Saturday was a day full of rivalry games, as well as others of consequence. The biggest rivalry of them all delivered another instant classic, though the losing team would surely love to have it back. There was also a west coast showdown that was never a ballgame, and the Pac-12 remains quite the race to follow out west.
With that, here are notes from a number of Saturday’s games.
Duke 98, North Carolina 96 (OT): The Tar Heels undoubtedly want this game back in the worst way, perhaps more so than any other loss this season. They controlled most of the game, then couldn’t hit a free throw down the stretch and had to go to overtime, where they bounced back again but still couldn’t close out the deal.
Louisville 80, Virginia 73: The Cavaliers had their chances, but Louisville stays hot and on top of the ACC. The Cardinals have won 10 straight since getting handled by Florida State to start 2020.
Florida State 99, Miami 81: Leonard Hamilton can coach. Miami knows this since he once coached there, but with this win, the Seminoles have won at least 20 games for the fifth straight season, the first time that has happened in program history.
Syracuse 75, Wake Forest 73: The Orange pull it out on a late stickback, holding off the Demon Deacons to go to 7-5 in the ACC.
San Diego State 89, Air Force 74: The Aztecs go to 24-0 by pulling away from Air Force in a game more challenging than one might think given the altitude. Air Force dominated Utah State earlier in the year as well, so they are capable.
Utah State 70, Boise State 61: There was no repeat of the first meeting between these two as the Aggies closed this one out, but things could be better. Big man Neemias Queta, who has dealt with knee issues, went down awkwardly in the final minute and didn’t get up easily.
Gonzaga 90, Saint Mary’s 60: This was never a ballgame and shows the gap between the Bulldogs and everyone else. They won in Moraga by blitzing the Gaels early and often and never looking back.
Baylor 78, Oklahoma State 70: A tough one for the Cowboys, who were right there until the very end and basically played the Bears to a draw, but the Bears haven’t won 20 straight by accident.
Kansas 60, TCU 46: Bill Self wins his 700th as the Horned Frogs keep slumping, now with five straight losses. With that, they are dropping out of the NCAA Tournament picture as well.
Texas Tech 62, Texas 57: The Longhorns let another winnable game get away at home. They were in control the entire first half and led by 12 at the break, but it was all Texas Tech after intermission and the Longhorns are now 4-6 in Big 12 play and have lost three of their last four at home.
Oklahoma 69, West Virginia 59: The Sooners hold the Mountaineers to a season-low 32 percent from the field to get a solid win that they needed.
Auburn 91, LSU 90 (OT): LSU has been the master of winning close SEC games, and they appeared set to do it again. J’Von McCormick and Auburn had other ideas, though, and now both are tied with Kentucky atop the SEC.
Kentucky 77, Tennessee 64: You get the feeling that the comeback win at Alabama, while nice, may end up being more of a blip on the radar screen than the norm the rest of the way for the Volunteers, as that’s their only win in the past five.
Ole Miss 68, Florida 51: Yes, it was in Oxford, but the Gators’ maddening season continues. Doesn’t this feel a bit, well, familiar? The good thing is they have two very winnable games this week, but that doesn’t mean two wins are ahead.
Dayton 71, Saint Louis 65: The Flyers just keep winning, going to 10-0 in the Atlantic 10 as a visit from URI (who smoked George Washington) is up next on Tuesday night.
Michigan 77, Michigan State 68: The Wolverines needed this one, especially coming at home. They have been scuffling, but they are still quite capable.
Purdue 74, Indiana 62: Bob Knight came back to Assembly Hall for the first time in two decades, but the Hoosiers couldn’t turn that into a win. Purdue has now win six straight in this rivalry, and the Hoosiers have now lost four in a row to fall below .500 in Big Ten play.
Iowa 96, Nebraska 72: For the Hawkeyes, avoiding a bad loss is perhaps more important than getting quality wins the rest of the way, and this game first the bill in the former category.
Penn State 83, Minnesota 77: The Golden Gophers fall below .500 in the Big Ten at a crucial time, and they’re barely above .500 overall. The good thing is they have quality win opportunities at home this week, but losing four out of six doesn’t inspire much confidence that they will take advantage of them.
Seton Hall 70, Villanova 64: Now you can really believe that the Big East is Seton Hall’s to lose. This road win puts them three games up on Villanova and was done not unlike a number of other wins, including with a big second half as they trailed by four at halftime. The Pirates held the Wildcats to 36 percent from the field and out-rebounded them 43-32.
