG EAST

    The Big 12-Big East Battle started Tuesday and runs through Sunday. Last season’s Big 12-Big East Battle ended in a 5-5 tie.

    HONORING THOMPSON

    Marquette came out of its locker room wearing shirts with No. 24 to honor George Thompson, who died in June of complications from diabetes. Thompson played for Marquette from 1967-69, and he was the school’s career scoring leader for 40 years.

    Tuesday would have been Thompson’s 75th birthday. A No. 24 banner with Thompson’s name hangs from the Fiserv Forum rafters.

    UP NEXT

    Baylor: Faces No. 14 Gonzaga on Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

    Marquette: Hosts Wisconsin on Saturday.

    ———

    AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25

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  • Booker scores 44, Suns top Kings 122-117 for 5th straight

    Booker scores 44, Suns top Kings 122-117 for 5th straight

    Devin Booker had 44 points, eight rebounds and six steals, and the Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to five with a 122-117 victory over the Sacramento Kings

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Devin Booker had 44 points, eight rebounds and six steals, and the Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to five with a 122-117 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

    Deandre Ayton added 17 points and 12 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season for Phoenix, which has won six of seven.

    Booker closed out his second-highest point total of the season by knocking down a pair of free throws with 6.8 seconds left after Torrey Craig secured an offensive rebound. He scored 49 points in a loss to Utah earlier in the month.

    Damion Lee scored 15 points off the bench, hitting three 3-pointers. Mikal Bridges finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He hit a three-pointer with just over a minute left to stretch the lead to 10.

    Malik Monk scored 30 points for the Kings, his fourth game over 20 points this season.

    Domantas Sabonis finished with 17 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. The Kings have lost three straight after a seven-game win streak.

    Kevin Huerter scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Huerter’s dunk with 35 seconds left cut the Suns’ lead to three.

    Keegan Murray scored 11 points. The rookie from Iowa had scored in single digits in the Kings’ last three games.

    The first half featured 16 ties and eight lead changes. Phoenix opened the second half on a 14-2 run after trailing by one.

    TIP-INS

    Suns: G Chris Paul missed his 10th consecutive game with right heel soreness. … Booker was given a technical foul with 3:41 left in the first quarter.

    Kings: F Trey Lyles was ruled out due to a non-COVID illness… Sabonis recorded his 12th double-double of the season, which is the second-most in the NBA. … The Kings have scored over 100 points in every game this season.

    UP NEXT

    Suns: Host Chicago on Wednesday.

    Kings: Host Indiana on Wednesday.

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  • McMillian’s 17 lead Grand Canyon over Benedictine at Mesa

    McMillian’s 17 lead Grand Canyon over Benedictine at Mesa

    PHOENIX — Chance McMillian’s 17 points helped Grand Canyon defeat Benedictine at Mesa 110-53 on Saturday night.

    McMillian was 7 of 10 shooting (3 for 4 from distance) for the Antelopes (5-2). Walter Ellis scored 15 points, finishing 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Kobe Knox was 5-of-10 shooting (2 for 5 from distance) to finish with 14 points, while adding seven assists.

    Alphonse Alfred finished with 12 points for the Redhawks (0-2). Benedictine at Mesa also got 10 points and two steals from Tanner Crawford. In addition, Tre Carolina had seven points and four assists.

    ———

    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Long’s 15 help Fairfield defeat Towson 74-69

    Long’s 15 help Fairfield defeat Towson 74-69

    SAVANNAH, Ga. — TJ Long’s 15 points helped Fairfield defeat Towson 74-69 on Friday night.

    Long was 6 of 11 shooting (3 for 6 from distance) for the Stags (1-4). Caleb Fields shot 4 for 10, including 2 for 6 from beyond the arc to add 11 points. Jake Wojcik was 3 of 8 shooting (3 for 7 from distance) to finish with nine points.

    Cameron Holden finished with 18 points and four assists for the Tigers (5-1). Nicolas Timberlake added 15 points and six rebounds for Towson. In addition, Charles Thompson finished with 11 points and two blocks. The Tigers ended a five-game winning streak with the loss.

    ———

    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Big 1st half leads No. 6 Gonzaga past Portland State, 102-78

    Big 1st half leads No. 6 Gonzaga past Portland State, 102-78

    PORTLAND, Ore. — Malachi Smith led six players in double figures with a season-high 23 points and No. 6 Gonzaga used a big first half to beat Portland State 102-78 on Thursday night in the opening round of the Phil Knight Legacy tournament.

    The Bulldogs (4-1) led by 27 in the first half, held a 55-31 advantage at halftime and withstood a sloppy second half.

