GAME OF THE NIGHT: Creighton 65, No. 18 Oklahoma 63
The Bluejays made a statement on Wednesday night, coming back from 18 points down in the second half to knock off a team that many have slated as a sleeper to make the Final Four this season. Oh, and one Creighton player had a beer fall directly on his head.
IMPORTANT OUTCOMES
1. No. 2 Arizona 71, UC-Irvine 54: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored 19 points off the bench, Gabe York was 1-for-6 in a starting role and the Wildcats pulled away late in a game they trailed by five midway through the second half. T.J. McConnell had a day, too: 12 points, nine boards, six steals and four assists.
2. No. 3 Wisconsin 84, Green Bay 60: Frank Kaminsky, Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker combined for 64 points on 22-for-36 shooting as the Badgers cruised past the Phoenix in the second half. Keifer Sykes, Green Bay’s star, had 20 points on 9-for-17 shooting. No one else reached double figures.
3. Arkansas 83, Wake Forest 53: The Razorbacks are awesome at home and Wake Forest is awful on the road. I know. But still. Arkansas put six players in double figures, forced 20 turnovers and held Wake players not named Devin Thomas to 11-for-48 shooting.
STARRED
1. Farad Cobb: Cincinnati’s junior guard had 24 points and his six threes off the bench as the Bearcats knocked off Morehead State. He went scoreless in their opener.
2. No. 13 Gonzaga: They humiliated St. Joe’s on Wednesday. The final was 94-42. The Zags are for real this year. Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke and Arizona are the consensus top four teams in the country. The Zags are, at worst, fifth.
3. Bernard Thompson: The #DunkCity star finished with 34 points and went 14-for-20 from the floor as the Eagles steamrolled Ohio, jumping out to a 45-20 lead at the half.
STRUGGLED
1. Saint Joseph’s: The Hawks were down 48-10 to No. 13 Gonzaga at the half. That’s embarrassing in football. This is basketball.
2. Everyone but Obi Emegano: The Oral Roberts star had 30 points, but his teammates combined for 34 on 10-for-30 shooting in a loss at Missouri. ORU was tied midway through the second half.
NOTABLES
- St. John’s 66, LIU-Brooklyn 53
- Notre Dame 104, Coppin State 67