No. 6 Michigan State surges past No. 19 Iowa, 82-67
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Josh Perkins had 18 points and eight assists, and every Gonzaga starter scored in double figures as the No. 4 Bulldogs rolled past Santa Clara 98-39 on Thursday night.
Zach Norvell Jr. added 16 points and eight rebounds, Rui Hachimura also scored 16, Corey Kispert had 13 and Brandon Clarke scored 12 points to help Gonzaga (19-2, 6-0 West Coast Conference) to its 19th straight win over Santa Clara. Bulldogs coach Mark Few's team also extended its conference road winning streak to 27 games, the longest active mark in the nation.
Gonzaga held leads of 14-0, 20-2 and 48-10 while dominating Santa Clara on both ends of the floor in the first half, and was up 61 late in the second half well after Few pulled his starters.
Josip Vrankic had 12 points and six rebounds and Trey Wertz scored 11 for Santa Clara. The Broncos (11-10, 3-4) have lost four of six since their six-game winning streak in December.
No. 6 MICHIGAN ST. 82, No. 19 IOWA 67
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Cassius Winston scored 23 points, Nick Ward had 21 points with 10 rebounds and Michigan State blew past Iowa, extending its winning streak to 13 games.
Matt McQuaid added three second-half 3-pointers for the Spartans (18-2, 9-0 Big Ten), who used a 24-2 run just after halftime to secure a school-record 21st consecutive league victory.
Tyler Cook scored 11 points in the first four minutes of the second half to give Iowa a 50-42 lead. But he was soon matched by the unflappable Winston, who hit three 3s in a row to help the Spartans retake the lead, 53-50.
Ward's three-point play pushed the run to 14-0 and put Michigan State ahead 56-50. McQuaid's 3 and three more points from Winston, this time at the foul line, gave the Spartans a 66-52 edge.
Luka Garza scored 20 points and Tyler Cook had 17 for Iowa (16-4, 5-4), which won its previous five games.
No. 23 LOUISVILLE 84, No. 21 N.C. STATE 77
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Christen Cunningham scored 17 points with five critical free throws in the final 2½ minutes, and Malik Williams added a pair from the line to finish with 14 points and help Louisville outlast North Carolina State.
Back in the Top 25 for the first time since early last season, the Cardinals (14-5, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) needed scoring from everyone down the stretch to earn their fourth consecutive victory. They succeeded at the foul line, making 24 of 29 and closing the game by sinking 9 of 10 to win a tight game against the Wolfpack (15-4, 3-3).
Ryan McMahon's two makes with 46 seconds remaining provided a 79-75 lead before Cunningham and Williams each made their two shots for an eight-point edge.
Jordan Nwora had 13 points and Dwayne Sutton and Steven Enoch each added 10 to complete Louisville's balanced effort.
Braxton Beverly scored 19 points and Torin Dorn had 18 for N.C. State, which erased deficits of 10 and six points to tie the game. But Beverly's two fouls and a turnover in the final minute gave the Cardinals opportunities they converted.
