Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) shoots against Florida guard CJ Ingram (11) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Freshman Koa Peat scored 30 points to lead No. 13 Arizona to a 93-87 win over third-ranked and defending national champion Florida in the Hall of Fame Series on Monday night.

Peat was impressive in his college debut, shooting 11 of 18 from the floor and adding seven rebounds and five assists. He was fouled making a defensive rebound with 14.2 seconds left and hit his two ensuing free throws to seal the victory in both teams’ season opener.

But, it was consecutive dunks by Peat late in the second half that sent the crowd at T-Mobile Arena into a frenzy and punctuated his first college game.

Jaden Bradley was also impressive, scoring 27 points, including 11 of Arizona’s final 18 points, to help seal the win.

Ivan Kharchenkov shook off an injury late in the first half that sent him to the locker room and finished with 12 points for the Wildcats.

Thomas Haugh led Florida with 27 points, Xaivian Lee scored 14 and Alex Condon and Micah Handlogten each had 11.

The Wildcats shot 49.2% (30 of 61) from the field, while Florida’s poor second-half shooting (14 of 38, 36.8%) sealed its fate.

NO. 2 HOUSTON 75, LEHIGH 57

HOUSTON (AP) — Emanuel Sharp scored 24 points to lead second-ranked Houston to a win over Lehigh for coach Kelvin Sampson’s 800th career win.

Sharp had 13 points in the first half on 5-of-8 shooting as Houston (1-0) built a 44-23 halftime lead. The Cougars shot 57% in the first half.

Chris Cenac Jr. added with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Milos Uzan scored 12 points and Joseph Tugler had 11 points for Houston, which shot 43% for the game.

Sampson improved to 800-354 in his 37-year career, including 300-84 since taking over at Houston in 2014. He became the 17th NCAA Division I coach to reach 800 wins and fourth active coach to achieve the milestone, joining Rick Barnes, John Calipari and Bill Self.

Nasir Whitlock had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Caleb Thomas and Hank Alvey each added 10 points for Lehigh (0-1). The Mountain Hawks shot 37%.

NO. 4 UCONN 79, NEW HAVEN 55

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Alex Karaban had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Solo Ball scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half as No. 4 UConn beat New Haven to win its season opener for the ninth season in a row.

Jaylin Stewart added 11 points and eight rebounds for UConn.

The Huskies have 10 new players on the team with transfer Silas Demary Jr. and freshman Eric Reibe starting in the opener.

Andre Pasha scored 17 points for New Haven in its first game at the Division I level

The Chargers were within two points with 14:01 left in the first half. The Huskies scored 11 of the next 13 points. A 3-pointer by Alec Millender gave the Huskies their first double-digit lead.

NO. 5 ST. JOHN'S 108, QUINNIPIAC 74

NEW YORK (AP) — Dillon Mitchell scored 18 points, Zuby Ejiofor added 17 and No. 5 St. John’s opened its third season under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino by overwhelming Quinnipiac.

Ian Jackson had 15 points and Joson Sanon, another touted transfer, added 14 off the bench as the new-look Red Storm racked up their most points since beating Mississippi Valley State 119-61 on Nov. 9, 2021.

Coming off a rousing turnaround season that included the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 25 years, the reigning Big East champions brought in the nation’s top-rated transfer class to surround Ejiofor, the preseason conference player of the year.

St. John’s showed off its new firepower right away, racing to a 19-4 lead 4:40 into the game after a steal and fast-break dunk by Mitchell. Nine players scored in the first 12 minutes, and the margin swelled to 45 with under 5 1/2 minutes remaining.

Playing at Carnesecca Arena on campus, the Red Storm never trailed and won their 12th straight season opener.

NO. 7 MICHIGAN 121, OAKLAND 78

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. scored 20 of his career-high 24 points in a record-breaking first half and preseason All-America forward Yaxel Lendeborg finished with 12 points to help No. 7 Michigan rout Oakland.

The Wolverines had 69 points at halftime, breaking the first-half scoring record of 66 set in 1987 against Eastern Michigan. They showed some mercy in the second half, allowing the school’s single-game scoring record to stand at 128 points from 1966 against Purdue.

Michigan finished in a tie for the fifth-highest total in program history.

Johnson, a transfer from Illinois, had 14 points in the opening eight minutes and helped Michigan go on a 20-0 run to take control. The Wolverines didn’t let up, making 71% of their shots in the first half to lead by 31 points at halftime.

