By R.L. Bynum
Caleb Love came through in the clutch against a ranked team for the second time this season for No. 3 Arizona.
The senior guard scored a team-high 17 points, split a pair of free-throw attempts with 24.6 seconds left and made a key late steal as the Wildcats beat No. 21 Michigan State 74–68 on Thursday in Palm Desert, Calif.
Michigan State inbounded a pass down four points with 12 seconds left, but Love stole the ball and threw it ahead to K.J. Lewis for a dunk to put the game away for Arizona (6–0).
His big game comes nearly two weeks after hitting four clutch late free throws and scoring 11 points in the Wildcats’ 78–73 victory at Duke.
Love was 7 of 20 from the floor and 2 of 9 from 3-point range, but one of his 3-pointers with 0.8 of a second left in the first half gave Arizona a 40–30 halftime lead. He dished out four assists against two turnovers and had one steal in a team-high 37 minutes.
Puff Johnson came a point away from his career high with 15 points in Penn State’s 89–51 loss Thursday in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Fla.
In only his third game of the season, he was 5 of 8 from the floor, scored a 3-pointer and pulled down four rebounds for the Nittany Lions (4–1) in their first loss of the season.
D’Marco Dunn contributed five points and a rebound in eight minutes.
Penn State faces Butler at 1:30 Friday in a losers’ bracket game.
After playing in only three of Texas Tech’s first four games for 13 total minutes, Kerwin Walton was on the court for 15 minutes Thursday, including in crunch time, in the Red Raiders’ 72–70 win over Northern Iowa in a losers’ bracket game at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Walton, who played two scoreless minutes in Texas Tech’s 85–69 first-round loss to Villanova, hit a 3-pointer with 6:28 left for his only points to pull the Red Raiders within three points against Northern Iowa. They rallied and led by four with 2:52 remaining before holding on for the victory.
Texas Tech (4–1) faces Thursday night’s Michigan-Stanford winner at 6 p.m. Friday for fifth place.
Tyler Nickel collected 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in Virginia Tech’s 82–75 win over Boise State in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Fla. The Hokies (4–1) face Iowa State in the semifinals at 5:30 Friday (ESPN2).
It was Nickel’s second consecutive 14-point game after missing a game with an illness.
In Minnesota’s 86–67 home win Tuesday over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Dawson Garcia had 19 points, nine rebounds and two assists for the Gophers (4–1).
On Tuesday night, Justin McKoy collected 11 points and seven rebounds in Hawaii’s 70–61 home victory over Northern Arizona as the Rainbow Warriors moved to 3–0.
Will Shaver played five scoreless minutes, missing his only shot, in UAB’s 58–57 Tuesday night win at Middle Tennessee.
In the Battle 4 Atlantis women’s championship game on Monday night, No. 24 Ole Miss beat Michigan 60–49. Kennedy Todd-Williams had eight points and four rebounds.
Destiny Adams contributed nine points and four rebounds in Rutgers’ 78–54 Monday home loss to Fairfield, dropping the Scarlett Knights to 3–3.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting point guard ahead of sophomore L.J. Cason
Season statistics — 20 games, 20 starts, 10.1 points, 43.7 FG%, 41.0 3P%, 67.9 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.7 turnovers
Team record: 19–1, 7–1 Big Ten; Rank: No. 3
Tuesday: 75–72 win at No. 7 Nebraska — Started; 32:55, 7 points, 2–8 FG, 2–6 3FG, 1–2 FT, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 fouls, 8 turnovers, 2 steals, +9
Next game — 8 p.m. Friday at No. 7 Michigan State, Fox
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 20 games, 20 starts, 8.8 points, 40.3 FG%, 38.4 3P%, 85.7 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Team record: 15–6, 2–5 SEC
Sunday: 85–78 loss at No. 24 Alabama — Started; 27 minutes, 11 points, 2–7 FG, 1–6 3FG, 6–6 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 turnovers
Next game — 5:30 Thursday at No. 15 Tennessee
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 20 games, 2.2 points, 47.6 FG%, 2–5 3FG, 75.9 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 8 blocks, 6 steals
Team record: 14–6, 6–2 American
