Ejim's big double-double carries No. 16 Iowa State
AMES, Iowa -- Melvin Ejim hit 20 of 24 shots in scoring a Big 12-record 48 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds to lead No. 16 Iowa State to an 84-69 victory against TCU on Saturday.
Ejim had two 3-pointers and six dunks during his big game, one on a spectacular fast-break lob from DeAndre Kane that gave the Cyclones (18-4, 6-4 Big 12) a 67-52 lead and effectively put the game out of reach.
A 6-foot-6 senior, Ejim scored 20 consecutive Iowa State points during one stretch in the second half. It was his 30th career double-double.
Georges Niang added 11 points and Kane finished with 10 assists for the Cyclones, who avoided a letdown after their thrilling three-overtime victory at Oklahoma State on Monday, their first win in Stillwater since 1988.
Kyan Anderson led the Horned Frogs (9-13, 0-10) with 27 points and eight assists. Amric Fields scored 18 points and Karviar Shepherd had 11 for TCU, which was coming off single-digit losses to Texas Tech and No. 15 Texas, but could not keep up with the Cyclones and the high-flying Ejim.
Ejim padded his Big 12 scoring lead with a performance that topped the previous conference record of 44 points by Kansas State's Denis Clemente in 2009 and the Wildcats' Michael Beasley in 2008. His previous high had been 23 points against Oklahoma last season.
No. 3 Florida balanced in victory against Alabama
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Scottie Wilbekin scored 16 points, leading all five starters in double figures, and No. 3 Florida beat Alabama 78-69 on Saturday for its 15th consecutive victory.
The Gators handled the Tide for the second time in 16 days and extended a school record for consecutive home wins to 29.
Florida (21-2, 10-0 Southeastern Conference) shot a blistering 62 percent from the floor and finished with a season-high 22 assists.
Head coach Billy Donovan's team trailed by seven late in the first half before taking over the game in the paint and in transition. That opened things up on the perimeter for Wilbekin and Michael Frazier II.
Wilbekin was 3-for-5 shooting from behind the arc, making all three in the second half. Frazier was 3-for-8 from 3-point range.
Frazier finished with 14 points, joining Wilbekin, Casey Prather (15), Will Yeguete (12) and Patric Young (11) in double figures. It was the first time all five of Florida's starters topped 10 points since Nov. 21, 2013, against Middle Tennessee.
Trevor Releford led the Tide (9-14, 3-7) with 25 points on 7-for-10 shooting. He was 4 for 6 from behind the 3-point line and perfect on seven free throws.
No. 4 Wichita St (25-0) beats Northern Iowa 82-73
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Tekele Cotton scored 18 points and fourth-ranked Wichita State beat Northern Iowa 82-73 on Saturday night, clearing perhaps its toughest remaining hurdle for an unbeaten regular season.
Cleanthony Early had all 16 of his points in the first half for the Shockers (25-0, 12-0 Missouri Valley Conference). They became the first team to open 25-0 since Derrick Rose helped Memphis win its first 26 games in 2007-08.
Northern Iowa got as close as 44-43 before Wichita State went on a 12-1 run early in the second half. The Panthers pulled back within single digits before Fred VanVleet's 3-pointer made it 69-57 with just more than 5 minutes left.
Matt Bohannon had 17 points and Seth Tuttle scored 16 for the Panthers (11-13, 5-7), who were outrebounded 40-24.
Shepard, Thames lead No. 5 SDSU by Nevada, 73-58
SAN DIEGO -- Xavier Thames scored 17 points, Winston Shepard had 16 and No. 5 San Diego State beat Nevada 73-58 on Saturday night to tie the school record with its 20th consecutive win.
The Aztecs (21-1, 10-0 Mountain West) matched the 20-game win streak by the 2010-11 team, which won its first 20 games before losing at BYU. That team was the first in school history to reach the NCAA round of 16 after getting the program's first victories in the NCAA tournament. It finished 34-3, best in team history. The current Aztecs are the first to open league play 10-0.
SDSU was coming off a 67-65 win at Boise State in which it erased a 14-point deficit before winning on a 3-point shot by Dwayne Polee II with four seconds left.
The Aztecs' only loss was a 69-60 home defeat to then-No. 6 Arizona on Nov. 14.
SMU ends No. 7 Cincinnati's 15-game streak 76-55
DALLAS -- Nick Russell had 15 points to go with several big steals, and coach Larry Brown's SMU Mustangs stayed undefeated at home with a 76-55 victory Saturday night against No. 7 Cincinnati, ending the Bearcats' 15-game winning streak.
SMU (19-5, 8-3 American Athletic Conference) has already beaten three top-25 opponents in seven games since moving into the renovated Moody Coliseum on campus five weeks ago.
Before that, the Mustangs hadn't defeated a ranked opponent anywhere since December 2003, and hadn't had multiple wins against top-25 teams in the same season since 1984-85, the last time SMU appeared in the poll.
