By R.L. Bynum
Arizona was at risk of losing back-to-back games for the first time in three seasons under Coach Tommy Lloyd before Caleb Love came to the rescue.
Love scored nine consecutive points during a second-half run to give the No. 4 Wildcats a 12-point lead, and they beat Alabama 87–74 on Wednesday in Phoenix at the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series.
That accounted for most of Love’s scoring as he finished with 13 points, but he added seven rebounds as Arizona (9–1) rebounded from a loss to Purdue in Indianapolis the game before. The Boilermakers supplanted the Wildcats as the top-ranked team after that game.
Love’s scoring flurry, with two layups and five free throws, began a 12–4 run to give Arizona a 15-point lead with 1:13 left. Love missed all four 3-point attempts to go without a 3 for the first time since going 0 of 6 in Carolina’s 62–57 loss to Duke in last season’s regular-season final on March 4.
Dontrez Styles led Georgetown in scoring again, this time with 19 points, on Tuesday in the Hoyas’ 74–65 loss at Butler in their Big East opener.
Styles was 8 of 14 from the floor and 3 of 5 from 3-point range with six rebounds for Georgetown (7–5, 0–1 Big East).
A pair of Styles jumpers in a 6–0 run cut the Hoyas’ deficit to eight points with 6:57 left, but they could come no closer.
After scoring in single digits for seven consecutive games, Kennedy Todd-Williams has produced double-digit points for three straight games.
Coming off the bench for the fourth straight game, Todd-Williams collected 11 points and seven rebounds and sparked Ole Miss (9–3) on defense in the Rebels’ 62–47 Thursday win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Todd-Williams, who was 5 of 8 from the floor, racked up that rebounding total for the third time this season to equal her season-high.
D’Marco Dunn came off the bench to score 10 points, and Puff Johnson started and netted eight as Penn State (6–6, 1–1 Big Ten) pulled back to the .500 mark with a 72–55 home win Thursday over Le Moyne.
Johnson added a career-high eight rebounds, topping his best previous game of seven for Carolina last season on Feb. 19 in the Tar Heels’ 77–69 loss at N.C. State.
Justin McKoy contributed eight points, two rebounds, three assists and a block Thursday night in Hawaii’s 69–56 win over Portland in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic, being played on the Rainbow Warriors’ home court.
Hawaii (8–2) faces Georgia Tech in a semifinal game at 11 p.m. Friday.
Tyler Nickel started for the fifth consecutive game as Virginia Tech coasted to a 77–55 home win Thursday over American. Nickel scored five points and one 3-pointer in 20 minutes.
The Hokies (9–3, 1–0 ACC), who beat Louisville 75–68 on Dec. 3 in their ACC opener, visit Wake Forest at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30 (ESPN2).
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota’s leading scorer, missed his third consecutive game with a left ankle sprain. The Gophers won at home Thursday 80–63 over Ball State. Gophers coach Ben Johnson said Garcia is progressing well but held him out of the game to be conservative.
