Ranked matchups were certainly the focal point in what was a fun week five of hoops. Along with the several ranked showdowns, heated rivalry games took place, some of which ended in shocking finishes. And to cap it all off, we got our first look at Bronny James in a college basketball game, one that had a result no one was expecting.
Long Beach State spoils Bronny James’s debut, as USC loses an overtime shocker
Hearing that USC is playing Long Beach State on a Sunday afternoon might not get anyone too excited, but hearing that Bronny James would take the court certainly did. This debut has been long awaited and long anticipated, but the most exciting part about it may have been that James was stepping on a court in the first place. This is because, in July, James suffered a cardiac arrest that could have ended his career. This event didn’t end his career, though, and he was set to return against the Beach on Sunday.
James tallied four points, two assists, three rebounds, two steals and one block in 17 minutes. Unfortunately for James and the rest of the USC Trojans, this debut game did not go as planned. The Trojans had the lead early and kept it for most of the second half, but LBSU held tough and fought its way back in the end. Marcus Tsohonis led the charge for the Beach, scoring 28 points off the bench as Long Beach State upset USC 84-79 in overtime.
No. 15 Miami, No. 21 Texas A&M go down, both losing to very solid unranked clubs
During a packed NFL Sunday two very solid college hoops matchups took place. First, Colorado took on Miami at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This one was close at the half, but in the second period the Buffaloes dominated and took charge of the game. Tristan da Silva and K.J. Simpson led the Buffs in scoring with 21 and 20, respectively. These performances were key in the second half, as Colorado handed Miami its second loss on the season, 90-63.
Later on Sunday, Memphis took the trip out to College Station to face Texas A&M. The Aggies were favored, but the Tigers had a very solid chance of pulling off the upset. And pull off the upset they did as Memphis dominated the second half en route for a huge victory. David Jones had 29 and Jahvon Quinerly had 24 points, starring in this game and leading their Tigers to a victory over the Aggies 81-75. This loss was the third for Texas A&M, who suddenly finds itself out of the Top 25 after being solidly in it just a few weeks ago.
No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 13 Colorado State and No. 14 BYU all lose at the hand of underdogs
In what has been a season filled with upsets, three more came on Saturday. Starting off, BYU faced Utah in a major rivalry game. BYU came into the matchup undefeated and riding high, but the Utes came to crash the party and beat the Cougars. Gabe Madsen led Utah with 17 points, many of which were critical buckets which resulted in the rivalry upset victory. This loss was the first one for the Cougars, who are still looking good headed into Big 12 play, given that this loss was a close one, 73-69.
Next, Colorado State faced St. Mary’s in what was an important game for both teams, but for different reasons. CSU came into the game undefeated and firmly in the Top 25, while St. Mary’s came into the clash with five losses to its name, needing a big win to turn its season around. A big win is exactly what the Gaels got as they took down the Rams in a close one. Augustas Marciulionis was the star for St. Mary’s, scoring 18 leading to the big win. This was the Rams’ first loss on the season, this one coming with the score 64-61.
The last of the western ranked teams to go down was Gonzaga, which faced Washington on the road late Saturday night. This one could be considered a rivalry of sorts, as it's an in-state clash with competing fans in the Seattle area. This one was close from start to finish, which gave the fans a very exciting one to watch. Keon Brooks Jr. scored 17 and led the Huskies to an upset victory on their home floor. This gave the Zags their second loss on the season, but the first to an unranked opponent. This one was definitely a good one, ending in a final score of 78-73 for UW.
No. 1 Arizona, No. 17 Tennessee both get big wins in Saturday’s two ranked matchups
To start off a packed Saturday of hoops, Illinois met Tennessee at the Vols’ home arena. This one had tons of intrigue as a ranked matchup, and it certainly lived up to the hype. It was close throughout the game, with several key players showing out with good performances. Quincy Guerrier and Terrence Shannon both had 22 for the Illini and Dalton Knecht had 21 for the Volunteers. While Guerrier and Shannon both had great games, the Illini came up short as the Vols played extremely well down the stretch. Tennessee used this solid second half to win the battle on its home floor 86-79.
The second ranked matchup of the day featured Wisconsin traveling to Tucson to take on Arizona. This one was never particularly close, with the Wildcats leading from start to finish. Pelle Larsson had 21 and Caleb Love had 20 points to lead their team to victory in front of the rowdy fans at the McKale Center. This win may have cemented the Wildcats as a serious title contender and silenced any doubters they might have had. As for the Badgers, this was their third loss on the season, but a very respectable one considering it was to the No. 1 team on the road. The final score would end up being 98-73 in favor of U of A.
Tyler Kolek puts on a show as No. 8 Marquette dominates No. 12 Texas
Wednesday featured a very solid matchup as a part of the Big12/Big East Battle: Texas against Marquette from Milwaukee. This was supposed to be a close one, but for the vast majority of the game the Golden Eagles had firm control. Tyler Kolek had an incredible game, scoring 28 points in a game that many will point to when trying to make his case for National Player of the Year. Max Abmas also had a great performance, tallying 25 points of his own but in a losing effort. This game showed why Marquette is a top 10 team in the polls, and rightfully so, because beating the No. 12 team in the country 86-65 should expect to turn some heads.
No. 20 Illinois beats No. 11 FAU, No. 5 UConn beats No. 9 UNC in a stacked Jimmy V Classic
The Jimmy V Classic is not only a great cause for charity, but an opportunity for some of the best teams in the country to battle it out on the court. The event got started with Illinois facing off against FAU. The Illini put on an offensive show, with Marcus Domask and Terrence Shannon Jr. both scoring 33 points. These were two great performances, but the Illini as a whole put on an offensive clinic to defeat the Owls. FAU also had a good offensive game, but they couldn’t keep up with Illinois as the game went final 98-89 in favor of the Illini.
The second matchup of the Jimmy V Classic included UConn and North Carolina, two of the biggest brands in the sport. Also being a matchup of top-10 teams made this game even more tempting to watch, especially with the talent on the floor. This one lived up to the hype as it ended up being a very solid game. UConn got good performances out of Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban, who had 23 and 18 points, respectively. R.J. Davis had a game-high 26 points, but for the losing side of UNC. This one was close in the first half, but in the second half UConn pulled away and held that lead all the way, winning 87-76 over the Tar Heels.
Elms' Essentials: Week 12
