No. 24 Memphis trailed No. 23 Gonzaga by 11 with 13:42 to go when 6’1 Joe Jackson came up with a play that changed the tone of the game and spurred a Tigers rally.
College basketball scores: Memphis pulls off comeback win over Gonzaga
The Tigers closed the game on a 29-12 run following an emphatic block from Joe Jackson.
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Gonzaga's 7'1 center Przemek Karnowski, who is a foot taller than Jackson, went up for a dunk and Jackson hurried over from the left side to block the shot. Shaq Goodwin grabbed the rebound and scored on the other end to start a game-ending 29-12 run to lift Memphis to the 60-54 win over the Bulldogs.
It was another signature victory for Memphis, which has also won on the road at Louisville and on a neutral court over Oklahoma State. Gonzaga, meanwhile, is still searching for an impressive resume-building win and may have blown its last chance. The best teams remaining on the Bulldogs' schedule are Saint Mary's and BYU, neither of which are locks to make the NCAA Tournament.
Chris Crawford and Michael Dixon Jr. each scored 11 points to lead four Tigers in double figures. Goodwin and Jackson each scored 10.
Sam Dower shot 9-of-12 from the field to lead Gonzaga with 18 points, making up for a quiet game from Kevin Pangos. Pangos scored just seven points on 2-of-9 shooting.
Texas Tech 65 No. 19 Oklahoma State 61
A thrilling game took an ugly turn with just six seconds remaining when Cowboys guard Marcus Smart went into the stands and shoved a fan. Smart was given a quick technical, but not ejected. Further disciplinary action may come from the Big 12.
It was the fourth consecutive loss for Oklahoma State, which is suddenly reeling after a 16-3 start to the year.
At the time of Smart’s outburst, Texas Tech led by two and had just forced a turnover to put the game away. With four Big 12 wins, the Red Raiders have now equaled their total number of conference victories the past two seasons combined.
Smart scored 22 points to lead all scorers, while Jaye Crockett led Texas Tech with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
No. 4 Wichita State 82 Northern Iowa 73
The Shockers took another huge step toward an undefeated regular season with a nine-point road victory. Though Northern Iowa is just 5-7 in the Missouri Valley, the Panthers have protected their home court for the most part, losing just once in Cedar Falls this season before Saturday.
Northern Iowa trailed by seven at halftime before opening the second half on a quick 6-0 run to put Wichita State on upset alert. The Shockers responded with a 12-1 run to go up by 12, capped by a three from Tekele Cotton.
Five Wichita State players scored in double figures, led by Cotton’s 18. No other Shocker scored more than three points. Everybody who played for Wichita State grabbed at least one rebound, to help the Shockers to a 40-24 advantage on the glass.
Matt Bohannon made five of his nine three-point attempts for a game-high 17 points.
No. 5 San Diego State 73 Nevada 58
Wichita State isn’t the only mid-major on an extended winning streak. The Aztecs won their 20th in a row on Saturday with solid home win over the Wolf Pack.
San Diego State is now a perfect 10-0 in the Mountain West and boasts quality out-of-conference victories over Kansas and Creighton.
Xavier Thames stayed in the Wooden conversation with 17 points, five assists and three rebounds. He has now scored 15 or more points every game in 2014 and is averaging 18.2 this season.
Nevada’s Jerry Evans Jr. matched Thames’ performance with 17 of his own to lead the Wolf Pack, who dropped to 7-4 in the conference.
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