Love scores 20, helps No. 1 Arizona slam No. 23 Badgers; Dunn has career night as Penn State rallies to win; Nickel scores 12

By R.L. Bynum

Caleb Love skyed for a highlight-reel dunk and was efficient as No. 1 Arizona made it look easy Saturday against No. 23 Wisconsin, on a day that Penn State rallied for a win over Ohio State behind a career game for D’Marco Dunn.

In 28 minutes, Love scored 20 points and three 3-pointers, both tying season-highs, while collecting seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in the Wildcats’ 98–73 home win to extend their unbeaten streak to eight.

“I know Caleb is going to play at the next level,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who called Love a high-IQ player.

Love, who was 7 of 13 from floor, has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, and leads the balanced Wildcats in scoring at 14.1 points per game.


Dunn came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points and two 3-pointers in 20 minutes as Penn State rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit for an 83–80 home win Saturday over Ohio State.

Dunn, who swiped a career-high two steals, was 7 of 11 from the floor, with the field goals and attempts both career-highs. His best previous total for points, field goals and shots came last season on Jan. 14 in Carolina’s 80–59 win at Louisville when he was 5 of 7 for 14 points.

“He wasn’t ready to play against Maryland, and I got on him about that,” Penn State coach Mike Rhoades said. “And [Saturday] he was ready to play — I think he’s just scratching the surface.”

Dunn, who swiped a career-high two steals, was 7 of 11 from the floor and 2 of 4 from 3-point range and added four rebounds and an assist as the Nittany Lions (5–5, 1–1 Big Ten) pulled back to .500 on the season.

Penn State shot 61% from the floor, made 53% of its 3-point attempts and scored 54 points in the second half.

Puff Johnson started, missed all five shots from the floor and had one point, two rebounds and an assist in 19 minutes.


In Tyler Nickel’s third start of the season, he had 12 points, four 3-pointers, three assists and a steal in Virginia Tech’s 71–50 home victory Saturday over Valparaiso, the second straight win for the Hokies (7–3, 1–0 ACC).


Destiny Adams had 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal as Rutgers’ women (6–6, 0–1 Big Ten) lost their Big Ten opener at home to No. 16 Indiana 55–56.


Dontrez Styles had seven points, five rebounds and two blocks in Georgetown’s 80–68 home loss Saturday to Syracuse.


Dawson Garcia missed Minnesota’s 77–57 Saturday home victory over Florida Gulf Coast with a left ankle sprain, and is also expected to miss the 7 p.m. Tuesday home game against IUPUI. The Minnesota coaching staff was relieved that it wasn’t a high ankle sprain, but still didn’t want to rush Garcia back too quickly.


Will Shaver had two rebounds in one minute in UAB’s 97-68 road loss Saturday to Arkansas State as the Blazers fell to 4–5.


Checking in on 11 former Heels

Destiny Adams, Rutgers forward

6–3 | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)

77–69 Wednesday, March 6, loss vs. Minnesota in first round of Big Ten tournament Started; 38 minutes, 31 points, 12–24 FG, 0–1 3FG, 7–12 FT, career-high 24 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 fouls, 4 turnovers, 1 block, 1 steal, -11, 16.7 game score
Season statistics — 32 games, 32 starts, 15.6 points, 50.1 FG%, 1–8 3FG, 68.3 FT%, 7.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.8 of a block
Record 8–24; season over


D’Marco Dunn, Penn State guard

6–5, 195 pounds | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)

61–59 Thursday, March 13, loss vs. Indiana in second round of Big Ten tournament Didn’t start; 25 minutes, 9 points, 2–5 FG, 1–2 3PFG, 2 rebounds, 1 foul, -11, 4.9 game score
Season statistics — 33 games, 12 starts; 6.8 points, 39.5 FG%, 36.6 3P%, 73.8 FT%, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 of an assist
Record 16–17; season over


Dawson Garcia, Minnesota forward

6–11, 230 pounds | Junior | UNC 2020–21 (part of 1 season)

73–72 Tuesday win at Butler in the first round of the NIT Started; 34 minutes, 25 points, 11–19 FG, 1–4 3FG, 2–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 turnovers
76–64 Sunday loss at Indiana State in the second round of the NIT Started; 28 minutes, 6 points, 2–5 FG, 2–2 FT, 12 rebounds, 4 fouls, 4 turnovers, 2 blocks
Season statistics — 31 games, 31 starts; 17.6 points (led team), 48.6 FG%, 31.9 3P%, 80.2 FT%, 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 block
Record 19–15; season over


