Top 25 roundup: No. 3 Michigan St. routs No. 5 Notre Dame

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Cassius Winston piled up 17 points, five rebounds and seven assists, and No. 3 Michigan State never trailed while handing No. 5 Notre Dame its first loss, 81-63 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday.

Joshua Langford contributed 17 points, while Miles Bridges tossed in 14 points with six rebounds for Michigan State (6-1). Nick Ward added 12 points and five rebounds.

Bonzie Colson led Notre Dame (6-1) with 17 points and six rebounds. Rex Pflueger had 15 points and T.J. Gibbs added 11, while Matt Farrell supplied 10 -- all in the second half -- for the Fighting Irish.

The Spartans controlled the first half from the opening tip and led 46-26 at halftime. Notre Dame could only get within seven in the second half.

NO. 9 TEXAS A&M 78, TEXAS-RIO GRANDE VALLEY 60

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- DJ Hogg had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Admon Gilder also scored 17 to lead Texas A&M to victory over Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

Hogg made two 3-pointers and Gilder had eight points as the Aggies (7-0) scored the first 16 points and 20 of the first 25 while cruising to their best start in 10 seasons. Tyler Davis finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, Tonny Trocha-Morelos had nine points, and Robert Williams totaled 14 rebounds for Texas A&M.

Nick Dixon, who averages 22.5 points, had 13 points and six rebounds for the Vaqueros (3-6). Texas-Rio Grande Valley shot 31.4 percent from the field.

NO. 19 WEST VIRGINIA 102, NJIT 69

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Jevon Carter scored 16 of his 25 points in the first half and became West Virginia's career steals leader in the victory over NJIT.

Carter made 5 of 11 shots from 3-point range, sank all six free throws and finished with a team-leading nine rebounds, six assists and five steals. Carter broke Greg Jones' career steals mark with No. 252 late in the first half, leading to a transition dunk by Teddy Allen. Allen finished with 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Mountaineers (7-1).

Anthony Tarke scored 13 points and Diandre Wilson added 12 for the Highlanders (4-3).

SETON HALL 89, No. 22 TEXAS TECH 79

NEW YORK -- Desi Rodriguez had 24 points, Myles Powell added 19 and Seton Hall used a strong second half to defeat Texas Tech in the Under Armour Reunion at Madison Square Garden.

Khadeen Carrington scored 16 points and Angel Delgado had 12 points for the Pirates (6-1), who outscored the Red Raiders 49-31 in the second half. Powell had 17 in the second half, including all four of his 3-pointers.

Keenan Evans scored 21 points and Zach Smith added 12 for Texas Tech (6-1), which entered the AP poll this week and was in the Top 25 of both polls for the first time since Dec. 28, 2009.

Top 25 roundup: Arizona falls again in Bahamas

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Southern Methodist senior guard Ben Emelogu II scored a team-high 20 points to help the Mustangs upset No. 2 Arizona 66-60 on Thursday night at the Battle 4 Atlantis.

It was the second consecutive upset defeat in the Bahamas for the No. 2 Wildcats (3-2). Arizona fell 90-84 to North Carolina State on Wednesday.

The Mustangs (5-1) caused 20 turnovers that resulted in 19 points. SMU's Shake Milton had 14 points and freshman Ethan Chargois added 12.

Allonzo Trier led Arizona with 22 points. Deandre Ayton had 17 points and 15 rebounds for his fifth consecutive double-double. The two combined for Arizona's final 20 points, but it was hardly enough.

NO. 1 DUKE 99, PORTLAND STATE 81

PORTLAND, Ore. -- After receiving a wake-up call in the first half, the Blue Devils began the Phil Knight 80 Invitational with a first-round victory over the Vikings.

Duke (5-0) went into the half trailing 49-45 but after a short discussion with coach Mike Krzyzewski at the half came out much more disciplined to slow the game down. Marvin Bagley III led Duke with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Trevon Duval added 22 points.

Deontae North scored 24 points for Portland State (4-1).

NO. 4 MIVHIGAN 73, DePAUL 51

PORTLAND, Ore. -- With star guard Miles Bridges sidelined due to a sprained ankle, the Spartans got 20 points from Matt McQuaid in a victory over the Blue Demons in the Phil Knight Invitational's Victory Bracket.

Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Joshua Langford added 10 points for Michigan State (3-1). Cassius Winston was solid all around with 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Eli Cain and Max Strus led DePaul (1-3) with 12 points apiece. Michigan State faces Connecticut on Friday, while DePaul plays Oregon.

NO. 5 VILLANOVA 85, TENNESSEE 76

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Jalen Brunson scored 18 of his 25 points in the second half, helping the Wildcats overcome a 12-point halftime deficit to post an victory over the Volunteers in a semifinal game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Villanova (5-0) will play in the championship game on Friday against Northern Iowa, a 64-60 winner over North Carolina State. Tennessee (3-1) will play the Wolfpack in the third-place game.

Villanova was also led by 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting by Bridges, and 13 points each by Eric Paschall and Donte DiVincenzo. Tennessee's Grant Williams scored 20 points before he fouled out.

NO. 7 FLORIDA 108, STANFORD 87

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Egor Koulechov led all scorers with 26 points in the Gators' rout of the Cardinal in an opening-round Motion Bracket game of the PK80 Invitational.

Jalen Hudson had 17 points for Florida (4-0). Mike Okauru had 15 points, Chris Chiozza contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Deaundrae Ballard scored 13 points. The Gators next play Friday against No. 17 Gonzaga.

Stanford (3-3) was led by Reid Travis' 23 points. Robert Cartwright had 17 points and Michael Humphrey 10.

NO. 9 NORTH CAROLINA 102, PORTLAND 78

PORTLAND, Ore.-- The Tar Heels needed a full half to put away the Pilots as Luke Maye led North Carolina to a victory in the first round of the Phil Knight 80 Invitational.

Maye finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Joel Berry II added 18 points for North Carolina (4-0). Theo Pinson did a bit of everything, finishing with 11 points, a game-high seven assists and nine rebounds.

Portland (2-2) got a team-high 19 points from Franklin Porter. Leading scorer Josh McSwiggan, who entered the game averaging 14.3 points, was held in check by the Tar Heels' length and finished with six points.

NO. 15 XAVIER 83, GEORGE WASHINGTON 64

LAS VEGAS -- Trevon Bluiett had a game-high 20 points with seven rebounds to lead the Musketeers to a victory over the Colonials in a semifinal game of the Las Vegas Invitational.

Xavier (5-0) will play Arizona State on Friday in the championship game. George Washington (2-3) will play Kansas State in the third-place game.

The Musketeers also got 16 points from Quentin Goodin. Terry Nolan Jr. led the Colonials with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Jair Bolden and Yuta Watanabe each had 16 points.

NO. 17 GONZAGA 86, OHIO STATE 59

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Bulldogs held the Buckeyes scoreless and forced six turnovers over the final 7:48 of the first half and pulled away for a win in the opening round of the PK80 tournament.

Both teams shot better than 60 percent from the floor during the game's first 10 minutes. The Buckeyes started the game 5 of 7 from 3-point range.

Johnathan Williams scored 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting for Gonzaga, and Josh Perkins finished with 20 points. Jae'Sean Tate and C.J. Jackson scored 12 points each to lead Ohio State, and Kaleb Wesson added 10 points.