Russell had two steals in less than a minute that led to breakaway baskets, with a 3-pointer by Nic Moore in between, to cap an 11-0 run by the Mustangs after Cincinnati (22-3, 11-1) cut the gap to 48-41 midway through the second half.
No. 8 Kansas scores 83-69 win against West Virginia
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Andrew Wiggins scored 19 points, Wayne Selden had 17 and No. 8 Kansas survived a foul-fest to beat West Virginia 83-69 on Saturday and pad its lead in the Big 12 standings.
Reserve Tarik Black added 11 points for the Jayhawks (18-5, 9-1 Big 12), who honored the 40th anniversary of their 1974 Final Four team by fending off the Mountaineers (14-10, 6-5) to take a two-game lead against surprising Texas in the conference race.
The 15th-ranked Longhorns on Saturday lost to Kansas State, which will play host to the Jayhawks on Monday night.
Juwan Staten scored 22 points and Eron Harris had 17 for West Virginia, which dealt with foul trouble nearly the entire game. At one point, the Mountaineers had five players with four fouls apiece, and Brandon Watkins and Devin Williams eventually fouled out.
Parker leads Duke to victory against Boston College
BOSTON -- Jabari Parker set career highs with 29 points and 16 rebounds, Quinn Cook hit five 3-pointers and scored 21 points, and No. 11 Duke coasted to an 89-68 win over Boston College on Saturday night.
Rasheed Sulaimon added 10 points for the Blue Devils (19-5, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Parker extended his Duke freshman record to 14 games with 20 points or more.
Olivier Hanlan led Boston College (6-17, 2-8) with 25 points and Ryan Anderson had 12. The Eagles have dropped 10 of 12, with their only conference wins coming against last-place Virginia Tech.
The Blue Devils put it away with an 18-0 run midway through the second half, improving to 18-2 against unranked teams this season.
Jett, No. 13 St. Louis slip past La Salle 65-63
PHILADELPHIA -- Jordair Jett scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, including the game-winner with 4 seconds left, as Saint Louis extended its school-record winning streak to 16 games with a 65-63 victory against La Salle on Saturday.
Dwayne Evans added 14 points to help the Billikens (22-2, 9-0 Atlantic 10) remain perfect on the road and in league play. Their 9-0 record away from home is the best undefeated road record in the country.
Jerrell Wright matched his career high with 21 points for La Salle (12-11, 4-5), which has lost five of its past six. Steve Zack finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds and Tyreek Duren added 14 points for the Explorers.
After Duren tied the game at 63 with a driving layup with 33 seconds left, the Billikens held for one shot and isolated Jett at the top of the key. Jett responded with another layup through the La Salle defense, and the Explorers' Tyrone Garland missed the potential game-winner from halfcourt at the buzzer.
Foster leads Kansas State to upset of No. 15 Texas
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Marcus Foster scored a career-high 34 points on 13-of-16 shooting and Kansas State beat No. 15 Texas 74-57 on Saturday, ending the Longhorns' seven-game winning streak.
Foster surpassed the previous scoring mark for a Kansas State freshman set by Michael Beasley against Colorado with 33 points on March 4, 2008. Foster's previous high was 25 points against Oral Roberts on Nov. 13.
Will Spradling added nine points for the Wildcats (16-7, 6-4 Big 12), who extended their home winning streak to 12 games.
Isaiah Taylor had 17 points for the Longhorns (18-5, 7-3) while Connor Lammert added eight points.
Marble's big first half helps No. 17 Iowa topple No. 10 Michigan
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Roy Devyn Marble scored 22 of his 26 points in the first half and No. 17 Iowa beat No. 10 Michigan 85-67 on Saturday.
Aaron White added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Hawkeyes (18-6, 7-4 Big Ten), who avoided a third consecutive loss at home and split the season series with Michigan.
Caris LeVert scored 22 points for the Wolverines (17-6, 9-2), who have lost two of three after starting 8-0 in the Big Ten.
Marble was 6 of 9 from 3-point range in the first half -- hitting three in the opening minutes. Iowa led by double digits for much of the game.
Mike Gesell had 10 points and eight assists as the Hawkeyes, who rank next to last in the Big Ten in 3-point field goals, finished 10 of 17 from behind the arc.
Nik Stauskas, Michigan's top scorer, finished with 10 points.
No. 18 Kentucky beats Mississippi State 69-59
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Julius Randle scored 16 points, James Young added 11 and No. 18 Kentucky beat Mississippi State 69-59 on Saturday.
Kentucky (18-5, 8-2 Southeastern Conference) has won three in a row overall and seven consecutive against Mississippi State. The Wildcats had an uneven game on offense but forced the Bulldogs into just 38.3 percent shooting (18 of 47) from the field.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari used an unorthodox lineup for much of the game because of ineffective play and foul trouble. Jarrod Polson (30) and Jon Hood (13) both had season highs in minutes played.
