UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and UCLA are 1-2 in The Associated Press men’s basketball poll, but the Bulldogs showed on Tuesday that there could be a wide difference between the two games.
Andrew Nembhard scored 24 points and the top-ranked Zags improved to 6-0 by whipping the second-ranked Bruins, 83-63 to win the Empire Classic. Freshman Chet Holmgren showed off his unique skill set with an array of blocks and dunks, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds and four rejections. Drew Timme was just as effective inside, scoring 18 points.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. tried to keep the Bruins in it, finishing with 19 points before UCLA fell to 5-1.
It was the first meeting between the two teams since their epic battle in the Final Four last spring.
In other top-25 action on Tuesday:
— Wisconsin blew most of a 20-point, halftime lead before eking out a 65-63 upset over 12th-ranked Houston. Johnny Davis scored a career-high 30 points on 10 of 18 from the floor, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Tyler Wahl chipped in with nine points and seven rebounds, while Brad Davison also had nine points for the Badgers.
— Au’Diese Toney scored 19 points, including the go-ahead free throws with just over a minute left to send No. 13 Arkansas past Cincinnati, 73-67 in the Hall of Fame Classic title game. Chris Lykes was perfect at the foul line down the stretch to finish with 15 points. Arkansas grabbed three consecutive offensive rebounds before Lykes was fouled and made two free throws with 21.8 seconds to play.
— Kofi Cockburn had a double-double and 14th-ranked Illinois bounced back from consecutive losses to hold off Kansas State, 72-64 in the consolation game of the Hall of Fame Classic. Cockburn provided 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Illini, who were coming off a 20-point loss to Cincinnati in the semifinals. Illinois shot 12 of 26 from 3-point range, with Alfonso Plummer going 7-for-9 while scoring 21 points.