    Gonzaga coach Mark Few said he had his players take note of games earlier in the day when Portland put a scare into No. 1 North Carolina and No. 8 Duke was nearly upset by Oregon State.

    “There’s good teams out here if you’re not quite ready to go or at your best, you can get knocked off. I think that actually helped us firm up our approach,” Few said.

    Smith was the Southern Conference player of the year last season at Chattanooga, but had yet to have a big scoring game with the Zags. That finally happened against the Vikings as Smith made 9 of 12 shots and all five of his 3-point attempts.

    “I’m just trying to be ready whenever my number is called and what I’m asked to do,” Smith said.

    Drew Timme scored 18 points and the only shot he missed was a dunk attempt midway through the second half. Rasir Bolton had 14 points and a career-high eight assists, while Julian Strawther, Anton Watson and Hunter Sallis all finished with 10. Gonzaga shot 60% for the game.

    “That’s what makes this team speciall, we’ve got multiple players that can do multiple things,” Smith said.

    Jorell Saterfield led Portland State (2-3) with 21 points and Cameron Parker added 16. Fresh off an unexpected win at Oregon State, the Vikings hung with the Zags for about 10 minutes before Gonzaga got rolling.

    Portland State trailed just 18-16 after Isiah Kirby’s layup, but Gonzaga proceeded to scored 32 of the next 41 points and it was a mix of all the key pieces contributing. Timme had a couple of baskets. Bolton had seven points. Smith hit a trio of 3s.

    Gonzaga shot 66% in the first half, had three players in double figures before the break.

    “They’re very good at exposing the defensive mistakes and that’s kind of what happened in the first half. … They went on their run and it was tough to recover for our guys,” Portland State coach Jace Coburn said.

    But the second half performance was clearly not sitting well with Few, who was notably frustrated by some of the sloppiness. The Bulldogs still had the majority of their starters on the floor well into the second half. Portland State cut the deficit to 16 on a few occasions but could get no closer.

    “We challenged our team and they responded and felt like we got after it the second half,” Coburn said.

    BIG PICTURE

    Portland State: The Vikings went 1-2 in this tournament when it was played five years ago, putting a scare into Duke in the opening round and beating Stanford on the final day. These Vikings would gladly take a similar result this time around.

    Gonzaga: The Bulldogs will have a major challenge in 7-foot-4 Purdue center Zach Edey in the semifinals. Timme likely will not have it as easy as he did against Portland State, but he did have 22 point and seven rebounds in the win over Kentucky last week.

    UP NEXT

    Portland State: Will play West Virginia in a consolation game Friday.

    Gonzaga: Will face No. 24 Purdue in the semifinals Friday.

    ———

    AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25

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  • Bogdanovic, Pistons beat Jazz for back-to-back road wins

    Bogdanovic, Pistons beat Jazz for back-to-back road wins

    Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points and Kevin Knox II had a season-high 21 points, including a career-best six 3-pointers, to boost the Detroit Pistons to their second straight road win, 125-116 over the Utah Jazz

    SALT LAKE CITY — Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points and Kevin Knox II had a season-high 21 points, including a career-best six 3-pointers, to boost the Detroit Pistons to their second straight road win, 125-116 over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

    Marvin Bagley III scored a season-high 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting and Alec Burks added 18 points.

    The Pistons had lost seven in a row overall and 10 straight on the road before beating Denver on Tuesday, their first away victory this season. Despite playing back-to-back, the Pistons were quicker to the loose balls and seemed to grab all the 50-50 rebounds.

    Malik Beasley led Utah with 29 points and a season-high eight 3s while Jordan Clarkson had 24 points and Collin Sexton, starting for the injured Mike Conley (knee), set a career high with 12 assists.

    Bogdanovic spent three years with the Jazz before he was traded in the deal that brought Kelly Olynyk to Utah. He played his best in clutch situations, as Jazz fans saw him do often.

    After the Jazz got within 113-110 with 3:49 to play, Bogdanovic found Burks for a 3-pointer and added two free throws while the Pistons held Utah scoreless for 3:22.

    The Pistons were up by as many as 14 in the first half before settling for a 66-54 halftime advantage, bolstered by a 15-2 edge in second-chance points.

    Beasley had 14 more 3s than any other reserve player in the league coming into the game and continued to give the Jazz instant offense, especially on a night when they struggled defensively.

    The Pistons continually drove the lane and made layups or found wide-open 3-point shooters in the corners.

