"Recap of the Top 25: No. 19 Wisconsin Fends Off Upset Attempt"
John Blackwell achieved a personal best of 30 points in the second half, while graduate transfer John Tonje contributed 19 points as No. 19 Wisconsin fought back to defeat UT Rio Grande Valley 87-84 on Monday night in Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin (5-0) was behind 52-48 at halftime, but did not score a field goal in the last 4:23 of the game. They managed to secure their victory by making 11 consecutive free throws. The Badgers, who currently hold the top spot in the nation for free-throw percentage (90 percent), finished the game with 27 out of 32 free throws made.
DK Thorn made a deep 3-pointer with just over a minute left in the game, bringing the Vaqueros within one point at 85-84. Max Klesmit missed a jumper on Wisconsin's next possession, but UTRGV's Hasan Abdul Hakim also missed a hurried jumper in the lane as time ran out. Blackwell then sealed the win for the Badgers by making two free throws with 2.1 seconds left, making the final score 87-84.
Also see this picks:
Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Toledo Rockets Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 26th 2024
Also see this picks:
Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Kansas State Wildcats Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 26th 2024
Abdul Hakim scored 19 points and K.T. Raimey added 13 for the Vaqueros (3-3), who had a three-game winning streak before this game.
No. 3 Gonzaga 80, San Diego State 67
Graham Ike led the Bulldogs to a nonconference road victory over the Aztecs in a matchup between two of the most successful programs in the nation over the past five seasons. Ike recorded 23 points and nine rebounds, while Ryan Nembhard added 19 points and 10 assists for the Bulldogs (4-0), who maintained the lead throughout the game.
Nick Boyd scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Aztecs (2-1), while BJ Davis contributed 15 points. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, Gonzaga has the highest winning percentage in the nation (.879, 152-21), while San Diego State ranks third (.795, 136-35).
No. 4 Auburn 102, North Alabama 69
Johni Broome scored 30 points, with 17 of those coming in the final 7:35 of the first half, leading the Tigers to a dominant victory over the Lions. Broome made 13 out of 17 shots and collected 17 rebounds, earning his second double-double of the season in just 26 minutes of play. Denver Jones also had an impressive performance with 13 points and nine assists out of Auburn's 25 total assists.
Jacari Lane scored 16 points for North Alabama (3-2), but the team struggled to keep up with Auburn's strong offense. Daniel Ortiz and Will Soucie also contributed 15 points each for the Lions, who shot 42.2 percent from the field.
Also see this picks:
Arkansas St. Red Wolves vs. Bowling Green Falcons Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 26th 2024
Also see this picks:
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 27th 2024
No. 5 Iowa State 87, IU Indianapolis 52
Curtis Jones led the Cyclones to an easy victory over the Jaguars, scoring 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Tamin Lipsey added 17 points and five steals for Iowa State (3-0), while Joshua Jefferson recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds. Keshon Gilbert also had a strong performance with 11 points and eight assists.
Paul Zilinskas scored 16 points for IU Indianapolis (2-3), but it wasn't enough to overcome the Cyclones' dominant offense. Jarvis Walker also contributed eight points and five rebounds for the Jaguars.
No. 20 Arkansas 91, Pacific 72
Adou Thiero led the Razorbacks to a victory over the Tigers, scoring 23 points and making six dunks. Arkansas (3-1) had a comfortable lead in the first half, but Pacific (3-3) managed to close the gap in the second half. However, Thiero's strong performance helped secure the win for the Razorbacks. Arkansas shot an impressive 59.6 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range, despite only having seven players available for the game. Pacific struggled to keep up, shooting just 40 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.
