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LATE NIGHT SNACKS: Indiana State, Colorado score upset wins

Brenton Scott

Indiana State guard Brenton Scott (4) celebrates a 72-71 win over Butler in an NCAA college basketball game in Terre Haute, Ind., Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

AP

GAME OF THE NIGHT: Indiana State 72, No. 16 Butler 71

Don’t play road games against mid-majors in the Hoosier State, apparently. Two weeks after Indiana lost at Fort Wayne, Butler goes down in Terre Haute to the Sycamores. Yet another example of why such scheduling practices remain the oddity. Butler probably should have known better than to play at Indiana State on Larry Bird’s 60th birthday, though.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

No. 6 Kentucky 87, Valparaiso 63: In their first game back since losing to UCLA, the Wildcats carved up Valpo in a game that said much more about UK than the Crusaders.

No. 10 Creighton 77, Nebraska 62: The Bluejays jumped out to an 18-4 lead early, but led by just one at halftime. Then, Creighton’s offense went into overdrive and used a 15-4 run break the game open early in the second half and then cruise to a comfortable victory in Lincoln against the rival Huskers while showing off its potent offense.

Colorado 68, No. 13 Xavier 66: The Musketeers shot just 38.3 percent from the floor while Derrick White had 23 points, six rebounds and four assists to power the Buffaloes in the upset victory. Xavier has now dropped two-straight, with the losses coming in its only two true road games of the non-conference schedule.

SMU 74, TCU 59: The Horned Frogs were off to an 8-0 start to a season that signals its commitment to basketball, but fell short in their attempt to deliver a truly signature win after an otherwise relatively soft non-conference schedule. Winning at Moody Coliseum, with a presidential audience no less, probably won’t be the difference in wherever TCU lands this spring, but now their fate will rest almost exclusively in how they navigate the Big 12. SMU got its second Power 5 victory after dispatching Jamie Dixon’s previous employer, Pitt, earlier this season.

STARRED

Deng Adel, Louisville: Put up a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Cardinals.

West Virginia’s defense: Maybe it wasn’t the 40 turnovers the Mountaineers forced against Manhattan, but Bob Huggins’ group tallied 34 takeaways from Western Carolina.

A.J. Astroth, Belmont: It happened in a losing effort, but Astroth had 16 points and 15 rebounds in 37 minutes in the Pirates’ 69-63 setback to Gardner-Webb.

STRUGGLED

VCU: The Rams dropped their second-straight game, this one at home, in an overtime setback, 76-73, to Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets’ previous best win was against KenPom No. 166 Sam Houston State - at home, no less.

San Diego State: The Aztecs lost their second straight game, this one coming on the road against Grand Canyon. It looks like the Mountain West is going to be a one-bid league again.

TOP 25


  • Davidson made them sweat, but No. 7 North Carolina held on late for an 83-74 win over the Wildcats.
  • No. 11 Louisville held Southern Illinois to 35.2 percent shooting in a 74-51 victory.
  • On top of forcing 34 turnovers, No. 15 West Virginia held Western Carolina to 26 percent shooting in a 90-37 victory.
  • Bronson Koenig went for 21 points and Ethan Happ had 12 points and 12 rebounds in No. 17 Wisconsin’s 78-44 win over Idaho State at the Kohl Center.

NOTABLES


  • George Mason won its sixth-straight game by thrashing Penn State in the second half to win 85-66. The Patriots outscored the Nittany Lions by 20 after halftime in Happy Valley. Marquise Moore had 25 points for George Mason.
  • Tommy Amaker became the winningest coach in Harvard history with a 74-66 win over Boston College in Chestnut Hill.
  • Seton Hall survived a half-court heave from Jabari Bird that just missed its mark to beat Cal, 60-57, at the Pearl Harbor Invitational.
  • JC Hampton hit 5 of 7 3-pointers to score 21 points and Texas A&M beat Denver, 80-58.