Miles Kelly’s clutch 3-pointer lifts No. 1 Auburn over No. 6 Tennessee 53-51

By Canadian Press on January 25, 2025.

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Miles Kelly hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining and Johni Broome had 16 points and 13 rebounds in his return to the lineup as No. 1 Auburn extended its winning streak to 11 games with a 53-51 win over No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday night.

Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) was held to its lowest point total of the season by Tennessee’s physical defense. Kelly’s 3-pointer off a feed from Broome turned a two-point deficit into a one-point lead.

Tennessee had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but a 3-point try the Vols’ Zakai Zeigler missed the mark.

Broome, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound fifth-year senior and preseason Associated Press All-American, back in action for the first time since suffering what coach Bruce Pearl called a “significant sprain” to his left ankle two weeks ago in a road win at South Carolina, secured crucial defensive rebounds on Tennessee’s final two possessions.

Zeigler had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the Volunteers (17-3, 4-3). Chaz Lanier added 10 points, including a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the second half.

Both teams shot less than 32% from the field in the physical, defensive battle.

NO. 2 DUKE 63, WAKE FOREST 56

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Star freshman Cooper Flagg had 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists as second-ranked Duke pushed past Wake Forest.

Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel had 15 points for the Blue Devils (17-2, 9-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who missed their first 13 shots after halftime and went 1 for 19 through the first 12 minutes of the second half.

That helped Wake Forest rally from 15 down before halftime to push ahead 45-39 on Juke Harris’ basket at the 9:55 mark. Duke responded with seven straight scoring possessions, going up 53-47 on Flagg’s two free throws with 3:53 left.

Harris scored 14 points to lead the Demon Deacons (15-5, 7-2), who had the backing of a loud and festive home crowd eager to storm the court against Duke for the second straight year. This time, they couldn’t close it when Duke wobbled.

NO. 3 IOWA STATE 76, ARIZONA STATE 61

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Curtis Jones scored 33 points, Keshon Gilbert had seven of his 12 during a key run and No. 3 Iowa State pulled away late for a win over Arizona State.

The Cyclones (17-2, 7-1 Big 12) bounced back from a loss to West Virginia with a 108-83 blowout of UCF on Tuesday, but found a lot less offensive freedom early against the scrappy Sun Devils.

Iowa State took nearly four minutes to score its first points and trailed 40-33 at halftime.

The Cyclones went back and forth with the Sun Devils (11-8, 2-6) in the second half until ratcheting up their defense in a game-closing 19-3 run. Gilbert scored seven straight points early in the run.

Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Adam Miller had 13 points to lead Arizona State, which hit one field goal over the final 6:39.

NO. 4 ALABAMA 80, LSU 73

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Aden Holloway scored 19 points and Mouhamed Dioubate added 14 as No. 4 Alabama survived a scoreless night from its top scorer for a win over LSU.

It was the second consecutive game that Holloway and Dioubate came off the bench to have big nights for the Crimson Tide (17-3, 6-1 Southeastern Conference), after they combined for 44 points in Tuesday’s win over Vanderbilt.

Alabama guard Mark Sears, the SEC’s leading scorer at 19 points per game, did not play in the second half after going scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting in the first half.

Jordan Sears scored 21 points to lead LSU (12-7, 1-5). Cam Carter had 17 points and Corey Chest had 12 points and 18 rebounds.

NO. 5 FLORIDA 89, GEORGIA 59

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Alijah Martin and Walter Clayton Jr. scored 17 points apiece, and No. 5 Florida dominated Georgia, extending the Gators’ winning streak in the series to 12.

It’s the longest streak by either team in the Southeastern Conference rivalry that began in 1923.

Will Richard chipped in 16 points and Alex Condon 14 for the Gators (18-2, 5-2), who also got a double-double off the bench from Thomas Haugh (13 points, 11 rebounds).

Georgia leading scorer and rebounder Asa Newell, a 6-foot-11 freshman from the Sunshine State, finished with eight points on 4-of-14 shooting and six boards.

