Kaufman-Renn's career night leads No. 13 Purdue past No. 2 Alabama in 87-78 win

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and freshman C.J. Cox scored nine of his 11 points during a game-turning 13-0 run midway through the second half to help No. 13 Purdue get past No. 2 Alabama 87-78 on Friday night.

The Boilermakers (4-0) have won 21 consecutive home games and 25 straight in November. They have not lost a regular-season nonconference game since December 2020.

Braden Smith had 17 points and 10 assists as he moved into third place on Purdue’s career assists list with 483. Fletcher Loyer also scored 17.

Alabama (3-1) was led by freshman Labaron Philon, who had a season-high 18 points off the bench before fouling out with 2:02 to play. Grant Nelson added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Mark Sears scored 15 in a matchup between two of last season’s Final Four teams.

NO. 4 GONZAGA 113, UMASS LOWELL 54

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Khalif Battle scored 21 points, including 4 for 4 on 3-point attempts, and No. 4 Gonzaga cruised to a victory over UMass Lowell.

Nolan Hickman added 14 points and shot 4 for 5 from 3-point range for the Zags (3-0), who are undefeated after three games for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

Braden Huff and Ryan Nembhard had 13 apiece and Dusty Stromer and Graham Ike each had 11.

The River Hawks (2-1) were led by Quinton Mincey with 10 points.

The Zags jumped to a 21-7 lead with the help of an 11-0 run in the first five minutes. Hickman and Battle combined for 22 first-half points and Gonzaga went into halftime ahead 49-27.

Battle made a pair of 3-pointers on Gonzaga’s first two possessions after the break. The Zags expanded their lead up to 40 points before the midway point of the half.

WISCONSIN 103, NO. 9 ARIZONA 88

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — John Tonje had a career-high 41 points — two shy of the Wisconsin record — to lead the Badgers over No. 9 Arizona.

Wisconsin (4-0) never trailed, and fans stormed the Kohl Center court after the final horn.

Tonje shot 8 for 14 from the floor, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and was 21 for 22 at the foul line. His 21 free throws set a school mark.

Wisconsin’s scoring record is held by Frank Kaminsky, who attended Friday’s game as part of a ceremony honoring the Badgers’ 2014 and 2015 Final Four teams. Kaminsky scored 43 against North Dakota on Nov. 19, 2013.

Jaden Bradley had 22 points, Trey Townsend added 17 and KJ Lewis 15 for Arizona (2-1). John Blackwell scored 14 and Max Klesmit 13 for Wisconsin.

Wisconsin raised a banner bearing the name of former coach Bo Ryan into the Kohl Center rafters at halftime. Ryan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last month.

NO. 10 NORTH CAROLINA 107, AMERICAN 55

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Elliot Cadeau and Jalen Washington scored 18 points apiece and No. 10 North Carolina overwhelmed American in the second half for a victory.

Cadeau scored 11 of North Carolina’s first 23 points, and Washington shot 6 for 6 from the field and 6 for 7 on free throws.

RJ Davis and Seth Trimble each scored 13 points, and Cade Tyson added 11 points off the bench as the Tar Heels were back in action a week after losing 92-89 at No. 1 Kansas.

North Carolina (2-1) won by more than 50 points for the first time in six years and outscored American 64-21 in the second half.

Matt Rogers had 15 points and reserve Elijah Stephens posted 12 points for American (1-3).

NO. 15 MARQUETTE 78, MARYLAND 74

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Kam Jones scored 18 of his 28 points in the second half, and No. 15 Marquette held off a late run by Maryland to pull out a victory.

In game that featured nine ties and 13 lead changes, the Golden Eagles (4-0) rode the sharp shooting of Jones to squeeze past a Maryland team that had won its first three games by 30, 34 and 31 points, respectively.

Marquette led 74-66 with 1:07 left before the Terrapins charged back. It was 76-74 when Maryland’s DeShawn Harris-Smith stepped to the foul line for two shots with 14.7 seconds remaining.

He missed both.

Jones went 10 for 18 from the floor and made three of his five attempts from beyond the arc.

Freshman center Derik Queen and Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 24 points apiece for Maryland (3-1).

Stevie Mitchell chipped in with 18 points for the Golden Eagles in their first road game of the season.

NO. 17 CINCINNATI 86, NICHOLLS STATE 49

CINCINNATI (AP) — Simas Lukosius had 19 points including five 3-pointers, Jizzle James scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, and No. 17 Cincinnati eased by Nicholls State.

Dillon Mitchell had 12 points and nine rebounds and Arrinten Page added 11 points for Cincinnati, which returned after a week off following an 83-56 victory over Morehead State on Nov. 8.

The Bearcats have now started 3-0 in each of Wes Miller’s four years at the helm. He earned his 250th win last Friday.

Jamal West Jr. scored 12 points to lead Nicholls State (2-3).

NO. 20 FLORIDA 87, FLORIDA STATE 74

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Walter Clayton scored 16 of his 25 points in the first half and No. 20 Florida held off a late rally to beat Florida State.

Florida’s Todd Golden coached his first road game after allegations of sexual harassment and stalking surfaced last week. Golden was greeted by boos from a sold-out Florida State student section.

Alijah Martin added 17 points and five rebounds, Alex Condon had seven points and 12 rebounds and Florida (4-0) won its fourth straight rivalry game against Florida State.

Florida State trailed by 15 with just under eight minutes to go but chipped away and cut Florida’s lead to 77-73 with 2:23 to go. But Clayton and Martin made 3s to help Florida secure the win.

Jamir Watkins had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Seminoles (3-1). Justin Thomas hit three 3-pointers in the second half, finishing with 11 points.

NO. 23 TEXAS A&M 78, NO. 21 OHIO STATE 64

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Wade Taylor IV and Manny Obaseki each scored 15 points and No. 23 Texas A&M beat No. 21 Ohio State.

Zhuric Phelps added 14 points and Henry Coleman III chipped in 12 for the Aggies.

The Aggies have won three consecutive games following a season-opening loss at UCF and handed the Buckeyes their first loss of the season. The Aggies led 31-22 at halftime before starting the second half with two 3-pointers from Phelps and Taylor to build a 37-22 lead.

Bruce Thornton led the Buckeyes with 15 points, John Mobley Jr. added 13 and Ohio State shot 34% (20 of 59) from the field, compared to 39% (19 of 49) by the Aggies.

NO. 24 RUTGERS 98, MONMOUTH 81

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Dylan Harper scored 20 points, fellow freshman Ace Bailey had 17 in his college debut and No. 24 Rutgers beat Monmouth.

After missing the first two games of the season with what coach Steve Pikiell called a “basketball injury,” Bailey made the first shot of the game — a 3-pointer from the right corner. The guard added six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in 30 minutes.

Harper has scored at least 20 points in each game this season for Rutgers (3-0). He added five rebounds and six assists.

Zach Martini added 18 points, and Lathan Sommerville had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Abdi Bashir Jr. led Monmouth (0-4) with a career-high 38 points. He was 10 of 17 from 3-point range. Madison Durr added 17 points.

The Associated Press