Will Tschetter had 16 points, Nimari Burnett scored 14 and Roddy Gayle Jr. added 11 for the Wolverines.

Isaac Garrett had 20 points, Tuburu Naivalurua scored 18 and Ziare Wells added 14 for the Golden Grizzlies.

NO. 8 BYU 71, VILLANOVA 66

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Freshman AJ Dybantsa had 21 points and six rebounds and eighth-ranked BYU defeated Villanova in the Hall of Fame Series.

Dybantsa, one of the nation’s top freshman, shot 9 for 18 from the floor in his collegiate debut. Richie Saunders added 15 points and seven rebounds and Robert Wright III scored 14 points for the Cougars, who spoiled the regular-season debut of new Villanova coach Kevin Willard.

Saunders extended his streak of made free throws to 29. That run dates to last season and is tied for second-longest in program history.

The victory extended BYU’s regular-season win streak to nine games, its longest since 2019-20.

The Wildcats, who endured a rash of injuries leading up to the start of the season, were led by Bryce Lindsay’s 22 points. Christian Jeffrey added 11 points and Duke Brennan finished with eight points and 15 rebounds.

BYU did a good job of taking care of the ball, finishing with just four turnovers. Meanwhile, the Wildcats committed 11 turnovers, which led to 17 points for the Cougars.

No. 11 LOUISVILLE 104, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 45

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Khani Rooths scored 20 points to lead No. 11 Louisville to a rout of South Carolina State.

Rooths, a sophomore and one of the few returning players for the Cardinals in coach Pat Kelsey’s second season, posted a career-high in points on 8-of-12 shooting and tied his personal best with seven rebounds.

Isaac McKneely, a senior guard who transferred from Virginia, scored a dozen of his 17 points in the first half. He went 4 for 8 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half, with his first two igniting a 13-0 run at the beginning of the game. He beat the buzzer with another to give the Cardinals a 59-15 halftime lead.

Rayniel Wright finished with 11 points, making 9 of 10 free throws for the Bulldogs, who shot just 22.8% and committed 25 turnovers.

The Bulldogs, who lost six key players from last season’s MEAC regular-season co-championship squad, started 0 for 12 from the field, not getting a bucket during the first 9:18. After scoring on three of their next four, SC State went the final 8:11 of the first half without a basket.

NO. 12 UCLA 80, EASTERN WASHINGTON 74

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Senior guard Donovan Dent had 21 points and nine assists in his UCLA debut to lead the No. 12 Bruins to a victory over Eastern Washington.

Tyler Bilodeau scored 19 points for the Bruins, who opened a 15-point lead midway through the second half before the Eagles of the Big Sky Conference made it close in the final minutes.

Dent, a heralded transfer from New Mexico, had a memorable performance in his Southern California homecoming. He played the entire first half, scoring 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, with six assists, to lead UCLA to a 40-33 advantage. His first points in a Bruins uniform came on consecutive possessions in the opening minutes, when he hit a pullup jumper and then a layup.

The Eagles led 22-21 when Jamar Brown hit a jumper in the key followed by Dent’s 3-point play to give UCLA a 26-22 lead.

Dent spent his first three seasons at New Mexico before transferring to UCLA. He played at Centennial High in Corona and got to know UCLA coach Mick Cronin, a relationship that helped him realize his dream of playing at Pauley Pavilion.

NO. 14 ARKANSAS 109, SOUTHERN 77

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Trevon Brazile scored a career-high 25 points to help No. 14 Arkansas beat Southern.

Darius Acuff Jr. had 22 points for Arkansas, and fellow freshman Meleek Thomas finished with 21. Isaiah Sealy added 12 points.

Brazile went 8 for 14 from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds. Brazile was one of Arkansas’ best players three seasons ago before he was sidelined by a knee injury.

Arkansas opened the game with a 15-3 run and closed the first half with a 16-4 spurt for a 57-32 lead. Acuff had 20 points at the break.

Arkansas outscored Southern 32-12 on fast-break points and 48-28 in the paint for the game. Over a nearly nine-minute span in the second half, Arkansas scored 24 straight points off field goals at the rim.

Michael Jacobs scored 22 points for Southern, and Fazl Oshodi had 15.

NO. 15 ALABAMA 91, NORTH DAKOTA 62

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Labaron Philon Jr. had 22 points and eight assists, Houston Mallette added 15 points and No. 15 Alabama opened the season with a victory against North Dakota.

