James Michael McAdoo had 24 points and 12 rebounds in a huge win for North Carolina over No. 25 Pittsburgh, 75-71. The junior's double-double was coupled with 18 points from Marcus Paige, with each player on the floor for nearly the entire game.
College basketball scores: North Carolina sinks Pitt for 6th straight win, 75-71
The Tar Heels are now 7-4 in ACC play after starting 1-4, vaulting themselves back into the national discussion.
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The pair combined to shoot 16-of-27 from the field, outplaying Panthers superstar Lamar Patterson. The senior scored 16, but shot just 5-of-15 on the day.
North Carolina's season has been quite the roller coaster. Preseason expectations were high, but the loss of P.J. Hairston crippled the offensive rotation. After starting 1-4 in ACC play, the Tar Heels have now won six straight and are firmly off the NCAA Tournament bubble.
No. 11 Iowa State holds off a late surge from Texas Tech, 70-64
The Cyclones hit over 50 percent of their field goals, building an 18-point lead in the second half. Tech made it interesting with a 15-2 run, but Melvin Ejim was too much for the Red Raiders. The senior scored seven of his 13 points in the final 11 minutes to close out Texas Tech.
Iowa State's DeAndre Kane nearly notched a triple-double, adding nine assists and eight rebounds to his team-leading 17 points. Naz Long hit 4-of-7 from behind the arc, scoring 14 points for Fred Hoiberg's team. The Cyclones, now 7-5 in the Big 12, will host Texas Tuesday night.
No. 12 Saint Louis slips by VCU for school-record 17th straight win, 64-62
A contest between two of the best defensive teams in the country, the Billikens eked out a win over VCU. Dwayne Evans scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Saint Louis, his sixth double-double of the season. The Rams countered with 12 and nine from Briante Weber, but never recovered after scoring just two field goals in the final six minutes of the first half.
The win for Saint Louis set a new school record for consecutive victories with 17. The run includes a 10-0 start in Atlantic 10 play. The Billikens are poised to crack the top 10 in the national polls when the lists are released Monday.
No. 16 Iowa took care of business in State College, beating Penn State 82-70
The Hawkeyes used a 16-4 second-half run to put away the Nittany Lions and notch a Big Ten road victory. Melsahn Basabe had 16 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in just 26 minutes to power Iowa. Leading scorer Roy Devyn Marble added 15 points, including 10-of-12 from the free throw line. For Penn State, D.J. Newbill scored a game-high 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting.
Iowa is still alive in the Big Ten regular-season title race, just two games behind both Michigan and Michigan State in the standings. The Hawkeyes travel to Indiana before hosting Wisconsin for a key conference matchup.
No. 17 Virginia improves to 12-1 in the ACC with a win over Clemson, 63-58
One of the hottest teams in the country, Virginia picked up another big win on Saturday. The Cavaliers had four players in double digits, a feat only accomplished on the other end by Clemson's K.J. McDaniels. The Tigers' leading scorer finished with 24, but it wasn't enough to beat defensive-minded Virginia.
UVA trails only Syracuse in the ACC, with the Orange still undefeated despite multiple close calls in conference play. While the cardiac capers of ‘Cuse have been cool for college basketball fans, the Cavaliers have to be wondering what they have to do to get out of second place. They’ll have a shot at the throne when February ends, hosting the Orange in John Paul Jones Arena March 1.
Oklahoma holds off Smart-less Oklahoma State, 77-74
A huge three by Buddy Hield sunk the Cowboys, with the Sooners holding on for their eighth Big 12 victory. Hield finished with five threes for a team-leading 22 points. Oklahoma State, playing its second game without Marcus Smart, provided a respectable effort. Markel Brown had 26, with Le'Bryan Nash scoring 15 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
The Sooners improve to 8-5 in the Big 12, while the Cowboys fall to 4-8. Travis Ford’s team will play one more game without Smart, who is serving a three-game suspension for shoving a Texas Tech fan. Oklahoma State has lost six straight and seven of eight overall.
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