Puff Johnson, Penn State wing

6–8, 205 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)

61–59 Thursday, March 13, loss vs. Indiana in second round of Big Ten tournament Started; 31 minutes, 16 points, 4–11 FG, 2–6 3PFG, 7–7 FT, 8 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 steals, -5, 12.1 game score
Season statistics — 29 games, 12 starts; 7.3 points, 42.2 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 78.5 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 0.7 of a steal
Record 16–17; season over


Caleb Love, Arizona guard

6–4, 205 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)

85–65 Thursday win over Long Beach State in the first round of NCAA tournament quarterfinals in Salt Lake City — Started; 34 minutes, 18 points, 6–17 FG, 3–12 3FG, 3–5 FT, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 2 steals, +24, 18.0 game score
78–68 Saturday win vs. Dayton in the second round of NCAA tournament in Salt Lake City Started; 35 minutes, 19 points, 6–15 FG, 3–8 3FG, 4–6 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 foul, 5 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 block 1 steal, +6, 11.8 game score
Season statistics — 35 games, 35 starts; 18.1 points (leads team), 41.8 FG%, 34.3 3P%, 83.6 FT%, 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals
Record 27–8; Rank No. 6; Next game — 7:09 Thursday vs. Clemson in NCAA Sweet 16 in Los Angeles, CBS


Justin McKoy, Hawaii guard

6–8, 230 pounds | Graduate student | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)

68–65 Friday, March 15, loss vs. UC Davis in semifinals of Big West tournament — Started; 33 minutes, 10 points, 3–11 FG, 0–3 3FG, 4–4 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 fouls, -9, 1.6 game score
Season statistics — 34 games, 34 starts, 12.4 points, 47.4 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 87.2 FT%, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Record 20–14; season over


Tyler Nickel, Virginia Tech guard

6–7, 225 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)

74–58 Tuesday win vs. Richmond in the first round of NIT Didn’t start; 17 minutes, 3 points, 1–1 FG, 1–1 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 foul, +2, 3.3 game score
81–73 Saturday loss at Ohio State in the second round of NIT Didn’t start; 12 minutes, 6 points, 2–7 FG, 2–4 3PFG, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, -9, 0.1 game score
Season statistics — 34 games, 7 starts; 8.8 points, 43.8 FG%, 39.9 3P%, 82.0 FT%, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Record 19–15; season over


Will Shaver, UAB center

6–10, 270 pounds | Redshirt sophomore | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)

69–65 Friday loss vs. San Diego State in the first round of NCAA tournament in Spokane, Wash. 4 minutes, 1 point, 1–2 FT, -4, 0.6 game score
Season statistics — 18 games, 87 minutes, 20 points, 6–17 FG, 0–2 3FG, 8–16 FT, 18 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal
Record 23–12; season over


Dontrez Styles, Georgetown wing

6–6, 212 pounds | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)

74–56 Wednesday, March 13, loss vs. Providence in first round of Big East tournament Started; 35 minutes, 7 points, 3–7 FG, 0–3 3FG, 1–5 FT, 9 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 fouls, 2 turnovers
Season statistics — 32 games, 32 starts, 12.8 points, 43.0 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 77.6 FT%, 5.8 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 0.6 of a block
Record 9–23; season over


Kennedy Todd-Williams, Ole Miss guard

6–0 | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)

67–55 Saturday win vs. Marquette in South Bend, Ind., in first round of NCAA tournament Started; 35 minutes, 15 points, 5–13 FG, 2–4 3FG, 3–6 FT, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, 2 steals, +15, 12.2 game score
71–56 Monday loss at Notre Dame in the second round of NCAA tournament Started; 33 minutes, 15 points, 5–12 FG, 1–6 3FG, 4–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 fouls, 3 steals, -12, 9.4 game score
Season statistics — 33 games, 25 starts; 10.6 points, 38.4 FG%, 26.7 3PFG%, 78.0 FT%, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals
Record — 24–9; season over


Kerwin Walton, Texas Tech guard

65, 200 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–22 (2 seasons)

80–67 Thursday loss to N.C. State in Pittsburgh in the first round of the NCAA tournament Started; 20 minutes, 9 points, 3–5 FG, 3–4 3PFG, 5 rebounds, 4 fouls, -2, 8.2 game score
Season statistics — 32 games, 25 starts, 8.4 points, 49.5 FG%, 47.0 3P%, 72.7 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 0.5 of an assist
Record 23–11; season over

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