No. 1 Gonzaga rolls
Freshman’s 27 lead Bulldogs past No. 3 Iowa
Zags ride big first half to a 99-88 victory against No. 3 Iowa.
Freshman Jalen Suggs scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the first half and No. 1-ranked Gonzaga held off a late rally to beat No. 3 Iowa, 99-88, Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D.
This was the Bulldogs’ first game since pausing activities in early December because of the coronavirus. Gonzaga (4-0) showed little rust from not playing a game since Dec. 2.
Luka Garza led Iowa (6-1) with 30 points and 10 rebounds on 13-of-18 shooting.
Suggs entered the game against Iowa averaging 13.3 points per game. He blew by that midway through the first half and finished 8 for 17 from the floor and 7 for 10 from the 3-point line. His previous career high was 24 against Kansas on Nov. 26.
“I was telling everybody
that this was a shooter’s gym,” Suggs said.
The Bulldogs finally found their range from the outside, going 13 for 26 from the 3-point line. Entering the game, Gonzaga was just 16 for 55 from beyond the arc in its first three games.
Kentucky
The Wildcats are 1-5 for the first time since 1926 and have lost five games in a row for the first time since John Calipari became coach in 2009. Armando Bacot scored 11 of his team-high 14 points for No. 22 North Carolina in the second half, rallying the Tar Heels from a doubledigit deficit to beat Kentucky, 75-63, in Cleveland.
The Tar Heels (5-2) outscored the Wildcats, 33-15, to end the game.
Louisville
The short-handed No. 23 Cardinals (4-1) were handed their worst loss in more than 60 years against host No. 12 Wisconsin. Micah Potter scored 20 points and Aleem Ford added 12 to lead the Badgers (6-1) to an 85-48 win. Xavier beat the Cardinals, 99-59, Feb. 13, 1956.
Robert Morris
The Colonials women shot just 33 percent in the second half and lost to host Milwaukee, 64-52, in a Horizon League game. Esther Castedo led Robert Morris (0-3, 0-3) with 12 points. Milwaukee improved to 6-1, 3-0.
Elsewhere
Three players for the No. 14 Maryland women (5-1) recorded double-doubles in a 101 59 win over James Madison. ... The No. 7 Baylor women won by 93 points for the second consecutive game, beating McNeese State,117-24.