Tuesday: 77–48 win vs. Florida Atlantic — 16 minutes, 6 points, 1–2 FG, 0–1 3FG, 4–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 assists, 1 block
Next game — 3 p.m. Saturday vs. Memphis, ESPN+
Ian Jackson, St. John’s guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter, sharing time in a point-guard-by-committee mix
Season statistics — 20 games, 13 starts, 10.8 points, 44.4 FG%, 36.4 3P%, 89.5 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 15–5, 8–1 Big East; Rank: No. 25
Saturday: 88–83 win at Xavier — Started; 26 minutes, 16 points, 6–11 FG, 3–5 3FG, 1–3 FT, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers
Next game — 7 p.m. Wednesday vs. Butler, Peacock, NBCSN
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 14–6, 6–4 Big Ten
Season statistics — 2 games, 18 minutes, 2 points, 1–3 FG, 0–1 FT, 3 rebounds
Friday: 74–62 loss at No. 3 Michigan — 5 minutes, 1 foul, -9
Monday: 84–78 win vs. Penn State — 13 minutes, 2 points, 1–3 FG, 0–1 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 turnover
Next game — 2 p.m. Saturday at Wisconsin, Fox
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 14 games, 14 starts, 11.0 points, 54.9 FG%, 1–12 3FG, 70.7 FT%, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Team record: 17–5, 4–4 SEC; Rank: No. 18
Thursday: 69–58 loss at No. 17 Tennessee and Saturday: 72–67 loss vs. No. 23 Georgia— Missed both games recovering from a dislocated elbow
Next game — 2 p.m. Sunday at Arkansas, SEC Network
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 21 games, 21 starts, 13.6 points, 68.5 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 72.7 FT%, 7.0 rebounds
Team record: 15–6, 6–2 ACC
Tuesday: 88–68 win vs. Syracuse — Started; 26:14, 18 points, 8–8 FG, 2–2 FT, 9 rebounds, 2 fouls, 2 assists, +9
Next game — 3:45 Saturday at Wake Forest, The CW
Plays UNC —7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, ESPN or ESPN2
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 21 games, 21 starts, 17.5 points, 51.4 FG%, 45.8 3P%, 83.9 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 18–3, 5–3 SEC: Rank: No. 18
Tuesday: 80–55 win vs. Kentucky — Started, 28:20, 19 points, 7–14 FG, 2–6 3FG, 3–3 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 2 steals, 1 block, +14
Next game — 8:30 Saturday at Ole Miss, SEC Network
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 18 games, 11 starts, 9.7 points, 40.2 FG%, 23.2 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 8–13, 1–8 ACC
Thursday: Florida State 73, SMU 51 — Started; 20:25, 4 points, 2–7 FG, 0–4 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 assists, 2 steals, +1
Sunday: Miami 75, SMU 66 — Didn’t start; 10:52, 0–2 FG, 4 fouls, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 steal, -7
Next game — 7 p.m. Thursday at Clemson, ACCN Extra
Plays UNC — 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at Carmichael Arena, ACCN
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 19 games, 2.8 points, 48.8 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 53.3 FT%, 2.2 rebounds, 13 assists, 8 blocks, 3 steals
Team record: 10–11, 3–5 Southern Conference
Wednesday: 88–78 loss at Wofford — 4 minutes, 0–1 FG, 1 foul, 1 assist
Saturday: 75–64 win vs. Chattanooga — 8 minutes, 2 points, 1–2 FG, 0–3 FT, 1 rebound, 2 fouls
Next game — 5 p.m. Thursday at Furman, CBSSN
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 20 games, 20 starts, 20.1 points, 50.4 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 80.1 FT%, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Team record: 10–10, 3–6 Big Ten
Saturday: 76–57 loss vs. No. 7 Nebraska — Started; 30 minutes, 12 points, 5–9 FG, 2–4 3FG, 0–1 FT, 6 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 1 turnover
Next game — 9 p.m. Wednesday at Wisconsin, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 21 games, 2 starts, 9.1 points, 57.7 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 72.5 FT%, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Team record: 18–3, 5–3 SEC: Rank: No. 18
Tuesday: 80–55 win vs. Kentucky — Started; 16:45, 0 points, 0–5 FG, 0–1 3FG, 9 rebounds, 5 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 block, +11
Next game — 8:30 Saturday at Ole Miss, SEC Network
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