WESTERN KENTUCKY 77, NO. 18 PURDUE 73

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Justin Johnson scored 17 points, and Jake Ohmer and Taveion Hollingsworth each scored 15 to lead the Hilltoppers to an upset of the Boilermakers in the Battle 4 Atlantis consolation bracket.

Western Kentucky (4-2) built an 11-point halftime lead and held on. It was the Hilltoppers' first victory over a power-conference opponent in eight years.

Purdue (4-2) got a game-best 22 points from center Isaac Haas and 19 from point guard P.J. Thompson but could never pull even or take the lead in the second half.

RHODE ISLAND 75, NO. 20 SETON HALL 74

NEW YORK -- Jared Terrell scored a career-high 32 points and made the winning basket with five seconds to play, leading the Rams past the Pirates in an NIT Season Tip-Off semifinal in Brooklyn.

With the Rams down by one, Terrell dribbled down the clock before driving to his right and lofting a tough, running shot that kissed off the backboard and in for the winning bucket in a tight, back-and-forth tilt. Stanford Robinson finished with 15 points for Rhode Island (3-1).

Seton Hall (4-1) couldn't get off a shot off in the final seconds. Myles Powell finished with 21 points, and senior Angel Delgado finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Pirates.

NO. 21 SAINT MARY'S 89, HARVARD 71

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Jock Landale had 26 points and seven rebounds and the Gaels remained unbeaten by cruising past the Crimson in a first-round game of the Wooden Legacy.

Saint Mary's (5-0) used runs of 9-0 and 11-0 early in the first half en route to a 26-point halftime advantage. Cullen Neal added 15 points and Jordan Ford had 12 points and nine rebounds for Saint Mary's.

Bryce Aiken finished with 22 points to lead Ivy League favorite Harvard (2-3). Chris Lewis chipped in with 18 points.

NO. 23 WEST VIRGINIA 84, MARIST 78

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Mountaineers blew a 15-point, second-half lead and narrowly averted a major upset, edging the Red Foxes in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational.

Jevon Carter led West Virginia (4-1) with a game-high 20 points, snapping a 67-67 tie with 5:22 left by canning a 3-pointer. Sagaba Konate added a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Daxter Miles Jr. stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

David Knudsen paced the winless Red Foxes (0-4) with 19 points, converting 5 of 9 3-point attempts. Brian Parker chipped in 14, and Isaiah Lamb came off the bench to score 10 points.

Top 25 roundup: N.C. State topples No. 2 Arizona

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Senior Allerik Freeman scored 24 points and freshman Braxton Beverly added 20 to help unranked North Carolina State upset No. 2 Arizona 90-84 in the quarterfinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday.

North Carolina State (5-0) went on a 15-3 run in the final minutes of the game to secure the win. It held its biggest lead of the game at 87-77 with 1:48 left.

Arizona (3-1) made it close -- 88-82 -- on Allonzo Trier's two free throws with 15.1 seconds left, but that is as close as it could get. A big difference was the bench. North Carolina State had 39 bench points to Arizona's six.

Trier, the leading scorer in the country after three games at 30 points per game, finished with 27 points. Teammate Deandre Ayton had 27 points and 14 rebounds.

NO. 13 NOTRE DAME 67, NO. 6 WICHITA 66

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Martinas Geben made two free throws with 2.3 seconds to play, capping a second-half comeback and lifting the Fighting Irish to a thrilling win over the Shockers in the championship game of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.

Notre Dame (6-0) trailed by as many as 16 points but found its shooting touch in the second half to get back in the game. The Fighting Irish took its first lead since early in the game on Geben's free throws.

Bonzie Colson had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Matt Farrell added 15 points and came up with a huge steal for the Irish in the final minute. Zach Brown led Wichita State (4-1) with 14 points.

NO. 5 VILLANOVA 66, WESTERN KENTUCKY 58

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges combined for 35 points on 14-of-24 shooting to lift the Wildcats to a win over the Hilltoppers in a first-round game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

The Wildcats (4-0) face Tennessee in a semifinal game Thursday. The Hilltoppers (2-2) will face Purdue in a consolation-bracket game.

Brunson finished with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Bridges had 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting, and he produced eight rebounds and five steals. Western Kentucky was led by former Kansas player Dwight Coleby, who finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

NO. 8 KENTUCKY 86, FORT WAYNE 67

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Freshman Nick Richards had 25 points and 15 rebounds as the Wildcats concluded their run of three games in six days before the Thanksgiving break with a victory over the Mastodons.

Three other players scored in double figures for Kentucky (5-1) -- freshmen Quade Green, Kevin Knox and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, each with 11 points.

Fort Wayne (3-2) got 19 points from John Konchar, while Bryson Scott added 18 and Kason Harrell had 12.

NO. 10 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 88, LEHIGH 63

LOS ANGELES -- Jonah Mathews made four 3-pointers, pacing the Trojans to a rout of the Mountain Hawks.

Mathews scored 18 points, while Bennie Boatwright topped USC with 19 points. Boatwright also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, and Chimezie Metu had 15 points and nine boards for the Trojans (4-0).

Lehigh (3-2) got a game-high 24 points from Kahron Ross, while Lance Tejada added 19 points.

NO. 11 MIAMI 57, LA SALLE 46

READING, Pa. -- Dewan Huell scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Hurricanes to a nonconference win over the cold-shooting Explorers.

The game was played on a neutral court about an hour away from La Salle's campus in Philadelphia as Miami coach Jim Larranaga followed through on a promise to recruit Lonnie Walker. He was able to recruit Walker with the promise he would play a game in his hometown -- and the building was full of Walker's family and friends.

Walker scored just five points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out two assists for the Hurricanes (4-0). Pookie Powell led La Salle (3-3) with 17 points, and B.J. Johnson posted 16 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.

NO. 12 CINCINNATI 78, WYOMING 53

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands -- Gary Clark scored 17 points and Kyle Washington added 16 points and 11 rebounds in the Bearcats' victory over Wyoming in the championship game of the Cayman Islands Classic.

Cincinnati (6-0) made 50 percent of its shots from the field, including 7 of 14 from 3-point range compared to 31.3 percent from the field for Wyoming (4-1).

Hayden Dalton had 15 points and five rebounds for the Cowboys, while Alan Herndon and Louis Adams each had 12 points.

TENNESSEE 78, NO. 18 PURDUE 75 (OT)

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Grant Williams scored with 14.5 seconds remaining in overtime, and James Daniel sank two free throws with two seconds to go as the Volunteers upset the Boilermakers in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Williams scored all 22 of his points after halftime, and Lamonte Turner added 17 for the Volunteers (3-0), who outscored Purdue 8-2 in the final 1:31. Turner forced overtime with a tying 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining in regulation.

Purdue (4-1) got 21 points from Carsen Edwards, 15 from Dakota Mathias, 13 from Isaac Haas, and 11 each from Vince Edwards and P.J. Thompson.

No. 12 Cincinnati braces for Wyoming in Cayman final

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Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin is concerned that the focus and drive his No. 12 Bearcats showed against Richmond on Tuesday, especially on defense, will not be as forceful against Wyoming in the championship game of the Cayman Islands Classic on Wednesday.

