Auburn starts fast, hands LSU 1st loss
AUBURN, Ala., Dec 30, (AP): Walker Kessler had 16 points, a career-high 11 blocked shots and 10 rebounds to lead No. 11 Auburn to a 70-55 victory over previously unbeaten No. 16 LSU in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
Kessler got the second triple-double in Auburn’s program history, but it didn’t become official until well after the game ended. Auburn’s official scorer credited Kessler with a rebound that had initially gone down as a team board with 9:55 left in the first half.
Freshman Jabari Smith also scored 16 points for Auburn (12-1), which has won nine straight and didn’t give up a field goal in the opening 10 minutes.
LSU (12-1), which came as one of major college basketball’s five unbeaten teams, scored just one point in the first 10:45 but still managed to pull to within six a couple of times in the second half.
Wendell Green Jr. had 15 points for Auburn and preseason All-SEC guard Allen Flanigan scored 10 in his first start.
Purdue 104, Nicholls State 90
In West Lafayette, Ind., Zach Edey scored 21 points, Jaden Ivey added 19 and Purdue beat Nicholls State.
Purdue (12-1) shot 57.4% and cracked 100 points for the first time this season.
The 7-foot-4 Edey made 7 of 8 shots and 7 of 9 free throws. Also scoring in double figures for the Boilermakers were Isaiah Thompson (15 points), Sasha Stefanovic (14) and Mason Gillis (10).
Kansas 88, Nevada 61
In Lawrence, Kan., Christian Braun scored 22 points, Ochai Agbaji added 16 and Kansas rolled past Nevada in a hastily scheduled game after both teams had opponents drop out with COVID-19 problems.
The Jayhawks (10-1) were supposed to play Harvard before an outbreak forced the Crimson to cancel the trip early this week. The Wolf Pack (6-5) stepped in when their Mountain West opener against San Jose State had to be postponed because of positive tests within the Spartans’ program.
Dajuan Harris had a career-high 14 points and David McCormack also scored 14 for the Jayhawks.
Michigan State 81, High Point68
In East Lansing, Mich., Gabe Brown scored a career-high 24 points as short-handed Michigan State pulled away in the second half to beat High Point in a matchup of longtime coaching friends Tom Izzo and Tubby Smith.
The Spartans (11-2, 2-0 Big Ten) were without four players, including starters Marcus Bingham Jr. and Max Christie, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
Alabama 73, Tennessee 68
In Tuscaloosa, Ala., Jahvon Quinerly scored 18 points and Noah Gurley added a season-high 15 to help Alabama beat Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
BASKETBALL
Crimson Tide leading scorer Jaden Shackelford struggled for most of the night before he made a tying 3-pointer and a go-ahead layup in the final two minutes.
Providence 70, Seton Hall 65
In Providence, R.I., Noah Horchler scored 17 points with 13 rebounds, and Nate Watson added 14 points to carry Providence past short-handed Seton Hall.
Watson, a 6-foot-10 center, became the 18th player in Providence history to reach 1,500 points.
Playing its first game since a victory over Rutgers on Dec. 12, Seton Hall had only eight players in uniform. Five were in COVID-19 protocols, but only one starter, 7-foot-2 center Ike Obiagu, was out.
Jared Bynum also had 14 points for Providence (12-1, 2-0 Big East), which is off to its best start since opening 2015-16 by winning 14 of its first 15 games.
Kentucky 83, Missouri 56
In Lexington, Ky., Keion Brooks Jr. scored 17 points, TyTy Washington Jr. added 14 points and Kentucky rolled past Missouri.
The Wildcats (10-2, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) trailed just once early on against the Tigers, but Kentucky had some ragged stretches in the second half before pulling away.
Wisconsin 89, Illinois State 85
In Madison, Wis., Steven Crowl had 21 points and nine rebounds, and No. 24 Wisconsin struggled to put away Illinois State in its first game after a two-week break because of COVID-19.
Johnny Davis, the Badgers’ leading scorer, had 20 points on 6-of-23 shooting and 11 rebounds. Second-leading scorer Brad Davison was held to seven points on 1-of-9 shooting.
Tyler Wahl finished with 18 points while Chucky Hepburn had 13 for Wisconsin (10-2).