SPOKANE, Wash. — Eric Mika had 29 points and 11 rebounds to help BYU upset No. 1 Gonzaga 79-71 on Saturday night, ending the Bulldogs’ quest to go undefeated in the final game of the regular season. ADVERTISING SPOKANE, Wash.
SPOKANE, Wash. — Eric Mika had 29 points and 11 rebounds to help BYU upset No. 1 Gonzaga 79-71 on Saturday night, ending the Bulldogs’ quest to go undefeated in the final game of the regular season.
Nigel Williams-Goss scored 19 points for Gonzaga (29-1, 17-1 West Coast), which was seeking to become the first team since Kentucky in 2014-15 to finish the regular season without a loss.
Mika’s basket with a minute left gave BYU (21-10, 12-6) a 73-71 lead.
Gonzaga lost the ball on its next two possessions, and Corbin Kaufusi had a putback and Mika hit two free throws to put the game out of reach.
The last team to finish the entire season undefeated was Indiana in 1975-76.
Gonzaga came out fired up and jumped to an 18-2 lead in the first five minutes, making 7 of 10 shots.
The Zags cooled off and three consecutive 3-pointers by BYU’s T.J. Haws cut Gonzaga’s lead to 26-22.
Mika’s basket cut Gonzaga’s lead to one point before the Bulldogs closed with a 10-5 run to take a 41-35 lead at halftime.
Zach Collins’ putback gave Gonzaga a 58-46 lead midway through the second.
A technical foul on Gonzaga helped BYU cut its deficit to 58-53, and seemed to spark the Cougars. A pair of 3-pointers by Nick Emery cut Gonzaga’s lead to one, and Mika’s basket gave the Cougars their first lead at 61-60.
The teams traded baskets until Mika put the Cougars ahead for good.
No. 5 UCLA 77, No. 4 ARIZONA 72
TUCSON, Ariz. — Thomas Welsh scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and No. 5 UCLA dominated the offensive boards to beat Arizona in a Pac-12 showdown.
The Bruins (26-3, 13-3) snapped Arizona’s 21-game home court winning streak and dropped the Wildcats (26-4, 15-2) into a tie with Oregon for first place in the Pac-12 heading into the final week of the regular season. The Ducks hold the tiebreaker by beating Arizona in the teams’ only meeting.
UCLA, avenging a 96-85 home loss to Arizona on Jan. 21, trailed 53-49 at the half but took control with a 19-4 second-half run.
Allonzo Trier scored a career-high 28 for the Wildcats.
UCLA had 19 second-chance points to Arizona’s four.
No. 2 VILLANOVA 79, No. 23 CREIGHTON 63
VILLANOVA, Pa. — Eric Paschall scored a season-high 19 points and Josh Hart added 16 to help Villanova wrap up its fourth straight Big East regular-season title.
Kris Jenkins scored 15 points and Mikal Bridges had 11 for the defending national champion Wildcats (27-3, 14-3).
Marcus Foster scored 25 points and Khyri Thomas had 17 for Creighton (22-7, 9-7). It has lost six of 10 after an 18-1 start.
No. 3 KANSAS 77, TEXAS 67.
AUSTIN, Texas — Josh Jackson scored 18 points and Frank Mason III added 16 to help Kansas beat Texas and win its 13th consecutive Big 12 regular-season championship outright.
Devonte Graham and Dwight Coleby added points 12 apiece for the Jayhawks (26-3, 14-2 Big 12).
Jarrett Allen led Texas (10-19, 4-12) with 20 points, and Andrew Jones added 18.
No. 5 OREGON 75, STANFORD 73
STANFORD, Calif. — Jordan Bell scored on a putback with 14 seconds left to give Oregon a rare Bay Area sweep.
Bell’s game-winner followed Dillon Brooks’ last-second, tiebreaking 3-pointer three nights earlier at California to give Oregon (26-4, 15-2 Pac-12) its second sweep of its conference Bay Area rivals since 1976.
Tyler Dorsey scored 15 points to lead Oregon, while Brooks added 14.
Reid Travis had 27 points and 14 rebounds to lead the way for the Cardinal (14-14, 6-10).
No. 8 N. CAROLINA 85, PITTSBURGH 67
PITTSBURGH — Justin Jackson scored 23 points, Joel Berry added 19 and North Carolina continued its march to the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title.
The Tar Heels (25-5, 13-3) have won four straight following a loss to arch rival Duke two weeks ago. North Carolina can clinch its second straight ACC regular season crown and 31st overall with a win at No. 18 Virginia on Monday.
Michael Young and fellow senior Jamel Artis finished with 17 points each for the Panthers (15-14, 4-12).
IOWA ST. 72, No. 9 BAYLOR 69
AMES, Iowa — Deonte Burton scored 22 points, including a crucial 3 with 1:17 left, and Iowa State won its fifth straight.
Monte Morris had 17 points with seven assists for the Cyclones (19-9, 11-5 Big 12), who have their longest winning streak in league play since a seven-game stretch in 2005.
Johnathan Motley had 27 points and 11 rebounds for Baylor (23-6, 10-6).
MIAMI 55, No. 10 DUKE 50
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Bruce Brown scored 25 points, and Miami held Duke a staggering 32 points below its season average.
Brown shot 11 for 18 and had four assists, while his teammates shot just 11 for 40 with four assists combined. Yet it was enough for the Hurricanes (20-8, 10-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), who dominated inside and outscored Duke 40-20 in the paint.
Frank Jackson and Luke Kennard each scored 16 points for Duke (22-7, 10-6), which lost its second straight to an unranked opponent.
