College basketball highlights: Arizona, Marquette, Texas, more win big
It was a Saturday for champions, as several major men's college basketball conferences crowned their champs today, and thus decided a handful of automatic entries into the NCAA Tournament.
The Big Ten took center stage first with a pair of semifinal games, starting with regular-season champion Purdue against Ohio State, and Penn State against Indiana. Purdue and Penn State will play in Sunday's championship tilt.
Elsewhere, Texas captured the Big 12 title in front of a sold-out crowd in Kansas City, and Marquette became the Big East champion after a commanding win at Madison Square Garden.
Closing things out, Arizona secured the Pac-12 title with a down-to-the-wire win over UCLA. It marked the Wildcats' first time winning consecutive Pac-12 tournaments since doing so in 2017-18 and their fifth conference title in their past eight tournaments played.
Here are the top moments from Saturday's slate!
Arizona 61, UCLA 59 (Pac-12 Final)
Viva Las Vegas!
It was rocking at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada on Saturday, as the Bruins and the Wildcats faced off for the Pac-12 title. Both teams went back and forth in the opening moments of the game, which heated up quickly.
Arizona's defense firing on all cylinders early, keeping UCLA at bay right out of the gate.
Neck and neck
Both teams continued to pour it on as the first half got underway. At the break, UCLA held a one-point lead, 34-33.
Heavyweights
Saturday's tilt certainly lived up to the hype. The 1- and 2-seed powerhouses left it all on the court in the second half.
Securing the W
In the end, Arizona had a little more left in the tank, edging UCLA by two points, 61-59, in a statement win.
Marquette 65, Xavier 51 (Big East Final)
Hot start
Marquette star Kam Jones got the first points for the Golden Eagles, which sparked a 10-0 run early in the first half.
Marquette continued to pour it on as the first half continued. Sean Jones made a stellar spin move just before finessing a two-point jumper to extend the Golden Eagles' lead over Xavier, which quickly fell into a double-digit hole.
Marquette's Sean Jones drains the jump shot to extend the lead vs. Xavier
Style points
Marquette was a force to be reckoned with as the first half winded down. Exhibit A:
Kam Jones throws down a wicked reverse layup to extend Marquette's lead
Raining 3s
Musketeers guard Adam Kunkel secured the first 3 of the night for Xavier, which closed the gap slightly before the break.
Adam Kunkel puts up Xavier's first three in the Big East championship
Making a statement!
The Golden Eagles picked up right where they left off, as the second half got underway, cruising to a commanding win.
David Joplin hits a 3-pointer to extend Marquette's lead vs. Xavier
Texas 76, Kansas 56 (Big 12 Final)
Heating up
The Jayhawks were clicking on all cylinders early, but Texas kept Kansas within arm's reach with ease.
On a roll
Texas went on a 10-0 run in the last two minutes of the first half, locking in a 39-33 lead at the break.
No quit
The Longhorns kept their foot on the gas all the way until the end, running away with a dominant double-digit win, 76-56.
Penn State 77, Indiana 73 (Big Ten)
Early action
Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis kicked off the action by picking up his own rebound and finishing the job, as well as slamming down a dunk in the early minutes of the game.
Dread instills dread
Myles Dread racked up points for the Nittany Lions to bring them to a 14-12 lead.
Not messing around
Jalen Pickett showed up ready to play ball, leading Penn State to a 10-point lead over the Hoosiers, 24-14.
Glam slam
Race Thompson stunned the audience with a one-handed slam for the Hoosiers in the final minutes of the first half, which ended with Penn State leading 34-26.
Gaining ground
From the corner of the court, Tamar Bates sunk a 3-pointer to spur the Hoosiers into action in the second half, helping Indiana close the deficit to just 38-35.
Tight game
Indiana stayed close to Penn State, not allowing the Nittany Lions to build a big lead, thanks to some dunks by Kebba Njie and Jackson-Davis.
Funk answers
Andrew Funk halted the Hoosier's momentum with a 3-pointer in transition to keep Penn State on top at 52-47.
Wynter time
Camren Wynter kept the Nittany Lions on a roll with a clutch outside shot, extending their lead to 10 points, 61-51.
One point away!
Indiana fought hard in the final minute of the game in an effort to catch up to Penn State and got close enough to make it a 1-point game. But the Nittany Lions put it to rest with a final score of 77-73 to move on to the Big Ten final.
Purdue 80, Ohio State 66 (Big Ten)
First punch
Purdue pulled ahead in the first few minutes with a strong start by big man Zach Edey.
Retaliation
Roddy Gayle Jr. tied it up at 19-19 thanks to a cross-court setup by Isaac Likekele, who went on to add another to the tally to put the Buckeyes in the lead.
Easy commute
Eugene Brown drove straight down the middle through traffic to slam down this bucket, extending Ohio State's lead 23-19. The Buckeyes were shooting accurately from deep, while the Boilermakers struggled with turnovers.
Edey eating it up
Edey leads the Boilermakers back into the competition with 10 points and 2 assists, holding the Buckeyes scoreless for several minutes and closing in on their lead. The effort paid off, and Purdue pulled ahead just before halftime, 42-34.
Momentum builder
Braden Smith led the Boilermakers to earn their biggest edge of the game with several 3-pointers on the way to 55-40 lead.
Sneak attack
Freshman Bruce Thornton slithers into the gap for a layup in an effort to minimize the Boilermakers' lead with seven minutes to go.
Battle to the end
Purdue guard Brandon Newman makes a push in the final minutes of the game to maintain the Boilermakers' lead. Purdue reigns victorious 80-66 to move on to the Big Ten final.
Read more:
- 2023 NCAA Conference Tournament Tracker: Schedule, automatic bids
- Why Patrick Ewing and Georgetown didn't work, and what must come next
- 2023 NCAA Tournament Projections: UNC, Michigan on outside looking in
- Five burning questions as college basketball enters March
- Which struggling blue bloods presents betting value for March Madness title run?