He was similarly anxious Monday during a first-round game against Buffalo at the 2,000-seat John Gray Gymnasium in George Town, Cayman Islands. The Bearcats (5-0) held on to beat Buffalo 73-67 in that game despite leading by 13 points at halftime.

"You can't let this game make you soft," Cronin said after his team routed Richmond 75-48 in a semifinal contest. "Success and accolades, they soften you up. I told our veterans to make sure our team doesn't soak in softness because it kills you."

Wyoming (4-0) advanced to face Cincinnati with a 70-61 victory over Louisiana in the other semifinal.

The Cowboys held Louisiana to 33.3 percent shooting, including only 14.8 percent from 3-point range. The Ragin' Cajuns averaged 96 points in their four previous games.

Wyoming's depth was significant Tuesday with reserves Alexander Aka Gorski (team-high 16 points) and Lou Adams (14) leading in scoring. Nyaires Redding (13 points) and Alan Herndon (10 points, seven rebounds) were also in double figures.

"We wanted our energy to go to another level, but at the same time, we wanted to hang our hat on the defensive end of the floor, feeling like our offense would be a little bit better than it was the first night out," Wyoming coach Allen Edwards said.

Wyoming beat South Dakota State 77-65 in the first round despite making only 8 of 30 shots from 3-point range.

Gorski, Adams and Redding were a combined 5 of 9 from beyond the arc against Louisiana.

"They have good guard play and they can shoot the ball," Cronin said of Wyoming. "They will try to spread us out. They are going to test our being able to defend the (3-point) line and not get beat off the dribble because they do spread you and they have guys who can take care of the ball and they have guys who can make shots.

"I think we have the advantage with strength and rebounding and physicality in this game."

The Bearcats dominated Richmond 35-22 in rebounding.

Cincinnati forward Gary Clark, who is 6-foot-8, 225 pounds, finished with eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Reserve guard Cane Broome (13 points) and starting guard Jacob Evans (12) were the only Bearcats to score in double figures.

"The script went pretty well today because I didn't want to play anybody too much (with three games in three days)," Cronin said. "Once we got to halftime (leading 40-14), I was thinking about tomorrow, to be honest with you.

"If there was no game tomorrow, I could have left Clark in to get a triple-double, but I wanted to save him for the next game."

Wyoming was not at full strength against Louisiana. Preseason all-conference guard Justin James did not play much of the game after his nose was bloodied going for a rebound.

The Cowboys' leading scorer, Hayden Dalton (23.3 points per game entering Tuesday), was limited to two points in 23 minutes. He did not appear to be injured.

"I thought the troops rallied with each other and willed their way and found a way to continue to stay the course and come out of here with another win," Edwards said.

Wichita State, Notre Dame meet in Maui final

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Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall has achieved an undefeated regular season and a Final Four appearance but has never led the Shockers to the championship of a marquee, eight-team, in-season tournament.

He has that opportunity Wednesday when No. 6 Wichita State (4-0) will play No. 13 Notre Dame (5-0) in the title game of the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Wichita State defeated Marquette 80-66 in one semifinal Tuesday, and Notre Dame routed LSU 92-53 in the other.

It will be the Shockers' first eight-team championship game since 1963, when they won the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City.

Wichita State senior reserve guard Rashard Kelly, when asked what a Maui Invitational title would mean to him, turned to Marshall on the interview podium and asked: "You have a championship here yet?"

"I've never had a championship here, Rashard," Marshall said in a loud tone.

"All right, then it would mean the world to us," Kelly said with a laugh.

Wichita State's Landry Shamet scored 19 points against Marquette, including 10 in the final four minutes to seal the win. Conner Frankamp (13 points), Shaquille Morris (11), and Austin Reaves (10) also scored in double figures.

Kelly was brought to the interview room because of his six points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks off the bench. His play exemplifies the kind of depth Marshall possesses.

"I just have to play and bring the same mindset I do every day and contribute and be that glue guy," Kelly said about being a reserve instead of a starter. "We have great scorers on our team and we have great guys that can shoot the ball. I just have to find a different way to contribute."

Important to Marshall was Wichita State rebounding almost 85 percent of Marquette's misses. The Shockers finished with a 42-25 advantage on the glass.

"The ideal situation for us is to force a tough, contested shot, then everybody checks out and the ball hits the floor and the guards can swoop in and get it," Marshall said.

Notre Dame's backcourt duo of T.J. Gibbs and Matt Farrell dominated LSU. Gibbs finished with 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Farrell had 17 points and seven assists.

Irish forward Bonzie Colson posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and he also had five steals. Reserve John Mooney contributed nine points and six assists.

"We're sharing the ball and playing as well as we can right now as a team," said Gibbs, whose team had 18 assists and only six turnovers against the Tigers.

The Wichita State-Notre Dame matchup is a rematch of a 2015 Sweet 16 game won by the Fighting Irish 81-70.

When Gibbs was told the Shockers might be motivated by that outcome, he said, "We definitely know winning this thing is important. Since we were coming here, we've been on a mission. It's about coming together and playing strong. We're ready."

Wichita State, Notre Dame meet in Maui final

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Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall has achieved an undefeated regular season and a Final Four appearance but has never led the Shockers to the championship of a marquee, eight-team, in-season tournament.

He has that opportunity Wednesday when No. 6 Wichita State (4-0) will play No. 13 Notre Dame (5-0) in the title game of the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Wichita State defeated Marquette 80-66 in one semifinal Tuesday, and Notre Dame routed LSU 92-53 in the other.

It will be the Shockers' first eight-team championship game since 1963, when they won the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City.

Wichita State senior reserve guard Rashard Kelly, when asked what a Maui Invitational title would mean to him, turned to Marshall on the interview podium and asked: "You have a championship here yet?"

"I've never had a championship here, Rashard," Marshall said in a loud tone.

"All right, then it would mean the world to us," Kelly said with a laugh.

Wichita State's Landry Shamet scored 19 points against Marquette, including 10 in the final four minutes to seal the win. Conner Frankamp (13 points), Shaquille Morris (11), and Austin Reaves (10) also scored in double figures.

Kelly was brought to the interview room because of his six points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks off the bench. His play exemplifies the kind of depth Marshall possesses.

"I just have to play and bring the same mindset I do every day and contribute and be that glue guy," Kelly said about being a reserve instead of a starter. "We have great scorers on our team and we have great guys that can shoot the ball. I just have to find a different way to contribute."

Important to Marshall was Wichita State rebounding almost 85 percent of Marquette's misses. The Shockers finished with a 42-25 advantage on the glass.

"The ideal situation for us is to force a tough, contested shot, then everybody checks out and the ball hits the floor and the guards can swoop in and get it," Marshall said.

Notre Dame's backcourt duo of T.J. Gibbs and Matt Farrell dominated LSU. Gibbs finished with 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Farrell had 17 points and seven assists.

Irish forward Bonzie Colson posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and he also had five steals. Reserve John Mooney contributed nine points and six assists.

"We're sharing the ball and playing as well as we can right now as a team," said Gibbs, whose team had 18 assists and only six turnovers against the Tigers.

The Wichita State-Notre Dame matchup is a rematch of a 2015 Sweet 16 game won by the Fighting Irish 81-70.

When Gibbs was told the Shockers might be motivated by that outcome, he said, "We definitely know winning this thing is important. Since we were coming here, we've been on a mission. It's about coming together and playing strong. We're ready."

