MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP
NO. 5 GONZAGA 69, NO. 25 TEXAS TECH 55
PHOENIX >> Andrew Nembhard scored 16 points, Rasir Bolton added 15 and No. 5 Gonzaga outlasted No. 25 Texas Tech 69-55 in the Colangelo Classic on Saturday.
The Bulldogs (9-2) withstood Texas Tech’s defensive pressure most of the afternoon in the desert, limiting turnovers while working the ball around for open looks.
The Red Raiders collapsed in on Gonzaga big man Drew Timme, holding the preseason All-American to seven points on 2-of-4 shooting, but the Zags overcame it by hitting 13 3-pointers — five by Bolton. Gonzaga led by eight at halftime and stretched it to 16 by hitting four 3s during a big run midway through the second half.
The Red Raiders (8-2) struggled offensively without leading scorer Terrence Shannon Jr., who didn’t play after leaving Tuesday’s game against Arkansas State with back spasms. Texas Tech shot 37% and wasn’t able to mount a charge after Gonzaga’s big second-half run.
Kevin McCullar and Adonis Arms had 14 points each to lead the Red Raiders.
NO. 2 DUKE 87, ELON 56
DURHAM, N.C. >> Duke beat last-minute replacement Elon after two different opponents bowed out due to COVID-19 issues.
The Blue Devils (10-1) led 44-26 by halftime and never trailed. Duke’s Trevor Keels had a game-high 19 points, Paolo Banchero had 12 points and nine rebounds, Wendell Moore Jr. had 12 points and five assists and Jeremy Roach had 11 points.
Jerald Gilllens-Butler paced the Phoenix (3-9) with 14.
NO. 3 PURDUE 77, BUTLER 48
INDIANAPOLIS >> Jaden Ivey scored 22 points and Zach Edey finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds Saturday to help Purdue rout Butler in the Crossroads Classic.
The Boilermakers (10-1) rebounded from their roughest week of the season — and a weeklong break for finals — with perhaps their most impressive win this year. Purdue lost to Rutgers in its first game with the No. 1 ranking, then needed overtime to get past North Carolina State last Sunday.
This time, the Boilermakers made sure it was never close over the final 30 minutes.
The Bulldogs (7-4) were led by Bryce Golden with 17 points and Jayden Taylor with 11 and had a four-game winning streak snapped.
CREIGHTON 79, NO. 9 VILLANOVA 59
OMAHA, Neb. >> Ryan Hawkins scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures, and Creighton closed with a flurry in a 79-59 victory over No. 9 Villanova in the Big East opener for both teams on Friday night.
The Bluejays (9-3) saw their double-digit lead get cut to 58-54 with 81⁄2 minutes left, but the Wildcats (7-4) missed their last 12 shots from the field and were outscored 21-5 the rest of the way.
Ryan Nembhard had 11 of his 14 points in the second half as the Bluejays knocked off a second ranked opponent in seven days. Alex O’Connell added 12 points and Trey Alexander had 10 for Creighton.
Collin Gillespie scored 16 points and Eric Dixon had a career-high 15 for the defending conference champion Wildcats, who shot just 33%.
NO. 10 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 67, GEORGIA TECH 53
PHOENIX >> Boogie Ellis scored 16 points, Drew Peterson added 14 and Southern California overcame a shaky start to beat Georgia Tech in the Colangelo Classic.
The Trojans (11-0) needed some time to solve Georgia Tech’s aggressive zone, relying on their defense early before pulling away from the Yellow Jackets.
USC went on a big run to lead by nine at halftime and kept making shots in the second to remain undefeated.
Georgia Tech (5-5) has labored through a gauntlet of tough games, losing to Wisconsin, North Carolina and No. 19 LSU before arriving in the desert. Michael Devoe led the Yellow Jackets with 25 points.
NO. 22 XAVIER 80, MARQUETTE 71
CINCINNATI >> Dwon Odom scored a career-high 19 points and Nate Johnson added 17 to lift Xavier over Marquette in their Big East Conference openers.
Jack Nunge had 13 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for Xavier (11-1, 1-0 Big East), which has won seven straight.
Colby Jones added 11 points for the Musketeers. Marquette (8-4, 0-1 Big East) was led by Greg Elliott’s 18 points and Justin Lewis’ 15.