Southern University guard Brandon Davis, second from right, makes a banked shot to score in the final seconds against Mississippi State during the second half of an NCAA basketball game Sunday in Starkville, Miss.
AP photo
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Mississippi State forward Jimmy Bell Jr., center, is trapped between two Southern University defenders during the first half of an NCAA basketball game Sunday in Starkville, Miss.
AP photo
Mississippi State forward Cameron Matthews (4) attempts to dribble past Southern University guard Jordan Johnson, right,during the first half of an NCAA basketball game Sunday in Starkville, Miss.
AP photo
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Tai’Reon Joseph scored 27 points and blocked Mississippi State’s final shot as Southern closed on a 12-0 run to stun the No. 21 Bulldogs 60-59 on Sunday.
Down 59-48 with 4:28 remaining, the Jaguars (2-6) took the lead with 23 seconds left on Brandon Davis’ layup. With three seconds left, Joseph blocked Josh Hubbard’s shot to hand Mississippi State (6-2) its second straight loss.
“I think it was our zone,” Southern coach Kevin Johnson said. “We don’t have size to match up with those guys. We’ve played zone this year and we had to with the schedule we’ve played. But I had no idea we would play that much zone tonight but I am proud of them.”
The Jaguars have faced a tough nonconference schedule to help finance the athletic department, also playing at No. 2 Arizona, No. 3 Marquette and No. 24 Illinois. Their other victory of the season was at UNLV.
Joseph was 11 of 21 from the field.
“Tai’Reon is a really good player,” Johnson said.” Not only that, he is a competitor. There is no question about his talent.”
Davis had 12 points — five during the 12-0 run.
Hubbard led Mississippi State with 14 points, and Cameron Matthews had 12. The Bulldogs also lost at Georgia Tech on Tuesday night in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
“We had plenty of time to stew on it and learn to grow from it,” Bulldogs coach Chris Jans of the previous loss to Georgia Tech. “But I didn’t expect this, certainly, and I don’t think anyone in that room would have expected this. Tuesday was tough but it is going to pale in comparison to this.”
Mississippi State shot 40% from the field and had 17 turnovers. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Jaguars 34-32 and made just 7 of 26 from 3 point territory.
Southern shot 43% for the game and made 12 of 19 at the foul line. The Jaguars also had 17 turnovers and made 6 of 21 beyond the 3 point arc.
“From my perspective we were really stagnant and real tentative, like we didn’t know what we were doing,” Matthews said. “It’s concerning, especially since we’ve got guys out here that have been in situations like that. I take the blame on that one and it is on me. I got to hold things down until Tolu (Smith) gets back.”
NO. 15 CREIGHTON 89, NEBRASKA 60
LINCOLN, Neb. — Baylor Scheierman scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half to help Creighton build a 15-point halftime lead and beat in-state rival Nebraska.
The Bluejays (7-1) trailed only twice, the last time with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Creighton then held Nebraska (7-1) to 16 points the rest of the half while hitting six 3-pointers, three from Scheierman, and 7 of 8 free throws to go up 52-37 at the break.
Keisei Tominaga had 20 points for Nebraska.
No. 22 JAMES MADISON 130, KEYSTONE COLLEGE 59
HARRISONBURG, Va. — Michael Green III had 21 points and four assists and James Madison routed Division III Keystone College.
TJ Bickerstaff had 12 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three steals in 16 minutes for the Dukes (8-0). DaShaun Johnson led Keystone (1-7) with 12 points.
OHIO STATE 84, MINNESOTA 74
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bruce Thornton had 26 points, Jamison Battle sank four 3-pointers and scored 25 and Ohio State beat Minnesota in an early Big Ten Conference opener.
Thornton sank 8 of 12 shots with a 3-pointer and 9 of 10 free throws for the Buckeyes (7-1), who have won six in a row. He added five assists and three steals. Battle missed just two from beyond the arc and has made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season. He was 7 for 7 at the foul line. Roddy Gayle Jr. hit 2 of 3 from distance and scored 16.
Dawson Garcia scored a career-high 36 for the Golden Gophers (5-3). The junior made 12 of 25 shots, 12 of 14 free throws, and grabbed 11 rebounds for his second double-double this season. Cam Christie had 11 points off the bench and Elijah Hawkins scored 10.
VA. TECH 75, LOUISVILLE 68
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Sophomore MJ Collins came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points to help Virginia Tech hold off Louisville in an early Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.
Collins made 5 of 10 shots, including all three of his 3-pointers and all seven of his free throws for the Hokies (6-3). He added four rebounds and four assists. Lynn Kidd had 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting, while Hunter Cattoor scored 12.
Skyy Clark led the Cardinals (4-4) with 16 points. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. Mike James, Tre White and freshman reserve Ty-Laur Johnson scored 10 points apiece. James added nine rebounds and four assists, while White had four assists and three steals.
James hit two 3-pointers and scored 10 to help Louisville take a 31-30 lead into halftime. Kidd and Cattoor both scored eight to keep Virginia Tech close.
CLEMSON 79, PITTSBURGH 70
PITTSBURGH — Joe Girard scored 25 points, including six 3-pointers, PJ Hall had a double-double, and Clemson defeated Pittsburgh in the ACC opener for both.
Girard made 7 of 10 shots and was 6 for 9 from 3-point distance. Hall had 22 points and 11 rebounds. Both players hit 3-pointers at clutch times for the Tigers (7-0).
Clemson led 23-20 after a tightly played first 13 minutes of the game. Girard then made three 3-pointers and added a three-point play, leading Clemson to a 37-26 halftime lead.
Pitt got within six points a couple of times in the first 15 minutes of the second half and twice more Girard drilled a 3-pointer to give Clemson a little more breathing room.
In the final five minutes, Blake Hinson hit a 3-pointer and Ishmael Leggett scored in the paint to get the Panthers within 70-68. Ian Schieffelin hit a pair from the line and followed with a layup to put Clemson up by six at 2:51 remaining. Hall delivered a key 3-pointer and Clemson led 77-68 with about 90 seconds remaining.
Schieffelin had 17 rebounds and eight points for the Tigers and Chauncey Wiggins scored 12.