The 6-foot-9 Randle was 8 of 13 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. Dakari Johnson started for the third time this season and added nine points and eight rebounds.
Craig Sword had 12 points for Mississippi State (13-10, 3-7), which has lost five in a row.
Crockett lifts Texas Tech to 65-61 win against No. 19 Oklahoma State
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Jaye Crockett scored 21 points to help boost Texas Tech to a 65-61 win against 19th-ranked Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Crockett was the only Red Raider to score in double figures whose defense fourced 15 Cowboy turnovers -- 10 of them steals -- and held them to 5 of 13 shooting from beyond the 3-point line.
The Cowboys, who have now lost four in a row and five of six, were led by Marcus Smart's 22 points.
Late runs sends No. 20 Virginia past Georgia Tech
ATLANTA -- Sophomore guard Malcolm Brogdon scored 14 points and tied his career high with 11 rebounds as No. 20 Virginia broke open a tight game with a huge late run for a 64-45 victory against Georgia Tech on Saturday.
The Cavaliers (19-5, 10-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 44-42 before closing their seventh consecutive victory with a 22-1 run.
Joe Harris and Anthony Gill added 11 points each for the Cavaliers.
Georgia Tech (12-12, 3-8) led 30-29 at halftime, but the injury-ravaged Yellow Jackets ran out of gas down the stretch.
They lost 45-41 at Clemson on Tuesday with just seven scholarship players available.
Two more returned to play against Virginia, but leading scorer Trae Golden, who didn't have a point or an assist, and forward Robert Carter Jr., who had five points and two rebounds, did not start and were limited in minutes.
Cousins leads No. 21 Oklahoma past Baylor, 88-72
NORMAN, Okla. -- Baylor, burned by 11 Sooners 3-pointers in the first half, extended its defense in the second half to stop the onslaught. Isaiah Cousins responded by attacking the basket and scoring 15 of his career-high 21 points after the break to help No. 21 Oklahoma beat Baylor 88-72 on Saturday night.
Cousins, Oklahoma's fifth-leading scorer for the season at just more than 10 points per game, said the opportunity was right for him to carry more of the scoring load. He shot 4 of 7 from the field and 6 of 6 on free throws in the second half.
Buddy Hield scored 19 points and Cameron Clark added 16 for the Sooners (18-6, 7-4 Big 12), who made a season-high 14 3-pointers and snapped a two-game skid. The Sooners shot a season-high 53.6 percent overall to bounce back from losses to Iowa State and West Virginia.
Isaiah Austin scored a season-high 21 points for Baylor (14-9, 2-8), which once again was competitive in a losing effort. The Bears, who spent the first three months of the season ranked in the top 25 and cracked the top 10, lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Baylor shot 46 percent in the first half but just 39 percent in the second.
The teams combined to make 23 3-pointers. Oklahoma took 29 shots from 3-point range and 27 inside the arc, while Baylor took 23 of its 59 shots from 3-point territory.
No. 24 Memphis rallies past No. 23 Gonzaga 60-54
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Chris Crawford and Michael Dixon Jr. both had 11 points, and No. 24 Memphis scored the final 10 of the game to defeat 23rd-ranked Gonzaga 60-54 on Saturday night.
Dixon's layup with 1:11 left came in the midst of the final rally as the Tigers (18-5) erased a nine-point Gonzaga lead with 6:15 left.
Shaq Goodwin and Joe Jackson had 10 points each for Memphis, which has won six of seven. Goodwin had eight rebounds and three blocks as Memphis controlled the boards 44-28.
Sam Dower led Gonzaga (21-4) with 18 points and eight rebounds, shooting 9 of 12 from the field. Przemek Karnowski and Gerard Coleman finished with 12 points apiece.
Gonzaga led 54-50 with 3:16 left when Kevin Pangos connected from 15 feet. But the Zags did not score again, and Dixon had six points in the final 4 minutes.
No. 25 Pittsburgh survives Virginia Tech in 2OT
PITTSBURGH -- Cameron Wright scored four of his 18 points in the second overtime to help No. 25 Pittsburgh beat Virginia Tech 62-57 on Saturday and snap a two-game home losing streak.
Pitt guard James Robinson converted a four-point play with 33 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 48.
All the scoring in the first overtime were free throws, four by each team. Virginia Tech freshman Devin Wilson made two with 43 seconds left to tie the score and send it to a second overtime.
In the second overtime, Pitt forward Lamar Patterson, who was held scoreless during regulation, made his first field goal of the game for a 54-52 lead. Wright added four consecutive free throws.
Pitt (20-4, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) reached 20 wins for the 13th consecutive season.
Jarrell Eddie had 15 points for Virginia Tech (8-15, 1-10), which lost its 10th in a row. The Hokies have not won since New Year's Eve when they beat Maryland-Eastern Shore. Their one and only ACC victory came more than two months ago, at Miami (Fla.) in the conference opener.
