Tag: NCAAB

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In Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels head into their rivalry game against No. 2 Blue Devils with little time left to strengthen their NCAA hopes

Cooper Flagg high fives Jon Scheyer in the 2nd half

RJ Davis can find some comfort in knowing he’s been through a similar situation before.

Nearly three years ago, his North Carolina team wasn’t sure if it would make the NCAA Tournament as they prepared to face rival Duke on the occasion of Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement.

In a surprise, the Tar Heels won, and that victory propelled them on a surprising run to the NCAA title game, including another win over the Blue Devils in the Final Four, which ended Coach K’s career.

Now, as Davis enters his fifth and final year, the Tar Heels are hoping for a similar boost from Saturday’s game against Duke. The second-ranked Blue Devils are playing well and are considered a favorite for the NCAA title, while the Tar Heels are uncertain about making the 68-team field.

“Going into that game in 2022, our backs were against the wall, people didn’t really believe in us, but we believed in ourselves,” Davis said. “And that’s what got us over the hump, that’s what allowed us to make that run. And that’s the same way of how I feel about this team right now.”

But the Tar Heels (13-9, 6-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) need to pick up their pace quickly.

Hubert Davis shouts to his team in the 2nd half

They started the year ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25 poll with Davis as the only returning first-team Associated Press All-American. However, by mid-December, they were unranked after losses to several top teams, including No. 1 Auburn, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Florida, No. 7 Michigan State, and No. 11 Kansas.

While they’ve had some strong performances, they’ve failed to keep it up. They’ve lost three of their last four games, including one-point losses to Stanford and Wake Forest. Their only win during that stretch was an overtime victory at home against a Boston College team with just one conference win.

“I mean, you change one possession in (some) of their games, their record looks a lot different,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “So the respect level we have for them is as high as it can be.”

The Tar Heels are at risk of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, following a season in which they won the ACC regular-season title and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“I think the challenge in that is to face this challenge with positivity,” RJ Davis said. “I think that’s how my approach is going to be with this team. Yes, we’ve lost three out of the four. OK, cool, but how are we going to respond?”

The immediate challenge is matching up against the bigger Blue Devils (18-2, 10-0), who have the longest winning streak in the country at 14 games and a national player of the year candidate in freshman Cooper Flagg, who stands 6-foot-9.

One big concern for the Tar Heels is their lack of consistent post play after the departure of five-year big man Armando Bacot. This has left much of the offensive load on an undersized perimeter, with the defense struggling against top big men.

Top scorers Davis (17.6), freshman Ian Jackson (14.7), junior Seth Trimble (12.3), and sophomore point guard Elliot Cadeau (10.7) are all 6-4 or shorter. Meanwhile, Cade Tyson, a 6-7 wing transfer from Belmont, has struggled and barely played.

This puts the Tar Heels at a disadvantage against Duke, where every player in the main rotation stands 6-5 or taller.

RJ Davis and Chad Venning in the 1st half

“They’re athletic, they’re long, they can cover a lot of space. … They also have the ability to switch everything,” Hubert Davis said. “When teams do that, just like Pitt did us in the second half (Tuesday), your spacing, your ball and player movement has to be on point. You have to find advantages and be able to take advantage of those mismatches.”

There’s a bigger issue for the Tar Heels beyond Saturday’s game. They have a 1-8 record in Quadrant 1 games, which are the most important for their postseason resume. Their only win in Quadrant 1 came against UCLA in New York shortly before Christmas.

The Duke game is the second of four straight games that could be considered Quadrant 1 games, including a Feb. 8 matchup at home against Pittsburgh and a visit to Clemson two days later.

After those, the Tar Heels will play a series of games that could hurt their NCAA chances. They have six games left against teams with an average NET ranking of 145.5, with only Florida State ranked inside the top 100. Their chances to get crucial wins are running out.

According to BracketMatrix, a website that tracks NCAA Tournament projections, the Tar Heels are currently an 11-seed in 48 of 84 mock brackets.

“We trust coach, we trust each other,” Jackson said. “And we believe in the work that we put in. We know what we do, we know what we work on, so just go out there and do it.”

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Top 25 roundup: Nebraska shocks No. 18 Illinois in overtime in Lincoln

Cornhuskers and No. 18 Illinois (NCAAB)

Brice Williams scored 27 points, the most in the game, including Nebraska’s last eight points in overtime, as the Cornhuskers defeated No. 18 Illinois 80-74 on Thursday in Lincoln, Neb.