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 — 14 games, 14 starts, 9.6 points, 43.8 FG%, 42.1 3P%, 62.1 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.4 turnovers
Team record: 14–0, 4–0 Big Ten; Rank: No. 2
Tuesday: No. 2 Michigan 74, (at) Penn State 72 — Started; 27:29, 9 points, 3–8 FG, 1–5 3FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, +3
Next game — 1 p.m. Saturday vs. Wisconsin, CBS
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 15 games, 15 starts, 8.7 points, 41.5 FG%, 39.1 3P%, 78.3 FT%, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Team record: 14–2, 1–1 SEC
Thursday: Mississippi State 75, Auburn 53 — Started; 32 minutes, team-high 17 points, 6–10 FG, 3–7 3FG, 2–3 FT, 2 fouls, 3 assists, 3 turnovers
Sunday: (at) No. 8 Oklahoma 95, Mississippi State 43 — Started; 28:39, 7 points, 2–11 FG, 1–5 3FG, 2–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, -39
Next game — 7:30 Thursday vs. No. 23 Tennessee
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 14 games, 2.1 points, 42.9 FG%, 1–3 3FG, 69.6 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 6 blocks, 4 steals
Team record: 10–4, 2–0 American
Tuesday: Tulsa 76, (at) Tulane 73 — 6 minutes, 5 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, +/- of 0
Next game — 7:30 Friday vs. Temple, 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 — 15 games, 8 starts, 11.1 points, 43.4 FG%, 35.6 3P%, 90.3 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 10–5, 3–1 Big East
Tuesday: Providence 77, St. John’s 71 — Started; 22 minutes, 7 points, 2–8 FG, 1–3 3FG, 2–3 FT, 1 rebound, 3 fouls, 1 turnover, 3 steals
Next game — 2 p.m. Saturday at Creighton, FS1
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: 15–1, 2–0 SEC; Rank: No. 6
Thursday: No. 6 Kentucky 80, (at) No. 5 LSU 78 — Started; 38:58, 17 points, 8–14 FG, 0–2 3FG, 1–1 FT, team-high 16 rebounds, 4 turnovers, 1 steal, +1
Thursday: No. 6 Kentucky 74, Missouri 52 — Started; 22:10, 5 points, 2–6 FG, 1–2 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, +10
Next game — 7 p.m. Thursday at Alabama
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 16 games, 16 starts, 12.3 points, 66.1 FG%, 3–8 3FG, 69.4 FT%, 6.8 rebounds
Team record: 11–5, 2–1 ACC
Saturday: Virginia 76, N.C. State 61 — Started; 29:43, 7 points, 2–6 FG, 0–1 3FG, 3–4 FT, 5 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 turnovers, -10
Tuesday: N.C. State 79, Boston College 71 — Started; 23:38, 7 points, 3–5 FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls, 1 assist, 1 block, -1
Next game — noon Saturday at Florida State, ACC Network
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 — 14 games, 14 starts, 14.9 points, 53.0 FG%, 49.1 3P%, 78.9 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Team record: 14–0, 1–0 SEC: Rank: No. 11
Saturday: No. 11 Vanderbilt 83, (at) South Carolina 71 — Started; 28:01, 16 points, 6–10 FG, 4–7 3FG, 0–1 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 1 turnover, +8
Next game — 9 p.m. Wednesday vs. Alabama, ESPN2
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 15 games, 9 starts, 11.0 points, 42.3 FG%, 27.1 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 7–9, 0–4 ACC
Tuesday: (at) No. 13 Louisville 91, SMU 58 — Started; 33:14, 20 points, 8–15 FG, 4–7 3FG, 0–1 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, -29
Sunday: Georgia Tech 67, SMU 59 — Started; 37:01, 12 points, 5–10 FG, 0–2 3FG, 2–4 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, 4 assists, 6 turnovers, 2 steals, -3
Next game — 6 p.m. Sunday at N.C. State, ACC Network
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 — 13 games, 2.0 points, 47.8 FG%, 28.6 3P%, 2–6 FT, 2.3 rebounds, 12 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals
Team record: 8–7, 1–1 Southern Conference
Thursday: Samford 78, (at) VMI 58 — 3 minutes, 2 points, 1–1 FG, 0–1 FT, 1 rebound, 2 fouls, 2 turnovers
Saturday: (at) UNCG 89, Samford 82 — Didn’t play
Next game — 7 p.m. Wednesday at Western Carolina, ESPN+
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 15 games, 15 starts, 21.7 points, 52.2 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 81.6 FT%, 5.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 10–5, 3–1 Big Ten
Tuesday: Minnesota 70, No. 19 Iowa 67 —Started; 32:24, 16 points, 5–12 FG, 2–5 3FG, 4–6 FT, 5 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assits, 2 steals, +/- of 0
Next game — 8:30 Friday vs. USC, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 14 games, 1 start, 10.1 points, 62.7 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 78.2 FT%, 5.31 rebounds
Team record: 14–0, 1–0 SEC: Rank: No. 11
Saturday: No. 11 Vanderbilt 83, (at) South Carolina 71 — Didn’t start; 19:35, 10 points, 3–5 FG, 4–5 FT, 8 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, +3
Next game — 9 p.m. Wednesday vs. Alabama, ESPN2
Photo via @ArizonaMBB
tarheeltribune.com 