Grant Sherfield had a season-high 30 points, leading Oklahoma to a 93-69 upset of No. 2 Alabama on Saturday in Norman, Okla., as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Sooners (12-9) and broke a recent second-half funk by Sherfield. The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak by the Crimson Tide (18-3).
Sherfield had 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, with four free throws and four assists before halftime, as the Sooners gradually stretched their lead to 17 by the break. What Sherfield didn’t do, Jalen Hill did. Hill finished with a career-high 26 points, going 9 of 11 from the field. Tanner Groves had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Rylen Griffen led Alabama with 15 points. The Crimson Tide shot just 37.9 percent from the field (25 of 66) and 6 of 22 (27.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
No. 3 Houston 75, Cincinnati 69
Jarace Walker poured in 25 points and the Cougars staged a colossal rally late in the second half to defeat the visiting Bearcats in American Athletic Conference play.
The Cougars (20-2, 8-1 AAC) outscored the Bearcats (14-8, 5-4) by a 21-7 margin over the final nine-plus minutes to win for the 11th time in their past 12 games. Jamal Shead hit a go-ahead jumper with 47 seconds left before sinking a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
Walker sank 10 of 14 shots and added seven rebounds for Houston, which went 30-for-53 (56.6 percent) from the field. J’Wan Roberts added 14 points, while Shead finished with 13. Landers Nolley II paced Cincinnati with 24 points and six rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting, including 6-for-10 from deep. Viktor Lakhin contributed 15 points and David DeJulius supplied 14 along with nine assists.
No. 4 Tennessee 82, No. 10 Texas 71
Olivier Nkamhoua poured in a career-high 27 points and Zakai Zeigler added 22 points and 10 assists as the Volunteers did just about everything right in a win over the Longhorns in a Big 12/SEC Challenge game in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Volunteers (18-3) built a 12-point lead at halftime that they expanded to 22 with torrid shooting over the first six minutes of the second half. Texas drew to within 69-58 after a jumper by Marcus Carr with 6:06 remaining before a dunk by Nkamhoua at the 4:08 mark and a free throw by Josiah-Jordan James 41 seconds later pushed Tennessee’s lead back to 14 points — too much for the Longhorns to overcome.
Sir’Jabari Rice led Texas (17-4) with 21 points, with Carr and Brock Cunningham adding 11 apiece for the Longhorns, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.
No. 5 Kansas State 64, Florida 50
Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell led a balanced scoring attack with 13 points apiece as the Wildcats defeated the Gators in their SEC/Big 12 Challenge game in Manhattan, Kan.
Johnson is in his first season at Kansas State (18-3) after spending four playing for Florida. His third season was cut short when he experienced a medical emergency with his heart on Dec. 12, 2020, during Florida’s game at Florida State. His health concerns sidelined him for the remainder of that season and all but one game the next season.
Colin Castleton scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Gators (12-9), and Myreon Jones and Will Richard each tallied 11 points.
No. 6 Arizona 95, Washington 72
Azuolas Tubelis collected 25 points and 10 rebounds and Oumar Ballo added 21 and 12, respectively, lifting the Wildcats over the Huskies in a Pac-12 clash in Seattle.
Tubelis has recorded seven double-doubles in his last eight games for Arizona (19-3, 8-3 Pac-12). He contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds in Arizona’s 70-57 victory over Washington on Jan. 5.
Keion Brooks Jr. scored 25 points and Keyon Menifield added 21 for Washington (13-10, 5-7), which has lost two of its last three games.
No. 7 Virginia 76, Boston College 57
Jayden Gardner and Armaan Franklin scored 18 points each and high-flying reserve Ryan Dunn sparked the Cavaliers in the first half with two electrifying dunks in a victory over the Eagles in Charlottesville, Va.
Isaac McKneely scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half and Reece Beekman added 11 points and eight assists as Virginia (16-3, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) won its sixth straight. In a game in which the teams combined to make 23 of 24 free throws, Virginia took the lead midway through the first half and expanded it steadily.
Quinten Post scored 14 of his 24 points in the first six minutes for Boston College (10-12, 4-7), which saw the end of its two-game winning streak. Makai Ashton-Langford tallied 12 points for the Eagles. His younger brother, DeMarr Langford Jr., sustained a knee injury and sat out the second half.
No. 9 Kansas 77, Kentucky 68
Jalen Wilson’s game-high 22 points led four players in double figures as the Jayhawks ended their three-game losing streak with a win over the Wildcats in the marquee game of the final SEC/Big 12 Challenge in Lexington, Ky.
