The first men's college basketball Saturday of February was action-packed. Here’s a closer look at some of the top games from the day.
Baylor roars back from 21-point deficit, defeats No. 11 Kansas
It was a tale of two halves at the Foster Pavilion in Waco on Saturday. The game was all Kansas in the first half when the Jayhawks went to the locker rooms with a comfortable 40-21 lead. The second half, well, that was an entirely different story with unranked Baylor (14-7, 6-4 Big 12) rallying to erase a 21-point deficit to stun No. 11 Kansas (15-6, 6-4 Big 12) 81-70.
Baylor clawed their way back into the game behind a strong performance from Robert Wright III, who would finish the game with a game-high 24 points. Wright shot a stellar 56% from the field and contributed to the Bears' 43% clip on the afternoon. Free throw shooting was also huge for Baylor, with the Bears going 25-28 (89%) from the line and Kansas shooting a mere 12-19 (63%) from the charity stripe. In addition to free throw opportunities, Baylor capitalized in the transition game, outscoring Kansas 15-4 on fast break points and held a 40-27 advantage on the glass. Despite Kansas having fewer turnovers, points off turnovers were another area where the Bears pounced, with a whopping 24-11 advantage in that category.
60 points in the second half 😤 |
— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB)
Kansas led by as much as 21 which marks the largest blown lead in Kansas basketball history. The Jayhawks look to rebound on Monday night against a No. 3 Iowa State team that is also coming off an upset loss after the Cyclones fell to Kansas State on Saturday afternoon. Baylor has another tall task with a date against No. 22 Texas Tech on Tuesday night.
No. 8 Tennessee dominates No. 5 Florida in top-10 clash
No. 8 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) bounced back from a tough loss to Kentucky and, despite being without star guard Zakai Zeigler, delivered a commanding performance to defeat No. 5 Florida, 64-44.
Florida, playing for the first time in a week, struggled to find its rhythm throughout the game, while Tennessee’s defense set the tone early. It held Florida to just 24.5% shooting in the game.
Although both teams had trouble shooting from beyond the arc, Tennessee’s defense was suffocating, forcing eight Florida turnovers while racking up five steals and four blocks in the first half. This defensive effort helped the Vols go on an 8-2 run in the final minutes of the first half to take a 24-21 lead into the break.
In the second half, Tennessee seized control with a 12-5 run, pushing its lead to 10 points. From then on, the Vols didn't let up, as Florida (18-3, 5-3) had no answer. Tennessee finished the game shooting 40% from the field.
Chaz Lanier had a standout day for the Vols, hitting five of the team's six 3-pointers and leading with 19 points, five rebounds and one steal. Jordan Gainey also had a strong outing, contributing 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
USC hands No. 7 Michigan State first conference loss
Southern California (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten) hands No. 7 Michigan State (18-3, 9-1 Big Ten) its first conference loss of the season and snaps the Spartans’ 13-game winning streak in a statement win 70-64.
The Trojans opened the game with a 22-7 run over the powerhouse Spartans, and they held onto the lead for the entire game. This is the Trojans’ first win over a top-10 opponent since Mar. 9, 2024, over No. 5 Arizona.
Michigan State made it a one-possession game as late as 8:37 in the second half, but the Trojans pulled away again late to keep the lead. Michigan State pulled back within 5 points with under a minute to go, but the Spartans ultimately ran out of time on their comeback effort.
Desmond Claude led the way for the Trojans, finishing 19-3-6. Wesley Yates III finished with 15 points, including this finish on a Hail Mary from Saint Thomas in crunch time.
💪 💪
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops)
The Trojans’ defense stifled a red-hot Michigan State, holding the Spartans’ offense to under 70 points for the first time since Jan. 3. The Spartans have scored less than 70 points only four times this season, and they are 1-3 in those games.