Williams broke a 72-72 tie with a pull-up jumper at 2:28, then added a layup at 1:44. He hit a baseline jumper with 43 seconds left and finished with two free throws on a one-and-one with 26.2 seconds remaining.

Connor Essegian came off the bench to score 14 points for Nebraska (13-8, 3-7 Big Ten), which ended a six-game losing streak and beat Illinois for the first time in 10 games.

Kasparas Jakucionis led Illinois (14-7, 6-5) with 18 points and 13 rebounds. The Illini struggled with shooting, hitting just 35.6 percent from the field and 10 of 42 (23.8 percent) from 3-point range, despite a 58-42 advantage in rebounding.

UCLA 78, No. 16 Oregon 52

Eric Dailey Jr. scored 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting to lead UCLA to a dominant win over Oregon in Los Angeles.

Tyler Bilodeau and Dylan Andrews each scored 15 points for the Bruins (16-6, 7-4 Big Ten), who won their fifth straight game. Dailey, Bilodeau, and Andrews each made three 3-pointers.

Cornhuskers and No. 18 Illinois

Nate Bittle scored 13 points, and Keeshawn Barthelemy added 12 for Oregon (16-5, 5-5), which has lost three of its last four games. TJ Bamba added 11 points, and Oregon posted its lowest point total of the season.

No. 19 Memphis 68, Tulane 56

Dain Dainja had 19 points and 10 rebounds, helping Memphis hold off Tulane in New Orleans.

PJ Carter and Colby Rogers added 14 points each for Memphis (17-4, 7-1 American Athletic Conference), which won its fourth straight game and its eighth in nine games.

Rowan Brumbaugh scored 19 points, and Kaleb Banks added 14 for Tulane (11-10, 5-3).

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Ohio State easily beats Penn State at Rec Hall in University Park

Ohio State

John Mobley Jr. scored 19 points, and Bruce Thornton had 11 of his 17 points in the second half as Ohio State defeated Penn State 83-64 on Thursday in State College, Penn.

Devin Royal contributed 15 points and eight rebounds, while Micah Parrish added 12 points for Ohio State (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten), which has won three consecutive games.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser led Penn State with 21 points, and Zach Hicks added 13 points. Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. each scored 10 points for the Nittany Lions (13-9, 3-8), who have lost seven of their last eight games.

For the second year in a row, Penn State hosted a game at Recreational Hall, the gym the team used before moving to the larger Bryce Jordan Center in 1996.

The Nittany Lions hoped the support from their home fans would help them win, but the Buckeyes had other plans.

Ohio State trailed 4-2 early, but Mobley scored five straight points to give the Buckeyes the lead for good.

Ohio State (NCAAB)

The Buckeyes used solid defense, including four steals in the first half, to build a nine-point lead, which stretched to 43-28 with 1:08 left. Mobley added two free throws after Kern received a technical foul with 2:17 remaining.

Penn State scored the last five points of the half, cutting the deficit to 43-33. The Nittany Lions made it a six-point game early in the second half after Hicks hit two 3-pointers, but Ohio State responded with a five-point run to lead 50-39.

Penn State never got closer than eight points for the rest of the game, with the Buckeyes pushing the lead to 20 after Aaron Bradshaw dunked to make it 78-58 with 4:41 remaining.

Thursday marked the fifth time the Nittany Lions have played in Rec Hall since 1996, including a win over No. 12 Illinois last season.

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Brice Williams guided Nebraska to an 80-74 win over No. 18 Illinois in Lincoln

Cornhuskers and No. 18 Illinois

Brice Williams scored 27 points, the most in the game, including Nebraska’s last eight points in overtime, as the Cornhuskers defeated No. 18 Illinois 80-74 on Thursday in Lincoln, Neb.

Williams broke a 72-72 tie with a pull-up jumper at 2:28, then added a layup at 1:44. He hit a baseline jumper with 43 seconds left and finished his key stretch by making both free throws with 26.2 seconds remaining.

Connor Essegian came off the bench to score 14 points for Nebraska (13-8, 3-7 Big Ten), which ended a six-game losing streak and beat Illinois for the first time in 10 games, dating back to 2019. Juwan Gary contributed 13 points and eight rebounds.

Kasparas Jakucionis had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Illinois (14-7, 6-5), while reserves Will Riley and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn added 16 and 15 points. However, the Illini struggled with shooting, hitting just 26 of 73 shots and 10 of 42 from 3-point range, despite a 58-42 edge in rebounding.

