CHARLESTON, S.C. – Josh Hart scored a career-high 30 points with six 3-pointers and No. 3 Villanova powered past Wake Forest, 96-77, on Friday to reach the finals of the Charleston Classic.
Hart, a preseason All-American, made five of his team’s first six baskets to open a 16-8 lead and the Wildcats (4-0) kept going. They’ll face UCF or College of Charleston for the tournament title Sunday night.
Villanova used a combination of accurate shooting and solid defense to slow down Wake Forest (3-1), which had scored 103 points Thursday in defeating UTEP. While the Demon Deacons shot 50 percent, they rarely got their transition game in motion against the Wildcats.
(7) Kansas 86, Siena 65
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Frank Mason III scored 18 points to lead a late-game charge, Carlton Bragg added a career-high 15 points and 11 rebounds and Kansas beat pesky Siena.
Devonte Graham added 13 points and nine assists, and Lagerald Vick scored 12 points off the bench, as the Jayhawks (2-1) extended their winning streak to 42 straight at Allen Fieldhouse.
(11) Xavier 83, Clemson 77
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – J.P. Macura scored a career-high 28 points and Trevon Bluiett contributed 21 as Xavier defeated Clemson in the second round of the Tire Pros Invitational.
Macura hit six 3-pointers and Bluiett sealed the win with two free throws in the final moments.
The Musketeers (3-0) held a comfortable lead for most of the second half before Clemson (3-1) surged within 63-62. Xavier, led by Malcolm Bernard, answered with six straight points to regain control.
Donte Grantham led five Clemson players in double figures with 21 points.
(13) Michigan State 100, Miss. Valley State 53
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Freshman Miles Bridges scored 21 of his 24 points in the first half, grabbed 11 rebounds and had six assists in his home debut for Michigan State in a win over Mississippi Valley State.
The Spartans (1-2) got a confidence-boosting win after getting routed by No. 2 Kentucky and losing to No. 10 Arizona by two points.
Ronald Strother had 12 points and Amos Given scored 10 for the Delta Devils (0-4).
(14) Gonzaga 109, Bryant 70
SPOKANE, Wash. – Przemek Karnowski scored 22 points and Johnathan Williams added 20 to help Gonzaga beat Bryant.
Zach Collins added 18 points for Gonzaga (3-0), which is seeking a 19th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Nisre Zouzoua scored 22 points and Adam Grant had 17 for undersized Bryant (1-2), which lost to Gonzaga the only previous time the teams met, in 2013.
(18) Syracuse 71, Monmouth 50
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Andrew White scored 18 points, Taurean Thompson added 12 and Syracuse routed overmatched Monmouth.
The Orange (3-0) led 37-29 at the half. The Hawks (1-2) shot 21 percent from the field were 1 of 18 from 3-point range in the second half. For the game, the Hawks shot 31 percent and were 4 of 29 from on 3-pointers.
Syracuse outscored Monmouth 34-21 in the second half.
(15) Purdue 64, Georgia State 56
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Caleb Swanigan scored 18 points and Purdue scored the final 20 points of the game to rally and beat Georgia State in the Cancun Challenge opener.
Trailing 56-44 with 7:08 to play, the Boilermakers (2-1) took over. Dakota Mathias hit two 3-pointers and P.J. Thompson one during the game-closing run.
Center Isaas Haas added 11 points for Purdue, and Jeremy Hollowell had 15 to lead Georgia State (1-2), which also got 13 points from D’Marcus Simonds.
(22) Creighton 103, Washington State 77
ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands – Cole Huff scored 19 points and Creighton put Washington State away early en route to a victory in the opening round of the Paradise Jam tournament.
Marcus Foster added 16 points and Justin Patton 10 for the Bluejays (3-0), who went up by double digits less than seven minutes into the first half, and led 60-36 at the break.
Conor Clifford scored 29 points, Ike Iroegbu and Charles Callison had 11 each, and Josh Hawkinson added 10 for the Cougars (2-1), who trailed by as many as 34 points in the second half.