AUBURN, Ala.: Jabari Smith bounced back from a rough shooting night with 23 points and 12 rebounds and Walker Kessler scored 21 to lead No. 1 Auburn to an 86-68 victory over Oklahoma on Saturday.
The Tigers (20-1) built a big lead, lost most of it and then dominated the final minutes for their nation-leading 17th consecutive win. The Sooners (13-8) visited as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Smith was just 2-of-15 shooting for five points in a 55-54 win over Missouri Tuesday. He and Kessler took over this one.
The 7-foot-1 Kessler was 9 of 11 from the floor, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots. He also hit his fourth and fifth 3-pointers of the season.
K.D. Johnson scored 13 after producing the last five points in the Missouri win.
Jordan Goldwire led Oklahoma with a career-high 19 points. Umoja Gibson scored 14 points and Tanner Groves had 13.
NO. 3 ARIZONA 67, ARIZONA STATE 56
TUCSON, Ariz.: Bennedict Mathurin and Oumar Ballo scored 14 points each as No. 3 Arizona turned up the defensive pressure in the second half to win despite some woeful shooting.
The Wildcats (17-2, 7-1 Pac-12) shot 32% from the floor and went 3 for 23 from 3, yet found a way to win behind superb second-half defense.
Arizona State (6-12, 2-6) managed to slow down one of the nations fastest-tempo teams and seemed to have the Wildcats on the ropes several times. The Sun Devils kept letting the cold-shooting Wildcats hang around, then went cold themselves to lose for the 11th time in 12 games at McKale Center.
DJ Horne led Arizona State with 15 points, but had just two in the second half.
NO. 9 DUKE 74, LOUISVILLE 65
LOUISVILLE, Ky.: — AJ Griffin scored 22 points, including consecutive 3-pointers during a late 12-0 run to help No. 9 Duke escape.
The Blue Devils (17-3, 7-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) led 24-8 after 10 minutes before Louisville eventually rallied to forge several ties, the last at 60-all on El Ellis long 3-pointer with 8:28 remaining. Wendell Moore Jr.s two free throws put Duke back up 62-60 before Paolo Banchero and Mark Williams followed with timely blocks, the latter of which set up Griffins critical 3 to make it 65-60.
Griffin then followed Williams block of Mason Faulkner with another big 3 for an eight-point lead with 4:50 left and Louisville couldnt recover in Mike Pegues second debut as interim coach. Pegues took over for a second time this season on Wednesday when Chris Mack and the school agreed to part ways.
NO. 10 MICHIGAN STATE 83, MICHIGAN 67
EAST LANSING, Mich.: Max Christie scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half and Malik Hall finished with 15 points as No. 10 Michigan State held off its in-state rival.
The Spartans (16-4, 7-2 Big Ten) pulled away by outscoring their rivals 14-3 early in the second half and didnt have trouble keeping a comfortable cushion.
Michigan States Joey Hauser scored 14, A.J. Hoggard had 11 points.
Hunter Dickinson had 25 points and Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate scored 11 each for the Wolverines (10-8, 4-4), who trailed by just four at halftime but missed their first eight shots in the second half and failed to bounce back at either end of the court.
TCU 77, NO. 19 LSU 68
FORT WORTH, Texas: — Chuck OBannon scored 16 of his career-high 19 points after halftime, including three consecutive 3-pointers from basically the same spot and TCU held on to beat slumping No. 19 LSU in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
TCU (14-4) had its largest lead at 50-34 with 15:59 left after OBannons third consecutive 3 in a 76-second span from the right wing.
Even though the Tigers (16-5) were able to cut that deficit to one after a 20-5 run over the next 6 1/2 minutes that Tari Eason began with six consecutive points, they were never able to take the lead. LSU lost for the fourth time in five games.
Mike Miles had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Frogs. Damion Baugh added 14 points.
NO. 21 XAVIER 74, CREIGHTON 64
OMAHA, Neb.: Jack Nunge and Paul Scruggs fueled a dramatic second-half turnaround that saw No. 21 Xavier score 29 of the first 31 points of the period to wipe out a 17-point deficit agains Creighton.
Scruggs scored 18 points and Nunge made a career-high four 3-pointers and had all 16 of his points in the second half as the Musketeers won for the first time in three games. Zach Freemantle had 16 points and Nate Johnson made five 3s for all 15 of his points.
Xavier (15-5, 5-4 Big East) swept the two-game season series and won in Omaha for the first time since 2018.
Ryan Nembhard led the Bluejays with 23 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner had 13 as Creighton (12-7, 4-4) dropped its second straight and lost for the first time in conference play at home. It was the Bluejays biggest blown lead at CHI Health Center, which opened in 2003.
NO. 23 IOWA STATE 67, MISSOURI 50
AMES, Iowa: Izaiah Brockington scored 15 points and Tyrese Hunter added 14 as No. 23 Iowa State won as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Brockington converted all eight of his free throw attempts and made three 3-pointers for the Cyclones (16-5).
DaJuan Gordon led Missouri (8-12) with 15 points. Amari Davis scored 11.
Iowa State shot 58.3% in the second half and forced 18 Missouri turnovers. The Cyclones seized control with a 15-0 run in the second half, building a 49-34 advantage as Missouri missed 10 of its first 11 shots.
NO. 25 DAVIDSON 77, LA SALLE 69
DAVIDSON, N.C.: — Luka Brajkovic scored 22 points, Foster Loyer added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists and No. 25 Davidson held off La Salle in Bob McKillops 1,000th game as head coach of the Wildcats.
The 71-year-old McKillop is 624-376 during his 33 seasons at Davidson.
Hyunjung Lee had 14 points, including on four clutch free throws in the final minute, and Sam Mennenga had eight points and eight rebounds for the Wildcats. Davidson (17-3, 7-1 Atlantic 10) bounced back from a 70-68 loss to VCU on Wednesday night, just two days after joining the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2015.
Jack Clark had 18 points for La Salle (6-12, 1-7), which has lost eight of its last nine and remains winless on the road this season.
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