Illinois tied the game and forced overtime when Gibbs-Lawhorn made a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left. The Illini had a chance to win in regulation, but Riley’s corner 3-pointer under pressure rimmed out.

Northwestern and No. 17 Illinois

Both teams entered the game with different recent results. Illinois came off a strong win over Northwestern on Sunday, while Nebraska hadn’t won since a victory over then-No. 15 UCLA on Jan. 4.

In the first half, Nebraska looked like the team fighting for an NCAA tournament spot, while Illinois struggled with missed shots and errors. The Illini made just 9 of 32 field goals and committed six turnovers.

Nebraska led the entire half, building a lead as big as 10 points late before heading to halftime with a 40-31 advantage after Williams dunked off a pass from Ahron Ulis. Nebraska made 14 of 36 shots but had only one turnover.

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No. 19 Memphis pulled away from Tulane to secure a win in Memphis

No. 19 Memphis and Tulane

Dain Dainja scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading No. 19 Memphis to a 68-56 win over Tulane on Thursday night in New Orleans.

PJ Carter and Colby Rogers added 14 points each for the Tigers (17-4, 7-1 American Athletic Conference), who won their fourth straight game and their eighth out of the last nine.

Rowan Brumbaugh scored 19 points, and Kaleb Banks added 14 for the Green Wave (11-10, 5-3).

Tyrese Hunter’s jumper opened the second half, increasing the Tigers’ lead to 31-26. Memphis led by five again, but Banks made a layup, Mari Jordan dunked, and Percy Daniels added a layup, putting Tulane up 34-33.

Tulane extended the lead to four points twice before Carter’s 3-pointer and Dainja’s jumper put Memphis ahead 43-42. The lead changed four more times before Rogers hit a 3-pointer to give the Tigers a 51-46 lead.

No. 19 Gonzaga (NCAAB)

Brumbaugh made two of three free throws, but Memphis pushed its lead to seven twice. Two free throws by Brumbaugh and a layup by Banks brought the Green Wave within three, but Rogers answered with a 3-pointer.

Banks made one of two free throws before Dainja hit a jumper, Rogers added another 3-pointer, and Haggerty made two free throws, putting Memphis up 66-54 with 1:30 left.

Dainja had two layups to help Memphis score the first six points of the game. Tulane took its first lead, 9-8, with a 3-pointer by Asher Woods.

The lead changed three more times, and the score was tied at 17 before Brumbaugh’s 3-pointer gave the Green Wave the lead. Hunter answered with a tying 3-pointer, but Brumbaugh hit a jumper and a layup, and Tyler Ringgold added a layup, giving Tulane a 26-20 lead.

Carter’s 3-pointer ended a nearly four-minute scoring drought for Memphis. Nicholas Jourdain, Dainja, and PJ Haggerty followed with consecutive layups to give the Tigers a 29-26 lead at halftime.

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UCLA cruises past No. 16 Oregon in Los Angeles for their fifth consecutive win

UCLA and No. 16 Oregon

Eric Dailey Jr. scored 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting to help UCLA defeat No. 16 Oregon 78-52 on Thursday night in Big Ten action at Los Angeles.

Tyler Bilodeau and Dylan Andrews each scored 15 points as the Bruins (16-6, 7-4 Big Ten) won their fifth straight game. Dailey, Bilodeau, and Andrews each made three 3-pointers.

Nate Bittle scored 13 points, and Keeshawn Barthelemy added 12 for the Ducks (16-5, 5-5), who have lost three of their last four games. TJ Bamba scored 11 points for Oregon, which had its lowest point total of the season.

UCLA never trailed and led by 28 points while completing a regular-season sweep of the Ducks. UCLA had previously won 73-71 on Dec. 8 in Eugene.

The Bruins made 55.6 percent of their shots and hit 11 of 23 from beyond the arc.

Oregon made 41.2 percent of its shots and only hit 4 of 23 from 3-point range.

UCLA was up by 14 at halftime and quickly stretched the lead to 17 on a 3-pointer by Bilodeau.

Oregon responded with a 10-3 run, with Bamba’s putback pulling the Ducks within 48-38 with 15:48 left in the game.

A little while later, the Bruins pushed the lead back to 10 points with a 22-4 run.

