Dec 30, 2024; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Coleman Hawkins (33) and guard Dug McDaniel (0) celebrate during the first half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Coleman Hawkins had 20 points and 10 rebounds as Kansas State knocked off No. 16 Cincinnati 70-67 on Monday night in Manhattan, Kan., in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
The Wildcats (7-5, 1-0 Big 12) also got 17 points from Dug McDaniel and 13 from David N’Guessan.
Dan Skillings Jr., who was 3-for-15 from 3-point range entering Monday, was 4-for-8 from deep to lead the Bearcats with 18 points. Dillon Mitchell had 15 points and 11 boards.
After Cincinnati (10-2, 0-1) tied the score at 31 early in the second half, McDaniel scored six straight points for the Wildcats. Kansas State soon extended the lead to nine points before the Bearcats tied it again at 56-56. N’Guessan then scored a three-point play to give Kansas State a 59-56 lead and the Wildcats never trailed again.
No. 2 Auburn 87, Monmouth 58
Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell each recorded double-doubles to lead the host Tigers past the stubborn Hawks in Auburn, Ala.
Broome led all Auburn scorers with 14 points and collected 11 rebounds, while Cardwell finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds as Auburn (12-1) picked up its fifth consecutive win. Monmouth (2-11) lost for the third time in its past four games.
The Hawks remained competitive with one of the nation’s best for more than 13 minutes of the first half before the Tigers, playing for the first time since Dec. 21, broke a 28-28 tie with an 18-0 run to close out the first half.
No. 3 Iowa State 79, Colorado 69
Curtis Jones scored 20 points, Keshon Gilbert added 14 points and the Cyclones held on for a win over the Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo., in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
Joshua Jefferson finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and eight steals for Iowa State (11-1, 1-0 Big 12), which won its eighth game in a row.
Julian Hammond III scored 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting to lead Colorado (9-3, 0-1). RJ Smith finished with 14 points and Javon Ruffin scored nine as the Buffaloes fell to 8-1 at home.
No. 14 Houston 60, Oklahoma State 47
J’Wan Roberts scored a season-high 20 points and recorded his first double-double of the campaign as the Cougars beat the Cowboys in Stillwater, Okla., to open conference play.
Roberts corralled 11 rebounds to lead the Cougars (9-3, 1-0 Big 12) to their fifth consecutive victory. Houston seized control with a 17-1 run that closed the first half and yielded a 28-18 lead at the intermission.
Brandon Newman scored 12 points for Oklahoma State (8-4, 0-1) and Robert Jennings had 10. Marchelus Avery, the Cowboys’ leading scorer on the season, scored just five points on 2-for-8 shooting.
No. 17 Mississippi State 87, Bethune-Cookman 73
Riley Kugel scored 22 points off the bench and the Bulldogs used improved defense in the second half to pull away from the Wildcats in Starkville, Miss.
Josh Hubbard scored 16 and RJ Melendez and Claudell Harris Jr. had 12 each as the Bulldogs (12-1) held the Wildcats (3-10) to 28 points in the second half after allowing 45 in the first half. Mississippi State forced a total of 17 turnovers, leading to 24 points.
Trey Thomas and Brayon Freeman scored 21 each to lead Bethune-Cookman, which received just 15 points from its bench compared to 34 for the Mississippi State reserves.
No. 18 Michigan State 80, Western Michigan 62
Jaden Akins had 18 points as the Spartans extended their winning streak to six games by defeating the Broncos in East Lansing, Mich.
Carson Cooper had 13 points and six rebounds for Michigan State (11-2) in the nonconference game. The Spartans wound up with a 20-7 edge in points scored at the foul line.
Chansey Willis Jr.’s 12 points topped Western Michigan (3-9), which has lost five straight. Max Burton added 10 points.
No. 19 Gonzaga 89, Pepperdine 82
Khalif Battle scored 21 points as the Bulldogs held off a furious second-half rally to win their 29th consecutive West Coast Conference opener, defeating the host Waves in Malibu, Calif.
Gonzaga defeated Pepperdine for the 48th time in a row, a streak dating to 2002. Gonzaga’s Braden Huff scored 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field for the Bulldogs (10-4, 1-0 WCC).
Jaxon Olvera led the Waves (6-9, 0-2) with a game-high 27 points and Moe Odum scored all 24 of his points in the second half. Pepperdine outscored Gonzaga 50-39 in the second half, getting as close as four with little more than two minutes remaining, but could not pull off the comeback.
No. 23 Arkansas 92, Oakland 62
Adou Thiero tallied 16 of his 20 points in the first half, Boogie Fland scored 21 of his 24 in the second half, and the Razorbacks routed the Golden Grizzlies in Fayetteville, Ark.
Thiero added six rebounds, six assists and three steals while Karter Knox had 17 points for Arkansas (11-2). The Razorbacks shot 60.3 percent from the field while holding Oakland to 40 percent.
Tuburu Naivalurua recorded 18 points and nine rebounds while Allen Mukeba had 17 points and six boards as Oakland (4-10) lost for the sixth time in seven games.
–Field Level Media
