Top 25 roundup: Khalif Battle-led Arkansas upsets No. 7 Duke

 

[November 30, 2023]  Khalif Battle scored 21 points off the bench and Arkansas put together a much-needed 80-75 victory against No. 7 Duke on Wednesday night at Fayetteville, Ark.

Trevon Brazile, who made four 3-point baskets, posted 19 points and 11 rebounds for Arkansas (5-3). The Razorbacks bounced back after losing their final two games -- to Memphis and North Carolina -- in the Battle 4 Atlantis last week in the Bahamas. The losses bumped Arkansas from the Top 25.

Battle poured in 13 points during a four-minute span of the second half when the Razorbacks pulled away. Brazile's 3-pointer stretched the gap to 73-61 with 2:18 to play.

Kyle Filipowski supplied 26 points and 10 rebounds, Jeremy Roach had 22 points, and Jared McCain grabbed 10 rebounds for Duke (5-2), which was in its first true road game of the season.

No. 17 North Carolina 100, No. 10 Tennessee 92

The Tar Heels weathered a 37-point performance from Dalton Knecht to beat the Volunteers in Chapel Hill, N.C., in the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Knecht's 37 points matched the most scored by a North Carolina opponent in the Dean E. Smith Center, but the Volunteers (4-3) still lost their third straight game. Tennessee had surrendered just 61.5 points per game in its first six contests, but North Carolina (6-1) had 61 by halftime.

RJ Davis led the Tar Heels with 27 points on 5-of-11 shooting from 3-point range, while Armando Bacot added 22 points and 11 rebounds. Knecht exited the game with less than two minutes to play with an apparent ankle injury. Josiah-Jordan James added 20 points for the Volunteers.

Virginia 59, No. 14 Texas A&M 47

Andrew Rohde scored 13 points to lead a balanced offensive attack, but it was defense that made the difference in the Cavaliers win over the Aggies in an ACC/SEC Challenge game in Charlottesville, Va.

Reece Beekman, Ryan Dunn and Jacob Groves added 12 points each for Virginia (6-1) and Isaac McKneely hit for 10 points. The Cavaliers limited Texas A&M (6-2) to 30.4 percent shooting from the floor and 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) success from 3-point range.

Henry Coleman III scored 16 points, hauled in 14 rebounds and was the only Texas A&M player in double figures. The Aggies, who played without injured guard Tyrece Radford, had only one more field goal (17) than turnovers in the loss.

Saint Joseph's 78, No. 18 Villanova 65

Erik Reynolds II scored 24 points, Lynn Greer III added 15 points and seven assists and the Hawks upset the host Wildcats.

Xzayvier Brown scored 16 points, and Rasheer Fleming had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks (5-2), who defeated Villanova in the annual "Holy War" matchup for the first time since Dec. 17, 2011. It was also their first win at Villanova since 2004.

Justin Moore led the Wildcats (6-2) with 17 points, while Eric Dixon added 14.

No. 20 Colorado State 88, Colorado 83

Isaiah Stevens had 20 points and 11 assists, Jalen Lake scored 16 points, and the Rams ended a three-game losing streak to the in-state rival Buffaloes in Fort Collins, Colo.

Joel Scott and Nique Clifford had 15 points each and Joe Palmer added 11 for Colorado State (7-0).

KJ Simpson had 30 points, Cody Williams scored 21 and Tristan da Silva contributed 11 for Colorado (5-2).

No. 22 James Madison 81, Buffalo 66

T.J. Bickerstaff thrived down low and finished with 18 points and seven rebounds as the Dukes withstood a challenge from the Bulls for a victory in Harrisonburg, Va.

Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 15 points and Michael Green III delivered 14 points and five assists as the Dukes (7-0) held the lead wire-to-wire but had difficulty pulling away. Noah Freidel added 13 points for James Madison, which shook off the rust from a six-day layoff after winning two games last week at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico.

Sy Chatman hit a trio of 3-pointers on his way to scoring 19 points to pace Buffalo (1-6).

--Field Level Media

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