Philon scored or assisted on 32 of Alabama’s 48 first-half points, more than making up for the Crimson Tide’s short-handed bench.

Alabama played without guards Aden Holloway (wrist) and Latrell Wrightsell (Achilles) and transfer forward Keitenn Bristow (ankle). Transfer guard Jalil Bethea, who injured his foot during practice in September, remained sidelined.

Those absences allowed true freshman Amari Allen and transfer Taylor Bol Bowen to start. Allen finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Garrett Anderson led North Dakota with 13 points. and Eli King had 11.

NO. 16 IOWA STATE 88, FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 50

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Milan Momcilovic made seven 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 29 points as Iowa State beat Fairleigh Dickinson.

The Cyclones, who have won 35 consecutive nonconference games at Hilton Coliseum, led 45-19 at half and extended their advantage to as many as 44 points late in the game.

They’ve won eight straight season openers, and this was their fourth consecutive home opener won by at least 35 points.

Point guard Tamin Lipsey, who suffered a knee injury in practice Sept. 23 and missed both of the Cyclones’ exhibitions, had 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals in 25 minutes. Joshua Jefferson had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and freshman Killyan Toure added nine points.

With Momcilovic leading the way, the Cyclones shot 44% (12 of 27) from 3-point range and 52% overall. They converted FDU’s 24 turnovers into 18 points and outscored the Knights 44-20 in the paint.

David Jevtic, a freshman from Serbia, led the Knights with 14 points and six rebounds. Eric Parnell added 13 points and had three of his team’s six 3-pointers. The Knights shot just 32%.

NO. 17 113, JACKSON STATE 55

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — David Mirkovic scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as No. 17 Illinois opened the season with a win over Jackson State.

Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Montenegro, is one of four new international players on the Illinois roster this season.

Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic each had 21 points, Keaton Wagler had 18, and Jake Davis had 13 for Illinois, which was the highest scoring team in the Big Ten last year. Zvonimir Ivisic had nine rebounds.

Devin Ree scored 19 points and Daeshun Ruffin added 12 for the Tigers, who shot 30.6% from the field. Ruffin was the top scorer in the Southwestern Athletic Conference last season and the conference’s pre-season player of the year.

The Illini made 17 3-pointers and outrebounded Jackson State 61-19 despite missing four players with injuries — Brandon Lee, Andrej Stojakovic, Ty Rodgers and Mihailo Petrovic.

NO. 18 TENNESSEE 76, MERCER 61

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nate Ament scored 18 points and had nine rebounds to lead No. 18 Tennessee to a victory over Mercer.

Ament, regarded as one of the top freshmen in the country, was much more efficient shooting against Mercer (6 of 11) than he was in last week’s exhibition loss to Duke (5 of 19).

J.P. Estrella chipped in 12 with points and Jaylen Carey had 10 rebounds.

The Bears were led by Baraka Okojie with 15 points, Armani Mighty with 14 and Zaire Williams with 10.

Tennessee, which is coming off back-to-back Elite Eight appearances under coach Rick Barnes, struggled with possession. The Vols had 19 turnovers to just five for Mercer. Tennessee, however, made up for that by dominating the boards 54-32.

Mercer, which was 14-19 last year under coach Ryan Ridder, shot just 30% (20 for 67).

Tennessee led by 23 points in the second half, but the Bears closed the gap to 13 at one point.

NO. 19 KANSAS 94, GREEN BAY 51

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Freshman Darryn Peterson scored 21 points in 22 minutes in his debut to lead No. 19 Kansas past Green Bay.

Peterson shot 7 of 11 from the field, including 3 for 7 from 3-point range, before sitting most of the second half.

Kansas’ Flory Bidunga led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 sniping from the line. Melvin Council added 10 points for Kansas, which was 33 of 58 from the field (56.9%).

Green Bay was led by Marcus Hall’s 17 points.

The Jayhawks, who led by 21 points at the break, put any thoughts of a Green Bay comeback to rest by scoring the first seven points of the second half. The Jayhawks extended their lead throughout the second half and their final 43-point margin was their largest of the game.

NO. 20 AUBURN 95, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 90, OT

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Keyshawn Hall scored seven of his 28 points in overtime to lead No. 20 Auburn to a victory against Bethune-Cookman in Steven Pearl’s coaching debut.

The Tigers led 81-78 in regulation when Elyjah Freeman fouled Arterio Morris on a half-court heave just before the buzzer. Morris knocked down all three free throws to send the game into overtime. Hall took over from there.

