Late Night Snacks: No. 10 Illinois moves to 12-0 with win over Eastern Kentucky

Games of the Day

1. Murray State 75, Western Kentucky 70 
Isaiah Canaan led four Racers in double figures with 21 points as Murray State held off the Hilltoppers in Murray. The difference was a 14-2 second half run, turning a two-point deficit into a ten-point lead with just under four minutes remaining. Brandon Harris, who entered the game averaging 4.2 points per game, scored a career-high 23 to lead the way for WKU. Next up for Murray State, who has now won five straight, is a trip to VCU on Tuesday night.

2. McNeese State 80, Texas Tech 75
Despite turning the ball over 20 times and having Texas Tech score 22 points off of those miscues, McNeese State was able to pull off the upset in Lubbock. Craig McFerrin led four Cowboys in double figures with 18 points, and as a team McNeese State shot 55.9% from the field. Jaye Crockett led the Red Raiders with 17 points and ten rebounds.

3. Boston University 69, Quinnipiac 62 (OT) 
A John Papale three-pointer with 5.4 seconds remaining tied things up for the Terriers at “The Roof,” and Joe Jones’ team would go on to win in overtime. Papale led BU with a career-high 16 points off the bench, while Ike Azotam (19 points, ten rebounds) and Zaid Hearst (18 points) led the way for the visiting Bobcats.

Important Outcomes

1. No. 10 Illinois 66, Eastern Kentucky 53 
In a matchup of undefeated teams in Champaign the Fighting Illini held off the Colonels, with Brandon Paul leading the way with 17 points and nine rebounds. Illinois won despite shooting 6-of-23 from three and turning the ball over 20 times, due in large part to their 19-of-27 shooting inside of the arc and a 39-20 advantage on the glass. Next up for Illinois: rival Missouri in the Braggin’ Rights Game on Saturday. EKU’s Corey Walden led all scorers with 21 points.

2. Boston College 61, New Hampshire 59 (OT) 
With losses to Bryant and Harvard (the Crimson have won five straight in the series) already on their “resume,” Boston College could ill afford to lose to UNH. Despite going 0-of-19 from beyond the arc in regulation the Eagles found a way to get the game into overtime, with sophomore Ryan Anderson leading the way with 23 points and 19 rebounds. Ferg Myrick led the Wildcats with 21 points, eight rebounds and five steals, but Bill Herrion’s team will look at this as a game they let slip away from their grasp (led by as many as 13 points in the second half.

3. Rutgers 88, UAB 79 
In the first game of head coach Mike Rice’s three-game suspension the Scarlet Knights took care of UAB in Piscataway, with Myles Mack’s 23 points leading the way. Mack also accounted for five assists, five steals and four rebounds in the first head coaching win for David Cox, who fired up the players by giving his pregame speech in full uniform. As a team Rutgers shot 60% from the field and led by as many as 25 in the first half. Jordan Swing led the Blazers 23 points and Preston Purifoy added 20.

Starred

1. F Ryan Anderson (Boston College) 
Due to the Eagles’ lack of success it can be argued that the sophomore from Long Beach, California is one of college basketball’s hidden gems. Anderson led Boston College past New Hampshire, finishing with 23 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in the 61-59 overtime victory.

2. G Roberton Nelson and F Devon Collier (Oregon State)
Nelson scored a career-high 34 points and Collier added 25 in the Beavers’ 87-77 win over Chicago State. The two combined to shoot 20-of-29 from the field, leading the way as their teammates shot 9-of-32 (28.1%).

3. G/F Fuquan Edwin (Seton Hall) 
26 points (8-of-12 FG; 5-of-7 3PT), five assists, four rebounds and three steals in the Pirates’ 77-66 win over North Carolina A&T. Edwin has scored 22 points or more in four of Seton Hall’s last five games, averaging 20.8 points per game during that stretch.

Struggled

1. Boston College from three-point range 
The Eagles shot 0-of-19 from beyond the arc in regulation. Luckily for Steve Donahue’s team they were able to push New Hampshire to overtime, where Lonnie Jackson and Olivier Hanlan knocked down three-pointers to help push BC past the Wildcats.

2. F Tony Mitchell (North Texas)
To be fair the Mean Green struggled as a team in their 45-40 win over Southeast Louisiana, shooting 29.5% from the field (0-of-11 from three). But Mitchell, a player many thought to be a possible lottery pick before the season began, shot 1-of-9 and finished with eight points and ten rebounds.

3. Manhattan 
The Jaspers had a rough go of it in Brooklyn, as they shot 30.2% from the field and 4-of-21 from three in a 75-48 loss at LIU Brooklyn. LIU played their first game without the services of forward Julian Boyd, who tore his ACL in Wednesday’s win over Rice.

Three Facts

1. With their 69-64 win over Northern Illinois, DePaul moved its win streak to six. The last time the Blue Demons could claim a streak of at least five wins in a row: the 2006-07 season.

2. Fairfield guard Derek Needham became the school’s all-time leader in made three pointers in the Stags’ 69-58 win over Drexel. Needham, who has now made 231 three pointers in his career, surpassed Greg Francis atop the list.

3. Just two games on Sunday’s schedule were decided by fewer than five points: Boston College’s 61-59 overtime win over New Hampshire and Central Michigan’s 80-77 win at Pepperdine.

Other Notable Scores 

- No. 24 Oklahoma State 91, Central Arkansas 63

- Villanova 75, Delaware 65

- Fairfield 69, Drexel 58

Raphielle also writes for the NBE Basketball Report and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.