College basketball: Scores, highlights, live updates from Day 1
Highlights from the first day of the college basketball season
Good evening, college basketball fans. Wednesday, Nov. 25 marked the first day of the 2020-21 Division I college basketball season. Here are some notable results from the first day of the new season:
- There were 17 ranked men's basketball teams in action Wednesday.
- Of the first 14 AP top 25 teams to play, 12 posted double-digit wins.
- No. 22 UCLA was the only ranked team to fall on Wednesday, as San Diego State beat the Bruins 73-58.
- No. 4 Virginia, the 2019 champion, technically continued its national title defense with an 89-54 win over Towson.
- No. 8 Illinois set a school record for single-game 3-pointers made with 17. Star guard Ayo Dosunmu drilled five triples to finish with 28 points.
- No. 18 Arizona State was one of the few ranked teams to win by single digits — ASU had a 94-88 win over Rhode Island. Preseason All-American Remy Martin paced the Sun Devils with 26 points.
- No. 3 Villanova rallied from a nine-point deficit in the second half to beat Boston College 76-67.
- UIC overcame a 22-point deficit in the second half to beat Northern Illinois 65-61, giving head coach Luke Yaklich his first win as a DI head coach.
- We also had opening-night buzzer beater as Loyola Marymount's Jalin Anderson sank a corner jumper at the horn to beat Southern Utah 85-83. And a late 3 in the final seconds lifted South Alabama to a 68-66 win against Florida Atlantic.
- Georgia State beat Georgia Tech in a 4OT marathon, 123-120. Four Panthers players scored at least 20 points.
- Click or tap here for all scores from the first day of the 2020-21 season.
Arizona State survives Rhode Island
No. 18 Arizona State hung on for a 94-88 win over Rhode Island. The Sun Devils led by as many as 16 points before the teams traded multiple second-half leads in game that had 55 total fouls and 81 combined free throw attempts. AP preseason All-America guard Remy Martin scored a game-high 26 points to go with six rebounds and five assists.
Remy Martin. Tough cover.
— SunDevilSource.com (@SunDevilSource) November 26, 2020
The senior guard is a perfect 5-for-5 and has 13 points. Lethal in one-on-one situations. pic.twitter.com/R8r5zBuJnh
Kentucky routs Morehead State, newcomers lead the way
No. 10 Kentucky cruised in its season-opener, an 81-45 rout of Morehead State. The Wildcats started four freshmen, led by 15 points from Brandon Boston Jr. First-year guards Devin Askew and Terrence Clarke added 12 points apiece while forward Isaiah Jackson chipped in 9 points and two blocks, including the show-stopping swat below.
.@IJackson22 is going to be a problem
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) November 25, 2020
Watch on @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/ZIVbcw9lbY
Western Kentucky edges Northern Iowa in high-scoring affair
Taveion Hollingsworth had 16 of his 26 points in the second half as Western Kentucky outlasted Northern Iowa 93-87. Hollingsworth was one of four players to score 20 or more points along with teammate Dayvion McKnight (20) and UNI's A.J. Green and Noah Carter (28 each). The Hilltoppers made 27 free throws in the win while the Panthers knocked down 20 3-pointers.
With his last basket, Taveion Hollingsworth has reached 1,500 points in his career! #GoTops pic.twitter.com/znEQMOYDOP
— WKU Hilltopper Basketball (@WKUBasketball) November 25, 2020
Michigan State's Josh Langford scores first points since Dec. 2018
Michigan State fifth-year senior Josh Langford scored his first points since Dec. 29, 2018 in the Spartans's season opener on Wednesday night. Plagued by injuries, the talented Langford had been sidelined for nearly the last two years.
Langford hit a 3-pointer with 11:48 remaining in the first half in Michigan State's game against Eastern Michigan.
THAT'S A THREE FOR JOSHUA LANGFORD.
— Michigan State Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) November 25, 2020
JL with his first bucket in the game, our lead 17-10.
Oklahoma State survives road game at UT Arlington
Cade Cunningham, ladies and gentlemen.
— ESPN (@espn) November 25, 2020
Remember the name pic.twitter.com/wdbeZ0lX6u
UT Arlington trading baskets with Oklahoma State, Cade Cunningham
Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham is arguably the most talented freshman in the country and he's a potential All-America candidate, but UT Arlington is giving Oklahoma State all the Cowboys can handle in their season opener.
Oklahoma State leads 55-51 with 8:28 to play. Cunningham has 16 points, six rebounds and two assists so far.
