NO. 1 KENTUCKY 84, SOUTH FLORIDA 63
MIAMI -- As had been the case plenty of times before, Orlando Antigua had a courtside seat to watch Kentucky turn a close game into a runaway.
For once, he didn't enjoy the view.
The former Kentucky assistant feared that a big run was coming, and when it arrived, his South Florida team had no answer. Jamal Murray scored 21 points, Skal LaBissiere added 17 and No. 1 Kentucky went on a 15-0 run to end the first half on the way to beating the Bulls 84-63 in the HoopHall Miami Invitational on Friday.
"One of the things we tried to avoid was how quickly they could put points up, how quickly they transition from one end to the other, on made baskets, missed baskets, quick turnovers," said Antigua, in his second season coaching the Bulls. "You take a bad shot, they rebound it and they're down the court in three seconds, four seconds."
Take away that spurt at the end of the first half, and USF played Kentucky within six points over 34 minutes. That helped explain why Kentucky Coach John Calipari wasn't exactly overjoyed even after a 21-point victory.
"That's who we are as a defensive team," Calipari said about the 15-0 run. "What you saw in the second half is not. If you're out to prove who you are, you're doing that every night."
USF shot 60 percent in the second half, playing the Wildcats to a 42-42 tie in the final 20 minutes.
Charles Matthews scored 11 points and Isaiah Briscoe finished with seven assists for Kentucky (6-0). The Wildcats, now a winner of 37 consecutive regular-season games and 39 in a row against unranked opponents, led by as many as 31 points.
Chris Perry scored 14 points for South Florida (1-5), which has lost 18 consecutive games against teams ranked in the Top 25. Jaleel Cousins added 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting, and Jahmal McMurray scored 11 points for the Bulls.
"We definitely got a lot to learn from this," Perry said.
Kentucky played the second half without starting guard Tyler Ulis, who departed with a right elbow injury after getting hurt while fighting for a ball loose on the floor.
"He's in a sling," Calipari said. "Let's hope."
It was a reunion for plenty of people on both benches. Antigua was a longtime assistant under Calipari. Antigua's staff includes another former Calipari assistant Rod Strickland, plus former Kentucky basketball staff members Mike Malone and Dominic Lombardi.
USF was within 27-21 late in the half when the big Kentucky run started, the Wildcats scoring on seven of nine possessions to pull away. Kentucky finished with a commanding 23-6 edge in points off turnovers and finished with 16 assists to the Bulls' six.
"We're still trying to figure out our roles and how to play as a team," Murray said.
NO. 3 MICHIGAN STATE 77, BOISE STATE 67
FULLERTON, Calif. -- Denzel Valentine scored a career-high 32 points, hitting five consecutive three-pointers to break open a tight game in the second half, and Michigan State beat Boise State in the semifinals of the DirecTV Wooden Legacy.
Valentine followed up his second career triple-double in Thursday's 31-point victory over Boston College with stellar perimeter shooting that bailed out the Spartans (6-0) against the scrappy Broncos (3-3), giving Coach Tom Izzo his 501st career victory.
Nick Duncan led Boise State with 19 points and Mikey Thompson added 17 points and a career-high eight assists.
Valentine had seven three-pointers, tying a career high set last season. The senior made all nine of his free throws, including four in the last 22 seconds. He also had nine rebounds and six assists.
NO. 4 IOWA STATE 99,
VIRGINIA TECH 77
NICEVILLE, Fla. — Jameel McKay scored 23 points, and No. 4 Iowa State advanced to the Emerald Coast Classic final with a victory over Virginia Tech. Each of Iowa State’s starters scored in double figures, and the Cyclones (5-0) had a 52-30 lead at halftime. Abdel Nader had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Monte Norris (14 points), Georges Niang (12) and Naz Mitrou-Long (12) also scored in double figures.
Zach Leday led the Hokies (3-2) with 19 points. Justin Bibbs and Justin Robinson scored 11 apiece, and Seth Allen had 10.
NO. 8 VILLANOVA 69, GEORGIA TECH 52
NEW YORK -- Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart each scored 13 points to help Villanova beat Georgia Tech in the NIT Season Tip-Off championship game.
Kris Jenkins had 12 points and the Big East Co-Player of the Year Ryan Arcidiacono added nine as Villanova improved to 6-0 this season.
Georgia Tech has lost two of three, and fell to 4-2. Charles Mitchell led the Yellow Jackets with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
The only time the Wildcats trailed came after Marcus Georges-Hunt's layup 3:36 into the game. The basket gave Georgia Tech a 7-6 lead.
