No. 19 Cincinnati rallies over No. 24 Xavier
For the first time in four years, Cincinnati came away with local bragging rights. And it sure felt good.
Jacob Evans III scored 21 points and led No. 19 Cincinnati’s second-half surge to an 86-78 victory over No. 24 Xavier on the Bearcats’ home court Thursday night. The emphatic comeback ended Xavier’s streak of three straight wins in their annual crosstown rivalry game.
“It’s big to beat the guys across the street,” said forward Gary Clark, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Bearcats (18-2) got their 11th straight win by overcoming Trevon Bluiett’s incredible shooting performance — 12 of 15 from the field, including 9 of 11 from beyond the arc, for a careerhigh 40 points, the second-most ever by a Cincinnati opponent.
“I’m definitely excited,” said Cincinnati point guard Troy Caupain, who had 16 points and five assists. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m ready to jump out of my chair for real.”
Nigel WilliamsGoss scored 25 points as undefeated and thirdranked Gonzaga beat San Diego, clearing one obstacle to a possible No. 1 ranking next week. Johnathan Williams added 13 points and 12 rebounds for Gonzaga (21-0, 9-0 West Coast), which has the nation’s longest winning streak at 21 games. The Zags are the nation’s last remaining undefeated Division I team. Olin Carter III scored 12 points for San Diego (10-11, 3-6), which has lost five straight to Gonzaga.
Allonzo Trier scored 17 points in his first home game of the season, Lauri Markkanen had a double-double, and No. 7 Arizona pulled away late to beat Washington State. Trier scored 12 points against UCLA on Saturday in his first game back from a 19-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. He became more assertive after a quiet first half at McKale Center, scoring 11 points in the second to help Arizona (19-2, 8-0 Pac-12) finally shake the pesky Cougars (10-10, 3-5). Justin Jackson scored 26 points and No. 9 North Carolina hit a seasonhigh 14 3-pointers to beat Virginia Tech. Kennedy Meeks added 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Tar Heels (19-3, 7-1), who have climbed into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with seven straight wins along with No. 6 Florida State’s loss at Georgia Tech on Wednesday. The Tar Heels also shot 49 percent and snatched down seemingly every loose rebound for a 43-22 edge on the glass, helping them to 20 second-chance points. Seth Allen scored 19 points for the Hokies (15-5, 4-4).
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 14 points to lead Maryland to an easy win over Illinois. Maryland (20-1, 8-0 Big Ten) had little trouble on either side of the ball, shooting 43 percent from the field and 7-22 from 3-point range. The Terrapins got off to a quick start in the first quarter when Illinois went on a 5:28 scoring drought and Maryland a 14-0 run, never giving up the lead. Alex Wittinger led the way for Illinois (8-13, 3-5) with 21 points.
Brianna Turner had 25 points and 12 rebounds and No. 8 Notre Dame held off an upset bid by No. 14 Duke. Lindsay Allen finished with 12 assists for the Irish (19-3, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who moved back into a firstplace tie in the ACC with Florida State. Lexie Brown scored 22 points to lead the Blue Devils (17-4, 5-3 ACC), who lost their 12th straight to Notre Dame.