The Southeastern Conference has often been proclaimed the best league in college basketball in 2021-22. On Saturday, the SEC knocked off a pair of top-five teams on its way to winning the SEC/Big 12 Challenge for the second year in a row.
Alabama’s 87-78 upset of No. 4 Baylor and Kentucky’s 80-62 win at No. 5 Kansas helped boost the SEC to a 6-4 victory in the ninth annual midseason collision of the two Power Five leagues.
The SEC picked up victories Saturday from No. 1 Auburn, No. 12 Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and Mississippi. Winners from the Big 12 were No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 23 Iowa State, Texas and Texas Christian.
After top-ranked Auburn defeated Oklahoma on Saturday, Tigers Coach Bruce Pearl explained the significance of winning the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
“This Challenge matters,” he said. “It matters on Selection Sunday.”
The Big 12 has won four of the nine Challenges, the SEC three, and there have been two ties.
The Big 12 won the first three challenges 7-3, 6-4 and 7-3 and then did so again, 6-4, in 2018-19. The leagues split 5-5 in both 2016-17 and 2019-20. Before Saturday, the SEC won the challenge 6-4 in 2017-18 and 5-4 last season (when the Kentucky-Texas game was canceled because of COVID-19).
The overall record now stands at 48 wins for the Big 12 vs. 41 for the SEC.
Kentucky improved to 5-3 in the Challenge after its victory at Kansas.
Across the nine years, UK has lost to Baylor, beat Texas, lost to Kansas, lost to Kansas, beat West Virginia, beat Kansas, beat Texas Tech, beat Kansas and had one game canceled.
Since there are 14 SEC teams and only 10 Big 12 schools, four from the SEC have to sit out each season. Missing out on this year’s Challenge were Texas A&M, South Carolina, Georgia and Vanderbilt.
Here is how Saturday’s action played out:
SEC wins
No. 12 Kentucky 80, No. 5 Kansas 62: Keion Brooks scored 27 points as Kentucky manhandled the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kan.
The Wildcats grabbed a 20-point halftime lead in Allen Fieldhouse and cruised to improve to 24-10 all-time in the series. Kansas had won four of the past five coming in. The last Kentucky win in Allen Fieldhouse was in 1985.
Oscar Tshiebwe had a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds for Kentucky (17-4), which also got 12 points from Kellan Grady and 11 from Jacob Toppin.
Kansas (17-3) was led by Ochai Agbaji, who had 13 points, 10 in the second half. But the two-time reigning Big 12 Player of the Week was held well below his Big 12-leading 21.3 points per game. Christian Braun also had 13 points.
No. 1 Auburn 86, Oklahoma 68: Jabari Smith bounced back from a rough shooting night with 23 points and 12 rebounds and Walker Kessler scored 21 to lead the host Tigers.
Auburn (20-1) built a big lead, lost most of it and then dominated the final minutes for its nation-leading 17th consecutive win.
Smith was just 2-of-15 shooting for five points in a 55-54 win over Missouri on Tuesday. He and Kessler took over this one.
The 7-foot-1 Kessler was 9-of-11 from the floor, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots. He also hit his fourth and fifth three-pointers of the season.
Jordan Goldwire led Oklahoma (13-8) with a career-high 19 points. Umoja Gibson scored 14 points and Tanner Groves had 13.
Auburn fans chanting “S-E-C” at Oklahoma and they’re just like “I mean yeah dude we know, we’re coming”
— Justin Lee (@ByJustinLee) January 29, 2022
Alabama 87, No. 4 Baylor 78: Jaden Shackelford scored 19 points and had nine rebounds as the visiting Crimson Tide knocked off a top-five team.
Alabama (14-7) has now beaten three teams that reached the Final Four last season. Along with the defending champion Bears, the Crimson Tide defeated then-No. 1 Gonzaga in early December and topped Houston a week later.
The Crimson Tide led by four points with under three minutes to play, then freshman J.D. Davison scored seven of his 14 points to seal the win.
Jahvon Quinerly scored 20 points for Alabama, Juwan Gary had 15 and Keon Ellis 11.
Baylor (18-3) played without its leading scorer, LJ Cryer, who’s had foot soreness. James Akinjo, who was the Bears’ top scorer two weeks ago before a back injury limited his minutes, had just eight points and didn’t hit his first basket until midway through the second half.
Jeremy Sochan scored 17 for Baylor and Adam Flagler had 16.
NO ONE plays to the level of its competiton quite like the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Wins: Gonzaga, Houston and now Baylor
Losses: Georgia, Missouri, Memphis, Iona
Next: Tuesday at No. 1 Auburn
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 29, 2022
Arkansas 77, West Virginia 68: Au’Diese Toney scored 19 points and host Arkansas never trailed to win its sixth straight.
Arkansas is now 4-4 in the challenge series, going 4-0 at home and 0-4 on the road.
