Tuesday saw its fair share of ranked college men’s basketball games. Here is the breakdown of some of the night’s wildest finishes.
Michigan State gets emotional win over No. 14 Indiana
Just about a week after a tragic shooting on the campus of Michigan State that resulted to the death of several students, the Spartans' men's basketball team hosted No. 14 Indiana in its first home game since the tragedy.
Spartan Strong 💚🤍 pic.twitter.com/aqPDPPCqQw
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) February 22, 2023
Michigan State was able to overcome an early 12-3 deficit to outscore the Hoosiers in both halves and win 80-65.
The Spartans were scorching from deep, hitting just under 50 percent of their three-point shots. Tyson Walker led the way, shooting 5-7 from beyond the arc. Walker also led the entire Michigan State team with 23 points. A.J. Hoggard contributed majorly with 22 points of his own.
Tom Izzo at the end of tonight's @MSU_Basketball win was so pure. 💚 #SpartanStrong pic.twitter.com/xcimL4VkXs
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 22, 2023
It was a win that was bigger than basketball, as Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was emotional on the bench after the victory. The Spartans will travel to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes next on Saturday.
No. 16 Xavier falls short to Villanova in a nailbiter
No. 16 Xavier couldn’t fend off Villanova in the second half and dropped its eighth game of the season, 64-63.
Justin Moore wreaked havoc on the road, scoring a season-high 25 points on 10-13 shooting. The two-way guard also connected on 57% of his three-point attempts. Cam Whitmore accompanied Moore in the backcourt. With 36 points to show, the duo for the Wildcats fired on all cylinders in a comeback from a 13-point deficit early on.
.@YooJustoo to @_camwhitmore_ for the Cam Slam 💪 #RoadATTITUDE pic.twitter.com/N2957hD7vU
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) February 22, 2023
Villanova, which is now even at 14-14 overall with this win, has gained some momentum since early February. It is now 5-1 in its last six games, boasting wins against the likes of Butler and Seton Hall.
No. 14 Kansas State sails to victory over No. 9 Baylor
No. 14 Kansas State seized control of the second half against No. 9 Baylor and never looked back. The home team defeated its Big 12 rival, 75-65.
Keyontae Johnson, Markquis Nowell and Cam Carter made up the bulk of the Wildcats’ offense. Johnson — who has scored in double-digits in all but one game this season — posted 25 points and four assists. The second lead scorer, Nowell, went a flawless 10-10 at the line and Carter notched 10 total points.
Baylor has held the No. 9 spot for two consecutive weeks since beating West Virginia on Feb. 13th. However, this now marks its second straight loss since starting the season 10-2. Meanwhile, No. 14 Kansas State continues to soar in Manhattan with a now 15-1 home record.
No. 25 Texas A&M triumphs in tussle with No. 11 Tennessee
As No. 25 Texas A&M rallied past No. 11 Tennessee, 68-63, free throws were the name of the game.
With over double the amount of chances at the line than the Volunteers, the Aggies nailed 83% of their attempts. Three players posted double-digit scoring and it seemed like the No. 25 team couldn’t be contained in Reed Arena.
Wade Taylor IV and Julius Marble led the pack — Taylor with 25 and Marble with 21. Unfazed under the limelight, Taylor IV sank the game’s last four free throws to push No. 25 Texas A&M past the Volunteers when the game came within one.
marble hammer time 🔨 pic.twitter.com/etT23DBRf4
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) February 22, 2023
Texas A&M now boasts a six-game winning streak. It hasn’t dropped a game since January and looks to continue its stride against Mississippi State up next.
Ryan Chien joined NCAA.com in 2023 and is serving as a spring editorial intern. He previously served as a Turner Sports Production intern in the summer of 2022 and worked on shows including NBA-TV, Inside The NBA and MLB on TBS. Ryan is currently a student at the University of California, Berkeley majoring in Media Studies and Society and Environment. You can follow him on Twitter @RyanChienMedia.
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