Brajkovic scores 22, Davidson beats No. 10 Alabama 79-78

Tue, Dec 21, 2021
NCAAB News (AP)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Luka Brajkovic scored 22 points and made a late 3-pointer and Michael Jones scored 21 points to help lift Davidson to a 79-78 victory over No. 10 Alabama on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats (9-2) rolled to a 13-point lead in the second half and held on for their eighth straight win in a game scheduled to fill sudden voids in their respective schedules because of COVID-19. The Crimson Tide (9-3) have dropped two of three games but stayed in this one until Jahvon Quinerly missed a potential tying free throw with four seconds left.

Alabama scored the final nine points after Brajkovic's 3-pointer with 2:01 left pushed it back to 79-69. But Davidson was able to run out the final seconds and ended up getting a huge win in the unexpected matchup.

Jones made 8 of 11 shots, including all three 3-point attempts, for the Wildcats. Hyunjung Lee scored 17 points and made four 3s. Foster Loyer scored 11 points after totaling 59 the previous two games.

Jaden Shackelford led Alabama with 20 points. Juwan Gary had 15 points and eight rebounds, while making 3 of 4 3-pointers. Quinerly scored 13.

NO. 9 IOWA STATE 79, CHICAGO STATE 48

AMES, Iowa (AP) - Izaiah Brockington had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Tristan Enaruna added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Iowa State rolled past Chicago State.

The Cyclones (12-0) came into the game limiting opponents to 56.8 points per game, 12th in the nation. They have now held nine teams to 60 or fewer points.

Jahsean Corbett had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago State (4-8). The Cougars shot just 28%, including 2 for 20 from 3-point range.

NO. 11 MICHIGAN STATE 90, OAKLAND 78

DETROIT (AP) - Marcus Bingham had 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks and was one of five double-digit scorers for Michigan State in a win over Oakland University.

The Spartans (10-2) have won five straight for a second time this season. The Golden Grizzlies (7-4) lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

Jalen Moore scored 25 points for the Grizzlies. Jamal Cain had 20 points, Micah Parrish scored 19 and Trey Townsend added 14 points.

Michigan State freshman Max Christie had 17 points and Gabe Brown scored 14. Malik Hall had 13 points and finished the game with a bandage covering stitches above his right eye, and Tyson Walker fouled out with 10 points and a career-high matching 10 assists for the Spartans.

NO. 23 VILLANOVA 71, NO. 18 XAVIER 58

VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) - Justin Moore scored 12 of his 17 points after halftime and Caleb Daniels added 16 points to lead Villanova past Xavier.

Collin Gillespie and Eric Dixon each had 15 points for the Wildcats (8-4, 1-1 Big East), who bounced back from consecutive blowout losses.

Dwon Odom scored 13 points and Nate Johnson had 12 for Xavier (11-2, 1-1), which had won seven in a row.

The Wildcats dropped 14 spots in the Associated Press Top 25 after a 79-59 loss at Creighton on Friday in their Big East opener and a 57-36 defeat at Baylor on Dec. 12 - the first time in coach Jay Wright's 21 seasons Villanova lost consecutive games by 20 or more points.

___

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25