NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kendall Pollard scored a season-high 21 points, and Dayton rallied from 16 points down late in the first half to upset No. 21 Vanderbilt 72-67 on Wednesday night.
The Flyers (7-1) now have beaten three teams from the Power Five conferences this season, with previous wins over Alabama and Iowa.
The Commodores (6-3) not only blew a big lead on their own floor in their second straight loss, they will be without top shot blocker Luke Kornet for four to six weeks with a torn medical collateral ligament in his left knee.
Scoochie Smith added 13 points, and Steve McElvene added 10 as Dayton shot its way back into the lead despite just seven points from leading scorer Charles Cooke.
Wade Baldwin IV and Damian Jones scored 18 apiece for Vanderbilt, which hit just one of its final six shots.
Detroit 75, Toledo 72
DETROIT — Chris Jenkins posted a double-double, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds, as Detroit edged Toledo.
Jenkins finished with 6-of-11 shooting from the field including three from distance for the Titans (4-3). Josh McFolley had 16 points and three assists and Anton Wilson and Jaleel Hogan added 10 points apiece. The team shot 49.1 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from the line.
After a back-and-forth second half, McFolley hit a 3-pointer to give Detroit the lead for good, 70-68, with 1:50 to play. Hogan dunked with 12 seconds left to seal the win for the Titans.
The Titans led 26-21 with 6:29 left in the first half but ended up trailing 34-31 at the break.
Jonathan Williams led the Rockets (6-3) with 22 points. Nathan Boothe had a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards.
No. 11 Purdue 93, Howard 55
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — As No. 11 Purdue’s most highly regarded recruit since Glenn Robinson, freshman forward Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan understands the expectations.
The McDonald’s All-American and Indiana’s 2015 Mr. Basketball is starting to live up to the hype, scoring a career-high 19 points to go with 12 rebounds in the Boilermakers’ 93-55 victory against Howard on Wednesday night.
Purdue improved to 10-0 for the first time since winning the first 14 games in 2009-10.
Swanigan scored 11 points during a blistering 56-point first half and has back-to-back double-doubles. He had 11 points and a career-best 14 rebounds Monday against IUPUI. He was 7 of 10 from the field against the Bison, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
“He has been playing really well,” said point guard P.J. Thompson, who had a career-high nine assists. “I kind of think people forget he is a freshman, even though he is a highly touted freshman and a high school All-American. Tonight, he let the game come to him.”
Elida graduate Dakota Mathias finished with five points, connecting on one 3-point shot, and one rebound for the Boilermakers.
Howard (6-4) lost for just the second time in eight games while playing without Division I scoring leader James “J-Byrd” Daniel, who averages 28.4 points per game and is nursing a toe injury.
The Bison also played the second half without guard Damon Collins, who became ill at halftime. Collins is averaging 12.6 points.
Dalique Mingo led Howard with 14 points, and Marcel Boyd added 12 before fouling out.
No. 1 Michigan State 78,
Maryland Eastern Shore 35
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Even when Denzel Valentine isn’t feeling well, he’s still pretty good.
Valentine had 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to help Michigan State rout Maryland Eastern Shore.
“Denzel was a little sick and he didn’t play with the same vigor,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. “I could really notice it.”
The Spartans (10-0) are off to their best start since the 2000-01 season when they were defending national champions and won the first 12 games.
They host Florida on Saturday in a rematch of the 2000 NCAA final before opening the Big Ten season on the road against Iowa and Minnesota.
“The party is over now,” Izzo said. “The next three games are going to get tougher and tougher.”
The Hawks (1-8) had only one player score in double digits. Dominique Elliott had seven of his team’s 16 points in the first half and finished with 11 points.
“I’m very disappointed in our lack of fight,” Maryland Eastern Shore coach Bobby Collins said.
No. 2 Kansas 92, Holy Cross 59
LAWRENCE, Kan. — While the rest of his teammates were enjoying a holiday trip to Hawaii, and winning a title at the Maui Invitational, Brannen Greene was shooting baskets in an empty gym in Kansas.
Talk about a punishment.
Suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, the smooth-shooting forward was reinstated by Jayhawks coach Bill Self in time for Wednesday night’s game against Holy Cross. He responded by hitting three 3-pointers and scoring 14 points in a 92-59 rout of the Crusaders.
“Definitely felt good to get back on the court,” said Greene, who has declined to discuss what led to the suspension. “Me and coach, we had a sit-down, we talked. I dealt with my punishment. Looked at it as a positive and tried to get back on the court.”
Self had told Greene the previous day that he would suit up.
“Let me make this real clear, we don’t need to get on the same page. He needs to get on our page,” Self said. “And we had several, or a few, good talks initially, really good talks. His attitude has been really good and I think he wants to be part of what we’re doing here.”
Wayne Selden Jr. had 15 points to lead all scorers. Frank Mason III added 13, Perry Ellis and Cheick Diallo scored 12 apiece, and Devonte Graham finished with 10 for the Jayhawks (7-1), who blew most of a 20-point lead before building an even bigger margin in the second half.
“I told them, ‘Don’t go near an offensive rebound. A shot goes up, just get back,’” Crusaders coach Bill Carmody said, “and they still beat us back in transition.”
