No. 11 Tennessee 103, Austin Peay 68
Igor Milicic Jr. led a balanced offensive effort with a season-high 23 points and nine rebounds, helping the Volunteers (4-0) cruise past Austin Peay in Knoxville, Tenn.
Zakai Zeigler added 19 points and eight assists, becoming just the fifth player in Tennessee history to notch 500 career assists. Jordan Gainey contributed 15 points off the bench, while Cade Phillips posted 13 points and nine boards. Five Volunteers scored in double figures as Tennessee shot a scorching 63.8 percent (37-of-58) from the field.
Isaac Haney paced Austin Peay (3-1) with 22 points, while LJ Thomas chipped in 20. Despite the effort, the Governors struggled offensively, shooting just 35.5 percent from the field.
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No. 12 Baylor 104, Tarleton State 41
Jalen Celestine scored 20 points and standout freshman VJ Edgecombe added 17 as Baylor (3-1) dismantled Tarleton State in Waco, Texas.
The Bears surged to a 56-13 halftime lead, thanks to 9-of-13 shooting from 3-point range and 29 points off 17 first-half turnovers by the Texans. Jeremy Roach contributed 14 points, hitting four triples, while Robert Wright III added 12 points and nine assists.
Tarleton (1-4), missing six players due to injuries, struggled mightily. They finished with 28 turnovers, conceding 46 points off giveaways. Joseph Martinez led the Texans with 11 points, but their 29.4 percent shooting in the first half left them no chance to compete.
No. 22 St. John’s 85, New Mexico 71
RJ Luis Jr. delivered a standout performance with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists as the Red Storm (4-0) handled New Mexico at Madison Square Garden.
Deivon Smith added 15 points, 12 of which came in the first half when St. John’s built a lead as large as 16. Rick Pitino notched his third win in four career matchups against his son, Richard Pitino, the head coach of New Mexico (3-1).
The Lobos, led by Nelly Joseph and Mustapha Amzil with 16 points apiece, cut the deficit to single digits multiple times but couldn’t overcome 11 missed free throws and 43.8 percent shooting. The loss snapped New Mexico’s bid for a second win over a ranked team after upsetting then-No. 22 UCLA earlier this month.
St. John’s begins a challenging week with a showdown against No. 12 Baylor in the Bahamas on Thursday.
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