Top 25 roundup: No. 3 Kansas sets 3-pointer record

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Third-ranked Kansas set a school record with 19 3-pointers Tuesday night while routing road-weary Texas Southern 114-71 in Allen Fieldhouse.

Svi Mykhailiuk didn't score a point in the first 10 minutes but poured in 13 in a five-minute span in the first half and finished with 21 points in 26 minutes for the Jayhawks (4-0). He hit 7 of 9 field-goal attempts, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range.

The previous school record of 15 3-pointers was set Jan. 25, 2005, against Baylor. Kansas was within three of that mark at halftime, which was another school record.

The Tigers (0-5), in the midst of a 13-game road trip, jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead but was buried after that under an avalanche of hot Jayhawks shooting. Kansas reeled off runs of 17-3, 18-2 and 15-0 to lead 66-30 at halftime.

NO. 6 WICHITA STATE 80, MARQUETTE 66

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Landry Shamet paced a balanced attack, and Wichita State pulled away from Marquette in the second half in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.

Shamet led four Shockers in double figures with 19 points. Conner Frankamp added 13 points, and Shaquille Morris had 11 points for Wichita State (4-0), which advanced to face No. 13 Notre Dame in Wednesday's championship game.

Andrew Rowsey had 26 points, and Markus Howard finished with 25 points to lead the Golden Eagles (2-2), who appeared to wear down late in the second half.

NO. 12 CINCINNATI 75, RICHMOND 48

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands -- Cincinnati advanced to the championship game of the Cayman Islands Classic behind a fine all-around performance from forward Gary Clark in a rout of Richmond.

Clark finished with eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Reserve Cane Broome added 13 points and Jacob Evans had 12 in the win for the Bearcats (5-0), who play Wyoming in the title game Wednesday at the 2,000-seat John Gray Gymnasium.

The cold-shooting Spiders (1-3) did not have a double-figure scorer until Jacob Gilyard made two free throws with 1:29 remaining. He finished with 12 points.

NO. 13 NOTRE DAME 92, LSU 53

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- T.J. Gibbs scored 26 points and Notre Dame blew past LSU in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.

Matt Farrell added 17 points and seven assists, and Bonzie Colson finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and five steals for the Fighting Irish (5-0). Gibbs hit six of Notre Dame's 15 3-pointers and also had four assists and three rebounds.

Duop Reath scored 17 points to lead the Tigers (3-1), who will face Marquette in Wednesday's consolation game. Reath was the only LSU player who wound up with double-figure points.

NO. 14 MINNESOTA 100, ALABAMA A&M 57

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jordan Murphy continued his run of double-doubles with 20 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes as Minnesota routed Alabama A&M.

Davonte Fitzgerald had 13 points to lead a strong performance from the Golden Gophers bench. Nate Mason scored 12 points and Reggie Lynch added 11 for Minnesota (5-0). Murphy, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, has posted a double-double in every game this season.

The Golden Gophers shot 61.4 percent from the field. Mohamed Sherif led the Bulldogs (0-4) with 10 points.

NO. 16 TEXAS A&M 98, PENN STATE 87

NEW YORK -- Duane Wilson scored 22 points and Robert Williams added 21 as Texas A&M defeated Penn State in the final of the Legends Classic.

Wilson and Williams were nearly perfect from the field and played a big role in the Aggies (4-0) knocking off the previously unbeaten Nittany Lions (5-1). Wilson made 7 of 10 shots from the field and all seven free throws. Williams hit 10 of 12 from the field and added nine rebounds.

Tony Carr finished with a game-high 31 points while Lamar Stevens added 25 for Penn State.

NO. 19 LOUISVILLE 84, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 42

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisville started slowly but used a 20-2 first-half run and a dominant second half to crush visiting Southern Illinois.

Jordan Nwora led the Cardinals (3-0) with 18 points. Deng Adel finished with 16 points and seven rebounds while Darius Perry had 10 points and seven assists for Louisville.

The Salukis (2-1) were led by Armon Fletcher's 11 points and seven rebounds.

NO. 22 BAYLOR 65, CREIGHTON 59

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tournament MVP Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. recorded 15 points and 15 rebounds as Baylor defeated Creighton in the championship game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic.

King McClure scored 15 of his game-high 19 points in the second half for the Bears (5-0). Terry Maston added 15 points and eight rebounds while leading scorer Manu Lecomte was held to nine points for Baylor.

The Bluejays (4-1) were led by Khyri Thomas with 15 points. Marcus Foster added 12, Martin Krampelj had 11 and Ty-Shon Alexander had 10.

NO. 23 UCLA 72, WISCONSIN 70

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Aaron Holiday hit a layup as time expired to lift UCLA past Wisconsin in the consolation game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic.

Holiday led the Bruins (4-1) with 18 points. He was joined in double figures by Gyorgy Goloman and Thomas Welsh with 11 points apiece, and Jaylen Hands and Prince Ali with 10 each.

The Badgers (2-3) were led by Ethan Happ with 19 points. Dmitrik Trice, Khalil Iverson and Brad Davison each had 14.

NO. 25 ALABAMA 77, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 76

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama turned up its defensive pressure in the second half to make its return to the Top 25 a successful one -- barely -- with a narrow victory over Texas-Arlington.

The Crimson Tide forced 14 turnovers and held the Mavericks to 39 percent shooting after halftime, and Arlington's Erick Neal missed a potential game-winning shot as time expired.

Collin Sexton, the only player in double figures for Alabama (4-0), scored a game-high 29 points. Kevin Hervey led the Mavericks (2-1) with 24 points. Neal added 16 points and dished out 12 assists.

Preseason Women's College Basketball Rankings (1-30)

Last year's ending to the Women's College Basketball season was stunning, in a beautiful way. Now we get set for the 2017-18 season where UConn is once again at the top and it will take a lot, a whole lot, to dethrone them. Here's a look at how we rank the top thirty teams heading into the new season!

1. Connecticut
2. Texas
3. Ohio State
4. Baylor
5. Notre Dame
6. South Carolina
7. Stanford
8. UCLA
9. Mississippi State
10. Oregon
11. Duke
12. Louisville
13. Maryland
14. Oregon State
15. West Virginia
16. Tennessee
17. Missouri
18. South Florida
19. Marquette
20. Florida State
21. Oklahoma
22. California
23. Quinnipiac
24. Kentucky
25. Michigan
26. Texas A&M
27. Miami
28. DePaul
29. North Carolina State
30. Gonzaga

Preseason College Basketball Bracketology

Well, here we are. College Basketball season starts TOMORROW! So naturally, the first thing we want to do is fill out our first field of sixty-eight and make a bracket, because, why not? So you have our preseason rankings 1-351, and now, here's our first edition of Bracketology for the 2017-18 season.