    TIP-INS

    Pistons: Scored 17 points off nine Jazz turnovers in the first half. … Shot 25 of 27 from the line and had nine steals. … Killian Hayes (left calf) did not play in the second half.

    Jazz: Lauri Markkanen, who leads the Jazz in scoring at 22.4 points per game, was scoreless in the first half and finished with 13 points. … Clarkson moved into fifth all-time for 3s made in Jazz history with 551, passing Bogdanovic. … Kessler, who had five rejections, is the leading shot blocker among rookies.

    UP NEXT

    Pistons: At Phoenix on Friday.

    Jazz: At Golden State on Friday.

    ———

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Baker scores 20 as Nevada defeats Akron 62-58

    Baker scores 20 as Nevada defeats Akron 62-58

    GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands — Will Baker scored 20 points as Nevada beat Akron 62-58 on Wednesday night at the Cayman Islands Classic.

    Baker added six rebounds for the Wolf Pack (6-1). Jarod Lucas scored 16 points while shooting 5 for 15, including 4 for 9 from beyond the arc. Kenan Blackshear shot 3 of 7 from the field and 3 for 4 from the line to finish with 10 points.

    Tavari Johnson finished with 21 points, four assists and two steals for the Zips (3-3). Akron also got 11 points from Xavier Castaneda. Enrique Freeman finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

    ———

    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Starling leads second-half rally for Irish in 82-66 win

    Starling leads second-half rally for Irish in 82-66 win

    SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Freshman JJ Starling scored 14 of his 23 points in the second half, Nate Laszewski had 22 and Notre Dame pulled way in the final 10 minutes to beat Bowling Green 82-66 on Tuesday night.

    Starling eclipsed his previous career high of 17 in his young collegiate career, hitting 10 of 11 shots, all but one inside the arc. He gave the Fighting Irish (5-0) their final lead with 9 1/2 minutes remaining with a bucket, scoring eight points in a 23-4 game-ending run.

    Freshman Ven-Allen Lubin added 12 points and Dane Goodwin 11 for Notre Dame, which shot 55%, including 65% in the second half.

    Bowling Green (2-3) missed 14 of its final 16 shots in what had been a competitive game with the largest lead being seven points until Notre Dame’s surge.

    Samari Curtis led the Falcons with 14 points, Leon Ayers III added 13 as did Rashun Agee, who also had nine rebounds.

    There were nine lead changes in the first half, the final one coming with a Laszewski 3-pointer at the end of the half for a 42-40 lead. Laszewski had 17 points by halftime and Lubin 10 while Agee had 13. Bowling Green shot 53% in the first half but Notre Dame had six more points both at the line and off turnovers.

    The victory completed a 5-0 season-opening homestand. The Irish are off to their first 5-0 start since 2017-18 when they opened 6-0.

    ———

    More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25

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  • Bryant defeats Detroit Mercy 98-88 in Paradise Invitational

    Bryant defeats Detroit Mercy 98-88 in Paradise Invitational

    BOCA RATON, Fla. — Doug Edert’s 23 points helped Bryant defeat Detroit Mercy 98-88 on Monday to conclude the round-robin Paradise Invitational.

    Edert made seven 3-pointers and added a couple of free throws for the Bulldogs (4-1). Earl Timberlake scored 19 points and added six rebounds and five assists. Sherif Kenney had 16 points.

    Antoine Davis finished with 29 points and five assists for the Titans (2-3). Jayden Stone added 24 points and six assists for Detroit Mercy. Jordan Phillips had 11 points.

    Bryant’s next game is Saturday against Syracuse on the road, and Detroit Mercy hosts Charlotte on Wednesday.

    ———

    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Irving rejoins Nets, seeks to keep focus on basketball

    Irving rejoins Nets, seeks to keep focus on basketball

    NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving apologized Sunday morning to anyone who felt threatened or hurt when he posted a link to a documentary with antisemitic material, clearing the way to finally play again for the Brooklyn Nets.

    Once he did, Irving tried to keep the focus on basketball. Deeper conversations, such as about the demonstrators outside the arena or a possible appeal of his suspension without pay, would be left for another day.

    “I’m just here to focus on the game,” Irving said after scoring 14 points in helping the Nets to a 127-115 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

    Irving had missed eight games since he was suspended by the team on Nov. 3, hours after he refused to say he had no antisemitic beliefs when meeting with reporters at the Nets’ practice facility.

    Back at the building for the team’s morning shootaround, Irving said he should have handled that interview differently.

