By R.L. Bynum
Three former Carolina players had big games in tough losses Saturday.
Caleb Love’s season-high 29 points, 20 in the second half, weren’t enough for No. 1 Arizona to overcome No. 3 Purdue. D’Marco Dunn scored a career-high 17 points, and Puff Johnson had a season-high 15 points in a tough overtime loss with a controversial finish.
Dunn and Johnson both scored three 3-pointers as Penn State (5–6) lost at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon to Georgia Tech 82–81 in overtime.
Dunn had three rebounds and two steals off the bench, with the three 3-pointers tying his career-high. Johnson, who got his fourth start, battled foul trouble with four fouls and collected four rebounds and two steals, scoring 15 points in the second half and five in overtime.
“I can’t come out slow and start that way; it puts us in a hole,” Johnson said of going scoreless in the first half. “This is a team that’s going to fight, no matter what the scoreboard says. We’re not a team that’s going to lay down.”
Penn State trailed by two at halftime but fell behind by 10 points with five minutes left.
Johnson’s 3-pointer with 4:39 left in regulation cut the deficit to five. A Dunn 3-pointer and a Johnson layup with 1:19 left put Penn State up one. A free throw by the Jackets’ Kowacie Reeves with 1:12 left sent the game into overtime.
“We’re not in a position to win this game without Puff Johnson,” Penn State coach Mike Rhoades said.
A Johnson layup, then 3-pointer with 2:20 remaining left in overtime gave Penn State a one-point edge. The teams traded leads before two Miles Kelly free throws with 2.1 seconds left won it for Georgia Tech after a controversial foul call.
On Georgia Tech’s last possession, Kelly scrambled to grab a rebound and put up a desperate, off-balance shot. Penn State’s Ace Baldwin Jr., who was on the floor at Kelly’s feet, was whistled with the foul that sent Kelly to the line.
Top-ranked Arizona suffered its first loss of the season, 92–84 in Indianapolis to Purdue, the Boilermakers’ first win over a No. 1 team since beating the Wildcats 72–69 on Nov. 25, 2000.
“I’m not trying to be the No. 1-ranked team in December. [The media] decides that, not me,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “It was two great teams going at it, and I thought it was a great atmosphere. It was basically a road game for the most part. I think our guys dug in and fought back. I think this is going a long way to really help our program.”
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Love was 9 of 19 from the floor, 4 of 9 from 3-point range, made all seven free-throw attempts and had six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block for a 24.7 game score.
Love’s career-high is 34 points for UNC against Alabama last season.
Tyler Nickel started his fourth game for Virginia Tech and scored 13 points and two 3-pointers with two rebounds and two assists in the Hokies’ 73–51 home win over Vermont.
Dontrez Styles scored 10 points and two 3-pointers with five rebounds in Georgetown’s 72–78 overtime home victory Saturday at Notre Dame.
Destiny Adams contributed 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal in Rutgers’ 66–55 Wednesday loss at Princeton. In Sunday’s 84–59 home loss to No. 16 Virginia Tech, Adams picked up three fouls in the first five minutes and finsihed with two points and five rebounds and fell to 6–8.
Justin McKoy had eight points, five rebounds and two assists in Hawaii’s 72–66 Sunday home loss to Nevada. His game against Portland at 10 p.m. Thursday in the Diamond Head Classic will air on ESPN2.
After not playing in UAB’s 93–82 Wednesday win at Alabama A&M, Will Shaver had six points and three rebounds in 12 minutes of the Blazers’ 92–56 Sunday home win over Montevallo. They were his first points of the season.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 38 games, 38 starts, 10.2 points, 41.6 FG%, 37.7 3P%, 69.4 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists
Team record: 35–3; Rank: No. 3
Friday: 90–77 win Midwest Regional Sweet 16 in Chicago vs. No. 18 Alabama — Started; 33:37, 17 points, 6–14 FG, 3–8 3FG, 2–5 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block, +15
Sunday: 95–62 win Midwest Regional final in Chicago vs. No. 23 Tennessee — Started; 34:20, 8 points, 3–7 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, 10 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, +30
Next game — 8:49 p.m. Saturday vs. No. 2 Arizona at Final Four in Indianapolis, TBS
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 30 games, 30 starts, 8.7 points, 38.3 FG%, 37.1 3P%, 84.6 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 18–13
Season ended with SEC tournament loss
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.3 points, 43.6 FG%, 4–10 3FG, 69.7 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 8 blocks, 12 steals
Team record: 19–12
Season ended with loss in American Conference tournament
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 — 36 games, 19 starts, 9.4 points, 40.9 FG%, 34.3 3P%, 90.0 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 30–7; Rank: No. 13
Friday: 80–75 loss in East Regional Sweet 16 in Washington vs. No. 1 Duke — Didn’t start; 16 minutes, 5 points, 2–8 FG, 1–7 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 2 assists
Season ended with loss to Duke
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 21–13
Season statistics — 9 games, 1 start, 2.3 points, 33.3 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 6–9 FT, 1.1 rebounds
Season ended with first-round NCAA tournament loss to TCU
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 28 games, 28 starts, 11.4 points, 51.2 FG%, 2–15 3FG, 69.8 FT%, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Team record: 25–11; Rank: No. 17
Saturday: 76–54 loss in Fort Worth Regional 1 Sweet 16 vs. No. 3 Texas — Started; 31:31, 10 points, 2–8 FG, 0–1 3FG, 6–6 FT, 9 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, -17
Season ended with loss to Texas
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 34 games, 34 starts, 13.6 points, ACC-leading 66.8 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 73.3 FT%, 7.1 rebounds
Team record: 20–14
Season ended with NCAA First Four loss to Texas
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 36 games, 36 starts, 13.5 points, 44.4 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 84.7 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Team record: 27–9: Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Season statistics — 20 games, 12 starts, 9.6 points, 39.9 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 9–21, 2–16 ACC
Season ended with left foot injury in February
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.6 points, 47.6 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 59.3 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 17 blocks, 7 steals
Team record: 18–14
Season ended with loss in Southern Conference tournament
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 31 games, 32 starts, team-leading 19.6 points, 50.0 FG%, 42.2 3P%, 82.6 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Team record: 15–17
Next game — 10:30 Wednesday at College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas vs. Baylor, FS1 (first game since March 11)
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 36 games, 9 starts, 8.9 points, 56.3 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 74.1 FT%, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 27–9; Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament
Photo via @PennStateMBB