Mid-West Regional
#1 Michigan State vs. #16 Texas Southern/St. Francis (PA)
#8 Providence vs. #9 Nevada
#5 Cincinnati vs. #12 Missouri State
#4 North Carolina vs. #13 Grand Canyon
#6 Rhode Island vs. #11 Oklahoma
#3 Southern California vs. #14 Furman
#7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Maryland
#2 Kentucky vs. #15 Belmont
West Regional
#1 Arizona vs. #16 North Carolina Central/Montana
#8 Wisconsin vs. #9 Central Florida
#5 Gonzaga vs. #12 Oakland
#4 Minnesota vs. #13 Texas-Arlington
#6 Alabama vs. #11 Oregon/Southern Methodist
#3 Notre Dame vs. #14 Florida Gulf Coast
#7 Virginia Tech vs. #10 Arkansas
#2 Kansas vs. #15 Long Beach State
South Regional
#1 Duke vs. #16 Iona
#8 TCU vs. #9 Creighton
#5 UCLA vs. #12 Charleston
#4 Xavier vs. #13 Yale
#6 Seton Hall vs. #11 Missouri
#3 Northwestern vs. #14 Western Michigan
#7 St. Mary's vs. #10 Texas
#2 Wichita State vs. #15 North Carolina-Asheville
East Regional
#1 Villanova vs. #16 South Dakota State
#8 Michigan vs. #9 Stanford
#5 West Virginia vs. #12 Middle Tennessee
#4 Louisville vs. #13 Vermont
#6 Purdue vs. #11 Marquette/Georgia
#3 Miami vs. #14 Bucknell
#7 Baylor vs. #10 Vanderbilt
#2 Florida vs. #15 Stephen F. Austin

Bubble:
Last Four Byes: Vanderbilt, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri
Last Four In: Oregon, SMU, Marquette, Georgia
First Four Out: Virginia, Butler, VCU, St. Joseph's
Next Four Out: Iowa, Davidson, Houston, St. Bonaventure
Following Four Out: Florida State, Connecticut, Temple, North Carolina State

Preseason College Basketball Rankings (25-1)

25. Texas A&M
24. Seton Hall
23. Alabama
22. Purdue
21. Rhode Island
20. West Virginia
19. UCLA
18. Gonzaga
17. Cincinnati
16. Xavier
15. Louisville
14. Minnesota
13. North Carolina
12. Northwestern
11. Miami
10. Notre Dame
9. Southern California
8. Florida
7. Wichita State
6. Kansas
5. Kentucky
4. Villanova
3. Duke
2. Arizona
1. Michigan State

Preseason College Basketball Rankings (50-26)

50. Virginia
49. College of Charleston
48. Butler
47. Georgia
46. Southern Methodist
45. Oregon
44. Marquette
43. Oakland
42. Missouri
41. Oklahoma
40. Texas
39. Vanderbilt
38. Arkansas
37. Maryland
36. Stanford
35. Creighton
34. Central Florida
33. Nevada
32. Michigan
31. TCU
30. Providence
29. Wisconsin
28. Virginia Tech
27. Baylor
26. St. Mary's

Preseason College Basketball Rankings (150-51)

150. Samford
149. Illinois-Chicago
148. Pittsburgh
147. Niagara
146. Murray State
145. LSU
144. North Carolina-Wilmington
143. Memphis
142. Lipscomb
141. Washington
140. UNLV
139. Texas-El Paso
138. Toledo
137. Albany
136. San Diego
135. Manhattan
134. South Dakota
133. South Dakota State
132. East Tennessee State
131. Buffalo
130. Wofford
129. Jacksonville State
128. Elon
127. Princeton
126. Colorado State
125. Rutgers
124. Tulsa
123. Wyoming
122. UC Irvine
121. Fresno State
120. Santa Clara
119. Saint Louis
118. Louisiana Tech
117. Ball State
116. Clemson
115. San Francisco
114. Northern Iowa
113. Georgetown
112. Alabama-Birmingham
111. Oklahoma State
110. Tennessee
109. DePaul
108. Winthrop
107. North Carolina-Asheville
106. New Mexico State
105. Richmond
104. Northern Kentucky
103. Towson
102. Nebraska
101. Georgia Southern
100. Dayton
99. Iona
98. Oregon State
97. La Salle
96. Furman
95. Texas-Arlington
94. Illinois State
93. Loyola-Chicago
92. Western Michigan
91. Iowa State
90. Belmont
89. Ohio State
88. Boston College
87. Illinois
86. Boise State
85. Ole Miss
84. Harvard
83. Mississippi State
82. Vermont
81. Auburn
80. South Carolina
79. Syracuse
78. Bucknell
77. Florida-Gulf Coast
76. Colorado
75. Wake Forest
74. Utah
73. Kansas State
72. San Diego State
71. Indiana
70. Texas Tech
69. BYU
68. Penn State
67. Missouri State
66. St. John's
65. Yale
64. Arizona State
63. Grand Canyon
62. North Carolina State
61. Temple
60. Connecticut
59. Georgia Tech
58. Florida State
57. St. Bonaventure
56. Middle Tennessee
55. Houston
54. Davidson
53. St. Joseph's
52. Virginia Commonwealth
51. Iowa

Preseason College Basketball Rankings (250-151)

250. Eastern Washington
249. Texas-San Antonio
248. Northern Illinois
247. Air Force
246. Delaware
245. The Citadel
244. Siena
243. North Dakota
242. Massachusetts-Lowell
241. Duquesne
240. San Jose State
239. Northwestern State
238. Sacred Heart
237. Loyola-Maryland
236. Denver
235. Youngstown State
234. Tennessee-Martin
233. South Florida
232. East Carolina
231. Marshall
230. Abilene Christian
229. Seattle
228. Bradley
227. Tennessee Tech
226. St. Peter's
225. Montana State
224. Colgate
223. Fort Wayne
222. Columbia
221. Southeastern Louisiana
220. Navy
219. North Carolina Central
218. Cal State Fullerton
217. Eastern Illinois
216. Norfolk State
215. Fairleigh-Dickinson
214. Mount St. Mary's
213. Evansville
212. Akron
211. High Point
210. Wagner
209. Charlotte
208. Cal State Bakersfield
207. Weber State
206. Bowling Green
205. Fordham
204. Rider
203. Cornell
202. Arkansas State
201. Northern Colorado
200. Texas Southern
199. Tulane
198. New Hampshire
197. Washington State
196. Utah State
195. Tennessee State
194. Lamar
193. Stony Brook
192. Green Bay
191. Pacific
190. Fairfield
189. Louisiana-Lafayette
188. Campbell
187. Massachusetts
186. Northeastern
185. UMBC
184. Long Beach State
183. North Carolina-Greensboro
182. Old Dominion
181. St. Francis (PA)
180. Boston
179. Mercer
178. Eastern Kentucky
177. Eastern Michigan
176. Lehigh
175. New Mexico
174. Pennsylvania
173. UC Davis
172. Idaho
171. North Dakota State
170. Montana
169. Sam Houston State
168. Georgia State
167. Kent State
166. Wright State
165. Stephen F. Austin
164. Indiana State
163. Monmouth
162. Southern Illinois
161. Liberty
160. Western Kentucky
159. George Washington
158. Troy
157. George Mason
156. Valparaiso
155. Ohio
154. Detroit
153. Hofstra
152. Utah Valley
151. California

Alabama F Key to undergo knee surgery

Alabama standout forward Braxton Key is slated to undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, coach Avery Johnson said.

Johnson said a timetable for Key's return will be determined after the surgery.

Key was a member of the SEC All-Freshman team last season after averaging 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds. He considered opting for the NBA draft before deciding to return for his sophomore season.