    “I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech or antisemitism or anything that is going against the human race,” Irving said. “I feel like we all should have an opportunity to speak for ourselves when things are assumed about us and I feel it was necessary for me to stand in this place and take accountability for my actions, because there was a way I should have handled all this and as I look back and reflect when I had the opportunity to offer my deep regrets to anyone that felt threatened or felt hurt by what I posted, that wasn’t my intent at all.”

    Fans arriving at Barclays Center for the game found the plaza area filled by dozens of members of the group Israel United in Christ, Black men chanting and handing out paraphernalia that contained antisemitic material. The organization’s website says its mission is to “wake up the 12 Tribes of Israel.”

    Asked about having that group’s support, Irving said he hadn’t seen them, adding that it was “a conversation for another day.”

    As for whether action against the Nets was coming — members of the National Basketball Players Association, including executive director Tamika Tremaglio, were at shootaround and the game — Irving said others would be handling that for him.

    “I’m sure some things will be done in the future,” Irving said. “There’s no timetable on that right now.”

    Irving said he was initially searching for more information about his heritage when he posted a link to “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” on his Twitter page. When first asked about it, he was defiant about his right to post material that interested him. Then, he refused to apologize or clarify his religious beliefs during another interview a few days later, leading to his suspension.

    “I was rightfully defensive that there was an assumption that I could be antisemitic, or that I meant to post a documentary to stand side by side with all the views in the documentary,” Irving said, adding, “How can you call someone an antisemite if you don’t know them?”

    But his tone was more reflective while speaking for about 12 minutes Sunday morning, thanking family and friends for their support.

    “I meant no harm to any person, to any group of people and yeah, this is a big moment for me because I’m able to learn throughout this process that the power of my voice is very strong, the influence that I have within my community is very strong, and I want to be responsible for that,” Irving said. “In order to do that, you have to admit when you’re wrong and in instances where you hurt people and it impacts them.”

    Nike suspended its relationship with Irving and the fallout seemed to further strain the relationship between Irving and the Nets, who declined to give him a contract extension last summer. He missed most of their home games last season when he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as was mandated at the time in New York City.

    The organization said he was “unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets” when it suspended him. But the Nets praised Irving on Sunday for the steps he has since taken, though it’s unclear what those entailed.

    “Kyrie took ownership of this journey and had conversations with several members of the Jewish community,” the team said in a statement. “We are pleased that he is going about the process in a meaningful way.”

    ———

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • No. 13 Auburn defeats Texas Southern 72-56

    No. 13 Auburn defeats Texas Southern 72-56

    AUBURN, Ala. — K.D. Johnson scored 16 points, Jaylin Williams and Chris Moore both had 14, and No. 13 Auburn defeated Texas Southern 72-56 on Friday night.

    Texas Southern, which beat power-conference team Arizona State earlier this week, led early in the second half before Auburn answered with a 15-2 run to retake a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

    Auburn (4-0) got off to a slow start offensively, shooting 35.5% from the field and only scoring 29 points in the first half against a tough Texas Southern defense.

    Playing its fourth game in six days, Texas Southern (1-5) was unable to keep up with a deeper and fresher Auburn team after halftime. Late in the second half, Auburn went on an 11-0 run in less than two minutes to ultimately put the game away.

    The visiting Tigers were led in scoring by Joirdon Karl Nicholas’ 13 points. Davon Barnes added 12 points, while PJ Henry had 11.

    BIG PICTURE

    Texas Southern: Johnny Jones’ Tigers were fearless in their matchup against another highly ranked team after their 83-48 loss to No. 3 Houston on Wednesday night. The defending SWAC champions look like they will be a physical matchup for anyone they play.

    Auburn: The host Tigers missed the presence of starting center Johni Broome, who sat out Friday night with a bone bruise he suffered earlier in the week in a win against Winthrop. Without Broome, Auburn was unable to get a consistent offense going and didn’t enjoy its usual paint advantage from the first three games of the season.

    UP NEXT

    Texas Southern stays in the state of Alabama and visits Samford on Sunday.

    Auburn plays its first game away from home Tuesday, when it faces Bradley in Cancun, Mexico.

    ———

    AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25

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  • Maldonado scores 28 points to send Wyoming past Howard 78-71

    Maldonado scores 28 points to send Wyoming past Howard 78-71

    Hunter Maldonado scored 28 points, 19 in the second half, and Wyoming beat Howard 78-71  in a Paradise Jam contest

    ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands — Hunter Maldonado scored 28 points, 19 in the second half, and Wyoming beat Howard 78-71 on Friday night in a Paradise Jam contest.

    Maldonado also contributed three steals for the Cowboys (3-1). Ethan Anderson went 5 of 7 from the field to add 11 points. Jake Kyman recorded nine points and finished 3 of 4 from the field.

