Tyler Perkins scored 22 points, Ed Holland III added 12 and host Penn upset No. 21 Villanova 76-72 on Monday in Philadelphia.
Cam Thrower and Clark Slajchert contributed 11 points apiece and Nick Spinoso had 10 for the Quakers (3-1), who defeated the Wildcats for the first time since Dec. 11, 2018.
Justin Moore led Villanova (2-1) with 25 points, Jordan Longino added 14 and Eric Dixon had 12 points and nine rebounds. The Wildcats lost their first game of the newly reimagined Philadelphia Big 5 tournament, while Penn improved to 1-1 after a loss to Saint Joseph’s.
The Wildcats drew within 74-72 when Moore made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 4.5 seconds left. Slajchert (11 points) responded with two free throws for the Quakers with 3.8 seconds left to secure the win. When the final buzzer sounded, fans stormed the court to celebrate.
No. 2 Purdue 83, Xavier 71
All-American 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey overcame a slow start to pour in 28 points while Braden Smith added 12 points, six rebounds and seven assists as the Boilermakers held off the visiting Musketeers in the Gavitt Tipoff Games series.
Edey, who missed his first four shots after missing a total of four shots over his first two games, was a force in the paint, grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking four shots. Fletcher Loyer was the third and final Purdue player in double figures with 11 points in 25 minutes.
Desmond Claude led Xavier with 15 points while Gytis Nemeiksa was one of three Xavier players with 10 points. Freshmen Trey Green and Dailyn Swain also had 10 points apiece for Xavier.
No. 3 Arizona 97, Southern 59
Keshad Johnson scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the first half to help the Wildcats shake off a sluggish start as the Wildcats eventually overwhelmed the Jaguars in Tucson, Ariz.
Arizona (3-0) was sloppy and sluggish at the start, committing 14 first-half turnovers. But the Wildcats eventually got hot, taking control with a 17-0 run that spanned halftime, and scoring 62 second-half points.
Tai’Reon Joseph scored 22 points for Southern (1-2), which took a 7-0 and 17-12 leads. However, the Jaguars missed their next 16 shots, a drought that lasted more than 13 minutes.
No. 6 Houston 79, Stetson 48
L.J. Cryer and Damian Dunn combined for 36 points and the Cougars turned two decisive first-half runs into a win over the visiting Hatters.
Cryer, a Baylor transfer, scored 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting while Dunn, a Temple transfer, added 15 points for Houston (3-0). That duo shot 5 of 7 from behind the arc in the first half as the Cougars seized a 22-point lead by the break.
Jalen Blackmon and Alec Oglesby scored 11 points apiece to pace Stetson (1-2).
No. 12 Miami 86, Florida International 80
Matthew Cleveland tied his career high with 23 points and the Hurricanes used a 23-2 second-half run to rally past the visiting Golden Panthers in Coral Gables, Fla.
This was the first game between these local rivals — separated by about 10 miles — in 15 years. The Hurricanes, who trailed by 12 points in the second half, lead the series 13-1. Miami (3-0) also got 18 points each from Wooga Poplar and Bensley Joseph. Nijel Pack added 17 points and a team-high five assists. Norchad Omier, who battled foul trouble, had six points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
FIU (0-3) was led by Arturo Dean, who struggled with in-game injuries but still managed 19 points and a game-high six assists. Dashon Gittens had 14 points, and Javaunte Hawkins added 11 points.
No. 14 Arkansas 86, Old Dominion 77
El Ellis scored 17 points and dished out eight assists Monday night as the Razorbacks held off the Monarchs in Fayetteville, Ark.
Davonte Davis added 16 points for Arkansas (3-0), while Makhi Mitchell contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds. Khalif Battle came off the bench to tally 13 points and Trevon Brazile chipped in 11.
Chaunce Jenkins scored a game-high 21 points for the Monarchs (1-2), who also got 18 from Devin Ceaser and 14 points from R.J. Blakney.
–Field Level Media
