No. 4 Purdue beats Alabama 92-86 in Toronto behind Edey’s season-high 35 points

The Associated Press
No. 4 Purdue beats Alabama 92-86 in Toronto behind Edey’s season-high 35 points

TORONTO (AP) — Zach Edey matched his season-high with 35 points, Braden Smith had a season-high 27 and No. 4 Purdue rallied to beat Alabama 92-86 on Saturday.

In front of a pro-Purdue crowd in Canada that included several of his friends and family, Edey played in his home city for the first time since 2016-17, when he was a sophomore in high school.

Smith shot 9 for 20 and had eight assists for Purdue, which has won 32 straight nonconference regular-season games.

Mark Sears scored a season-high 35 points for Alabama, going 8 for 16 from 3-point range, but the Crimson Tide lost for the third time in six games. Alabama has not won consecutive games since starting the season 4-0.

NO. 5 UCONN 101, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Alex Karaban scored a career-high 26 points to lead UConn to a rout of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Tristen Newton scored 16 points, Cam Spencer had 15 and Donovan Clingan added 11 points and blocked three shots for the Huskies (9-1), who shot 56% from the floor and made 13 3-pointers.

Rashad Williams had 23 points to lead Pine Bluff (4-7).

The Huskies outscored the Golden Lions 56-30 in the second half.

NO. 10 CREIGHTON 109, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 64

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Isaac Traudt set career highs with five 3-pointers and 18 points off the bench, and five other Creighton players scored in double figures as the Bluejays routed Central Michigan.

Creighton (8-1), which shot a season-best 65%, scored its most points against a Division I opponent in six years and has won three straight blowouts since getting upset by Colorado State on Thanksgiving.

Mason Miller had career highs with 17 points and four 3s and Ryan Kalkbrenner and Trey Alexander had 15 points apiece. Fredrick King had 14 points and Baylor Scheierman had 13 points and matched his career-high with nine assists.

Derrick Butler led the Chippewas (3-6) with a career-high 28 points and Anthony Pritchard scored 22. It was their most lopsided loss since a 107-54 defeat to Gonzaga two years ago.

NO. 12 TEXAS 77, HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 50

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Max Abmas had 16 points and seven assists and Texas beat Houston Christian.

Kadin Shedrick had 15 points, three blocks and four of the Longhorns’ 13 steals. Dillon Mitchell produced his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds for Texas (7-2). Tyrese Hunter added 12 points, five assists and three steals.

Marcus Greene led Houston Christian (1-7) with 15 points. Michael Imariagbe had 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Bonke Maring had nine points and 13 rebounds.

NO. 16 KENTUCKY 81, PENN 66

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Aaron Bradshaw celebrated his homecoming with 17 points and 11 rebounds and Rob Dillingham also scored 17 points to lead Kentucky past Penn at the Wells Fargo Center.

Antonio Reeves scored 16 points for Kentucky.

The Wildcats (7-2) bounced back from last week’s loss to UNC-Wilmington in front of a decisive Big Blue crowd. Kentucky took over Philly — from four area players in the roster, to the bulk of the 8,000 or so fans in attendance — and was considered the home team even though the Quakers (6-5) traveled all of about 4 miles for the game from its Ivy League campus.

Clark Slajchert led the Quakers with 17 points. Tyler Perkins scored 15 and Sam Brown hit four 3-pointers for 12 points.

NO. 17 TENNESSEE 86, NO. 20 ILLINOIS 79

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dalton Knecht scored 21 points and Tennessee rallied from a second-half deficit to beat Illinois.

Knecht had eight points in a pivotal four-minute stretch when Tennessee (6-3) rallied from a four-point deficit to a six-point lead with just over 13 minutes to play. The Illini were held scoreless in the stretch.

Guard Santiago Vescovi added 12 points and nine rebounds against the much-taller Illini. Jonas Aidoo scored 14 and Josiah-Jordan James had 12 points and seven assists.

Quincy Guerrier and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 22 each to lead Illinois (7-2). Coleman Hawkins had 12. The Illini were limited to 33% shooting from the field.

NO. 22 DUKE 80, CHARLOTTE 56

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Jared McCain scored 14 of his season-high 21 points in the first half and Duke got rolling again following two losses and a week layoff, beating Charlotte.

McCain, a freshman guard, made three 3-pointers. Jeremy Roach added 18 points, reserve Jaylen Blakes had 15 points and Mark Mitchell scored 12 for the Blue Devils (6-3).

Lu’cye Patterson had 14 points and Nik Graves scored each of his 10 points in the second half, but Charlotte (5-4) suffered its most lopsided defeat under first-year coach Aaron Fearne.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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