    Elijah Hawkins led the Bison (2-4) in scoring, finishing with 17 points and six assists. Howard also got 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals from William Settle. In addition, Bryce Harris had 11 points.

    Howard led 38-32 at intermission.

    NEXT UP

    Wyoming takes on Santa Clara on Wednesday, and Howard visits Austin Peay on Saturday.

    ———

    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Saint Joseph’s (PA) knocks off Albany (NY) 99-79

    Saint Joseph’s (PA) knocks off Albany (NY) 99-79

    PHILADELPHIA — Erik Reynolds II scored 32 points to led Saint Joseph’s (Pa.) past Albany (N.Y.) 99-79 on Thursday night.

    Reynolds also added six rebounds for the Hawks (2-1). Lynn Greer III scored 19 points while going 6 of 7 and 6 of 8 from the free throw line, and added seven assists. Charlie Brown was 6 of 17 shooting (3 for 10 from distance) to finish with 17 points, while adding 11 rebounds.

    Da’Kquan Davis led the way for the Great Danes (2-3) with 32 points.

    ———

    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Adebayo scores 30, Heat storm back to stun Suns 113-112

    Adebayo scores 30, Heat storm back to stun Suns 113-112

    MIAMI — Elite scorer. Elite defender.

    Devin Booker got to his spot. Jimmy Butler got there, too. And Butler rose to the moment, capping a brilliant comeback win for the Miami Heat.

    Bam Adebayo scored 30 points, including a pair of go-ahead free throws with 35 seconds left, and Butler’s block was part of a frantic finish as the Heat rallied from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 113-112 on Monday night.

    “Those two guys are really the foundational heartbeat pieces to our team,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We follow their warrior spirits. They’re just so tough, the epitome of being two-way basketball players.”

    Phoenix had three shots to win on its final possession — a missed layup by Cameron Payne, the jumper from Booker from the right elbow that Butler blocked, and then a 3-pointer from Booker that bounced off the rim, with Butler hounding him again.

    “Tough break for us,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “Our guys fought like heck to have a chance to win.”

    Butler finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for Miami. Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry each scored 15 for Miami, which got back to .500 at 7-7.

    “I love the fact that we won this game on the defensive end,” Butler said.

    Adebayo outscored the Suns by himself in the last eight minutes, 12-10. Phoenix missed 12 of its 16 shots in that span, while Miami finished 8 for its last 12.

    Booker led the Suns with 25 points. Duane Washington Jr. added 21 and Deandre Ayton finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who shot only four free throws compared to Miami’s 25.

    “That is hard to swallow … a physical game like that, where everybody’s bumpin’, we only get four free throws,” Williams said. “This is becoming really hard to swallow. You feel like you can’t even talk about it because you’re going to be fined.”

    The Heat went 22 for 25 on those tries from the line, the 13th consecutive game where they shot at least 80% from the stripe — extending their franchise record.

    It was the first time an NBA team shot four free throws in a game since May 16, 2021 — also the Suns, against San Antonio.

    Torrey Craig’s layup with 8:03 left put Phoenix up 102-89, the Suns’ biggest lead of the night. The Heat outscored Phoenix 24-10 the rest of the way.

    “We’ve had tests all year, and some of those games we didn’t finish,” Adebayo said. “They were nothing but experience for a game like this.”

    Both teams were missing key guards. Miami’s Tyler Herro was out for the fourth consecutive game with a sprained left ankle, and Phoenix’s Chris Paul sat with right heel soreness.

    TIP-INS

    Suns: The Suns don’t believe Paul’s heel issue is long-term. “Day-to-day,” coach Monty Williams said. … Phoenix lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. … The Suns had been 7-0 in games in which they led by at least 13 points.

    Heat: Among those in the crowd — Wayne Gretzky, Odell Beckham Jr. and Melvin Ingram. … Dewayne Dedmon had 12 for the Heat, including a pair of 3-pointers late in the third to stop a Phoenix run. … Adebayo also had 10 rebounds.

    LOWRY 2K

    Lowry’s first 3-pointer was the 2,000th of his career. He’s the 12th player in NBA history to make that many.

    BIRTHDAY REF

    South Florida native Dedric Taylor was one of the referees, working on his 47th birthday. Taylor worked for the City of North Miami Beach Parks & Recreation Department and was a UPS driver before getting into the NBA.

    UP NEXT

    Suns: Host Golden State on Wednesday

    Heat: Visit Toronto on Wednesday.

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    More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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