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Late Night Snacks: No. 22 SMU, No. 23 Syracuse fall

James Blackmon Jr., Stanford Robinson

Indiana’s James Blackmon Jr. (AP Photo)

AP

GAME OF THE DAY: Charlotte 106, Penn State 97 (2OT)

A John Johnson three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation forced overtime, but the Nittany Lions ultimately dropped this Gildan Charleston Classic quarterfinal. Florida transfer Braxton Ogbueze scored 26 and center Mike Thorne Jr. added 23 and 16 rebounds to lead the way for the 49ers, who are looking to win an in-season tournament for the second consecutive year (they won the Puerto Rico Tipoff last year). Penn State’s D.J. Newbill played all 50 minutes, finishing with 35 points and eight rebounds.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

1. Indiana 74, No. 22 SMU 68

The Hoosiers welcomed back the suspended Troy Williams and Stanford Robinson (Emmitt Holt did not get into the game), but the star was freshman guard James Blackmon Jr. Blackmon hit five three-pointers, finishing the game with 26 points to go along with seven rebounds. Williams was Indiana’s most productive reserve, scoring 11 points in 23 minutes of action. SMU shot nearly 57 percent from the field, but they also turned the ball over 19 times and that cost them in the end.

2. California 73, No. 23 Syracuse 59

The Golden Bears executed well against the Syracuse zone, assisting on nearly 77 percent of their made baskets on the night. Jordan Mathews scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, and a late first half stretch in which the Golden Bears hit four three-pointers turned a close game into a 12-point Cal lead at the half. As for Syracuse, they’ve got a lot to work on offensively, as Trevor Cooney continues to struggle shooting the basketball and Kaleb Joseph has yet to find his bearings as the point guard.

3. No. 10 Texas 71, Iowa 57

Texas struggled in the first half, trailing the Hawkeyes by six at the break. But Rick Barnes’ team turned it on in the second half, outscoring the Hawkeyes by 20 with Jonathan Holmes scoring 17 of his 19 points in the final session. Isaiah Taylor finished with 15 points for Texas, who will play California in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic Friday night.

STARRED

1. Mike Thorne Jr. (Charlotte)

23 points (9-for-15 FG) and 16 rebounds in the 49ers’ 106-97 double overtime win over Penn State.

2. Bryce Alford (UCLA)

28 points (8-for-14 FG), 13 assists and just one turnover in UCLA’s 107-74 win over Nicholls State. And he did this after barely practicing in the days prior due to a strained hip flexor.

3. Chris Hass (Bucknell)

Hass scored 32 points, shooting 9-for-12 from the field, in Bucknell’s 72-65 loss at No. 12 Villanova.

STRUGGLED

1. Bakersfield

While No. 16 San Diego State wasn’t all that good offensively, they did limit the Roadrunners to a Viejas Arena-record 27 points on 12-for-56 shooting from the field (1-for-20 3PT).

2. USC’s starting guards

Julian Jacobs, Jordan McLaughlin and Katin Reinhardt combined to shoot 5-for-23 in the Trojans’ 66-46 loss to Akron.

3. Galal Cancer and Devin Cherry (Cornell)

Cancer shot 2-for-13 from the field and Cherry committed seven turnovers in the Big Red’s 69-45 loss to South Carolina.

NOTABLES


  • Ryan Boatright led three starters in double figures with 19 points as No. 17 UConn held off the College of Charleston, 65-57.
  • New Mexico’s 69-65 loss to Boston College could be more costly than anticipated. Starting point guard Cullen Neal suffered a left ankle injury in the second half, and he’s expected to miss the remainder of the Puerto Rico Tipoff.
  • Three days after winning at Clemson, Winthrop was knocked off by Savannah State 59-58. Terel Hall’s three-point play with a second remaining was the difference.
  • Caris LeVert scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds in No. 24 Michigan’s 71-62 win over Detroit. The Wolverines took control of the game with a 16-1 run late in the second half.
  • Terry Larrier scored 21 points in 20 minutes of action in No. 15 VCU’s 106-66 beating of Maryland-Eastern Shore.
  • No. 16 San Diego State didn’t win pretty, beating Bakersfield 51-27, but there was a potentially important development in the game. Malik Pope made his debut, scoring four points in 14 minutes of action. Pope battled injuries throughout his high school career, but he has the skill needed to potentially help the Aztecs offensively.
  • Beejay Anya racked up seven points, eight rebounds and ten blocks in NC State’s 79-43 win over Jacksonville.
  • There was even a conference game Thursday, with Niagara beating Saint Peter’s 61-59. Rayvon Harris scored 19 to lead the Purple Eagles, who are now 1-0 in MAAC play.
  • Devon Scott’s tip-in with nine tenths of a second remaining gave Dayton a 55-53 win over Texas A&M.

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