Kansas State pulls off road upset over No. 3 Iowa State
Entering Saturday just 3-6 in Big 12 play, Kansas State had a tall task in trying to upset No. 3 Iowa State. The Wildcats were up to the tall task with an impressive 80-61 win over the Cyclones.
Wildcats put together a strong offensive showing, shooting 44% from the field and 50% from 3. Play on the glass was also key, with the Wildcats out-rebounding Iowa State 39-29.
The moment Kansas State upset No. 3 Iowa State by a score of 80-61 👏
— ESPN (@espn)
The Wildcats become the first below-.500 team in AP Poll history to win by 15+ points on the road against an AP top-5 opponent 😳
Dug McDaniel was Kansas State’s leading scorer with 20 points, but production was widespread with each player in the Wildcats' starting five collecting at least 10 points.
Iowa State (17-4, 7-3 Big 12), has now lost two in a row and three of its last five.
Georgia Tech surges in second half to upset No. 21 Louisville
Georgia Tech (10-12, 4-7 ACC) hands No. 21 Louisville (16-6, 9-2 ACC) its second ACC loss this season and snaps the Cardinals’ 10-game winning streak with an impressive 77-70 win at home.
The two teams went back-and-forth in the first half, but the Cardinals pulled away toward the end of the first frame, leading 38-27 at halftime. Louisville led by as many as 12 points early in the second half.
But Georgia Tech went on an explosive 21-3 run in the second to narrow the gap and eventually take the lead with 10:57 to go.
Turnovers were the story of the game, with Georgia Tech scoring 20 points off of nine Louisville giveaways. The Cardinals forced 14 turnovers, but they couldn’t convert those to points, only scoring 11 points on those plays.
Georgia Tech’s Lance Terry led both teams in scoring with 23. He spurred the Yellow Jackets’ offensive resurgence in the second half with some key highlight plays, like this fastbreak dunk.
Hustle play turns into a Lance Terry dunk! leads!
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports)
Nathan George also had a big offensive performance for the Yellow Jackets, finishing 15-9-2. Terrance Edwards Jr. led Louisville on the scoresheet, finishing with 22 points. Chucky Hepburn had a strong game, finishing 17-5-4, but it was not enough to overcome the Yellow Jackets’ lead.
Oklahoma stuns No. 24 Vanderbilt with second-half surge
No. 24 Vanderbilt looked in control early — then Oklahoma flipped the script.
The Sooners powered on a 61-point second half, defeating Vanderbilt 97-67 on Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center.
Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC) led 40-36 at halftime but lost all momentum after the break. Oklahoma (16-5, 3-5) outscored the Commodores 61-27 in the final 20 minutes, shooting 63% from the field and 55% from beyond the arc.
Jalon Moore led the Sooners with 19 points, while Jeremiah Fears added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. Oklahoma’s offense saw four players score in double figures.
The Commodores had their moments early, with Devin McGlockton finishing with 22 points and three 3-pointers, while Jason Edwards added 21 points. But Vanderbilt’s offense stalled in the second half, shooting 30% from the floor after halftime.
Oklahoma’s defense forced 15 turnovers and turned them into 18 points.
Oklahoma notched its biggest win while Vanderbilt will look to regroup before its next SEC challenge.
No. 20 Missouri routs No. 14 Mississippi State
The Tigers made history in their rout of No. 14 Mississippi State, earning their largest road win over a ranked opponent in school history, 88-61.
It was raining 3s for Missouri in the first half, with Caleb Grill leading the charge by sinking four out of the nine — his 3-pointer from deep in the final minute of the half extended the Tigers to a 12-point lead. The second half wasn't much different.
OH MY, LOGO GRILL!! 🐯
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops)
Despite a 6-2 Mississippi State opening run, the Tigers responded with a 15-0 spurs — with Grill accounting for eight of those points. It was all gas for the rest of the half as Grill totaled six 3-pointers for a fourth game this season.
With the win, the Tigers moved to 17-4 on the season and 6-2 in the SEC, while Mississippi State dropped to 16-6 and 4-5.
