Dec 29, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) drives with the ball as Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders guard Kamari Lands (22) defends during the second half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Kingston Flemings recorded 15 points and five assists to help No. 8 Houston hold off visiting Middle Tennessee 69-60 in nonconference play on Monday night.
JoJo Tugler added 13 points and six rebounds as the Cougars (12-1) won their sixth straight game. Emanuel Sharpe had 10 points and three steals.
The Cougars had a 30-3 edge in points off turnovers. Middle Tennessee committed 19 turnovers to Houston’s six.
Kamari Lands made four treys while scoring 18 points for the Blue Raiders (7-6), who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Alec Oglesby tallied 12 points on four 3-pointers.
No. 1 Arizona 99, South Dakota State 71
Koa Peat, Motiejus Krivas and Jaden Bradley each posted a double-double as the Wildcats registered a nonconference victory over the Jackrabbits in Tucson, Ariz.
Arizona (13-0) completed its nonconference slate unbeaten ahead of Saturday’s Big 12 opener at Utah with its best start since the 2013-14 team began 21-0. Peat finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds, Krivas had 13 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots, and Bradley produced 13 points and 10 assists.
South Dakota State (7-8) has a three-game losing streak heading into its Summit League opener on Thursday at home against Omaha. Kalen Garry had 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Jaden Jackson finished with 18 points.
No. 2 Michigan 112, McNeese 71
Morez Johnson Jr. matched his career high with 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Wolverines cruised to a win over the Cowboys in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Yaxel Lendeborg added 16 points and eight rebounds for Michigan (12-0). Aday Mara finished with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Trey McKenney also logged 13 points.
Garwey Dual scored 15 points on 5-for-13 shooting to lead McNeese (10-3). Larry Johnson finished with 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
No. 3 Iowa State 89, Houston Christian 61
Joshua Jefferson totaled 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Blake Buchanan added 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Cyclones pulled away for a victory over the Huskies in Ames, Iowa.
Milan Momcilovic finished with 13 points and Killyan Toure had 11 points for the Cyclones, who were coming off an eight-day break. Iowa State improved to 13-0 for the second time in program history, joining the 2013-14 team.
Houston Christian (5-8) has lost four straight. Demari Williams had 19 points, and Bartley and D’Aundre Samuels both finished with 14.
No. 5 Purdue 101, Kent State 60
Jack Benter came off the bench to score 20 points and help lead the Boilermakers to a win over the Golden Flashes in West Lafayette, Ind.
Benter shot 6 of 6 from 3-point range and made all seven of his field-goal attempts. Fletcher Loyer scored 19 points while Trey Kaufman-Renn had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Purdue (12-1), which won its fourth straight game.
Morgan Safford and Jahari Williamson each scored 10 points for Kent State (10-3), which was playing its first opponent from a Power 4 conference this season.
No. 9 Michigan State 114, Cornell 97
Jeremy Fears Jr. scored a career-high 21 points and added 11 assists and the Spartans recovered from an 11-point first-half deficit to post a victory over the Big Red in nonconference play at East Lansing, Mich.
Coen Carr added 19 points and six rebounds, Trey Fort scored 14 points and Divine Ugochukwu had 12 as the Spartans (12-1) dominated the second half while winning their fourth straight game. Jaxon Kohler added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Cooper Noard scored 19 points for Cornell, which shot 15 of 44 from 3-point range. Jake Fiegen and Adam Hinton added 15 points apiece for the Big Red (6-6).
No. 11 Vanderbilt 96, New Haven 53
Tyler Tanner scored 23 points and Jalen Washington added a career-high 21 for the Commodores, who finished their nonconference slate undefeated by overpowering the Chargers in Nashville.
The Commodores (13-0) were without their full arsenal. Frankie Collins was already out after undergoing knee surgery, and Duke Miles, the team’s leading scorer, was a late scratch due to an illness. For the game, Tanner shot 9 of 16, and he finished with seven assists, five rebounds and three steals.
Jabri Fitzpatrick’s 12 points led the Chargers, who shot 39.7% from the field (23 of 58) and made a season-low two of their 15 3-point shots (13.3%, also a season low).
No. 14 Alabama 102, Yale 78
Aden Holloway scored 26 points and made five of the hosts’ season-high 22 3-pointers as the Crimson Tide smashed the Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Alabama (11-3) finished 22-for-54 (40.7%) from the 3-point arc en route to its seventh win in eight games. Eight players made at least one long-range shot for the Crimson Tide, led by Holloway (5-for-10) and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (5-for-15 for 15 points).
Nick Townsend scored 18 points to pace Yale (11-2), while Isaac Celiscar contributed 17 points.
No. 18 Arkansas 103, James Madison 74
Meleek Thomas set career highs with 28 points and six 3-pointers, Darius Acuff Jr. had 17 points and six assists, and the Razorbacks beat the Dukes in their final nonconference game in Fayetteville, Ark.
D.J. Wagner had 14 points and four threes and Malique Ewin had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Razorbacks (10-3), who wound up 8-0 at home in nonconference play.
Bradley Douglas had 19 points and Justin McBride had 13 points for the Dukes (7-7), who have lost three in a row.
No. 20 Illinois 90, Southern 55
Jake Davis scored 15 points and Keaton Wagler posted 11 points and 10 assists as the Fighting Illini routed the Jaguars in Champaign, Ill.
Zvonimir Ivisic (13 points), Tomislav Ivisic (11) and David Mirkovic (11) also scored in double figures for Illinois (10-3), which led by as many as 36 points.
Southern (4-9) lost its fifth straight game. Michael Jacobs paced the Jaguars with 11 points, while Malek Abdelgowad followed with 10 points.
No. 22 Florida 94, Dartmouth 72
Alex Condon scored 17 points to lead five players in double figures as the Gators closed out their nonconference schedule with their fourth straight win, a domination of the Big Green in Gainesville, Fla.
Condon shot 4 of 9 from the field and 9 of 12 at the free-throw line. He added nine rebounds for the Gators (9-4), who got 13 points and 12 rebounds from Rueben Chinyelu.
Cameron McNamee paced Dartmouth with 16 points. Kareem Thomas and Jackson Munro had 15 points each for the Big Green (5-7).
No. 23 Georgia 89, Long Island 74
Marcus “Smurf” Millender came off the bench to lead a balanced attack with 14 points and help the Bulldogs beat the Sharks in Athens, Ga., to extend their winning streak to six.
The Bulldogs entered the game averaging 99.8 points, No. 1 in the nation, but trailed by 11 in the first half before outscoring Long Island 48-30 in the second half. Millender shot 4-for-9 from the field — including three 3-pointers — and had six assists for Georgia (12-1). Justin Bailey scored 13 and Blue Cain added 12.
Long Island (6-7) was led by Greg Gordon with 20 points and six rebounds, Jamal Fuller with 18 points and Malachi Davis with 15 points.
No. 25 Iowa 90, UMass Lowell 62
Bennett Stirtz scored a team-high 22 points and added eight assists as the Hawkeyes finished up their nonconference schedule with a rout of the River Hawks in Iowa City.
Cam Manyawu and Alvaro Folgueiras each added 14 points, while Tavion Banks made all five shots he attempted in finishing with 12 for Iowa (11-2). The Hawkeyes shot 58.2% from the field and turned 16 UMass Lowell turnovers into 22 points.
Angel Montas Jr. made 10 of 12 field goals and scored a game-high 23 points for the River Hawks (5-10). Darrel Yepdo and Xavier Spencer each put up 10.
–Field Level Media
