Here's a recap of all the action from an appetizing Tuesday night of men's hoops where No. 25 Ole Miss blew out No. 14 Kentucky, UCLA completed the upset over No. Michigan State and No. 12 St. John's bested No. 11 Marquette.
UCLA upsets No. 9 Michigan State late
UCLA held off a late push from No. 9 Michigan State, grinding out a 63-61 victory at Pauley Pavilion for its sixth straight win and biggest this season. The Bruins (17-6, 8-4 Big Ten) leaned on their defense to survive a second-half drought, snapping a seven-minute field goal rut with a clutch three from Lazar Stefanovic in the final minutes. The Spartans (18-4, 9-2) had a chance to win it at the buzzer but missed a deep three.
Skyy Clark led UCLA with 14 points, while Tyler Bilodeau added 13. The Bruins built an 11-point lead early in the second half but went cold, allowing Michigan State to claw back. The Spartans dominated the boards with a 45-27 rebounding edge and 14 offensive rebounds, but turnovers proved costly — UCLA scored 19 points off Michigan State’s 16 turnovers.
Jaden Akins led Michigan State with 15 points, and Coen Carr added six more plus nine rebounds. A back-and-forth final stretch saw UCLA capitalize on a late Spartans turnover to set up a go-ahead free throw from Clark. Michigan State had one last chance but couldn’t convert, and UCLA secured its biggest win so far this season.
The Bruins return to action Saturday against Penn State, while the Spartans will look to bounce back at home against Indiana.
No. 25 Ole Miss handles No. 14 Kentucky, 98-84
Ole Miss upsets Kentucky, 98-84, handing the Wildcats their second-straight loss.
Tonight marks the Rebels' first win over Kentucky since 2021 and their second in the past 16 matchups against the Wildcats. Ole Miss' 98 points is the most it has scored against Kentucky in program history.
The Wildcats did not lead for one second in Oxford as Ole Miss cruised to a 54-31 lead at the break. The Rebels led by as many as 19 in the first half, powered by an impressive 9-17 mark from long range. Matthew Murrell led the charge from beyond the arc, knocking down four three-pointers in the first 20 minutes.
Kentucky knocked down 5 of 10 threes in the first half but shot just 12 of 31 from the field overall.
Ole Miss continued to pile on into the second half, extending its lead to 27 with 10 minutes to play. The Wildcats did make a push in the latter part of the second half, cutting the lead to 11 with under eight to play. But the Rebels kept Mark Pope's squad at a distance in the final five minutes.
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The Rebels posted an impressive 24 assists with only one turnover, showcasing efficient ball movement all night long. Kentucky did have one bright spot as forward Amari Williams posted a triple-double, tallying 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Ole Miss (17-6, 6-4 SEC) seems to be back on track after losing four of its last five in conference play following its statement win over Alabama in mid-January. The Rebels will go on a road trip to take on LSU and South Carolina over the next week. Kentucky (15-7, 4-5 SEC) has now dropped three of its last four, and the Wildcats will try to bounce back against South Carolina on Saturday.
No. 12 St. John’s defeats No. 11 Marquette 70-64
No. 12 St. John's closed out 70-64 over No. 11 Marquette at Madison Square Garden. The Red Storm hold their first-place spot in the Big East with their ninth consecutive conference win.
Trailing by one at halftime (31-30), St. John’s took control in the second half by dominating the boards, out-rebounding Marquette 50-28, including 21 offensive rebounds that led to crucial second-chance points.
8-0 run to open the second half‼️
— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall)
Kadary Richmond led the way with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, while RJ Luis Jr. added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Zuby Ejiofor owned the paint with 13 points and 13 rebounds, helping St. John’s wear down Marquette inside.
KADARY. RICHMOND. đź’Ş
— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall)
14 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST so far đź‘€
Marquette put up a fight with Kam Jones, who finished with 15 points, and Chase Ross, who added 16 points and 8 rebounds but ultimately struggled to contain St. John’s size and physicality. Richmond’s layup in the final minutes extended the Red Storm’s lead, while key offensive rebounds from RJ Luis Jr. and Zuby Ejiofor helped close out the game.
The Red Storm are now 20-3 overall and 11-1 in conference play as they prepare for No. 19 UConn on Friday. It's the second consecutive loss for the Golden Eagles who drop to 18-5 (9-3 Big East) and will recharge to face Creighton on Saturday.