NO. 10 GONZAGA 73, NO. 18 UCONN 70
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Kyle Wiltjer scored 17 points, Eric McClellan added 15 and No. 10 Gonzaga held off No. 18 Connecticut in the Battle 4 Atlantis third-place game.
UConn's Rodney Purvis had a chance to tie it but missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Domantas Sabonis added 12 points for Gonzaga (4-1). Shonn Miller led UConn with 19 points.
For the second consecutive game, the Zags played a crucial stretch of the second half without Sabonis. He picked his fourth foul with a ittle more than eight minutes remaining. That allowed the Huskies (4-2) to erase what had been a 21-point deficit early in the second half.
Shonn Miller led UConn with 19 points. Daniel Hamilton added 14 points and seven rebounds.
RICHMOND 94, NO. 14 CALIFORNIA 90
LAS VEGAS — Terry Allen had 34 points and 12 rebounds to lead Richmond to a victory over No. 14 California in a Las Vegas Invitational consolation game. ShawnDre’ Jones added 22 points, and Marshall Wood had 24 for the Spiders (4-2). Jaylen Brown had 27 points, and Tyrone Wallace added 15 for California.
NORTHEASTERN 78, NO. 15 MIAMI 77
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Quincy Ford made a jumper at the buzzer to lift Northeastern past Miami.
Northeastern beat a Top 25 team for the first time since an 86-84 victory over Louisville in 1986. The Huskies (5-1) blew a four-point lead in the final 34 seconds before Ford connected for the winning basket and the last two of his 24 points.
Davon Reed scored 19 points for Miami (5-1), and Sheldon McLellan had 18 points.
NO. 17 NOTRE DAME 68, IOWA 62
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — V.J. Beachem scored 16 points, Demetrius Jackson had 12 and No. 17 Notre Dame beat Iowa in the consolation round of the AdvoCare Invitational. Bonzie Colson had a pair of layups and Jackson added a third as Notre Dame (4-1) used a 9-2 stretch for a 63-55 lead late. Jarrod Uthoff had 20 points for Iowa (3-2).
ALABAMA 64, NO. 20 WICHITA STATE 60
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Shannon Hale scored 20 points and Riley Norris added 12 to help Alabama beat Wichita State in the AdvoCare Invitational consolation round.
It was first time Alabama (3-2) beat a Top 25 team on a neutral court since Nov. 29, 2009, a 68-66 victory over then No. 15 Michigan.
Wichita State (2-3) lost its second consecutive invitational game without senior guard Fred VanVleet, who missed his third consecutive game overall because of ankle and hamstring injuries. He twisted his ankle in the season opener Nov. 13 against Charleston Southern and then was limited by hamstring soreness four days later in a game with Tulsa.
The game was delayed with 3:07 left in the second half when Wichita State forward Anton Grady was injured. After falling face-first on the court, he was put on a backboard and taken off on a stretcher.
There were no other details immediately available on Grady's injury.
NO. 23 XAVIER 87, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 77
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Trevon Bluiett scored 16 points and No. 23 Xavier beat Southern California 87-77 on Friday to reach AdvoCare Invitational title game.
Bluiett had 11 points as Xavier (6-0) took control early on en route to a 54-27 halftime lead.
Xavier also got 13 points from Edmond Sumner.
Nikola Jovanovic and Julian Jacobs had 15 points each for USC (5-1). The season-opening five-game run was the Trojans' best since starting 2000-01 with an 8-0 record.
The Musketeers were 6 of 13 from 3-point range, including Bluiett converting 3 of 4 during the opening half.
NO. 24 CINCINNATI 65, NEBRASKA 61
NEW YORK — Troy Caupain scored 17 points and No. 24 Cincinnati beat Nebraska in the Barclays Center Classic semifinals. Shaq Thomas added 14 points, and Octavius Ellis had 12 for Cincinnati (6-0). Tai Webster scored 21 points for Nebraska (4-2), and Shavon Shields had 14.
SYRACUSE 74, NO. 25 TEXAS A&M 67
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Michael Gbinije had 20 points, Malachi Richardson added 16 and Syracuse held off Texas A&M in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game.
Gbinije was selected the tournament's most valuable player. Trevor Cooney added 15 points for the Orange (6-0). Jalen Jones led Texas A&M (6-1) with 23 points.
The game was tight throughout the second half and featured nine ties and 12 lead changes.
The Orange outscored the Aggies 13-6 over the final 5:38 after the score was tied at 61-61,
Jalen Jones led Texas A&M with 23 points, and Danuel House added 15.
The Aggies led by two points at halftime, but struggled to get easy baskets in the final 20 minutes. They finished 7 for 11 from the free throw line.
Sports on 11/28/2015