The Crimson Tide will also be without ballyhooed freshman point guard Collin Sexton when they open the season against Memphis on Friday. Sexton's eligibility is under scrutiny by the NCAA and he hasn't been cleared to play.

Preseason College Basketball Rankings (351-251)

As I did last year, I will be releasing my preseason College Basketball rankings, all 351 teams. This edition will be the teams from 250-351 as we build up to a brand new College Basketball season. What an exciting time to be a sports fan!

351. Grambling
350. Mississippi Valley State
349. Alabama A&M
348. Florida A&M
347. Bethune-Cookman
346. North Carolina A&T
345. Delaware State
344. Cal State Northridge
343. Coppin State
342. St. Francis (NY)
341. Presbyterian
340. Howard
339. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
338. Central Connecticut State
337. Chicago State
336. Southern Utah
335. Savannah State
334. VMI
333. SIU-Edwardsville
332. Idaho State
331. Quinnipiac
330. Alabama State
329. Longwood
328. NJIT
327. Western Illinois
326. McNeese State
325. Florida International
324. Portland State
323. Prairie View A&M
322. IUPUI
321. Maryland-Eastern Shore
320. Stetson
319. James Madison
318. Lafayette
317. Jackson State
316. Sacramento State
315. Western Carolina
314. Maine
313. Arkansas-Little Rock
312. Jacksonville
311. Binghamton
310. Rice
309. Florida Atlantic
308. Northern Arizona
307. American
306. South Carolina State
305. Bryant
304. Cal Poly
303. North Texas
302. Missouri-Kansas City
301. Houston Baptist
300. Incarnate Word
299. Coastal Carolina
298. Marist
297. Charleston Southern
296. Southeast Missouri State
295. Cleveland State
294. Hampton
293. Louisiana-Monroe
292. Hartford
291. Holy Cross
290. Morgan State
289. Santa Barbara
288. Alcorn State
287. Brown
286. Robert Morris
285. Central Arkansas
284. Texas-Rio Grande Valley
283. Austin Peay
282. Drake
281. South Alabama
280. LIU-Brooklyn
279. Canisius
278. Drexel
277. Miami (OH)
276. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
275. Southern
274. Oral Roberts
273. Dartmouth
272. California-Riverside
271. Kennesaw State
270. Nicholls
269. Appalachian State
268. Omaha
267. North Florida
266. Texas State
265. Chattanooga
264. Milwaukee
263. Hawaii
262. New Orleans
261. Morehead State
260. Loyola Marymount
259. Portland
258. Radford
257. Army
256. Central Michigan
255. William & Mary
254. Pepperdine
253. Southern Mississippi
252. South Carolina-Upstate
251. Gardner-Webb
College Basketball is nearly back, folks! Tomorrow I'll release 250-151.

AP Exclusive: Corruption probe prompts reviews of NCAA teams

By EDDIE PELLS
Associated Press 

The spate of arrests, details of under-the-table bribes to teenagers and the expected downfall of one of the sport's best-known coaches has triggered uncomfortable soul-searching among the institutions at the heart of college basketball, including internal reviews by more than two dozen schools of their own prominent programs.

At stake is the future of a business that, over the span of 22 years ending in 2032, will produce $19.6 billion in TV money for the NCAA Tournament, known to the public, simply, as March Madness.

The NCAA distributes those billions to its conferences and universities, and that figure doesn't include the millions splashed around by shoe companies, who play an outsized role in the success of the programs and the careers of some of their top players.

More than two dozen universities with major hoops programs — including Louisville, where Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino is in the process of being fired after 16 seasons — have responded to news of the sport's bribery scandal by conducting internal reviews of their compliance operations.

The Associated Press asked 84 schools, including all the nation's power programs, and six top conferences about their response to the arrests that upended college hoops mere days before practices for the 2017-18 season began around the country.

Of 63 schools that responded, 28 said the probe prompted their own internal reviews. So did the Pac-12 Conference, which formed a task force to dive into the culture and issues of recruiting.

Among the schools reviewing their programs are Arizona, Auburn, Oklahoma State and Southern California; each had assistant coaches arrested as part of the sting.

The list also includes Alabama, where a review led to the resignation of basketball administrator Kobie Baker but unearthed no NCAA violations, according to school officials.

A representative from one school, St. Johns, told AP the NCAA directed all Division I programs to examine their programs for potential rules violations after the federal complaints were filed. The NCAA declined to comment when asked about that specific directive.

But last week, the NCAA formed a fact-finding commission to be led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, with results expected in April — right around the time the NCAA Tournament comes to an end.

"My only piece of advice (to young players), don't let the process ruin you because we will. I blame myself," said Tom Izzo of Michigan State, one of the schools conducting a review.

Izzo is convinced players' circles grow too large as they near the big-time and fill up with too many people with different agendas.

But in an illustration of wide-ranging perceptions of the issue, Michigan State's cross-state rival, Michigan, said it isn't conducting an internal review and its coach, John Beilein, said "I don't think the sky is falling in college basketball."

"I think that there's certainly some rogue coaches," Beilein said. "How many? Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I can't believe there's too much of that going out there."

Michigan, 34 other schools and the Big East Conference said they were not specifically responding to the federal probe. But many of the "no" responses came with the caveat that the school's athletic department is always reviewing its compliance.

Four conferences and 21 schools declined to respond to the AP's survey, including one university that declined to respond on the record but acknowledged privately that it was reviewing its program because of the probe.

The vast majority of schools surveyed have shoe deals with Nike, Adidas or Under Armour. A top Adidas marketing executive was among the 10 people arrested, after authorities spent two years untangling schemes, often bankrolled with money from the apparel companies, to steer future NBA players toward particular sports agents and financial advisers. No players were accused of doing anything illegal, but any recruits found taking any improper benefits could lose eligibility to play.

In many corners, the arrests have been portrayed as the government's response to activities that have long been viewed as business-as-usual in big-time hoops — a long-awaited reckoning with problems the NCAA has been unwilling or unable to rein in.

An announcement Friday by the NCAA that a seven-year-long investigation into academic fraud at North Carolina would result in no sanctions for the Tar Heels did nothing to promote confidence in the body tasked with keeping its sports clean.

The AP also asked universities if they had been contacted by federal or state law enforcement. Only the schools involved in the federal complaints acknowledged being contacted.

That doesn't mean more isn't coming. Prosecutors have made clear the probe could widen in scope as the investigation continues.

"I'd say most people agree that this is the tip of the iceberg," said John Tauer, the coach at St. Thomas in Minnesota, which has won two Division III titles this decade. "Over the next six months to a year, a lot more chips are going to fall, and you'd have to think that schools that aren't diligent right now could end up paying dearly."

Tauer, who doubles as a social psychology professor specializing in issues of sports in society, spends a lot of time wrestling with the NCAA rulebook. His task isn't as high-stakes, though, because scholarship money and big-time shoe deals are essentially nonexistent in Division III.

"As an educator and a coach, you're certainly disappointed but not shocked to know this kind of thing goes on," Tauer said. "You hear rumors and stories of things that go on in the underworld of recruiting. You always hope they're not true, but you probably know, deep down..."

Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak told a story of losing a hard recruiting battle, and his initial reaction was "at least we didn't cheat."

He called it his heat-of-the-moment reaction, though he's certainly not blind to the issues confronting his sport. When he arrived at Utah in 2011, his two guiding principles were: "We are never going to cheat," and "We aren't going to recruit any turds."

