TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — JaMychal Green scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half and had 14 rebounds to lead No. 13 Alabama to a 72-64 victory over Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday night.
Green had missed the previous game with a hip bruise but helped the Crimson Tide move to 7-0 for the first time since 2006-07.
The Tide trailed VCU (3-3) by as many as six points in the second half but closed the game on a 12-5 run and allowed only one basket over the final 4 minutes.
Tony Mitchell scored 13 points for Alabama despite playing on a sprained right ankle that limited him to 8 minutes against Alabama A&M.
Bradford Burgess hit three 3-pointers in the second half and scored 18 points to lead VCU, which also got 10 points from Rob Brandenburg and Juvonte Reddic.
No. 17 Pittsburgh 81, Robert Morris 71
PITTSBURGH ( AP) — Ashton Gibbs scored 21 points and Cameron Wright added a career-high 13 as Pittsburgh rolled past Robert Morris.
The Panthers (5-1) won their third straight by shooting 55 percent from the field in the first half and playing with a defensive intensity they have lacked at times early in the season.
The addition of rangy freshman forward Khem Birch into the lineup helped. Birch finished with eight points, 11 rebounds and six blocks while making his second career start.
Cordon Williams led Robert Morris (4-2) with 19 points but the Panthers clamped down on Robert Morris star Velton Jones, who came in averaging 19.7 points but was held to 10 on 1-of-14 shooting.
Pitt improved to 29-0 all-time against its crosstown rival and 69-0 against Northeast Conference opponents and won despite missing forwards Lamar Patterson and Dante Taylor, who sat out their second straight games, though for vastly different reasons. Patterson is serving a two-game suspension for a violation of team rules while Taylor continues to struggle with migraines.
No. 21 Missouri 88, Binghampton 59
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Kim English scored a career-high 29 points and Missouri routed winless Binghamton.
The Big 12’s leading 3-point shooter hit 7 of 10 from behind the arc. His six 3s and 22 first-half points helped Missouri (6-0) to a 49-31 lead.
Ben Dickinson led Binghamton (0-5) with 15 points.
English, a 6-foot-6 senior, entered the game hitting 60 percent of his 3-pointers. Normally a shooting guard, English is the Tigers’ starting power forward after Laurence Bowers’ season-ending knee injury in the preseason. English’s previous career-high was 26 against Chattanooga in 2009
Ricardo Ratliffe added 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting for Missouri.
No. 24 Mississippi State 82, North Texas 59
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Arnett Moultrie scored 20 points and Dee Bost added 18 for the Bulldogs, who took a 30-10 lead in the first 10 minutes and were never challenged.
They shot 63.3 percent from the field in the first half and 51.9 percent for the game.
Rodney Hood and Jalen Steele had 11 points apiece for Mississippi State (7-1), which has won six straight.
Chris Jones led North Texas (1-3) with 12 points and Jordan Williams added 10. The Mean Green shot 32.3 percent (20 of 62) from the field and 25 percent (5 of 20) from 3-point range.
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