No. 3 Gonzaga takes charge in second half to run past San Diego State 80-67
Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard, center, looks to pass as San Diego State forward Pharaoh Compton defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Graham Ike bounced back from early foul trouble to score 20 of his 23 points in the second half, and Ryan Nembhard added 19 points and 10 assists as No. 3 Gonzaga ran past San Diego State 80-67 on Monday night in a showdown of future Pac-12 opponents.
Sixth man Braden Nuff had 10 points for Gonzaga (4-0), which was playing away from Spokane for the first time this season. The Zags avenged an 84-74 loss to SDSU last year, which snapped their 59-game nonconference winning streak.
Nick Boyd scored 23 points for the Aztecs (2-1), while BJ Davis had 15 and Wayne McKinney 11.
Both teams reached the Sweet 16 last season, the Zags for the ninth straight time.
Gonzaga will move from the West Coast Conference, where it has dominated for most of the last quarter century, into the reconstituted Pac-12 beginning in 2026. Gonzaga will become the eighth member along with holdovers Washington State and Oregon State, and fellow newcomers Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Utah State and Colorado State from the Mountain West.
NO. 4 AUBURN 102, NORTH ALABAMA 69
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Johni Broome had 30 points and 17 rebounds as No. 4 Auburn beat North Alabama.
Denver Jones added 13 points and a career-high nine assists for the Tigers (4-0). Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly both scored 12.
Auburn fell behind twice in the first half but was able to take firm control in the final minutes before halftime. Broome scored 16 first-half points in the final 7:35 alone.
Jacari Lane led the Lions (3-2) with 16 points. Daniel Ortiz and Will Soucie added 15 apiece.
NO. 5 IOWA STATE 87, IU INDIANAPOLIS 52
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Curtis Jones scored 20 points and Tamin Lipsey added 17 to lead No. 5 Iowa State past IU Indianapolis.
It was Jones’ second straight 20-point game off the bench and fourth in his two seasons with the Cyclones (3-0).
Saint Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson had his first double-double for Iowa State with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Keshon Gilbert had 11 points and eight assists, and Lipsey led the Cyclones with five steals.
Paul Zilinskas led the Jaguars (2-3) with 16 points and Jarvis Walker added eight.
NO. 19 WISCONSIN 87, UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY 84
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — John Blackwell scored a career-high 30 points and John Tonje added 19 as No. 19 Wisconsin rallied to beat UT Rio Grande Valley.
Wisconsin overcame a 52-48 halftime deficit to extend its season-opening winning streak to five games. The Vaqueros (3-3) entered with a three-game winning streak.
Tonje coming off a 41-point effort in a win over Arizona, hit four free throws to give Wisconsin an 82-77 lead with just over two minutes remaining. DK Thorn hit a deep 3-pointer that pulled the Vaqueros within 85-84 with 1:02 left.
After each team missed a jumper in the lane, Blackwell hit two free throws with 2.1 seconds left to put Wisconsin up 87-84.
Hasan Abdul Hakim scored 19 points and Trey Miller 12 for UTRGV.
NO. 20 ARKANSAS 91, PACIFIC 72
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Adou Thiero scored 23 points, and No. 20 Arkansas pulled away from Pacific for a victory.
Thiero was 8 for 10 from the field as Arkansas (3-1) shot 60% as a team. Boogie Fland scored 20 points, and Zvonimir Ivisic finished with 15. DJ Wagner had 14 points and five assists.
Pacific (3-3) lingered until the final 12 minutes, pulling within two at one juncture. But the Tigers went more than eight minutes without a field goal and Arkansas kept building its lead.