The Razorbacks (16-5) led by as many as 19 points in the second half after JD Notae’s layup with 16:06 to play, but West Virginia rallied, getting within five points after a 13-0 run capped by a Jalen Bridges layup with 12:24 to make it 54-49.
Toney answered with five straight points to push the Razorbacks’ lead back to double digits and Jaylin Williams added a three-point play to make it an 8-0 run for a 62-49 advantage. The Mountaineers (13-7) got within 68-62 on Sean McNeil’s three-pointer with 4:44 left, but Arkansas again pushed its lead back to double digits until Taz Sherman’s layup with :24 seconds left got West Virginia within nine with its final points.
Florida 81, Oklahoma State 72: Tyree Appleby scored 13 of his season-high 21 points in the second half as host Florida rallied after the break.
After trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, Florida outscored Oklahoma State 49-27 in the second, shooting 50% (9-of-18) from the floor and forcing 12 turnovers. The Gators also made five three-pointers, were 26-of-32 (81%) shooting from the line and blocked six shots after halftime.
Phlandrous Fleming added 14 points for Florida (13-8), which ended a two-game skid. Kowacie Reeves had 11 points and Anthony Duruji 10.
Isaac Likekele scored 14 points and Bryce Thompson had 12 for Oklahoma State (10-10).
Mississippi 67, Kansas State 56: Daeshun Ruffin scored 13 of his 17 in the second half and Ole Miss dealt visiting Kansas State its third straight loss.
Luis Rodriguez added 10 points for the Rebels (11-10), who shot 45%, 15% better than Kansas State.
Mark Smith collected his fifth double-double this season, scoring 18 of his 20 points in the second half and grabbing 16 rebounds for the Wildcats (10-10). Nijel Pack scored 18 points, making six of Kansas State’s 11 three-pointers, and had seven assists.
Big 12 wins
No. 13 Texas Tech 76, Mississippi State 50: Adonis Arms had 16 points and seven assists as the Red Raiders stayed undefeated at home.
Kevin Obanor added 13 points while Mylik Wilson had 12 and Bryson Williams 10 for Texas Tech (16-5), which is 13-0 at home this season. Marcus Santos-Silva had nine rebounds.
Mississippi State (13-7) had a season-high 22 turnovers while scoring its fewest points this season. The Bulldogs never led after Arms made the first of his three threes less than three minutes into the game.
Bulldogs leading scorer Iverson Molinar was held to 12 points, nearly seven below his season average that was tied for second in the SEC, and had a team-high five turnovers. DJ. Jeffries had 11 points and Rocket Watts 10.
Did our part in the Big XII/SEC challenge. As in the Liberty Bowl, Texas Tech destroys Mississippi State. And now, the most anticipated home game in program history on Tuesday. Texas. Texas Tech. We will be at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux in Hollywood Park on Tuesday night. pic.twitter.com/YLyuhQXKdv
— Texas Tech Alumni Association – San Antonio (@TTAASanAntonio) January 30, 2022
TCU 77, No. 19 LSU 68: Chuck O’Bannon scored 16 of his career-high 19 points after halftime, including three consecutive three-pointers from basically the same spot and host TCU held on to beat slumping LSU.
TCU (14-4) had its largest lead at 50-34 with 15:59 left after O’Bannon’s third consecutive three in a 76-second span from the right wing.
Even though the Tigers (16-5) were able to cut that deficit to one after a 20-5 run over the next 6 1/2 minutes that Tari Eason began with six consecutive points, they were never able to take the lead. LSU lost for the fourth time in five games.
Mike Miles had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Frogs. Damion Baugh added 14 points.
No. 23 Iowa State 67, Missouri 50: Izaiah Brockington scored 15 points and Tyrese Hunter added 14 for the host Cyclones.
Brockington converted all eight of his free throw attempts and made three three-pointers for Iowa State (16-5).
DaJuan Gordon led Missouri (8-12) with 15 points. Amari Davis scored 11.
Iowa State rolled past Missouri on Saturday by sticking to its identity and digging into the art of the “kill.” My column for @cyclonefanatic on Cyclone basketball’s newest statistic and what it means for the team moving into February here. https://t.co/C8AHqQnMEL
— Jared Stansbury (@JaredStansbury) January 29, 2022
Texas 52, No. 18 Tennessee 51: Courtney Ramey scored 18 points to lead the Longhorns (16-5) to the upset in a defensive slugfest in Austin.
Texas was in command most of the second half, but a furious rally by the Volunteers (14-6) tied the game at 51. Timmy Allen sank one of two free throws with six seconds remaining to provide the winning margin.
A three-point attempt by Tennessee’s Josiah-Jordan James missed the mark at the buzzer, and the Vols’ three-game winning streak came to an end.
Tennessee trailed 51-35 with 5:32 left to play before tying the game with a late 16-0 run.
Zakai Zeigler led Tennessee with 12 points.
Saturday’s SEC/Big 12 Challenge scores
No. 12 Kentucky 80, No. 5 Kansas 62
No. 13 Texas Tech 76, Mississippi State 50