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.
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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 — 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 @ArizonaMBB
