Davison, No. 9 Wisconsin beat Nebraska to open Big Ten play
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Brad Davison had 15 points and a career-high seven assists, and No. 9 Wisconsin overcame a dreadful start to beat Nebraska 67-53 Tuesday night in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
Micah Potter added 10 points and 11 rebounds and sparked a key 16-0 run in the second half. Fifth-year senior Aleem Ford celebrated his 24th birthday with 13 points and eight rebounds to help the Badgers (7-1) earn their ninth straight conference victory and 15th straight home win.
The Badgers closed the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season by winning eight straight conference games to share the Big Ten regular-season title with Maryland and Michigan State.
Dalano Banton scored 15 points, Teddy Allen had 11 and Trey McGowens added 10 for Nebraska (4-4).
No. 14 MISSOURI 54, BRADLEY 53
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jeremiah Tilmon’s three-point play with a second left lifted Missouri over Bradley.
Down eight with under four minutes to go, Missouri (6-0) went on a 6-0 run in the final 1:33 to spoil Bradley’s upset bid in dramatic fashion.
On the Tigers’ final possession, Xavier Pinson found Tilmon in the post on the left block. With time ticking down, Tilmon power-dribbled to the basket and forced a foul from Elijah Childs, finishing through the contact and earning a trip to the free throw line to win the game.
Tilmon sank the foul shot, and Mitchell Smith swatted away two inbounds passes by the Braves (6-3) to clinch it.
No. 15 TEXAS TECH 69, OKLAHOMA 67
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 21 points and Marcus Santos-Silva had 18 to help Texas Tech hold off Oklahoma.
Mac McClung added 16 points for Tech (7-2, 1-1 Big 12), which was coming off a one-point home loss to Kansas.
De’Vion Harmon scored 17 points and Austin Reaves added 13 for Oklahoma (5-2, 1-1), which made just 17 of 27 free throws. Brady Manek, Oklahoma’s leading scorer this season, finished with two points on 1-for-7 shooting.
Texas Tech, leading by three, fouled Harmon with 4 seconds left. Harmon made the first free throw, then missed the second intentionally. Victor Iwuakor rebounded for Oklahoma and was fouled with 2.8 seconds to play. He missed the first free throw, then missed the second intentionally. Oklahoma had several chances at a putback — Reaves had the best look — but none of the shots went in.
No. 16 VIRGINIA 76, WILLIAM & MARY 40
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored seven of his 15 points during a 13-0 first-half run and Virginia returned from a long coronavirus-related pause to beat William & Mary.
The Cavaliers (4-1) were playing for the first time since they beat Kent State on Dec. 4 but showed few signs of rust as they cashed in on their first five possessions to take an 11-2 lead. A 13-0 run came shortly thereafter as William & Mary went 7:52 without scoring.
Yuri Covington’s 12 points led the Tribe (2-3), which never recovered. They lost their 12th straight in the series, which Virginia leads 56-26. William & Mary’s last victory against the Cavaliers came in 1984-85.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 79, No. 17 NORTH CAROLINA 76
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Devon Daniels scored eight straight points in the second half and finished with 21 to help North Carolina State beat North Carolina.
Freshman Shakeel Moore scored 17 points for the Wolfpack (5-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who blew nearly all of a 17-point first-half lead in an unusually early meeting in the longtime rivalry.
But N.C. State responded with a 14-2 run after UNC (5-2, 0-1) got within a point, then did just enough down the stretch to hold off the Tar Heels’ late rally to win for only the fifth time in 37 meetings.