Martin scored 11 of Florida’s first 16 points, capped by a layup that began an 11-0 run and turned a close game into a lopsided affair. Georgia led for just 11 seconds before getting blown out.

Georgia coach Mike White fell to 0-6 against his former team.

NO. 7 HOUSTON 92, NO. 12 KANSAS 86, 2OT

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — J’Wan Roberts scored 24 points, including six in two overtime periods, and No. 7 Houston beat No. 12 Kansas.

Roberts hit two free throws with 13.9 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. At the end of the first overtime, Houston (16-3, 8-0 Big 12) got back-to-back 3-pointers from Emanuel Sharp and Mylik Wilson to send it to the second overtime.

The Cougars got 18 from Mylik Wilson and 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists from Milos Uzan.

Kansas (14-5, 5-3) was led by Flory Bidunga with 19 points and Hunter Dickinson with 17.

NO. 8 MICHIGAN STATE 81, RUTGERS 74

NEW YORK (AP) — Freshman guard Jase Richardson scored a career-high 20 points and No. 8 Michigan State rolled to its 12th consecutive victory, beating Rutgers at Madison Square Garden.

Coen Carr added 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting for the Spartans (17-2, 8-0 Big Ten) and grabbed eight rebounds. MSU is riding its longest winning streak since a 13-game run during the 2018-19 season — the most recent of eight teams to reach the Final Four under Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo.

Jordan Derkack scored a season-best 26 points off the bench in a home game for Rutgers (10-10, 3-6), played before a crowd of 17,480 about 38 miles from its New Jersey campus. Ace Bailey had 18 on 4-of-17 shooting with nine rebounds.

Rutgers star Dylan Harper, limited by a sprained ankle, came off the bench for the first time this season and finished with six points in 13 minutes. Harper, who was averaging 19.3 points, got hurt in Monday’s loss at Penn State.

VANDERBILT 74, NO. 9 KENTUCKY 69

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tyler Nickel’s 3-pointer with 1:50 left put Vanderbilt ahead to stay as the Commodores upset a Top 10 team on their home court for a second straight Saturday by beating No. 9 Kentucky.

Vanderbilt fans stormed the court again after the win, a repeat from a week ago when the Commodores (16-4, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) knocked off then-No. 6 Tennessee. The first court-storming led to a $250,000 fine from the league.

Jason Edwards led Vanderbilt with 18 points, Devin McGlockton added 14, Nickel finished with 11 and Jaylen Carey 10.

Kentucky (14-5, 3-3) lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

Otega Oweh led the Wildcats with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Ansley Almonor had 12, Jaxson Robinson added 11.

Vanderbilt secured its first win over Kentucky at Memorial Gym since 2016.

TEXAS 70, NO. 13 TEXAS A&M 69

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Tramon Mark’s layup with 3 seconds remaining sent Texas to a victory over No, 13 Texas A&M as the Longhorns rallied from a 22-point second-half deficit.

Freshman Tre Johnson scored 30 points for Texas (14-6, 3-4 SEC), with 24 in the second half to lead the rally. His long 3-pointer from the wing pulled Texas within 69-68 with 46 seconds left.

Texas’ Julian Larry then blocked a layup by Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV and the Longhorns recovered the ball with 22 seconds left. Johnson held the ball for several seconds before Texas got the ball to Mark for the winner.

Texas earned its second straight home win over a ranked opponent and its third win in four games after an 0-3 start in the Longhorns’ first season in the SEC.

Taylor scored 15 to lead the Aggies (15-5, 4-3), who led 51-29 early in the second half.

NO. 14 MISSISSIPPI STATE 65, SOUTH CAROLINA 60, OT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Josh Hubbard’s two foul shots with 56.5 seconds left in overtime rescued No. 14 Mississippi State for a victory over South Carolina after blowing a 14-point lead in the last nine minutes of regulation.

The Bulldogs (16-4, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) held a 50-36 lead with 8:50 to play, but the Gamecocks rallied to tie things when Zachary Davis picked up a ball bobbled by Cameron Matthews and took it in to tie the game at 55-all with 26.1 seconds to go.