KJ Adams Jr. scored 17 points for the Jayhawks (17-4), hitting 8 of 10 shots. Gradey Dick added 13 points, while Kevin McCullar chipped in an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double. He also swished a critical 3-pointer with 3:09 left that gave Kansas a 73-66 lead.
Oscar Tshiebwe scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Kentucky (14-7), although he managed just nine shot attempts as the Jayhawks kept the ball out of his hands in key moments.
Mississippi State 81, No. 11 TCU 74 (OT)
Shakeel Moore sank a pair of 3-pointers early in overtime as the Bulldogs broke a five-game losing streak by shocking the Horned Frogs in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in Starkville, Miss.
With the clubs locked at 66 after regulation, Mississippi State (13-8) saw Moore make the two long shots for a 72-68 lead just over a minute into the extra period en route to its first win since Jan. 7 over Ole Miss. Big man Tolu Smith scored 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds, five assists and four blocks.
Damion Baugh had 19 points and Emanuel Miller had 13 and seven rebounds for the Horned Frogs (16-5). Shahada Wells and JaKobe Coles (eight rebounds) each had 12 points.
Missouri 78, No. 12 Iowa State 61
Kobe Brown scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Tigers upset the Cyclones in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in Columbia, Mo.
D’Moi Hodge scored 17 points, Nick Honor scored 12 and DeAndre Gholston added 10 for the Tigers (16-5). Missouri made 14 of its first 24 shots from 3-point range and overcame a 38-25 rebounding deficit.
Jaren Holmes scored 19 points and Gabe Kalscheur added 14 for the Cyclones (15-5). The Tigers made 12 of 14 free-throw attempts while the Cyclones shot just 3 of 8 from the line. Missouri rotated 10 players into the game during the first 39 minutes and wore down Iowa State with its depth.
Creighton 84, No. 13 Xavier 67
Arthur Kaluma scored a game-high 20 points to lead five Bluejays in double figures as the hosts cruised to a win over the Musketeers in Big East play at Omaha, Neb.
Kaluma shot 7 of 16 from the field to go along with nine rebounds, while Ryan Kalkbrenner went 8 of 9 from the floor to finish with 17 points, eight rebounds and a game-high five blocks for Creighton (13-8, 7-3 Big East).
Xavier (17-5, 9-2), which lost for just the second time in its past 15 games, was led by Zach Freemantle’s team-high 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting to go along with five rebounds. Adam Kunkel added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds, with Colby Jones also finishing with 13 points.
No. 14 Gonzaga 82, Portland 67
Julian Strawther had the game of his career, pumping in eight 3-pointers and scoring 40 points as the Bulldogs pulled away down the stretch for a West Coast Conference win over the Pilots in Portland, Ore.
With leading scorer Drew Timme limited to seven shots and eight points in 34 minutes, Gonzaga (18-4, 7-1 WCC) needed a hero. Enter Strawther, who made 14 of 21 shots from the field, including 8 of 12 from beyond the 3-point line.
For Portland (11-13, 3-6), Moses Wood sank five 3-pointers and scored 19 points to lead four Pilots in double figures. Juan Sebastian Gorosito added 17 points, while Tyler Robertson and Mike Meadows each chipped in 10. Portland sank 41.7 percent of its field-goal tries, going 10 of 24 from behind the 3-point arc.
West Virginia 80, No. 15 Auburn 77
Erik Stevenson established career highs of 31 points and seven 3-pointers to lead the Mountaineers to a wire-to-wire victory over the Tigers in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge at Morgantown, W.Va.
Stevenson scored 18 first-half points as the Mountaineers led 45-29 at the break. Jimmy Bell Jr. added 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals for West Virginia (13-8), which won for the third time in the past four games.
Jaylin Williams scored 18 points and Johni Broome added 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists before fouling out for Auburn (16-5). Allen Flanigan added 13 points and K.D. Johnson had 10 points and three steals.
No. 16 Marquette 89, DePaul 69
David Joplin had a career-high 28 points off the bench, while Tyler Kolek added 24 in nearly missing a triple-double, and the two combined to make 12 of the Golden Eagles’ season-high 15 3-pointers en route to a victory over the Blue Demons in Big East play in Chicago.
Joplin went a career-best 8 of 11 from beyond the arc, while Kolek was 4 of 6 from distance, and posted 10 assists and nine rebounds as the Golden Eagles (17-5, 9-2 in Big East) nearly hit half of their 36 3-point attempts and shot 54 percent overall.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 13 points and Oso Ighodaro added 10 for Marquette, a surprise contender for the Big East title that has won three straight and 11 of 13. Umoja Gibson made five treys and finished with 25 points for DePaul (9-13, 3-8), which shot 44.6 percent, but committed 12 turnovers in losing its third in a row.