"I wasn't sure in my lifetime that we were going to see anything of this magnitude where the lid got blown off," Krystkowiak said. "I was hopeful that at some point somebody's going to pay the price. Now when you get the feds and the FBI involved, it takes it to a new level."

Kansas coach Bill Self, whose school is among those conducting an internal review, said he harbors no illusions about what's at stake.

"This is bigger than us just coming up with ideas, this is us coming up with ideas that can withhold all the headwind that's going to be coming toward it," Self said.

___

Nearly four dozen AP sports writers around the United States contributed to this report, including Kareem Copeland, Oskar Garcia, Jimmy Golen, Larry Lage, John Marshall, Eric Olson, Dave Skretta and Noah Trister.

___

For more AP college basketball coverage: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Coaching legend Massimino dies at 82

Rollie Massimino, who coached Villanova to an improbable national championship in 1985, has died at the age of 82.

Keiser, an NAIA school in West Palm Beach, Fla., announced Wednesday that Massimino had passed away at his home in Florida. He had served as the coach of the school's men's basketball team for the past 10 years.

Massimino had been in relatively good health before he battled lung cancer in recent years. He had surgery to remove a tumor in his lung in 2011, suffered a collapsed lung and had brain surgery in 2016.

Born Roland Vincent "Rollie" Massimino, the affable coach had won more than 800 games in his coaching career, but is best known for leading a then-eighth-seeded Wildcats team to a victory over Patrick Ewing and top-seeded Georgetown in the 1985 title game.

"He was a life coach, not just a basketball coach," former Villanova star Ed Pinckney said, per ESPN. "Coach was all about family. He was an unbelievable man -- and a great person."

Massimino coached the Wildcats for 19 seasons and compiled a 355-241 record before leaving for UNLV in 1992 to replace Jerry Tarkanian. He spent two years with the Runnin' Rebels and also coached at Cleveland State from 1996-2003.

Massimino joined Chuck Daly's staff at Penn before becoming the head coach at Villanova in 1973. The Wildcats went to 11 NCAA Tournaments -- including three Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight and its first national championship under Massimino's watch.

Including nearly 300 wins while at Northwood/Keiser, Massimino's career record is 816-462 in 41 seasons.

"As our campus community deeply mourns the loss of Coach Massimino, we extend our warmest thoughts and condolences to his wife Mary Jane and the entire Massimino family," Keiser University chancellor Arthur Keiser said in a statement. "We are so truly honored to have shared this time with him and take some degree of comfort in knowing the positive impact he has had on college students for the last four decades remains immeasurable."

Redemption: Tar Heels take title over Gonzaga in ugly game

By EDDIE PELLS
Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) It's OK, Carolina, you can open your eyes.

An unwatchable game turned into a beautiful night for the Tar Heels, who turned a free-throw contest into a championship they've been waiting an entire year to celebrate.

Justin Jackson delivered the go-ahead 3-point play with 1:40 left Monday and North Carolina pulled away for a 71-65 win over Gonzaga that washed away a year's worth of heartache.

It was, in North Carolina's words, a redemption tour - filled with extra time on the practice court and the weight room, all fueled by a devastating loss in last year's title game on Kris Jenkins' 3-point dagger at the buzzer for Villanova.

"Just unreal that we get a second chance at this," junior Theo Pinson said, recounting a pre-game conversation with teammate Joel Berry II. "Not a lot of people can say they can do that. I told him, `We're about to take this thing. I'm about to give everything I got.' I knew he would, too, We just didn't want to come up short again."

But to say everything went right for Roy Williams' team at this Final Four would be less than the truth.

The Tar Heels (33-7) followed a terrible-shooting night in the semifinal with an equally ice-cold performance in the final - going 4 for 27 from 3-point land and 26 for 73 overall.

Gonzaga, helped by 8 straight points from Nigel Williams-Goss, took a 2-point lead with 1:52 left, but the next possession was the game-changer.

Jackson took a zinger of a pass under the basket from Pinson and converted the shot, then the ensuing free throw to take the lead for good. Moments later, Williams-Goss twisted an ankle and could not elevate for a jumper that would've given the Bulldogs the lead.

Isaiah Hicks made a basket to push the lead to 3, then Kennedy Meeks, in foul trouble all night (who wasn't?), blocked Williams-Goss' shot and Jackson got a slam on the other end to put some icing on title No. 6 for the Tar Heels.

Williams got his third championship, putting him one ahead of his mentor, Dean Smith, and now behind only John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski and Adolph Rupp.

"I think of Coach Smith, there's no question," Williams said. "I don't think I should be mentioned in the same sentence with him. But we got three because I've got these guys with me and that's all I care about right now - my guys."

Berry recovered from ankle injuries to lead the Tar Heels, but needed 19 shots for his 22 points. Jackson had 16 but went 0 for 9 from 3. Overall, the Tar Heels actually shot a percentage point worse than they did in Saturday night's win over Oregon.

Thank goodness for free throws.

They went 15 for 26 from the line and, in many corners, this game will be remembered for these three men: Michael Stephens, Verne Harris and Mike Eades, the referees who called 27 fouls in the second half, completely busted up the flow of the game and sent Meeks, Gonzaga's 7-footers Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins, and a host of others to the bench in foul trouble.

The game "featured" 52 free throws. Both teams were in the bonus with 13 minutes left. Somehow, Collins was the only player to foul out.

Most bizarre sequence: With 8:02 left, Berry got called for a foul for (maybe) making contact with Karnowski and stripping the ball from the big man's hands. But as Karnowski was flailing after the ball, he inadvertently grabbed Berry around the neck. After a long delay, the refs called Karnowski for a flagrant foul of his own.

"I'm not going to talk about refs," Karnowski said. "It was just a physical game."

Zags coach Mark Few handled it with class, calling the refs "three of the best officials in the entire country," and insisting they did a fine job.

He might have wanted further review on the scrum with 50 seconds left. The refs were taking heat on social media for calling a held ball, which gave possession to the Tar Heels, on a pile-up underneath the Carolina basket. It set up the Hicks layup to put Carolina ahead by 3. One problem: Meeks' right hand looks to be very much touching out of bounds while he's trying to rip away the ball.

"That was probably on me," Few said. "From my angle, it didn't look like an out of bounds situation or I would have called a review. That's tough to hear."

The Bulldogs (37-2), the Cinderella-turned-Godzilla team from the small school in the West Coast Conference, tried to keep the big picture in mind. Twenty years ago, this sort of run at that sort of place looked virtually impossible. With less than 2 minutes left, they had the lead in the national title game.

"We broke the glass ceiling everyone said we couldn't break," junior forward Johnathan Williams said.

And North Carolina got over a hump that, at times this season, felt like a mountain.

"They wanted redemption," Williams said. "I put it on the locker room up on the board - one of the things we had to be tonight was tough enough. I think this group was tough enough tonight."

NCAA title game: Blue blood vs. new blood

Stats, LLC

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It's the blue blood vs. the new blood.

The contrast in the NCAA Tournament championship game is clear: North Carolina, winners of five titles and appearing in its record 20th Final Four, is in one corner. Gonzaga, in its first Final Four after spending almost two decades chugging up the mountaintop, is in the other.