Creighton 94, St. John’s 82: The Bluejays quietly slide into a tie for second in the Big East by shooting 60 percent from the field including 13-28 from long range. The Red Storm, meanwhile, continue to have trouble winning in the Big East.
Xavier 64, Providence 58: Are we about to witness a repeat of a year ago, when Xavier got their backs against the wall before going on a late winning streak? They were 2-6 in Big East play and have now won three in a row, so that might be the case. They have two on the road in the week ahead, so we’ll get an idea quickly.
Georgetown 76, DePaul 72: Remember what DePaul did in non-conference play? They are 1-10 in Big East play now, with only two losses coming by double digits and four coming by four points or less.
Colorado 81, Stanford 74: The Cardinal are scuffling right now after a good start in Pac-12 play, and this game was symbolic since they led by 11 at the half before allowing the Buffaloes to score 59 points after intermission.
Oregon State 63, Oregon 53: A game like this can make you think of what could have been with the Beavers, who at times looked like an NCAA Tournament contender but now will only get there with a tournament championship.
UCLA 65, Arizona 52: Here’s another example of what Mick Cronin can do at UCLA once he gets talent, as well as guys who fit how he wants to play, into school. A big road win like this is another plus in year one.
Arizona State 66, USC 64: Not a good trip to Arizona for the Trojans as they go 0-2, but the Sun Devils continue to come alive after a slow start in Pac-12 play as they have won five of six to get to 6-4.
South Florida 75, Memphis 73: Not a good ending in Memphis as the Tigers fall to 6-4 in American Athletic Conference play as Justin Brown scores 14 points and grabs 16 rebounds for the Bulls, who out-rebounded the Tigers 41-29 and made Precious Achiuwa a non-factor.
Belmont 71, Austin Peay 63: An impressive couple of days for the Bruins, knocking off Murray State two nights earlier and then beating the Governors on Saturday. They’re now a game back of second and still two behind the Racers, who won at Tennessee State.
Southern Illinois 68, Missouri State 66: The Salukis have now won seven in a row and remain right on the heels of Northern Iowa, who knocked off Drake on Saturday.
Little Rock 90, Arkansas State 87: The Trojans maintain a three-game lead over everyone else in the Sun Belt.
UC Santa Barbara 64, UC Irvine 61: The Gauchos got off to a slow start, while the Anteaters have been, well, the Anteaters. This win can get the Gauchos going, though, and the next meeting between these two teams in a few weeks could have a bit more on the line.
Cornell 73, Princeton 62: No team in the Ivy League is undefeated now that the Tigers have been handed their first loss, and just like that, the league race has already gotten a little more interesting.
Hofstra 75, Northeastern 71: The Pride are now in first place in the CAA after this win and College of Charleston’s home loss.
Elon 72, College of Charleston 65: Speaking of the Cougars, while Grant Riller had 26 points, he was outshined by Elon graduate transfer Marcus Sheffield, who’s had a fine season and had 31 points, 12 rebounds and five assists on Saturday.
UNCW 60, William & Mary 64: Speaking of surprises in the CAA, the Tribe is officially scuffling as this is their third straight loss and fourth in five games. UNCW is now a game ahead of the biggest disappointment in the conference, James Madison.
Winthrop 70, Longwood 68: The Eagles barely hang on to go to 12-0 in Big South play.
Bethune-Cookman 78, North Carolina A&T 73: The Wildcats make a big halftime lead stand up to make things a little more interesting in the MEAC, as the Aggies entered the day with just one conference loss.
LIU 67, Merrimack 64: The Warriors’ nine-game winning streak comes to an end, and combined with Robert Morris’ win at Sacred Heart brings them back into a tie for first in the Northeast Conference.
Brown 73, Harvard 72: The Bears pull ahead of the Crimson at 4-2 in Ivy League play in a devastating loss for the Crimson, as a three-point play by Tamenang Choh in the final second won it. Harvard started the bulk of league play with four straight on the road and lost three of them, so they will be quite happy to be back home the next two weekends.
South Dakota State 81, Omaha 64: No Mike Daum, no David Jenkins Jr., new coach, no problem for the Jackrabbits as they are tied with North Dakota State atop the Summit League at 9-2. Those two might meet in the regular season finale for all the marbles.
New Hampshire 81, Stony Brook 64: This was the real surprise of the day in America East, as the Wildcats knock the Seawolves another game back of Vermont, who edged Hartford on the road in the evening.
Prairie View A&M 69, Texas Southern 59: The Panthers win their seventh straight at home and sixth of seven overall to take sole possession of first place in the SWAC.
