EAST LANSING, Mich. — Adreian Payne scored 26 points and No. 2 Michigan State avoided a stunning upset Friday night, holding off Columbia 62-53 in the final minutes.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Adreian Payne scored 26 points and No. 2 Michigan State avoided a stunning upset Friday night, holding off Columbia 62-53 in the final minutes.
The Spartans (3-0) beat top-ranked Kentucky earlier in the week, and they’ll have a chance to move to the top of next week’s AP Top 25, but only after trailing for a majority of the second half against the poised, patient Lions (1-2).
Maodo Lo had 12 points for Columbia.
Michigan State scored the game’s first nine points, but the Spartans trailed 26-22 at halftime and didn’t lead again until Gary Harris’ three-point play put Michigan State ahead 49-46 with 7:28 to go.
No. 3 LOUISVILLE 99,
CORNELL 54
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kevin Ware scored quickly in his return for Louisville and the defending NCAA champion Cardinals beat Cornell for their school-record 19th straight win.
Ware shattered his leg during last season’s Midwest Regional final. He played in an exhibition this season, then sat out the first two games for the Cardinals (3-0).
No. 4 DUKE 97,
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 64
DURHAM, N.C. — Rodney Hood scored a career-high 28 points, Jabari Parker added 21 for Duke.
Parker had his third straight 20-point performance and also got 10 rebounds. He became the first freshman in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 34 seasons at Duke to begin his career with three consecutive 20-point games.
No. 8 OKLAHOMA STATE 97, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 63
STILLWATER, Okla. — Phil Forte and Markel Brown each scored 22 points for Oklahoma State.
Marcus Smart added 16 points for the Cowboys (3-0). Le’Bryan Nash had nine points and a game-high eight rebounds.
No. 12 NORTH CAROLINA 62, HOLY CROSS 54
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Marcus Paige scored a career-high 23 points to help North Carolina push its way past Holy Cross in the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament.
Paige scored 16 points after halftime and joined with fellow sophomore Brice Johnson to give the Tar Heels (2-0) the spark they needed to break free from a 35-all tie.