UCLA and Wisconsin (NCAAB)

Dailey hit a 3-pointer to start a streak of seven straight points. Andrews and Kobe Johnson added baskets to make it 57-40 with 10:13 left.

After a dunk by Bamba, Andrews hit another 3-pointer to extend the Bruins’ lead to 60-42 with 9:21 remaining. Jadrian Tracey scored a layup for Oregon with 8:37 left, but UCLA then scored 12 points in a row.

Dailey scored seven points in this stretch, including a 3-pointer and a powerful dunk, to give the Bruins a 71-44 lead with 5:16 left. Bilodeau made one of two free throws with 4:37 left to finish the run.

Dailey had 11 points, and Bilodeau added 10 as UCLA led 40-26 at halftime. Barthelemy and Bittle scored nine points each in the first half for the Ducks.

Bittle and Barthelemy made 3-pointers to bring Oregon within three with 9:42 remaining in the half.

Johnson then scored five points in a 9-0 run as UCLA’s lead grew to 30-18 with 4:23 left. In the final minute, the lead reached 16 with a 3-pointer from Bilodeau and a driving basket by Johnson.

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No. 10 Purdue expects Indiana’s strongest challenge in Bloomington

No. 10 Purdue (NCAAB)

No. 10 Purdue is looking for its ninth win in 10 games when it faces Indiana on Friday night in a Big Ten matchup at West Lafayette, Ind.

The Boilermakers are hoping to defeat their rival Hoosiers for the 16th time in the last 20 meetings.

Purdue (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten) is 1 1/2 games behind Michigan State in the Big Ten standings, while Indiana (14-7, 5-5) is in ninth place.

Despite this, Purdue head coach Matt Painter is expecting a tough game. “Always understand you’re going to get their best effort,” Painter said about the Hoosiers. “You always prepare for somebody’s best.”

Indiana has been struggling lately, losing four of its last five games.

The Hoosiers lost a close game to Maryland on Sunday, 79-78. Indiana had a four-point lead with 38 seconds left, but the Terrapins scored the final five points. Indiana’s final attempt to win was unsuccessful when Myles Rice missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“It’s on me,” Rice said about the loss. “I have to make sure we know what we’re doing. I’ll take the heat. Everything happens so fast. As the point guard, it’s up to me to be cool, calm and collected.”

The loss was tough, especially since Indiana now faces a challenging stretch of games, with three of the next four against ranked teams — Purdue, No. 17 Wisconsin, and No. 7 Michigan State. The other game is at home against Michigan, which has been ranked at various points this season.

“These next four games are against really good teams,” Indiana guard Anthony Leal said. “If we’re able to string some wins together, it changes everything. We’ll try to win all of them.”

UConn vs Purdue (NCAAB)

Winning at Purdue will be tough.

The Boilermakers had a 26-game home winning streak until they lost 73-70 to Ohio State on Jan. 21. They started a new streak with a 91-64 victory over then-No. 21 Michigan on Jan. 24.

Purdue forced a season-high 22 turnovers in the game and only committed six of their own. They also limited Michigan to 6-of-29 shooting from 3-point range.

Purdue never trailed and led by as many as 30 points, dominating the Wolverines.

Star point guard Braden Smith had 24 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in the game, marking his fourth 20-point/10-assist game of the season. Purdue said there were only two such games in program history before this year.

Smith said he was extra motivated for the game because he felt responsible for the loss to Ohio State. He was just 3-of-14 shooting with 12 points and eight assists in that game.

“When Ohio State happened, I was really upset about it,” Smith said after the Michigan game. “I felt like I let the team down. I felt like it was my fault and I know they’re going to say it’s not or whatever. But to me, as a competitor and as a person, that’s who I am.”

Smith has had 10 or more assists in nine games this season, averaging 15.4 points and 8.9 assists. He was ranked third nationally in assists before Wednesday’s games.

Smith also leads Purdue with 47 3-pointers, four more than Fletcher Loyer. Trey Kaufman-Renn leads the team in scoring with 18.1 points, followed by Loyer at 14.0.

Indiana’s top players are Oumar Ballo, who leads the team with 14.5 points and 10.2 rebounds, and has a team-high 33 blocked shots.

Malik Reneau (13.1), Mackenzie Mgbako (12.5), and Myles Rice (12.1) also score in double digits for the Hoosiers.

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Butler looks to turn things around with a visit to Georgetown in Washington

Butler (NCAAB)

Since joining the Big East, Butler has had strong performances in Washington, D.C., and will hope to continue this trend on Friday when they play Georgetown in a game both teams need to win.