No. 17 Baylor 67, Arkansas 64
Keyonte George scored the last seven points of a game-deciding 13-2 run as the Bears downed the Razorbacks at Waco, Texas.
George finished with 24 points. LJ Cryer poured in 20 points for Baylor (16-5), while Jalen Bridges had 10 points and seven rebounds. Ricky Council IV’s 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting and Davonte Davis’ 16 points paced Arkansas (14-7), which fell to 0-5 in true road games.
After Arkansas stretched its scoring run to 13-0 with Council’s jumper on the first possession of the second half, the Bears got moving. Baylor pulled ahead at 45-44 on George’s three-point play. George’s 3-point basket pushed the score to 62-55 with 1:21 to play. Cryer made two free throws with 10 seconds left to help seal the outcome.
Hofstra 85, No. 18 Charleston 81
Aaron Estrada scored 23 of his 25 points in the first half before Darlinstone Dubar and Jaquan Carlos scored 13 points apiece in the second half for the visiting Pride, who snapped the Cougars’ 20-game winning streak with a victory in a Colonial Athletic Association game.
Hofstra (15-8, 8-2 CAA) beat a team ranked in the AP poll for the second straight season — the Pride defeated then-No. 24 Arkansas 89-81 on Dec. 18, 2021 — and just the third time in program history.
Ante Brzovic had 18 points to lead four players in double figures for Charleston (21-2, 9-1), the first CAA team to be ranked in the AP poll in the regular season since Navy in 1986-87.
Pitt 71, No. 20 Miami 68
Blake Hinson scored 21 points, including the bucket that gave the Panthers their first lead since midway through the first half, as Pitt netted the game’s final 11 points to stun the Hurricanes.
Hinson, who added eight rebounds and two blocks, also hit a 3-pointer, his fifth of the game, during the late run, which began with Pitt (15-7, 8-3 ACC) trailing 68-60 with 2:26 left.
Jordan Miller scored 18 points, but only four in the second half, to lead Miami (16-5, 7-4). Isaiah Wong scored 14 points, including nine in the second half, but had two critical turnovers in the closing minute.
No. 21 FAU 70, Western Kentucky 63
Brandon Weatherspoon scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds as the Owls continued their impressive surge with a victory over the Hilltoppers in Boca Raton, Fla.
Florida Atlantic (21-1, 11-0 Conference USA) extended its program-record winning streak to 20 in a row and swept the season series against Western Kentucky (11-11, 3-8), which lost its fifth consecutive game. The Owls also matched their program record for wins in a season and improved to 13-0 at home.
Jordan Rawls led Western Kentucky with 17 points while Dayvion McKnight and Emmanuel Akot each totaled 16 points and combined for 11 rebounds.
No. 22 Saint Mary’s 57, BYU 56
Aidan Mahaney knocked down a 15-foot turnaround jumper with 0.4 seconds left to give the Gaels a victory over the Cougars in West Coast Conference play at Provo, Utah.
Mahaney was well-guarded by Fousseyni Traore as he drove into the lane before he faded back and sent the shot over Traore to give the Gaels (19-4, 8-0 WCC) their 10th consecutive victory. Logan Johnson scored 14 points and Alex Ducas added 12 for Saint Mary’s. Mitchell Saxen had 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Mahaney and Augustas Marciulionis tallied 10 points apiece.
Freshman Dallin Hall scored a career-high 23 points for the Cougars (14-10, 4-5), who have lost three straight games and five of their past seven. Traore added 11 points and eight rebounds. Hall was downcast after the contest. He was fouled while driving to the basket with the game tied with 10.2 seconds. But he missed the first free throw before making the second to put BYU up one before the Gaels’ winning shot.
No. 24 Clemson 82, Florida State 81
Chase Hunter finished with 26 points and delivered the game-winning points with 4.5 seconds left to help the Tigers escape with a comeback victory over Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla.
With the Tigers (18-4, 10-1 ACC) trailing by two, Hunter drove from one end of the floor to the other, scored a layup and made a free throw on the foul by Seminoles guard Matthew Cleveland. Florida State (7-15, 5-6), which dropped its second game in a row, was unable to muster a potential game-winner as time expired.
Hunter Tyson led Clemson with 27 points and seven rebounds, and PJ Hall finished with 17 points and 10 boards. The win was Clemson’s third in a row since suffering its lone conference loss to Wake Forest over a week ago. Cleveland led Florida State with 18 points and had four rebounds and four assists.
–Field Level Media