Alabama transfer Nick Pringle looked like he had tied it again after Hubbard’s foul shots with an inside basket. But it was waived off for basket interference.

Riley Kugel had 15 points to lead Mississippi State.

The Gamecocks (10-10, 0-7) lost a second home heartbreaker in a week, falling to No. 5 Florida on Wednesday night 70-69 after holding a 14-point lead in the second half.

Jamarii Thomas led South Carolina with 19 points.

MINNESOTA 77, NO. 15 OREGON 69

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dawson Garcia scored a season-high 31 points on 13-for-19 shooting and Parker Fox had 13 points and 11 rebounds to help Minnesota beat No. 15 Oregon.

Lu’Cye Patterson added 11 points for the Gophers (11-9, 3-6), who won their third straight Big Ten game to match their longest such streak in four seasons under coach Ben Johnson.

Brandon Angel scored 18 points and T.J. Bamba and Jackson Shelstad each had 15 points for the Ducks (16-4, 5-4), who lost for the first time in five true road games this season. Garcia had three blocks to help hold Oregon leading scorer Nate Bittle scoreless.

Minnesota built a 26-8 lead and trailed for only 22 seconds in the second half after a three-point play by Bamba, who had a critical bad-pass turnover with 2:59 left and Oregon down by five. Garcia drew a charging foul on Bamba with 1:18 remaining and Minnesota up by two.

NO. 22 MISSOURI 83, NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI 75

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Tamar Bates scored 26 points, Caleb Grill added 22 and No. 22 Missouri extended No. 16 Mississippi’s losing streak to three games with a win over the Rebels.

Anthony Robinson II added seven points and seven rebounds for the Tigers (16-4, 5-2 Southeastern Conference), who improved to 15-0 at home and 3-1 against ranked opponents.

Malik Dia scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Sean Pedulla scored 15 points and dished out six assists and Jaemyn Brakefield added 14 points for Mississippi (15-5, 4-3).

Ole Miss opened the game on an 8-0 run over the first 2:16 before Missouri went on a 12-0 run over the next 2:39 with Bates scoring 10 of the Tigers’ 12 points.

Missouri did not trail over the final 32:56 of the game.

XAVIER 76, NO. 19 UCONN 72

CINCINNATI (AP) — Dailyn Swain and Zach Freemantle each scored 15 points to help Xavier defeat No. 19 UConn.

Xavier (13-8, 5-5 Big East) had lost four straight to the Huskies. It was the Musketeers’ second win over a ranked conference opponent recently. They won at then-No 7 Marquette last Saturday.

Solo Ball scored 20 points and Aidan Mahaney had 14 for UConn (14-6, 6-3).

The Huskies had possession trailing 74-72 with 21.7 seconds remaining but the Musketeers forced a shot clock violation. Marcus Foster was fouled and hit two free throws to seal the victory.

Swain left Wednesday’s loss at St. John’s with an ankle sprain but returned to spark the Musketeers who had five players in double figures.

The Musketeers led by as many as 10 points during a wild first half, but allowed 23 points in the final seven minutes as the Huskies rallied to take a 41-40 lead into halftime.

KANSAS STATE 73, NO. 23 WEST VIRGINIA 60

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Dug McDaniel scored 15 points and David N’Guessan added 14 as Kansas State snapped a six-game skid with a win over No. 23 West Virginia.

The Wildcats (8-11, 2-6 Big 12) charged to a 19-2 lead and shot 26 for 55 (47.3%), including 6 for 17 from 3-point distance.

CJ Jones came off the bench to score 10 points as the Kansas State reserves outscored West Virginia’s bench 15-5. Max Jones had 12 points and Coleman Hawkins 11.

West Virginia’s Javon Small, the leading scorer in the Big 12, had 22 points, three steals and five assists. Toby Okani scored 13 points and Sencire Harris had 12 for the Mountaineers (13-6, 4-4), who struggled from the floor, shooting 25 for 68 (36.8%), including 4 for 21 from distance.

West Virginia trailed by 24 at the half and never cut its deficit to single digits.

The Associated Press