PROVIDENCE, R.I - The American Athletic Conference showed its resolve on Wednesday night as all three men's basketball teams in action posted come-from-behind home victories. No. 24/22 Houston erased a 15-point deficit to defeat LSU, 82-76, Temple overcame a 13-point hole to down UMass, 65-63, and Wichita State retook the lead in the final five minutes and used a late 8-0 run to get past Jacksonville State, 69-65.
Wednesday, December 12
Temple 65, UMass 63
Shizz Alston, Jr. scored a career-high 31 points to Temple to a 65-63 come-from-behind win over visiting UMass (6-5). The Owls (8-2) trailed by 13 early in the second half before a 12-0 run put them back in it, and Alston's 11-of-12 performance at the free throw line later sealed the deal.
After back-and-forth action in the first 10 minutes, UMass pulled ahead and took a 10-point lead into halftime.
The Minutemen increased their lead to 13 early in the second half before Quinton Rose got into the action, helping Alston as the Owls used a big run to get back in the game.
Alston hit Temple's only two three-pointers of the game, both in the first half, and also made 11 of the Owls' 17 free throws.
Temple's largest lead was only five, and UMass twice made it a one-point game in the final 10 seconds.
The only free throw miss by Alston came with four seconds left, but he stole the ball on the Minutemen's last possession to ensure Temple's victory.
The Owls forced 19 turnovers while committing only 11, and also came up with 11 steals including four from Rose and three from Alston.
Alston's 31 points break his previous career high by one point and mark his second 30-point performance of the season.
Rose finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four steals. Ernest Aflakpui led all players with eight rebounds, getting three of those in the crucial final minutes.
Wichita State 69, Jacksonville State 65
Wichita State used an 8-0 run late in the second-half to earn a 69-65 victory over Jacksonville State Wednesday evening at Charles Koch Arena.
Wichita State (5-4) is scheduled to take on Southern Miss Saturday, Dec. 15, at 4:30 p.m. in downtown Wichita at Intrust Bank Arena.
Senior Samajae Haynes-Jones led the Shockers with a game-high 17 points on 7-for-16 shooting, while Jaime Echenique (12 points) and Markis McDuffie (11 points) also reached double figures. McDuffie paced WSU on the glass, snagging nine rebounds.
Neither team could gain more than a two-point lead in the opening minutes of the game until an Echenique layup and Erik Stevenson three-pointer put the Shockers in front, 15-10, with 13:06 remaining in first-half.
Jacksonville State (5-4) pulled back within two at 20-18 after a pair of Ty Hudson free-throws with just over 10 minutes remaining, but a quick 6-0 Wichita State run over the next 1:29 pushed the WSU advantage to 26-18 after a Stevenson layup with 8:17 to go in the half.
The Gamecocks trimmed the advantage down to two again at 33-31 with 1:17 remaining in the frame, however Wichita State scored four of the final six points in the half to take a 37-33 lead into halftime.
Echenique led WSU in the opening stanza with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while McDuffie, Morris Udeze and Dexter Dennis each pulled down a team-best four rebounds.
Jacksonville State scored the opening four points of the second-half, tying the game, 37-37, after a Hudson jumper with 19:14 to go.
The Shockers answered though, and went on a 13-4 run over the next 4:43, jumping out to a 50-41 lead when Udeze converted a layup with 14:20 remaining in the stanza.
The Gamecocks responded, however, and rolled off nine straight points over 2:36 to take a 58-57 lead after a Jason Burnell layup with 6:14 to go.
The two teams traded leads until Haynes-Jones drilled a three with 1:43 remaining to give the Shockers a 64-60 advantage. WSU pushed its lead to 67-60 after McDuffie was fouled on a three-pointer and made all three foul shots with just over 30 seconds on the clock, and the Gamecocks could get no closer than four the remainder of the contest.
WSU outshot Jacksonville State in the game, 43 percent to 38 percent, and tallied a 44-33 advantage in rebounding, including a 14-8 edge in offensive boards. In addition, the Shockers outscored JSU in the paint, 42-18.
No. 24/22 Houston 82, LSU 76
Galen Robinson Jr. scored 18 points, Armoni Brooks added 13 - all in the second half - and No. 24/22 Houston overcame a 15-point deficit in to beat LSU 82-76 on Wednesday night.
Robinson was 7-of-15 from the field and had six assists and five rebounds, and Brooks added nine rebounds to help Houston (9-0) extend its home winning streak to 22 games. Cedrick Alley Jr. added 13 points, Fabian White Jr had 10.
Trailing by 15 with 19 minutes left, Houston outscored LSU 31-12 over the next 12 minutes to take a 63-62 lead. Robinson had eight points and Brooks seven during the run.
Ja'Vonte Smart had 18 points, Naz Reid added 13 points and Marlon Taylor had 11 points for LSU (7-3). The Tigers shot 27 percent in the second half, including a nearly 10-minute stretch where they went without a field goal.
Tremont Waters made two free throws with 29 seconds left to pull LSU within two. Corey Davis then made two free throws for Houston with 26 seconds remaining, Waters missed a 3-pointer, and Davis hit two more free throws.
The Tigers used a 17-2 run bridging halftime to take a 50-35 lead.
LSU shot 19-percent on 3-pointers, including 1-of-12 in the second half. The Tigers were also out-rebounded 48-35, including 18-12 on the offensive glass.
UPCOMING GAMES
| THURSDAY 12.13.18 |
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New Orleans |
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Tulsa |
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8 p.m. |
Tulsa, Okla. |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:ESPN3 |
| SATURDAY 12.15.18 |
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SMU |
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Georgetown |
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Noon |
Washington, D.C. |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:FS1 |
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Tennessee |
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Memphis |
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Noon |
Memphis, Tenn. |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:ESPN2 |
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Appalachian State |
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USF |
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1 p.m. |
Tampa, Fla. |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:ESPN3 |
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Davidson |
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Temple |
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4:30 p.m. |
Atlantic City, N.J. |
Live Video
TV:ESPN3 |
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Southern Miss |
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Wichita State |
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5:30 p.m. |
Wichita, Kan. |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:CBS Sports Network |
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Manhattan |
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UConn |
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8 p.m. |
Storrs, Conn. |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:SNY/ESPN3 |
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Cincinnati |
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Mississippi State |
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8:30 p.m. |
Starkville, Miss. |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:SEC Network |
| SUNDAY 12.16.18 |
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Saint Louis |
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Houston |
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3 p.m. |
Houston, Texas |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:ESPNU |
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Stetson |
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UCF |
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3 p.m. |
Orlando, Fla. |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:ESPN3 |
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Dayton |
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Tulsa |
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3:30 p.m. |
Uncasville, Conn. |
Live Video
TV:CBS Sports Network |