Illinois sets school record for 3-pointers
No. 8 Illinois made 17 3-pointers in its 122-60 win over North Carolina A&T in the Illini's season opener. That's an incredibly promising sign for Illinois, which shot just 30.9 percent from deep last season, which ranked 297th nationally. The school record for points in a game was 127 in 1988.
Adam Miller made six 3-pointers and Ayo Dosunmu hit five, while Damonte Williams, Trent Frazier and Jacob Grandison made two 3-pointers each.
Reigning national champion Virginia wins season opener
Technically, Virginia is still the reigning national champion in men's basketball and the No. 4-ranked Cavaliers won their 2020-21 season opener against Towson 89-54.
Marquette transfer Sam Hauser scored 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting while Trey Murphy III added 21 off the bench.
Coaches honor the late John Thompson with towels on opening day
𝗔 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱.@CoachCooleyPC is one of many coaches across the country paying homage to Coach Thompson with his signature towel. #BIGEASThoops x @marchmadness x @PCFriarsmbb pic.twitter.com/neBY5QNtpq
— #BIGEASThoops (@BIGEASTMBB) November 25, 2020
Illinois's Ayo Dosunmu shining off the ball
Quick 5️⃣ points for @AyoDos_11
— Illinois Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 25, 2020
Illinois has held NCAT without a basket for over 4 minutes.
Illini 14, NCAT 5 | 13:02 1H pic.twitter.com/GwhierXmbS
Illinois junior Ayo Dosunmu is an All-America candidate for the No. 8 Illini and he has been playing off the ball on offense in the first half of Illinois's season opener against North Carolina A&T. Freshman Andre Curbelo was running the point for several possessions when the two players were on the floor together.
On back-to-back possessions, Dosunmu hit an open three in the right corner, then caught a pass on the run in transition, making a lethal Euro step before putting up a shot that was called for goal-tending, giving Dosunmu five points in 16 seconds.
Nebraska goes on 25-2 run against McNeese State
In one of the first games of the college basketball season, Nebraska has pulled even further away from McNeese State in Lincoln, behind a 25-2 scoring run in the second half.
What was once a 61-41 game turned into an 86-43 advantage for the Huskers, which included seven points from Teddy Allen, and five from both Shamiel Stevenson and Yvan Ouedraogo.
This new-look @HuskerHoops team is exciting. pic.twitter.com/f6vMAUwdJA
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 25, 2020
Xavier's Dieonte Miles catches fire
⚔️ | Dieonte Miles is up to 12 on 6-7 shooting from the floor!#LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/lHnnbeEYzE
— Xavier Basketball (@XavierMBB) November 25, 2020
In his first career game, Xavier redshirt freshman Dieonte Miles has come on strong down the stretch in the second half, leaking out on a fast break for an easy bucket, hitting a jumper on the next possession and then slamming home a powerful dunk two possessions later.
All that happened in less than 90 seconds.
Miles has 12 points for the game and he's one of five Xavier players in double figures as the Musketeers lead 96-42 in the closing minutes.
Hot-shooting Xavier blitzes Oakland in the first half
In its season opener, Xavier came out firing, making 8-of-18 3-point attempts in the first half, while holding Oakland to 1-of-14 shooting from deep. The Musketeers led 53-12 at halftime.
Guard KyKy Tandy leads all scorers with 15 points, including five 3-pointers.
Oakland played a zone defense and Xavier has found its most success on offense when it made entry passes into the block, then swung the ball to a cutting player or to an open Musketeer on the wing.
Here are the Top 25 women's teams playing today
Here are the top 25 women's teams schedule to play today. Clicking or tapping on each game will take you to live scoring.
- No. 1 South Carolina vs Charleston — 12 p.m. ET
- No. 14 Arkansas vs. Oral Roberts — 12 p.m. ET
- No. 25 Michigan vs. Central Michigan — 12:30 p.m.
- No. 11 Kentucky vs Murray State — 1 p.m. ET
- No. 13 Texas A&M vs Lamar — 1 p.m. ET
- No. 15 Iowa State vs Omaha — 1 p.m. ET
- No. 16 Indiana vs Eastern Kentucky — 1:30 p.m. ET
- No. 2 Stanford vs. Cal Poly — 2 p.m. ET
- No. 8 NC State vs. North Florida — 2 p.m. ET
- No. 5 Louisville at Southeast Missouri State — 3 p.m. ET
- No. 9 UCLA vs CSU Fullerton — 5 p.m. ET
- No. 4 Baylor vs Central Arkansas — 8 p.m. ET