UNDATED (AP) — No. 14 Villanova has won a top-25 matchup.
The Wildcats improved to 12-4 overall by pulling out a 64-60 win at 17th-ranked Xavier.
Collin Gillespie dropped in 21 points and Justin Moore scored 10 of his 16 in the second half to help the Wildcats secure their fifth straight victory. Gillespie was coming off a season-high 28-point performance and Moore is the reigning Big East player of the week.
Paul Scruggs and Nate Johnson each scored 15 for the Musketeers, who trailed by double digits in the second half before tying the game with 2:16 remaining.
Also on the top-25 men’s basketball schedule:
— Paolo Banchero had 24 points and eighth-ranked Duke hit 13 straight shots to take control in a 76-64 win against Wake Forest. Fellow freshman A.J. Griffin had a season-high 22 points to help the Blue Devils bounce back from a weekend home loss to Miami. They did it without coach Mike Krzyzewski, who missed the game with what the school called a “non-COVID-related virus.”
— Tenth-ranked Michigan State pulled out a 71-69 win over Minnesota on Joey Hauser’s bucket with a tenth of a second left. Spartans freshman Max Christie had 16 points, Gabe Brown scored 13 points and Tyson Walker added 10 points. Eylijah Stephens scored 18 points, including four late free throws to tie the game at 69 with 18 seconds left.
— No. 12 LSU picked up a 64-58 win at Florida as Darius Days scored 20 points and Eric Gaines added 15 in his second start of the season. Gaines replaced injured point guard Xavier Pinson in the lineup and scored eight points in the second half, making four of five free throws down the stretch. The Gators have dropped six of nine and are 0-3 in the SEC for the first time in 41 years.
Ewing unavailable Thursday
WASHINGTON (AP) — Georgetown basketball coach Patrick Ewing will miss the Hoyas’ game against visiting Butler on Thursday because of what his team said were D.C. Department of Health guidelines.
The news release announcing the former Georgetown and NBA star’s absence but did not offer any other details or explanation.
Georgetown said assistant Louis Orr would serve as the team’s acting coach “starting with the Butler game.”
