EVANSTON, Ill .: Boo Buie scored a career-high 30 points and Northwestern beat Michigan State for the first time in nearly a decade, edging the No.4 Spartans 79-65 on Sunday night.
Pete Nance added 15 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Northwest’s biggest win since his first NCAA tournament appearance in 2017. Freshman Ty Berry had 12 points in the Big Ten’s first game for each school, including three from the 10 3-point Wildcats.
Northwestern (4-1) stopped a 12-game slide in the series with its first win over Michigan State since Jan. 14, 2012. It was also the Wildcats’ first victory over a top five team in the AP poll. since 83-65 victory over Magic Johnson and then-No. 4 Michigan State January 27, 1979.
This year, the Spartans looked rusty in their first game in a week and just their second overall since December 7. They were supposed to play at Virginia on December 9, but that game was postponed due to COVID-19[feminine[feminine problems with the Cavaliers.
Aaron Henry scored 11 points for Michigan State (6-1, 0-1) and Malik Hall finished with 10 points and nine tables. The Spartans shot just 39 percent from the field.
NO. 6 HOUSTON 88, STATE OF ALCORN 55
HOUSTON: Quentin Grimes had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Reggie Chaney added 18 points and six rebounds, and Houston overcame the absence of several key games to rout Alcorn State.
Houston (5-0) was limited to nine players due to COVID-19[feminine[feminine protocols and injuries. The Cougars have played without second-leading scorer Marcus Sasser, American Athletics Conference preseason player of the year Caleb Mills, reserve guards Cameron Tyson and Ryan Elvin and center Caleb Broodo.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson and his son, assistant coach Kellen Sampson, returned after missing the Cougars’ final game on Dec. 5 due to COVID-19[feminine[feminine
and contact tracing protocols.
Jamal Shead added 10 points for Houston. The Cougars shot 50% and had a 48-29 rebound advantage, including 21-10 on the offensive boards. Houston turned that into a 23-8 second-chance points advantage.
Troymain Crosby scored 23 points and David Pierce III added 16 points for Alcorn State (0-2). The Braves shot 36%, or 5 of 19 out of 3 points.
NON. 9 CREIGHTON 76, UCONN 74, OT
STORRS, Connecticut: Christian Bishop scored 19 points and Creighton had a 9-0 overtime run to beat UConn in the Huskies’ first game at Big East since March 2013.
Mitch Ballock added 13 points for the Bluejays (6-2, 2-1) and Marcus Zegarowski had 11 points and eight rebounds.
James Bouknight scored a career-high 40 points for the Huskies (3-1) in their first game in 17 days thanks to coronavirus-related issues. They have spent the past seven seasons at the American Athletic Conference.
NO. 11 TEXAS 77, STATE OF OKLAHOMA 74
AUSTIN, Texas: Freshman Greg Brown had 24 points and 14 rebounds to help Texas beat Oklahoma in Game 1 of the Longhorns Big 12.
Brown made four free throws in the final 37 seconds as Texas (7-1) survived a late Oklahoma State rally that included two 3-pointers from Bryce Williams in the final 11 seconds . Brown had a pair of 3 points in a 17-0 run in Texas in the second half. He also had three blocks.
Cade Cunningham scored 25 points for Oklahoma State (6-2, 0-2).
NON. 19 RUTGERS 91, NO. 13 ILLINOIS 88
PISCATAWAY, NJ: Ron Harper Jr. scored 28 points, Jacob Young added 24 and Rutgers overcame a double-digit deficit in the first half to beat Illinois.
Harper finished 5 of 8 with 3 points for Rutgers (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten).
Ayo Dosunmu had 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for Illinois (5-3, 1-1).
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