Butler (9-12, 2-8) has matched its worst 10-game start in the Big East since the 2013-14 season. Even after pushing No. 19 UConn to overtime in a close 80-78 loss on Jan. 21, the Bulldogs are still winless on the road.

If there’s a chance for head coach Thad Matta to get his team back on track away from home, it’s in Georgetown.

Since returning to Butler, Matta has led the team to two solid wins in Washington. Last season, Butler won 90-66 after a dominant 80-51 victory in 2023.

Butler has a strong record of 8-3 at Georgetown and has won eight straight games at Georgetown’s main court, Capital One Arena, downtown. However, they did lose their only game at Georgetown’s on-campus arena in 2021.

On Tuesday, Butler lost to No. 9 Marquette 78-69 after letting a halftime lead slip. Jahmyl Telfort scored 24 points, but the Bulldogs’ shooting dropped from 57.1 percent in the first half to just 25.8 percent after the break.

“There comes a point where you’re struggling to score and especially when you’re playing a team like Marquette, it starts to weigh on your defense,” Matta said. “It starts to wear you down defensively. As a coach you don’t want that to happen.”

Georgetown knows well what it’s like to struggle offensively.

Providence and Georgetown (NCAAB)

The Hoyas (13-8, 4-6) have lost six of their last seven games and scored their fewest points in a game since 2012-13 in Tuesday’s 66-41 loss to No. 15 St. John’s.

Coach Ed Cooley is searching for ways to improve his team’s offensive performance.

“It could be a lot of different things,” Cooley said after Georgetown was held to under 70 points for the ninth time in 10 conference games. “… 41 points in a high-major game. We scored 60-something points in our last game. I don’t know if we got to 70 since December in a Big East game. We need to look at our offense, our shot selection.”

Malik Mack was the only Hoya to reach double figures with 13 points but had six of Georgetown’s 16 turnovers. The Hoyas recorded a season-low six assists and shot just 24.6 percent from the field. Georgetown has shot under 50 percent in eight straight games, going 2-6 in that stretch.

Georgetown’s leading scorer, Thomas Sorber (14.5 ppg), earned his fifth Big East Freshman of the Week award on Monday. Butler is led by Telfort (16.2 ppg) and Pierre Brooks II (14.9).

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No. 6 Houston’s dominant defense powers their 13-game winning streak in Houston

Houston players in the 1st half

West Virginia’s Javon Small motioned and shouted for a teammate — anyone — to move closer to the basket. When that didn’t work, the Big 12’s leading scorer rushed a 3-pointer just before the shot clock ran out.

Clank.

Small was yet another player held in check by No. 6 Houston, which has made a habit of shutting down opposing teams’ strengths.

The Cougars (17-3, 9-0 Big 12) are on a 13-game winning streak, driven by the best defense in the nation. They take pride in stopping their opponents’ best players.

“We’re a defensive-minded team,” said Houston guard L.J. Cryer after the 63-49 victory over the Mountaineers on Wednesday night. “We go to practice and we emphasize defense a lot.

You achieve what you work on and what you emphasize. When the ball’s not going in, you’ve got to rely on your defense. And on the nights that the ball isn’t going in, we’re going to win because of that.”

Opponents are forced to change their strategy when Houston sends double and triple teams their way. Cryer, Joseph Tugler, J’Wan Roberts, and Terrance Arceneaux took turns making Small’s night difficult. Small attempted only seven shots and scored eight points, almost 12 below his average, which leads the league.

This has been a common trend lately.

UCF’s Keyshawn Hall, who scored a career-high 40 points in his last game, was held to just six points against Houston on 2-for-12 shooting. Utah’s Gabe Madsen managed only eight points on 3-of-10 shooting against the Cougars.

The Utes, who have scored over 80 points 10 times this season, were limited to just 36 points, their lowest total since 2011. BYU’s Richie Saunders, who had scored a career-high 30 points in his previous game, was held to just nine points against Houston.

Joseph Tugler runs up in the 2nd half

Houston, with an 18-game conference winning streak dating back to last season, is allowing only 55.6 points per game. That’s 2.4 fewer points than the next best defensive team, Drake. Opponents are shooting just 36% against the Cougars, the worst shooting percentage in the country.

