By R.L. Bynum
Dontrez Styles had another big game for Georgetown in Saturday night’s 88–81 home victory over Jackson State in the Hoyas’ third straight win.
Styles, second on the team with a 17.8 scoring average, scored 22 points and two 3-pointers, and had five rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
The Hoyas (4–2) rebounded from losses to Holy Cross and Rutgers before the three-game streak. In the three wins, Styles is averaging 23.3 points and eight rebounds and hasn’t turned the ball over.
Styles said that the team is learning from the early setbacks.
“The journey is going to be the journey,” said Styles, who scored 13 first-half points. “There’s going to be ups and downs, so you just got to embrace it. The team is new — new staff, new players. So we’re all trying to jell, but we know at the end of the day we’re trying to win. So we’ve got to do whatever it takes to speed it up as much as possible.”
Styles is 12 of 30 from 3-point range, but has been most dangerous with short jumpers.
“A lot of kids don’t really do the mid-range game anymore, but I know that’s where my strength is so I go out there and play with confidence,” he said.
Justin McKoy led Hawaii to the championship at the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Desert, Calif., with a 76–57 Friday victory over UT Rio Grande Valley and a 77–66 Saturday win over San Diego.
McKoy, averaging 12.4 points through five games, had seven points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two steals on Friday, then 17 points and five rebounds in the championship game.
The Rainbow Warriors are 5–0 for the first time since the 2010–11 season.
Penn State lost all three games at the ESPN Events Invitational near Orlando. The Nittany Lions (4–3), after falling 89–77 in the first round to No. 12 Texas A&M, fell 88–78 Friday against Butler and 86–74 in a Sunday morning loss to VCU.
D’Marco Dunn had two points and four rebounds Friday, then collected 11 points and three steals on Sunday. Puff Johnson had four points and two rebounds Friday, then contributed seven points, two rebounds and two steals on Sunday.
In that same ESPN Events Invitational, Tyler Nickel had two points, a rebound and an assist in 24 minutes as Virginia Tech lost Sunday to No. 19 Florida Atlantic 84–50.
Dawson Garcia had 19 points, two 3-pointers and six rebounds as Minnesota (4–2) lost 67–58 at San Francisco on Sunday night.
Destiny Adams’ Rutgers team (3–5) has lost three in a row after losing both games over the weekend at the South Point Classic in Las Vegas.
Adams had 13 points, three rebounds and three assists before fouling out in the Scarlet Knights’ 79–72 Friday loss to Texas Tech, and had six points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals in Saturday’s 68–65 setback against Boise State.
In a 58-45 Saturday win over Little Rock, Kennedy Todd-Williams contributed 11 points and six rebounds for No. 24 Ole Miss.
Todd Williams is shooting 31.3% from the floor on the season but has made only 2 of 16 3-point attempts.
In Texas Tech’s 73–57 Friday victory in a losers’ bracket game at the Battle 4 Atlantis, Kerwin Walton had two points in 16 minutes. He has eight points over five games for the 5–1 Red Raiders.
Will Shaver didn’t play in UAB’s 92–86 home win Saturday over Furman and has only gotten into two of the six games for the 4–2 Blazers.
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 — 12 games, 12 starts, 9.8 points, 46.1 FG%, 45.8 3P%, 60.9 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.3 turnovers
Team record: 12–0, 2–0 Big Ten; Rank: No. 2
Monday: No. 2 Michigan 112, McNeese 71 — Started; 17 minutes, 7 points, 2–3 FG, 2–2 3FG, 1–2 FT, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 fouls, 2 turnovers, 1 steal ,+30
Next game — 7 p.m. Friday vs. USC, Peacock
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 13 games, 13 starts, 8.2 points, 42.4 FG%, 40.4 3P%, 77.8 FT%, 1.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists
Team record: 13–1
Sunday: Mississippi State 112, Samford 54 — Missed game with illness
Next game — 7:30 Thursday vs. Auburn
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 12 games, 2.4 points, 50.0 FG%, 1–2 3FG, 69.6 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals
Team record: 8–4
Sunday, Dec. 21: Tulsa 74, (at) Florida 67 — 6 minutes, 2 rebounds, 1 foul
Next game — 6:30 Tuesday vs. Wichita State, 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 — 12 games, 5 starts, 11.6 points, 47.1 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 87.0 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 8–4, 1–0 Big East
Tuesday, Dec. 23: St. John’s 85, Harvard 59 — Started; 25 minutes, 14 points, 4–9 FG, 4–8 3FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 assist, 1 block
Next game — 8 p.m. Wednesday at Georgetown, FS1
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 11.0 points, 55.9 FG%, 1–10 3FG, 71.1 FT%, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
Team record: 13–1; Rank: No. 11
Sunday: No. 11 Kentucky 80, Hofstra 42 — Didn’t play to manage lingering injury after a fall
Next game — 8 p.m. Thursday at No. 5 LSU
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 13 games, 13 starts, 13.2 points, 69.0 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 69.8 FT%, 6.8 rebounds
Team record: 9–4
Sunday, Dec. 21: N.C. State 76, Ole Miss 62 in Greensboro — Started; 31:17, 15 points, 7–8 FG, 0–1 3FG, 1–1 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 2 steals, =/- of 0
Next game — noon Wednesday vs. Wake Forest, ESPN2
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 — 13 games, 13 starts, 14.8 points, 52.4 FG%, 48.5 3P%, 83.3 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Team record: 13–0: Rank: No. 11
Monday: No. 11 Vanderbilt 96, New Haven 53 — Started; 31 minutes, 9 points, 3–5 FG, 3–5 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, +42
Next game — 1 p.m. Saturday at South Carolina, ESPNU
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 13 games, 7 starts, 10.2 points, 40.3 FG%, 24.0 3P%, 75.0 FT%, 3.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Team record: 7–7, 0–2 ACC
Monday: (at) Virginia 76, SMU 52 — Started; 34 minutes, 14 points, 6–15 FG, 1–7 3FG, 1–2 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 fouls, 3 turnovers, -16
Next game — 1 p.m. Thursday at No. 13 Louisville, 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 — 12 games, 2.0 points, 44.4 FG%, 28.6 3P%, 2–5 FT, 2.4 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 blocks, 2 steals
Team record: 7–6
Friday, Dec. 19: Samford 85, Reinhardt 49 — 21 minutes, 4 points, 2–4 FG, 0–1 3FG, 0–1 FT, 8 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assists, 3 turnovers
Next game — 1 p.m. Thursday at VMI
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 13 games, 13 starts, 21.9 points, 53.4 FG%, 40.5 3P%, 81.3 FT%, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists
Team record: 8–5, 1–1 Big Ten
Monday: Minnesota 60, FDU 43 —Started; 29 minutes, 12 points, 5–10 FG, 1–5 3FG, 1–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 fouls, 2 turnovers, +1
Next game — 5 p.m. Saturday at Northwestern, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 13 games, 1 start, 10.2 points, 62.9 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 78.0 FT%, 5.1 rebounds
Team record: 13–0: Rank: No. 11
Monday: No. 11 Vanderbilt 96, New Haven 53 — Didn’t start; 23 minutes, 21 points, 9–11 FG, 3–4 FG, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal, +7
Next game — 1 p.m. Saturday at South Carolina, ESPNU
Photo via @GeorgetownHoops
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