LAWRENCE, Kansas — Ochai Agbaji scored 20 points and Devon Dotson added 18 points to lead No. 2 Kansas to a 72-58 victory over No. 20 Colorado on Saturday, snapping the Buffaloes’ season-opening seven-game winning streak.
Ten days after claiming the Maui Invitational title, the Jayhawks (7-1) built an early 6-0 lead over their former conference foes. David McCormack fueled the hot start, contributing six of the Jayhawks’ opening eight points.
Holding leading scorer Tyler Bey scoreless from the field through the first half, Kansas used a 9-0 run to build a 19-9 lead. Colorado (7-1) shot 26.9% from the field in the first half and that allowed the Jayhawks to take a 34-22 lead at halftime.
With Bey and D’Shawn Schwartz quieted, Evan Battey lead the way for the Buffaloes, scoring 14 points on a 5-for-8 shooting.
NO. 3 MARYLAND 59, ILLINOIS 58
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Anthony Cowan Jr. made a free throw with 2.1 seconds left and Maryland erased a 15-point deficit in the second half to rally past Illinois in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
The Terrapins (10-0, 1-0 Big Ten) didn’t lead after halftime until Cowan’s free throw but still matched their best start since winning 10 straight to open the 1998-99 season.
Cowan collected a steal in the closing seconds of a tie game and was fouled in a scrum by guard Andres Feliz. Cowan made the first free throw and missed the second. Illinois (6-3, 0-1) failed to get a shot off in the remaining time.
Cowan had 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Jalen Smith (14 points, 13 rebounds) recorded his sixth double-double of the season for Maryland.
NO. 6 OHIO STATE 106, PENN STATE 74
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kaleb Wesson scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds for his ninth career double-double, and Ohio State scored 100 points against a Big Ten rival for the first time since 1991.
Four players hit double figures for the Buckeyes (9-0, 1-0 Big Ten), who shot 57.4 percent from the field. Andre Wesson scored 15, and sophomores Duane Washington Jr. and Luther Muhammad each had 14.
Izaiah Brockington scored 19 points and Seth Lundy added 10 for the Nittany Lions (7-2, 0-1), who lost for the second time in four games and gave up 100 points for the first time since 2017. Penn State managed just 25 rebounds, far below its average of 44.
NO. 8 KENTUCKY 83, FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 52
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — EJ Montgomery scored a career-high 25 points, Keion Brooks added 15 off the bench and Kentucky dominated Fairleigh Dickinson for its 600th victory at Rupp Arena.
Forward Nick Richards, at 6-11, had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Wildcats (7-1), whose 19-2 run over 6:11 in the first half built a 43-23 halftime lead. Kentucky shot 52% and held the Knights (2-6) to 33% shooting, outrebounded them 42-33 and owned nearly statistic for their fifth consecutive victory after a week off.
The Wildcats became the fastest school to reach 600 wins in an arena in NCAA history. Kentucky achieved the milestone at the 43-year-old building named after coach Adolph Rupp in 670 games, surpassing the pace of UCLA (689 games at Pauley Pavilion) and Kansas (699 at Allen Fieldhouse).
NO. 18 BAYLOR 63, NO. 12 ARIZONA 58
WACO, Texas (AP) — MaCio Teague scored 19 points, Freddie Gillespie had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Baylor defeated Arizona for the Wildcats’ first loss.
Admission was free at Baylor’s campus arena because the Bears were playing Oklahoma in the Big 12 football championship game, which started about the same time 100 miles north of Waco at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
It was supposed to be the first true road game for the Wildcats (9-1), but their fans might have outnumbered the Baylor (7-1) contingent. They loudly chanted “U of A” before the Baylor introductions but had a hard time getting into the game early, with Arizona giving up a 15-0 run and shooting 33 percent in the first half.
NO. 15 MEMPHIS 65, UAB 57
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Precious Achiuwa scored eight of his 14 points in the final 4 minutes to rally Memphis.
Memphis (8-1) trailed 40-26 at halftime. The Tigers needed a 19-4 run over the final 8 minutes to overcome the Blazers (4-4), who didn’t relinquish the lead until freshman Achiuwa’s tip shot with 2:56 left put Memphis up 56-55.
UAB’s own sensational freshman, Jalen Benjamin, scored 17 points, but the Blazers lost their third straight.
NO. 23 VILLANOVA 78, SAINT JOSEPH’S 66
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 22 points, Collin Gillespie had 20 and Villanova held off a second-half comeback from Saint Joseph’s.
Villanova (7-2) led 41-25 at halftime, but Saint Joseph’s Ryan Daly scored 22 of his 32 points after halftime to get the Hawks within 65-62 with 4:03 left. The Wildcats responded with a 13-4 run to end it.
Justin Moore added 14 points and Jermaine Samuels had 12 for Villanova. The Wildcats have won 28 of 29 against Big 5 opponents since 2012.
NO. 24 BAYLOR 76, FLORIDA 62
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Sean McDermott and Aaron Thompson each scored 16 points to lead Butler over Florida.
Jordan Tucker added 13 points off the bench for the Bulldogs (9-0). Kamar Baldwin, who was averaging a team-high 17.5 points for Butler, scored 12 points.
Kerry Blackshear Jr. led Florida (6-3) with 17 points. Andrew Nembhard and Noah Locke each scored 11.
NO. 25 UTAH STATE 77, FRESNO STATE 70, OT
LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Sam Merrill had 24 points and eight rebounds, and Abel Porter scored seven of his 13 points in overtime to propel Utah State.
Justin Bean added 14 points and Neemias Queta chipped in six in 10 minutes in his first action of the season for Utah State (9-1, 2-0 Mountain West).
New Williams scored 26 points and hit the basket that forced overtime for Fresno State (2-6, 0-2).