KeShawn Murphy added 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Tigers. The 6-foot-10 transfer from Mississippi State has been dealing with a knee injury but gave Auburn some much-needed size against the Wildcats.

Auburn has now won 61 consecutive games against non-conference opponents.

Quentin Heady led Bethune-Cookman with 21 points. He also had three rebounds and three assists. Morris finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Morris spent last season at South Plains College. He also had stints at Kansas and Texas.

NO. 21 GONZAGA 98, TEXAS SOUTHERN 43

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Tyon Grant-Foster scored 15 points and Graham Ike added 13 points and 11 rebounds, as Gonzaga opened the season with a victory over Texas Southern.

Braden Huff added 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting to help the Bulldogs win their 22nd consecutive regular-season opener and their 36th straight home opener.

Jaylen Wysinger and Duane Posey scored eight points apiece to top the Tigers, who never led after going up 10-8 early on a three-point play by Cameron Patterson.

The Bulldogs struggled from beyond the arc early, shooting just 3 for 14 from 3-point range in the first half. Gonzaga stayed afloat at the free-throw line (13 for 15) and on the glass, turning 12 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points before halftime.

Coach Mark Few’s team found its rhythm in the closing minutes of the half, going on a pair of 9-0 runs. Huff sparked the surge with a coast-to-coast finish before dropping in a floater to help the Bulldogs outscore the Tigers 20-5 over the final six minutes of the period.

NO. 22 MICHIGAN STATE 80, COLGATE 69

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jaxon Kohler scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Jeremy Fears Jr. added 14 points and 10 assists Monday night to lead No. 22 Michigan State to a victory over Colgate.

Coen Carr also had 12 points for the Spartans, who improved to 23-8 in openers under coach Tom Izzo.

Sam Wright scored 17 points and Andrew Alekseyenko added 14 for the Raiders. Jalen Cox also had 12 points and eight rebounds for Colgate which led only once when Alekseyenko hit a 3-pointer on the first shot of the game.

Michigan State struggled most of the game getting into an offensive rhythm. The Spartans, who won the Big Ten regular season title last year, had to replace three starters and four letter-winners who accounted for 63.5 percent of the team’s scoring.

The Raiders kept the game close in the first half and tied it twice in the second half before the Spartans started pulling away. With the game tied at 41 early in the second half, Carr scored six points during a 21-6 Michigan State run that broke the game open.

NO. 24 WISCONSIN 96, CAMPBELL 64

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — John Blackwell scored 31 points and No. 24 Wisconsin pulled away for a victory over Campbell.

Blackwell was one point off his career high. He scored 32 points in a 116-85 rout of Iowa on Jan. 3.

Nick Boyd scored 21 points for Wisconsin, which began the season in the Top 25 for the first time since 2020-21. Nolan Winter added 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Blackwell was second and Winter fourth on the team in scoring last season as Wisconsin reached the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32. Boyd arrived from San Diego State after playing on Florida Atlantic’s 2023 Final Four team.

Wisconsin outscored Campbell 29-2 over the last 7 minutes, 32 seconds. Campbell missed its final 12 field-goal attempts after DJ Smith hit a 3-pointer with 10:35 left.

NO. 25 NORTH CAROLINA 94, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 54

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Caleb Wilson scored 22 points and Luka Bogavac added 10 points and five assists in their North Carolina debuts as the No. 25 Tar Heels beat Central Arkansas.

Kyan Evans hit four 3-pointers and scored 15 points, Henri Veesaar added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Seth Trimble scored 12 points as the Tar Heels won their opener for the 21st consecutive season.

Cole McCormick led Central Arkansas with nine points, though he went to the bench with his fourth foul early in the second half and fouled out with 4:56 left.

The 22-year-old Bogavac, a 6-goot-6 guard from Montenegro whose eligibility clearance was announced by the university about 30 minutes before tipoff, entered as the game’s first substitute and piled up eight points and three assists by halftime.

Wilson shot 8 for 10 from the field with a variety of dunks and made his only 3-point attempt. Wilson and Evans had 12 points apiece in the first half, which ended with North Carolina holding a 51-23 lead.

North Carolina’s 18-0 first-half run stretched the margin to 39-13 as the Bears went almost eight minutes without a point. The Tar Heels grabbed 10 offensive rebounds before the break and outscored Central Arkansas 11-0 on free throws.

News from © The Associated Press, 2025