WAC title, tournament to be crucial for Aggies
SMU ends Shockers’ home win streak
LAS CRUCES — A 37-day stretch between home games ends today for the New Mexico State men’s basketball team, which hosts Seattle University at 7 p.m.
The tales from faraway places that these Aggies (15-3, 3-0 Western Athletic Conference) can tell will be decidedly upbeat: a 7-1 record that included wins over Illinois (in Chicago), Davidson, then-No. 6 Miami, and at Grand Canyon in front of a sellout, hostile crowd.
That game and the follow-up win at CSU Bakersfield places the Aggies as the league’s team to beat again. But winning the league and its postseason tournament will be even more critical to the Aggies’ NCAA hopes than even their solid nonconference schedule. The Aggies’ Ratings Percentage Index of 50 coming into Wednesday only figures to fall as they play more league opponents. Beyond Utah Valley’s 93, the next highest RPI at 182 was Bakersfield’s.
Matej Kavas leads Seattle (137, 2-1) in points (17.2 per game), 3-pointers (58) and rebounds (5.7 pg).
The Aggie women (9-8, 3-0 WAC), league leaders and above .500 for the first time this season, try to keep it going tonight at Seattle (8-10, 2-1).
Men
No. 1 VILLANOVA 88, GEORGETOWN 56: In Washington, the top-ranked Wildcats played as well at both ends of the court as they have all season. They shot 60 percent from the field, limited the Hoyas to 39.3 percent, knocked down 17 3-point baskets and rolled to a victory at Capital One Arena.
The top-ranked Wildcats played as well at both ends of the court as they have all season. SMU 83, No. 7 WICHITA STATE 78: In Wichita, Kan., Milton scored a career-high 33 points and SMU ended the Shockers’ 27-game winning streak at Koch Arena. WSU had won 67 of its last 68 games at Koch Arena before Wednesday’s loss.
SMU (13-6, 3-3 American) snapped its three-game losing skid in conference play, while WSU (15-3, 5-1) suffered its first loss in AAC play and fell out of a first-place tie with Cincinnati. TEXAS 67, No. 8 TEXAS TECH
58: In Austin, Texas, Kerwin Roach II scored 20 points in a surprise return to the lineup and Texas got another home win over a Top 25 opponent in a week, beating Texas Tech. No. 11 XAVIER 88, ST. JOHN’S
82: In Cincinnati, Kerem Kanter had 22 points and led a late run that swept Xavier to a victory over St. John’s, giving Chris Mack the Musketeers record for career coaching wins. No. 14 ARIZONA 79, CALIFORNIA 58: In Berkeley, Calif., Deandre Ayton had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Arizona overcame a slow, sloppy start to beat California. ALABAMA 76, No. 17 AUBURN
71: In Tuskaloosa, Ala., John Petty scored 27 points, Dazon Ingram added 16, and shorthanded
Alabama defeated Auburn. CREIGHTON 80, No. 19 SETON HALL 63: In Omaha, Neb., Marcus Foster scored 25 points and reserve Ronnie Harrell Jr. had a career-high 18, and Creighton never trailed in a win over Seton Hall. MISSOURI 59, No. 21 TENNESSEE 55: In Columbia, Mo., Kevin Puryear had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Missouri rallied in the second half to beat Tennessee. No. 22 OHIO STATE 71,
NORTHWESTERN 65: In Rosemont, Ill., Chris Holtmann became the first coach in 95 years to win his first seven Big Ten games as Ohio State defeated Northwestern. No. 24 TCU 96, IOWA STATE
73: In Fort Worth, Vladimir Brodziansky had 26 points and TCU snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Iowa State, when the Horned Frogs played for the first time without injured starting point guard Jaylen Fisher. BOISE STATE 71, UTAH STATE
67: In Boise, Idaho, Chandler Hutchison scored 16 points and the go-ahead layup with 1:21 to play, and Boise State beat Utah
State to win its third straight. AIR FORCE 76, COLORADO STATE 71: In Fort Collins, Colo., Trevor Lyons scored 22 points and Jacob Van made four straight free throws in the last 25 seconds as Air Force rallied from nine points down to clip Colorado State. NEVADA 71, SAN JOSE STATE 54: In San Jose, Calif., Caleb Martin scored 24 points, Kendall Stephens added 19 with five 3-pointers, and Nevada beat San Jose State.
Women
No. 4 BAYLOR 79, IOWA STATE 50: In Ames, Iowa, Kalani Brown scored 25 points, Lauren Cox had 21 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high nine blocks, and Baylor beat Iowa State for its 13th straight win. No. 24 OKLAHOMA STATE 79, No. 17 WEST VIRGINIA 73: In Stillwater, Okla., Loryn Goodwin scored 14 of her 30 points in the fourth quarter to help Oklahoma State pull away and beat West Virginia.