"To be playing in the last game of the year is just crazy cool," said Bulldogs coach Mark Few.

But make no mistake. The programs might hang different kinds of banners in their arenas, but this is a heavyweight matchup all the way. These are two experienced, balanced, No. 1 seeds ready to throw down Monday at 9:20 p.m. ET from University of Phoenix Stadium.

North Carolina's Roy Williams will be coaching in his 100th NCAA Tournament game and going for his third national title. He has rings from 2005 and 2009, coming up just short of adding the 2016 title to his collection as the Tar Heels lost to Villanova on a last-second shot.

"You know, on game night, kids gotta play. That's the bottom line," Williams said. "I've never won a game from the bench. I may have lost some, but I know I've never won one. We've gotta go out and play and do the best we can."

North Carolina (32-7) won the ACC regular-season title by two games and knocked off a No. 4 seed (Butler), a No. 2 seed (Kentucky) and a No. 3 seed (Oregon on Saturday night) to advance to the title game. The Tar Heels' bona-fides are unquestioned.

Plenty have doubted Gonzaga. The Bulldogs (37-1) have had their doubters because they play in the weaker West Coast Conference, and their last two games in the tournament were against upstarts -- 11th-seeded Xavier and seventh-seeded South Carolina.

"No one's here by accident," said Gonzaga point guard Nigel Williams-Goss. "I think the respect thing has to go out the window. You have 37 wins in a college season, I mean that's just unbelievable. And to be playing the last game of the season, we have a chance to play for it all. And we're here to win it."

Williams-Goss is the engine of a Gonzaga attack that shoots 50.8 percent from the field, second-best in the country. His 16.9 scoring average leads five Bulldogs in double figures.

Senior center Przemek Karnowski is a load inside at 7-foot-1 and 300 pounds, while freshman 7-footer Zach Collins is a future first-round NBA draft choice. He had 14 points against the Gamecocks, setting career highs with 13 rebounds and six blocked shots.

They will be matched up, in part, against North Carolina's sturdy man in the middle, senior Kennedy Meeks. He is not often called upon to be a leading scorer, but when the Tar Heels went cold against Oregon, Meeks dominated with 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting. He added 14 rebounds, eight on the offensive glass.

North Carolina leads the country in rebounding margin and offensive rebounds.

"I think our main objective every game is to hit teams early in the mouth, whether that's attacking them on the offensive end or playing great defense," Meeks said.

Forward Justin Jackson averages a team-best 18.3 points. Point guard Joel Berry II, averaging 14.5 points per game, has been dealing with two balky ankles. He played 35 minutes Saturday night but was just 2 of 14 from the field.

Can he guard Williams-Goss?

Will the Tar Heels assert their usual dominance in the paint?

Will Jackson go off?

Can Gonzaga 3-point ace Jordan Mathews be a shooting star?

Will the last team standing be blue blood or new blood?

For North Carolina, it's more of the same. For Gonzaga, the peak has never been closer.

"I've had some really, really tough teams. I've had some really close teams. I've had some teams that have been crazy efficient on the offensive end and ones that have been pretty darned good on the defensive end that probably didn't get credit for it," Few said. "These guys are all of that. All of it."

Meeks shoots, and rebounds, and saves the day for Tar Heels

By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) North Carolina missed the shots. No surprise there.

Kennedy Meeks saved the game. No surprise there, either.

Meeks, the only Tar Heel who could shoot straight Saturday night, muscled away the game-saving offensive rebound in a 77-76 victory over Oregon after ice-cold Carolina missed its fourth straight free throw down the stretch.

All part of a career night for the North Carolina senior, who was on the bench in last year's championship game when Villanova devastatingly ended the Tar Heels' chance at a title with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

In this one, Meeks was front and center. He finished 11 for 13 to match his career high with 25 points. And he had 14 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive glass and none of which was more important than the last. It secured a Monday-night date with Gonzaga in the title game, where the Tar Heels (32-7) will go for the program's sixth title.

"If it wasn't for Kennedy Meeks, we wouldn't have been in the basketball game," Carolina coach Roy Williams said.

Meeks had plenty to mop up for.

The rest of his team shot a brick-a-minute 14 for 55 from the floor (25 percent). Justin Jackson was one of the few to break through. He had 22 points on 6-for-13 shooting, including a five-minute stretch with three 3-pointers and two free throws that helped the Heels to a double-digit lead and put them on the verge of a runaway midway through the second half.

Given the lead and Oregon's own awful shooting (37 percent), losing this one might have felt every bit as bad as the Villanova loss last year. This is, after all, a team on a mission with only one acceptable destination.

"I just didn't want to lose another game off a winning shot," said Joel Berry II, who missed the free throw that Meeks tore away from Jordan Bell to ice the game. "I wish we would have closed it out."

Didn't quite happen. And after Keith Smith's layup pulled Oregon within 77-76 with 7 seconds left (should Oregon have pulled it out for a game-tying 3? Maybe so), it looked like it would come down to free throws.

It did, and it wasn't pretty.

First, Meeks got fouled, stepped to the line and rimmed out two. But Theo Pinson got inside and batted the ball back out to Berry, who then got fouled with 4 seconds left and took his turn at the line.

Berry missed both, too. But Meeks got inside of Bell for that final rebound, threw it outside to Pinson, who dribbled out the clock to end this ugly affair.

"My main focus was, if Joel missed the second free throw, to hit the offensive glass hard," Meeks said.

Bell finished with 13 points and 16 rebounds, but needed No. 17 to give the Ducks a last shot.

"Jordan felt terrible," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "But I told him, `Buddy, you got 16 rebounds, we wouldn't have been in this position if it hadn't been for you.'"

That it came down to Carolina winning on the boards was no big surprise. This was the best rebounding team in the country this season, grabbing an average of 13 more boards than their opponents over the course of the season.

Against the Ducks, the rebounding battle was even (43 each), though North Carolina got five more on the offensive glass, which resulted in 19 second-chance points, 10 more shots and, eventually, the win.

"I think coach, definitely, when we're gone, he's going to tell that story," said Pinson, who finished with eight points and eight boards. "That just shows how big offensive rebounding is. Boxing out at the end of the game. I'm sure (Bell) wished he'd boxed out right there."

ANKLE TROUBLE: Berry played, as promised, but his shot was troubled by the injured ankles that limited him in practice all week. He was 2 for 14 from the floor and 5 for 9 from the line and finished with 11 points.

MR. MARCH: Tyler Dorsey had been lighting it up through the tournament for Oregon, shooting 65 percent from 3, but the Tar Heels got in his face early and he never got on track. His 21 points came on 11 shots from the field and he only went 3 for 7 from behind the arc. Oregon shot 3 for 18 from 3 in the second half.

BROOKS STRUGGLES: Dillon Brooks has been the leader for Oregon all season, but struggled, finishing with 10 points on 2-for-11 shooting before fouling out.

GOOD COMPANY: According to ESPN Stats and Info, Meeks joins Larry Bird, Ed O'Bannon, Carmelo Anthony and Danny Manning as the only players to reach 25 points and 14 rebounds in the Final Four over the last 40 years.

NEXT UP: Carolina vs. Gonzaga in the title game Monday. Ducks' season over after falling a game short of returning to the title game for the first time since 1939, the first NCAA Tournament.