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The SEC / Big 12 Challenge took center stage on Saturday and damn it, it didn’t disappoint.
Florida upset No.11 West Virginia with an exciting 85-80 victory, No.12 Missouri overcame a double-digit deficit to escape TCU in overtime 102-98 and No.10 Texas Tech withdrew the Houdini deed from day year with a 12-0 run in the last minute to oust LSU 76-71 in astonishing fashion.
That was not all. Oklahoma Schools also delivered the goods, with the No.24 Oklahoma starting the day with a 66-61 victory over No.9 Alabama and Oklahoma State defeating Arkansas 81- 77 thanks to Cade Cunningham’s endgame heroics. Then the state’s first team just north of Oklahoma, No. 15 from Kansas, got caught on the road by the No. 18 from Tennessee.
It was a crazy day indeed in the SEC / Big 12 Challenge but also in sport. So we did the milestone work to summarize all the events in a neat column doubling the biggest winners and losers of the day. Enjoy.
Loser: Kansas struggles continue
Times are tough for Bill Self and Co. They took their fourth loss in five games on Saturday against the Vols, who crushed them 80-61. It was the Jayhawks’ fifth January loss to end the month, the first time since 1989 the program has suffered so many losses in a single month and the first time Self has done so as a head coach since 1995, by ESPN.
Winner: Florida strengthens NCAA tournament resumption
No one would have blamed the Gators if they had folded after losing preseason SEC Player of the Year Keyontae Johnson in December in a frightening way. But the Gators have now earned four straight wins after outlasting No.11 West Virginia 85-80. Only Gonzaga and Texas Tech have scored more against the Mountaineers this season. But with Michigan transfer Colin Castleton proving to be a revelation, the Gators are on the rise and building a CV. The 6-foot-11 Castleton finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and five blocks on Saturday.
Loser: Providence gives Hoyas 15 points
As if blowing a 15-point lead over a Georgetown team sitting at the bottom of the conference standings before Saturday wasn’t brutal enough, Providence did just that, losing 73-72 in a particularly agonizing way. With 1.5 seconds remaining, Providence star David Duke missed a free throw that would likely have sent the game to OT, bringing play to a halt. (Duke is hitting above 80% of the free throw line this season.)
Winner: Duke’s Johnson shows immersion skills
Duke first-year forward Jalen Johnson delivered the dunk of the day with authority on Saturday as the Blue Devils blew up Clemson 79-53. Johnson flew in the middle of the first half and got stuck on Clemson freshman PJ Hall when the two met at the edge, applying for him in the process.
Here’s another look, because it was absolutely gorgeous and one angle isn’t enough.
Johnson also brought confidence and swagger to his post-game, telling ACC Network he saw it coming.
“I could tell from the way he was chasing him [that he was going to try to block it]”, he said.” I knew I was going to put it in the rim. “
Loser: TCU blows a huge lead on the road
Spitting out a double-digit lead is one thing, but doing it in the final minutes on the road against a ranked team is in its own category of pain. TCU led by a dozen with 4:40 left in rule but let No.12 Mizzou run a 19-7 run from there to force overtime. In OT, the Tigers beat TCU 13-9 to claim a 102-98 home win. TCU has now lost five straight and is only screened by KenPom to win two of its nine remaining conference games. Ouch.
Loser: two other undefeated teams fall
The number of undefeated teams in college hoops dropped to two this weekend after Alabama A&M lost to Prairie View A&M 79-57. The Bulldogs’ loss came a day after Winthrop (16-1) took their first loss of the season on Friday by just two meager points in a 57-55 win by a UNC Asheville team they beat by four points. only the day before.
Winner: Baylor manages Auburn with ease
The Bears still haven’t won a game with less than eight points after winning the Big 12 with an 84-72 victory over Auburn. Baylor led just 35-30 at halftime before systematically dismantling Bruce Pearl’s club with the usual mix of 3-point shooting and defense, holding Auburn star guard Sharife Cooper in check. There was also this ridiculous dunk put back by Matthew Mayer that sent the Bears bench into a total frenzy.
Winner: Cade Cunningham warms up late
Oklahoma State rookie Cade Cunningham did not make the start on Saturday against Arkansas after missing the last two games due to COVID-19 protocols. But true to the cliché: it’s not how you start, it’s how you end.
And Cunningham finished with a goal. He tallied 14 points in the second half in the Pokes’ 81-77 win over Arkansas, and sank not only the starting jumper in critical time, but also free throw attempts in the final seconds to salt the victory.
Loser: Colorado’s Pac-12 hopes take a crushing blow
With a 19-point second-half lead over Utah, all Colorado had to do on Saturday in the second was to avoid a total collapse. But that’s exactly what the Buffaloes did when they fell 77-74 to a stun at the Utes. Colorado only managed four shots from the field in the final nine minutes of play, and Utah goaltender Alfonso Plummer came off the bench to score 21 of his 23 points in the game’s 7:49 final. Plummer hit four 3-pointers in that span, including a four-point play with 3:24 that gave the Utes a 70-69 lead they wouldn’t give up.
Loser: Florida State Misses Opportunity
On a day when ACC leader Virginia fell to Virginia Tech, Florida State wasted a good opportunity to move up the league standings, falling on Route 76-65 against Georgia Tech. The loss pushed the Seminoles 6-2 in conference, but a win would have tied them to Virginia for the top spot. Now they are back in the rankings and are suing both schools in Virginia.
Winner: Villanova continues to sail
Do you remember Villanova? You should. After a lengthy layoff due to COVID-19 concerns, the No.3 Wildcats returned with a three-game winning streak, with Saturday’s 80-72 victory over Seton Hall being the latest example of their supremacy in the Big East. Most agree that No.1 Gonzaga and No.2 Baylor – both unbeaten – are clearly the best teams in the country. But at 11-1 (6-0 Big East), Villanova is not far behind.
Loser: LSU melts late against Texas Tech
Down seven with one minute left at LSU, the No.10 Texas Tech needed a miraculous turn of events to avoid a three-game losing streak.
And it is a miracle.
The Red Raiders cooked up a 12-0 run in the last minute of play to win 76-71. It started with a Mac McClung 3, followed by another, followed by six consecutive points from Terrence Shannon to close it. An absolute amalgamation of LSU but a brilliant effort that deserves to be recognized as such by Tech.
Winner: Shorthanded Sooners show up against Alabama
Oklahoma ordered a win on Saturday with a healthy side to the story, beating Alabama No.9 66-61 and, in the process, becoming the third team to record four regular season wins over the top 10 opponents. the same month. The impressive victory came without leading scorer Austin Reaves, capping a month in which the Sooners (11-4) defeated No.9 West Virginia, No.9 Kansas, No.9 Alabama and No.5 in Texas, all within a 28-day window.
Don’t look now, but OU suddenly looks like the most serious threat to Baylor (if there is one!) In the Big 12. And a warning in advance: good luck if you are ranked No 9 and play the Sooners.
Winner: UT Arlington goes through the state of Arkansas to the horn
UT Arlington led for exactly zero seconds in the second half against Arkansas State, and yet he still managed to come out with a win. That’s because the Mavericks played catch the whole second half, but ultimately prevailed at the end of time, with a buzzer-beating layup lifting them past ASU.
Loser: Clemson’s tough month continues
Just two weeks ago, Clemson was ranked the No.1 defense owner in Adjusted Efficiency and cruising into serious conflict with ACC. But oh, the last two weeks have been terrible. The Tigers have fallen four times in their last five outings topped off with a beating at the hands of Duke 79-53. They have now lost each of their last four games by a total of 98 points.
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