Houston began the season ranked No. 4 but started 4-3, losing in overtime to San Diego State and No. 4 Alabama in Las Vegas, as well as falling to top-ranked Auburn by five points. They haven’t lost since.

Kelvin Sampson, who has been Houston’s coach since 2014, said defense has been the team’s strength for nearly a decade. He’s especially proud that in this era of the transfer portal and NIL opportunities, he has managed to keep the same players. Eight of Houston’s top 10 players returned this season, including four starters.

“And that does make a difference,” Sampson said. “Part of our secret sauce is our program. And then having great kids. Character matters. Having kids you don’t mind losing with.

There’s some teams, whether it’s bad attitudes or wrong attitudes or what, you’re always having to coach that. I never have to worry about effort or attitude. I’m blessed that way. I’ve got a great staff. That’s buoyed us here for a long time.”

Cryer, Houston’s top scorer, is averaging 13.5 points per game, which ranks 18th in the Big 12, closely followed by Emanuel Sharp with 13.4 points per game. Despite this, Houston is scoring enough to lead the nation with a 21-point average margin of victory. They’re also forcing 6.1 more turnovers than they commit, ranking fourth in the country.

“Defensively, they’re just well connected,” said West Virginia coach Darian DeVries. “They’re very aggressive. They really load to the ball. It’s hard to really crack them.”

“Not many teams have.”

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Top 25 roundup: Maryland defeats No. 17 Wisconsin in College Park

Maryland and No. 17 Wisconsin

Ja’Kobi Gillespie led a balanced Maryland team with 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists to secure a 76-68 win over No. 17 Wisconsin on Wednesday in College Park, Md.

Rodney Rice also scored 16 points, and Selton Miguel added 12 points with four 3-pointers, leading the Terrapins (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten) to their fourth straight victory.

Julian Reese scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Derik Queen contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds as Maryland beat a Wisconsin team that had won eight of its last nine games.

No. 1 Auburn 87, LSU 74

Johni Broome led Auburn to its 12th straight win with 26 points and 16 rebounds in Baton Rouge, La.

Miles Kelly added 13 points, and Chad Baker-Mazara finished with 11 points and seven assists for Auburn (19-1, 7-0 Southeastern Conference). The Tigers built a 12-point halftime lead and kept at least a five-point lead throughout the second half.

Cam Carter led LSU (12-8, 1-6) with 24 points, Dji Bailey scored 13, and Jordan Sears added 11.

No. 4 Alabama 88, No. 14 Mississippi State 84

Chris Youngblood scored a season-high 23 points on a career-best seven 3-pointers to help Alabama hold off Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss.

Mark Sears added 17 points and nine assists, while Grant Nelson had 15 points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots for Alabama (18-3, 7-1 Southeastern Conference), which won for the 12th time in the last 13 games. Aden Holloway chipped in 12 points.

Josh Hubbard scored a career-high 38 points for Mississippi State (16-5, 4-4), who lost for the fourth time in six games, all to teams ranked No. 6 or higher.

No. 6 Houston 63, West Virginia 49

L.J. Cryer scored a game-high 17 points to help Houston hold off a second-half rally from West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va.

The Cougars (17-3, 9-0 Big 12) extended their winning streak to 13 games despite blowing most of their 20-point halftime lead.

Houston Cougars and West Virginia Mountaineers

Joseph Yesufu led West Virginia (13-7, 4-5) with nine points off the bench.

No. 22 Texas Tech 71, TCU 57

JT Toppin posted a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Chance McMillian scored 16 points as Texas Tech held off TCU in Lubbock, Texas.

Elijah Hawkins added 13 points for Texas Tech (16-4, 7-2 Big 12), which has won five straight since a one-point overtime loss to Iowa State on Jan. 11.

Noah Reynolds led TCU (10-10, 3-6 Big 12) with 14 points before fouling out.

No. 23 Ole Miss 72, Texas 69

Sean Pedulla scored 19 points, and Davon Barnes grabbed a key rebound and hit two late free throws to lift Ole Miss past Texas in Oxford, Miss.

Jaemyn Brakefield added 18 points, and Dre Davis scored 17 for Ole Miss (16-5, 5-3 SEC), which snapped a three-game losing streak with only four turnovers.

Tre Johnson led Texas (14-7, 3-5) with 22 points, and Arthur Kaluma added 12. Johnson missed a corner 3-point shot with two seconds left.

No. 25 UConn 72, DePaul 61

Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. each scored 16 points to help UConn defeat DePaul in Hartford, Conn.

