Milos Uzan scored a career-best 26 points and collected seven rebounds, five assists and three steals while Emanuel Sharp also scored 26 points to help No. 3 Houston escape with a 78-74 overtime victory over Syracuse on Monday in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.
Joseph Tugler blocked five shots as the Cougars (6-0) were victorious despite blowing an 11-point lead late in regulation. In Tuesday’s tournament play, Houston plays No. 17 Tennessee, while Syracuse meets Kansas.
Tyler Betsey scored 16 points and William Kyle III added 12 points, 10 rebounds and three steals for the Orange. Naithan George and JJ Starling each had 11 points and Kiyan Anthony and Nate Kingz scored 10 apiece for Syracuse (4-1), which is without leading scorer Donnie Freeman (leg) for the tournament.
Sharp made a turnaround jumper and a 3-pointer in a span of 39 seconds to give Houston a 74-69 lead with 2:36 left in overtime. Syracuse fought back within 76-74 on George’s layup with 34.3 seconds remaining. However, Uzan made two free throws with 17.6 seconds left to help Houston hold on.
No. 2 Arizona 103, Denver 73
Freshman guards Brayden Burries and Ivan Kharchenkov each had 20 points to lead the Wildcats to a blowout victory over the Pioneers at Tucson, Ariz.
Fellow freshmen Dwayne Aristode (17 points) and Koa Peat (12 before fouling out) also scored in double figures for Arizona (6-0). Tobe Awaka came off the bench to contribute 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Denver (2-4) was led by Carson Johnson’s 18 points. Zane Nelson added 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field.
No. 6 Louisville 87, Eastern Michigan 46
Isaac McKneely had a game-high 17 points with five 3-pointers and the Cardinals clamped down on the Eagles.
Mikel Brown Jr. and Aly Khalifa joined McKneely in double figures with 11 points apiece for the Cardinals (6-0). Louisville shot 14-for-33 from the arc. The Cardinals also dominated on the glass again, winning the rebounding battle 45-36. That included 12 offensive rebounds.
Eastern Michigan (3-3) shot just 28.1% from the floor and 2-of-15 from 3-point range. The Eagles’ top scorer, Mohammad Habhab, led the way with 12 points and 11 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season. Carlos Hart added 11 points.
No. 7 Michigan 94, San Diego State 54
Six Wolverines scored in double figures as the Wolverines blew out the Aztecs in the opening round of the Players Era men’s championship in Las Vegas.
Yexel Lendeborg amassed 15 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Wolverines (5-0). Michigan connected on 50% from the field and had a 28-13 edge on points off turnovers.
Elzie Harrington scored 15 points and BJ Davis added 11 for the Aztecs (2-2). San Diego State shot just 27.4% from the floor.
No. 12 Gonzaga 95, No. 8 Alabama 85
Graham Ike scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead a balanced attack as the Bulldogs defeated the Crimson Tide in the opening round of the Players Era men’s championship at Las Vegas.
Tyon Grant-Foster also scored 21 points while Braden Huff added 18 on 9-of-12 shooting from the field for the Bulldogs (6-0).
Labaron Philon Jr. led the Crimson Tide (3-2) with 29 points and seven assists. Amari Allen and Aiden Sherrell both scored 14.
No. 13 Illinois 87, UT Rio Grande Valley 73
Andrej Stojakovic scored 24 points to lead five players in double figures as the Fighting Illini fought off the Vaqueros for a nonconference win in Champaign, Ill.
Mihailo Petrovic contributed 12 points off the bench as the Illini (6-1) tuned up for a Black Friday matinee against No. 5 UConn in New York. Illinois made just 8 of 30 3-point attempts (26.7%).
Kye Dickson paced UT Rio Grande Valley (2-4) with 21 points and five rebounds while Filip Brankovic added 15 points and five rebounds. The Vaqueros clung within 11 points until the final six minutes.
No. 15 Iowa State 83, No. 14 St. John’s 82
Milan Momcilovic scored 23 points and made five 3-pointers to help the Cyclones defeat the Red Storm on the first day of the Players Era men’s championship in Las Vegas.
Joshua Jefferson had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Tamin Lipsey scored 16 points for Iowa State (5-0).
Oziyah Sellers led St. John’s (3-2) with 20 points, and Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins chipped in 16 points apiece. Ejiofor missed a game-tying 3-point attempt before Mitchell’s putback as time expired left the Red Storm a point short.
No. 17 Tennessee 85, Rutgers 60
Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament combined for 52 points and 10 3-pointers as the Volunteers walloped the Scarlet Knights to tip off the Players Era men’s tournament in Las Vegas.
Gillespie had a career day with personal bests of 32 points and six 3-pointers on 10 attempts. Ament added 17 of his 20 points in the first half for the Volunteers (6-0). Tennessee dominated 43-28 on the boards, including 15 offensive rebounds and 21 second-chance points.
Harun Zrno scored 14 points, Darren Buchanan Jr. had 13 and Dylan Grant put up 10 for Rutgers (4-2), which lost its second straight game. Tennessee now prepares to face No. 3 Houston on Tuesday. Rutgers will meet Notre Dame on Tuesday.
No. 21 Auburn 84, Oregon 73
Tahaad Pettiford scored 24 points and the Tigers used a 10-0 run late in the second half to take control in a win over the Ducks in the first game of the Players Era men’s championship for both teams at Las Vegas.
The Tigers (5-1) took advantage of 18 Ducks turnovers and turned what was a close game into a more comfortable outing down the stretch. Keyshawn Hall, the Tigers’ leading scorer, had 18 points and six rebounds in his return from a foot sprain that kept him out for one game. He played 36 minutes.
Takai Simpkins led Oregon (4-1) with 22 points, making 5 of 8 3-point attempts. However, Oregon’s two top scorers, Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad, were held to 10 and nine points, respectively.
Seton Hall 85, No. 23 NC State 74
AJ Staton-McCray poured in 22 points and the Pirates used a huge run early in the second half on the way to beating the Wolfpack on the first day of the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii.
Mike Williams cranked out 14 points, Elijah Fisher added 13 points and Adam Clark provided 13 points to go with five steals. Reserves Tajuan Simpkins (11 points) and Najai Hines (10 on 5-for-5 shooting) were key contributors off the Seton Hall bench.
Seton Hall (6-0) will meet Southern California in Tuesday’s semifinals, while NC State (4-1) will take on Boise State in the consolation bracket. Ven-Allen Lubin’s 16 points and reserves Matt Able’s 15 points paced the Wolfpack, who were playing away from home for the first time under first-year coach Will Wade.
