NCAA Basketball: UCLA pulls out win over Utah in final seconds
The Saturday slate of games certainly lived up to the hype, with UCLA’s narrow escape making headlines across the NCAA basketball landscape.
In the Busting Brackets Daily Wrap-Up, we go through the major games of the day with a few short summaries and articles to keep you up to date on the recent news in the college basketball world. This covers the biggest games of yesterday and today, as well as looking at major news stories from across the nation.
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We also go through each game of key importance in our “Games to Watch” section, which includes a Game of the Day and a Bubble Battle.
Here we go:
For a more in-depth look at this game, Brock Zimmerman has you covered here.
For a more in-depth look at this game, Carmine Carcieri has you covered here.
Looking to build their resume with a road win, Miami did just that on Saturday, dismantling Pittsburgh. After holding a nine point lead at halftime, the Hurricanes held the Panthers to just 19 second half points in the victory. Davon Reed had 18 for Miami, while Jamel Artis had 15 for Pitt.
For a more in-depth look at this game, Carmine Carcieri has you covered here.
For a more in-depth look at this game, Stuart Gill has you covered here.
For a more in-depth look at this game, Lukas Harkins has you covered with his recap and takeaways here.
Looking to avoid their second straight loss as the top-ranked team in the country, Baylor held on against the 25th ranked Wildcats. Kansas State hung around for most of the game, but it was their rough three-point shooting (34.8 percent) and poor rebounding (-13 differential) that did them in. Manu Lecomte had 26 for the Bears and D.J. Johnson added 20 for the Wildcats.
Despite being the favorite and playing at home, it might seem a surprise to some that TCU pulled out this win. Not to the Horned Frogs, though, who just keep winning games. Vladimir Brodziansky was outstanding with 25 points and 14 rebounds for TCU while Naz Mitrou-Long led ISU with 19.
On what was a brutal three-point shooting night for both teams, Maryland came out on top in Champaign. It has to be tough for Illinois to see home opportunities like this one pass by, but the team played hard. Anthony Cowan was the high man for the Terps with 19. Maverick Morgan had 15 for the Illini.
Despite trailing by three with one second left, Utah was unable to get a three-point shot at the rim. Instead, the full-court inbound pass went too long, resulting in a shot from inside the arc, which fell through. The Utes were awfully close to their second straight win against a ranked opponent. Kyle Kuzma had a double-double of 15 points and 11 assists for Utah, but he was taken down by Lonzo Ball’s 17 points.
For a more in-depth look at this game, Mike Knapp has you covered here.
Games to Watch on Sunday, January 15th:
Michigan State Spartans @ Ohio State Buckeyes, 1:30 p.m. ET: In a battle of Big Ten foes, Michigan State looks to improve on what has already been a great start to conference play. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes will be fired up for a big game in front of their home crowd.
No. 25 USC Trojans @ Colorado Buffaloes, 8:30 p.m. ET: Both losers of their last game, USC and Colorado are aiming to get back to their winning ways in this night game. USC is likely going to fall out of the top-25 following their loss to Utah, but this is still a game they could use a victory in.
Best of Yesterday from Busting Brackets:
NCAA Basketball: Best Bets for superb Saturday of conference play: Bryce Bennett takes a look at the top bets of the weekend. Where should you place your wallet?
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That ends today’s Daily Wrap-Up. Tune in tomorrow for another edition and have a great day!