SPOKANE, Wash. >> Braden Huff scored 21 points off the bench and Ryan Nembhard tallied 13 points and 11 assists as No. 6 Gonzaga hung on for an 88-80 victory over Arizona State on Sunday.
Huff went 9-for-13 from the field and missed only two 2-point attempts for the Bulldogs, who won their 21st straight home opener.
Khalif Battle scored all 19 of his points in the second half, including a trio of 3-pointers and an alley-oop dunk. Battle and Huff contributed 17 of Gonzaga’s last 21 points to help the Zags avoid the loss in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
No. 15 CREIGHTON 96, FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 70>> Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 24 points, Steven Ashworth added 15 points on five 3-pointers and No. 15 Creighton rolled past Fairleigh Dickinson.
The victory gave coach Greg McDermott win No. 327 in 15 seasons at Creighton, tying Dana Altman for the program’s most coaching wins.
NO. 17 INDIANA 90, EASTERN ILLINOIS 55>> Mackenzie Mgbako scored 18 points, Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau each had 17 and No. 17 Indiana defeated Eastern Illinois.
The Hoosiers trailed the upset-minded Panthers by five points before going on a 24-2 run early in the second half. Mgbako, Ballo and Reneau combined to make 23 of 32 shots overall and grab 22 rebounds. Indiana outscored Eastern Illinois 54-18 in the second half.
WOMEN
Top-ranked South Carolina cruises past No. 9 NC State 71-57
CHARLOTTE, N.C.>> Te-Hina Paopao scored 23 points, MiLaysia Fulwiley chipped in with 18 points off the bench and No. 1 South Carolina passed its first big test of the season with a victory over ninth-ranked North Carolina State in the Ally Tipoff at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center.
Together Paopao and Fulwiley were 18 of 30 from the field as the Gamecocks shot 50%.
No. 2 UCONN 86, SOUTH FLORIDA 49>> Paige Bueckers scored 19 of her 22 points in the first half as No. 2 UConn rolled to a win over former conference rival South Florida.
The win was No. 1215 for UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma. That leaves him one shy of tying former Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer’s college basketball record.
NO. 4 TEXAS 119, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 47>> Newcomer Kyla Oldacre had career-bests of 21 points and 14 rebounds in just 17 minutes, point guard Rori Harmon made a successful return from a knee injury, and No. 4 Texas opened its season with a victory over Southeast Missouri.
Oldacre, a 6-foot-6 junior who transferred this season from Miami, used her height advantage to dominate inside, converting 8 of 12 field goal attempts.
No. 5 UCLA 81, COLGATE 63>> Lauren Betts had a career-high 31 points and nine rebounds and No. 5 UCLA defeated Colgate in the Bruins’ home opener.
The Bruins were back in action for the first time since beating No. 17 Louisville 66-59 in Paris on Monday to open the women’s college basketball season.
NO. 8 IOWA 84, SOUTHERN 56>> Addy Brown had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Audi Crooks had 17 points and 11 boards to lead No. 8 Iowa State to a win over Southern.
Brown has had a double-double in two of the first three games and 12 times in her career. It was Crooks’ first double-double of the season and ninth of her career for the Cyclones.
NO. 18 MARYLAND 85, NO. 11 DUKE 80>> Kaylene Smikle scored 23 points, Shyanne Sellers added 17 as No. 18 Maryland defeats No. 11 Duke.
Maryland scored the first nine points and led throughout. Each time Duke got within three or four points the Terrapins responded with a small run of their own.
NO. 20 MISSISSIPPI 85, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 24>> Kirsten Deans scored 16 points and No. 20 Mississippi rolled to a victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.Deans came off the bench to hit three 3-pointers and grab seven rebounds for the Lady Rebels.
NO. 24 ALABAMA 94, TROY 71>> Zaay Green scored 24 points to lead five in double figures and No. 24 Alabama rolled past Troy. The Crimson Tide scored 25 points in each of the first two quarters and led 50-33 at halftime.