UConn (15-6, 7-3 Big East) rallied from a 14-point deficit in the first half, taking their first lead on Ball’s three-point play that sparked a 14-0 run with 9:38 remaining.

Layden Blocker led DePaul (10-12, 1-10) with 18 points and five rebounds, and CJ Gunn scored 14.

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Virginia Tech jumps ahead early to beat Florida State in Blacksburg

Virginia Tech and Florida State

A strong start and a double-double from Tobi Lawal helped Virginia Tech earn a 76-66 win over Florida State on Wednesday in Tallahassee, Fla.

Virginia Tech went on a 12-2 run in the first five minutes, building a 20-point halftime lead that never fell below six in the second half.

The Hokies (9-12, 4-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) took advantage of Lawal’s 17 points and 13 rebounds to secure coach Mike Young’s 400th career victory. Young is 101-76 at Virginia Tech after going 299-244 at Wofford.

Virginia Tech led 35-15 at halftime, holding Florida State to just 6-for-28 shooting (21.4 percent), including 0-for-8 from 3-point range.

Jaden Schutt added 16 points, hitting three 3-pointers, helping the Hokies end a three-game losing streak. Jaydon Young also hit three 3-pointers in the first half for nine points, and Mylyjael Poteat scored nine points.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg, right, attempts a shot ahead of Virginia Tech’s Jaden Schutt, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham

Florida State (13-8, 4-6) lost its third straight game. After struggling in the first half, the Seminoles shot better in the second half, making 19 of 34 shots (55.9 percent), including 8 of 17 (47.1 percent) from 3-point range.

Taylor Bol Bowen led Florida State with 14 points and nine rebounds. Jerry Deng scored 13 points off the bench, and Jamar Watkins added nine points, though he struggled with a 4-for-13 shooting performance.

Florida State briefly tied the game at 2 with a Bowen jumper but then watched Virginia Tech go on a 10-point run to take the lead. Florida State cut it to 12-7 with a jumper from Watkins, but Virginia Tech responded with a 13-4 run, capped by a fastbreak dunk from Ben Burnham.

In the second half, Florida State cut the lead to 49-43 with 8:08 left on a layup from Daquan Davis. However, Virginia Tech answered with 3-pointers from Ben Hammond and Schutt before Lawal’s three-point play pushed the lead to 61-45.

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JT Toppin leads No. 22 Texas Tech to a win over TCU in Lubbock

Texas Tech and Red Raiders

TCU gave Texas Tech a challenge on Wednesday, but once the 22nd-ranked Red Raiders were fully alert, they returned to their winning ways as one of the Big 12’s top teams.

JT Toppin recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Chance McMillian scored 16 points as Texas Tech held off a late scoring drought to secure a 71-57 win at home.

The Red Raiders (16-4, 7-2 Big 12) have now won five straight games since a one-point overtime loss to Iowa State on January 11.

Noah Reynolds led TCU (10-10, 3-6 Big 12) with 14 points, but he fouled out after struggling with foul trouble throughout the second half.

Texas Tech led 32-29 at halftime but started the second half a bit shaky, falling behind 39-38 when TCU’s Brendan Wenzel made a 3-pointer with 16:36 remaining.

Houston vs TCU (NCAAB)

That 3-pointer was one of the few successful attempts from beyond the arc for the Horned Frogs, who shot just 2-for-13 from deep in the second half and 5-for-18 overall. Wenzel finished with 11 points, but that was his only field goal in the second half.

In contrast, Texas Tech regained its shooting touch from 3-point range when it counted. The Red Raiders hit three 3-pointers in a four-minute stretch after Wenzel’s go-ahead shot, and finished the second half 6-for-15 after making only 4 of 16 in the first half. McMillian made two of those 3-pointers and scored 13 points in the second half.

Toppin responded to Wenzel’s shot with a basket of his own just 26 seconds later, starting a 10-3 run for the Red Raiders. When Elijah Hawkins made a 3-pointer with 12:48 remaining, Texas Tech regained control with a 48-42 lead.

Reynolds hit a mid-range jumper to keep TCU close, 51-46, but McMillian answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession. The Red Raiders then scored back-to-back second-chance points, pushing the lead to double digits with a quick 7-0 run.

TCU shot just 30 percent (9-for-30) in the second half and missed nine of 10 shots after Wenzel’s 3-pointer put the Horned Frogs in the lead.