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Late Night Snacks: No. 1 Kentucky defeats No. 4 Louisville

Kentucky v Louisville

Tyler Ulis (Getty Images)

Getty Images

GAME OF THE DAY: Georgetown 91, Indiana 87 (OT)

The first game of the day was its most entertaining from an offensive standpoint, as D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and the Hoyas outlasted the Hoosiers at Madison Square Garden. The Indianapolis native scored 29 points and dished out four assists and senior Aaron Bowen added 20 off the bench for the Hoyas, who are 8-3 entering Big East play. Two keys for Georgetown in the second half: Joshua Smith being on the floor after committing three fouls in the first half, and a switch to a zone defense that (comparatively speaking) made things more difficult for Indiana.

Yogi Ferrell, who hit two three-pointers in the final minute of regulation to force overtime, scored 27 points and Troy Williams added 23 to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. Tom Crean’s Hoosiers are 10-3 going into Big Ten play, a record few expected them to post before the season began.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

1. No. 1 Kentucky 58, Louisville 50

It wasn’t the prettiest game but the Wildcats took care of the Cardinals in Louisville, and their defense was a big reason why. Louisville shot less than 26 percent from the field Saturday afternoon, and Kentucky’s defense both inside and on the perimeter was a reason why. Tyler Ulis stepped forward for the Wildcats in his reserve role, scoring 14 points with fellow freshman Devin Booker adding nine.

2. No. 8 Gonzaga 87, BYU 80

In the WCC opener for both the Bulldogs won in Provo, with point guard Kevin Pangos and forward Kyle Wiltjer leading the way. Pangos, who’s been asked to do even more on the ball with freshman Josh Perkins out with a broken jaw, scored 21 points and dished out seven assists before fouling out with just over eight seconds remaining in the game. As for Wiltjer he scored a game-high 24 points, with teammate Byron Wesley (15 points, ten rebounds) posting a double-double and Przemek Karnowski adding nine points and ten rebounds. Tyler Haws and Anson Winder scored 17 apiece for BYU, with Kyle Collinsworth adding a triple-double with 13 points, ten rebounds and ten assists.

3. No. 24 Colorado State 58, New Mexico State 57

We nearly had two teams fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, but Larry Eustachy’s team found a way to hold off the Aggies in Las Cruces. A J.J. Avila basket in the final minute of overtime proved to be the difference as the Rams moved to 13-0 on the season, and the senior forward led CSU with 17 points. Stanton Kidd added 15 for the winners, who remain undefeated despite the fact that guard Daniel Bejarano shot 0-for-10 from the field and failed to score. Remi Barry led three Aggies in double figures with 14 points, and freshman Pascal Siakam posted his second double-double of the season with 13 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.

STARRED

1. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and Aaron Bowen (Georgetown)

Combined to score 49 points in the Hoyas’ 91-87 overtime win over Indiana.

2. Carrington Ward (Green Bay)

Scored a career-high 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting in the Phoenix’s 78-61 win over Georgia State.

3. Dylan Garrity (Sacramento State)

28 points (8-for-9 FG), three rebounds and two assists in the Hornets’ 74-49 win at Utah Valley.

STRUGGLED

1. Terry Rozier and Chris Jones (Louisville)

Shot a combined 8-for-33 from the field and accounted for just one assists in the Cardinals’ 58-50 loss to No. 1 Kentucky.

2. Maine

The Black Bears shot 30.4% from the field and finished with more turnovers (20) than made field goals (17) in their 72-43 loss at Seton Hall.

NOTABLES


  • After losing 72-48 at Georgia State on December 4, Green Bay beat the Panthers 78-61 with Carrington Ward scoring a career-high 28 points. The Phoenix ended the game on a 21-3 run.
  • Dez Wells scored ten points off the bench in his return to the court as No. 15 Maryland beat Oakland, 72-56. Melo Trimble scored 17 points and Jake Layman added 15 and 12 rebounds for the Terrapins.
  • Marcus Paige led six Tar Heels in double figures with 16 points as No. 20 North Carolina defeated UAB 89-58. The Blazers knocked off UNC in Birmingham last season.
  • Brad Waldow scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help lead Saint Mary’s to a 73-60 win over Santa Clara in the WCC opener for both. Senior forward Garrett Jackson, averaging 3.6 points per game entering Saturday, added 18 points for the winners.
  • Charles Mann scored 22 points and Marcus Thornton and Kenny Gaines added 17 apiece in Georgia’s 86-77 triple overtime win over Mercer. Jordan Strawberry scored a game-high 24 for the Bears.
  • D’Angelo Russell scored 24 points and Amir Williams added 21 and seven rebounds in No. 21 Ohio State’s 100-55 win over Wright State.
  • In what could have been a letdown game for a young team in the aftermath of their win over No. 3 Arizona on Tuesday, UNLV took care of Southern Utah 79-45 in Las Vegas. Rashad Vaughn and Christian Wood combined to score 44 points, with Wood finishing with 22 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.

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