Khalif Battle scored all 19 of his points in the second half as No. 6 Gonzaga avoided an upset bid, outlasting Arizona State 88-80 on Sunday in a nonconference game in Spokane, Wash.
Braden Huff came off the bench to score 21 points for the Bulldogs (2-0). Guard Ryan Nembhard registered a double-double with 13 points and 11 assists, and Michael Ajayi had nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Nolan Hickman and Graham Ike scored nine apiece.
Basheer Jihad led the Sun Devils (2-1) with a game-high 22 points as well as 10 rebounds. Alston Mason added 19 points and BJ Freeman scored 12. Freshman Jayden Quaintance, at 17 the youngest player in college basketball, scored nine points in the first half but didn’t attempt a shot in the second before fouling out in the final minute.
Gonzaga shot 50 percent from the field (31 of 62), was 8-of-24 from 3-point range and dominated bench scoring (36-19) and fastbreak points (19-9). ASU shot 47.6 percent (30 of 63) from the floor and was 9 of 29 from long range.
No. 15 Creighton 96, Fairleigh Dickinson 70
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 24 points, pulled down six rebounds and had three blocks to lead the Bluejays past the Knights in Omaha, Neb.
The senior center made 9 of 10 shots from the field and through two games has converted 29 of 32 field-goal attempts. Steven Ashworth had 15 points, nine assists and five rebounds. The point guard connected on 5 of 8 3-point attempts. Jamiya Neal had 13 points and five rebounds and Pop Isaacs had 12 points. Jackson McAndrew came off the bench to chip in 13 points for the Bluejays (2-0).
Terrence Brown had 19 points and eight rebounds for FDU (1-2) and Bismark Nsiah and Dylan Jones added 12 points for the Knights.
No. 17 Indiana 90, Eastern Illinois 55
Mackenzie Mgbako scored a game-high 18 points and the Hoosiers erupted in the second half to blow out the Panthers in Bloomington, Ind.
Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo each added 17 points for the Hoosiers (2-0), while Bryson Tucker came off the bench to net 12. Indiana made 61.3 percent of its field-goal attempts, including 64.7 percent after halftime, and drew 26 assists off 38 made baskets.
Nakyel Shelton scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half to pace Eastern Illinois (1-2), which absorbed its second lopsided loss this week against a Big Ten opponent. The Panthers were routed in Monday night’s season opener at Illinois 112-67.
–Field Level Media
