The SEC / Big 12 Challenge took center stage on Saturday and, man, it didn’t disappoint.
Florida defeated West Virginia’s 11th position with an exciting 85-80 victory, Missouri’s 12th position overcame a double-digit deficit to escape TCU in overtime 102-98, and 10th Texas Tech withdrew Houdini’s act from day year with a 12-0 run in the final minute to knock LSU 76-71 down impressively.
That was not all. Oklahoma schools also delivered things, with No. 24 Oklahoma starting the day with a 66-61 victory over No. 9 Alabama and Oklahoma State defeating Arkansas 81-77 thanks to heroism at the end of the game. Cade Cunningham. Then, the top state team in northern Oklahoma, number 15 in Kansas, was hit on the road by number 18 in Tennessee.
It was really a wild day at the SEC / Big 12 Challenge, but also in sports. So, we did the necessary work to close all events in an organized column, presenting the biggest winners and losers of the day. Enjoy.
Loser: Kansas fights continue
Times are tough for Bill Self and company. They suffered their fourth loss in five games on Saturday to the Vols, who defeated them 80-61. It was the Jayhawks’ fifth defeat in January to close the month, the first time since 1989 that the program suffered so many defeats in a single month and the first time that Self did it as head coach since 1995, for ESPN.
Winner: Florida reinforces NCAA tournament curriculum
No one would blame the Gators if they had given up after losing Keyontae Johnson, pre-season player of the year, Keyontae Johnson, in December in a frightening way. But the Gators have already won four consecutive victories, after passing West Virginia No. 11 by 85-80. Only Gonzaga and Texas Tech have scored more against the Mountaineers this season. But with the Michigan transfer, Colin Castleton, proving to be a revelation, the Gators are emerging and building quite a curriculum. The 1.83m Castleton finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and five blocks on Saturday.
Loser: Providence blows Hoyas 15-point lead
As if blowing up a 15-point lead for a Georgetown team that was at the bottom of the conference standings before Saturday was not brutal enough, Providence did just that, losing 73-72 in an especially agonizing manner. With 1.5 seconds to go, Providence star David Duke missed a free throw that probably would have sent the game to OT, causing the game to stop abruptly. (Duke is hitting over 80% of the free-throw line this season.)
Winner: Duke’s Johnson shows off diving skills
Duke’s freshman striker Jalen Johnson gave the day’s dunk with authority on Saturday when the Blue Devils took Clemson down 79-53. Johnson shot in the middle of the first half and defeated Clemson’s freshman PJ Hall when the two met at the edge of the ring, posting him in the process.
Here’s another look, because it was absolutely glorious and just one angle is not enough.
Johnson also brought confidence and arrogance to his postgame, telling the ACC Network that he predicted.
“I could tell by the way he was chasing this [that he was going to try to block it]”, he said.” I knew I was going to put it in the hoop. “
Loser: TCU gives a big advantage on the road
Coughing a double-digit advantage is one thing, but doing so in the final minutes on the road against a qualified team is in its own special category of pain. TCU led by a dozen with 4:40 remaining in the regulation, but let No. 12 Mizzou ride a 19-7 race to force overtime. In the OT, Tigres beat TCU 13-9 and took a 102-98 home win. TCU has now lost five consecutive games and is only designed by KenPom to win two of its nine remaining conference games. There.
Loser: Two more unbeaten teams fall
The number of undefeated teams in college hoops dropped by two this weekend after Alabama A&M lost to Prairie View A&M by 79-57. The Bulldogs’ defeat came a day after Winthrop (16-1) had his first loss of the season on Friday by just two miserable points in the 57-55 victory of a UNC Asheville team that won by four points just one day before.
Winner: Baylor handles Auburn with ease
Bears have yet to win a game by less than eight points after representing the Big 12 with an 84-72 victory over Auburn. Baylor led by just 35-30 at the break before systematically dismantling Bruce Pearl’s club with the usual mix of 3-point shooting and defense, keeping Sharife Cooper in check. There was also this ridiculous burial by Matthew Mayer that left the Bears’ bank in a total frenzy.
Winner: Cade Cunningham heats up late
Oklahoma freshman Cade Cunningham did not open on Saturday against Arkansas after losing the last two games due to COVID-19 protocols. But, true to the cliché: it’s not how you start, it’s how you end.
And Cunningham ended up with a purpose. He had 14 points in the second half in the Pokes 81-77 victory over Arkansas, and hit not only the pitcher in the decisive time, but also free-throw attempts in the final seconds to slow the victory.
Loser: Colorado’s Pac-12 hopes will suffer a crushing blow
With a 19-point lead in the second half against Utah, all Colorado had to do on Saturday in the second half was to avoid a total collapse. But that’s exactly what the Buffaloes did by dropping 77-74 in a stunner for the Utes. Colorado hit just four field shots in the final nine minutes of play and Utah playmaker Alfonso Plummer stepped off the bench to score 21 of his 23 points in the last 7:49 of the game. Plummer hit four points out of three in the interval, including a four point play with 3:24 that gave the Utes a 70-69 advantage that they would not lose.
Loser: Florida loses opportunity
On a day when ACC leader Virginia fell to Virginia Tech, the State of Florida squandered a good opportunity to move up the league standings, hitting the road 76-65 for Georgia Tech. The defeat pushed the Seminoles to 6-2 in the conference, but a victory would have tied them with Virginia for first place. Now they are a complete game back to the standings and are chasing the two schools in Virginia.
Winner: Villanova continues browsing
Remember Villanova? You must. After a long layoff due to problems with COVID-19, the No. 3 Wildcats returned with three consecutive victories, with Saturday’s 80-72 victory over Seton Hall serving as the latest example of his supremacy in the Big East. Most agree that No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 Baylor – both undefeated – are clearly the best teams in the country. But at 11-1 (6-0 Big East), Villanova is not far behind.
Loser: LSU melts late against Texas Tech
Lost seven to one minute from the end at LSU, Texas Tech’s number 10 needed a miraculous turnaround to avoid a streak of three straight losses.
And it was a miracle.
The Red Raiders put together a 12-0 run in the final minute to win 76-71. It all started with a Mac McClung 3, followed by another, followed by Terrence Shannon’s six consecutive stitches to close it. An absolute merger of LSU, but a brilliant effort that is worth acknowledging as such by Tech.
Winner: Shorthanded Sooners appear against Alabama
Oklahoma ordered a win on Saturday with a healthy side to history, defeating No. 9 Alabama 66-61 and, in the process, becoming only the third team to record four regular season wins over the top 10 opponents in the same month. The impressive victory came without scorer Austin Reaves, closing a month when the Sooners (11-4) defeated No. 9 West Virginia, No. 9 Kansas, No. 9 Alabama and No. 5 Texas, all within a window 28 days.
Don’t look now, but OR suddenly seems the most serious threat to Baylor (if any!) At Big 12. And a warning beforehand: good luck if you are ranked 9th and playing the Sooners.
Winner: UT Arlington passes Arkansas on the horn
UT Arlington led by exactly zero seconds in the second half against Arkansas State, yet managed to come out with a victory. That’s because the Mavericks tried to catch up the entire second half, but finally prevailed when the time was up, with a resounding layup taking them out of the way of ASU.
Loser: Clemson’s tough month continues
Just two weeks ago, Clemson was ranked, the # 1 defense owner in adjusted efficiency and cruising for serious ACC containment. But, ah, the past two weeks have been terrible. The Tigers have fallen four times in their last five games, culminating in a beating at the hands of Duke 79-53. They lost each of the last four games by 98 points combined.