Karl Charles led Holy Cross (3-6) with 12 points. Malachi Alexander had 11.
No. 5 Kentucky 88,
Eastern Kentucky 67
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky senior Alex Poythress showed what’s possible when his mind, body and will are working together. Coach John Calipari hopes to see that imposing combination more often as the forward keeps making his way back from a devastating knee injury.
Poythress had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Jamal Murray scored 16 and No. 5 Kentucky pulled away from Eastern Kentucky 88-67 Wednesday night to bounce back from last week’s first loss at UCLA.
The Wildcats (8-1) succeeded with improved and dominant inside play against the smaller Colonels. Kentucky scored its first 32 points in the paint and 58 overall, outrebounded EKU 50-25 and made timely baskets before pulling away late.
Poythress’ third double-double this season led the way and featured a baseline drive and two-handed dunk for an 80-65 lead with 4:14 remaining. He finished one point shy of his career best and matched another on the boards.
“I’m just trying to play hard every time I’m out there,” said Poythress, who sustained a season-ending left anterior cruciate ligament last December. “I’m just trying to give 100 percent out there and bring energy.”
Poythress’ effort pleased Calipari, who has waited a long time to see it.
“I want the kid to be the best player in the country. He’s capable of that,” the coach said. “He was a couple of shots from a near-perfect game.”
Marcus Lee added 11 points and eight rebounds, while Skal Labissiere and Isaiah Briscoe each added 10 for the Wildcats.
Javontae Hawkins scored 19 points for EKU (7-3), which entered as one of the nation’s best 3-point shooting teams (44 percent) but made 5 of 18 from behind the arc (28 percent).
No. 15 Providence 66,
Boston College 51
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rodney Bullock scored 17 points for No. 15 Providence in a 66-51 win Wednesday night over Boston College, which played its first game since several team members fell ill to a restaurant-related virus.
The Boston Public Health Commission said lab testing confirmed the presence of a gastrointestinal illness at a Chipotle restaurant near the BC campus. More than 120 students were affected, including some players.
The Friars (9-1) took an 18-4 lead and stayed ahead.
Boston College (3-6) closed to 43-29 with 11:15 left. Eli Carter scored 15 points.
Women’s roundup
No. 1 UConn 94, Colgate 50
HAMILTON, N.Y. (AP) — Breanna Stewart had 22 points and a career-high 10 assists, becoming the first player in NCAA history with 300 blocks and 300 assists, and No. 1 Connecticut beat Colgate 94-50 on Wednesday night in a game scheduled in honor of the senior star.
Connecticut (7-0) extended its winning streak to 44 games and improved to 5-0 against Colgate (1-6).
UConn attempted to schedule a game at Syracuse as a tribute to Stewart, who opted to play for the Huskies despite early overtures from the Orange while Stewart was a student at Cicero-North Syracuse High School.
Instead of hosting the top-ranked team in the country — and a former Big East foe to boot — No. 19 Syracuse beat Coppin State 88-56 on Wednesday night.
Morgan Tuck had 20 points for the Huskies on 10-for-11 shooting.
Paige Kriftcher led Colgate with 21 points on a career-high seven 3-pointers.
No. 3 Notre Dame 95,
No. 18 DePaul 90
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Madison Cable had 21 points and 10 rebounds, helping Notre Dame hold off a second-half rally by DePaul.
The Irish (8-1) scored 65 points in the first half and built a 26-point lead. DePaul (6-3) used a 19-5 run in the third quarter to get back into the game.
Chanise Jenkins led the Blue Demons with 21 points and Jessica January added 17.
Notre Dame has won eight straight against DePaul, which hasn’t beaten the Irish since 2008.
No. 17 Oklahoma 75, Tulsa 62
TULSA, Okla. — Kaylon Williams had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Oklahoma won its seventh straight game.
Williams was 9 of 17 from the floor. Maddie Manning added 19 points for Oklahoma (8-1), which is off to its best start since going 8-1 in the 2012-13 season.
Teanna Reid scored 15 points for the Golden Hurricane (2-7), who have dropped four of five. Ashley Clark, a former high school teammate of Williams, added 12 points.
Oklahoma is 12-1 at Tulsa, and leads the series 25-2.
No. 19 Syracuse 88,
Coppin State 56
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Taylor Ford made three of Syracuse’s 14 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 21 points.
Ford, a senior, had the first 20-point game of her career — helped by making her first five shots from the field.
Julia Chandler, Alexis Peterson and Brianna Butler hit three 3-pointers apiece for Syracuse (6-2). Peterson finished with 15 points.
Omaah Tayong led Coppin State (2-6) with 14 points and Janelle Lane added 13.
No. 25 Michigan State 73,
Davidson 44
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Aerial Powers had 23 points and 12 rebounds to help Michigan State to the road win.
It was the first double-double of the season for Powers and the 35th of her career.
Tori Jankoska added 13 points for Michigan State (6-2), and Branndais Agee had 11 points and six rebounds. The Spartans had 18 assists on 26 field goals.
Davidson made one field goal in the first nine minutes of the third quarter as Michigan State stretched its lead to 43-27.
Hannah Early led Davidson (5-4) with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
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