Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Digital Sports Desk

BC Hits High Note at Fenway

by

Fenway Bowl: Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14

Thomas Castellanos rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Eagles rallied past the Mustangs in Boston.

Castellanos ran for 156 yards on 21 carries and logged 96 of his 102 passing yards in the second half to lead Boston College (7-6), which lost its last three regular-season games.

SMU (11-3), which had a nine-game winning streak snapped, was shut out 13-0 in the second half and gained just three first downs in the fourth quarter.

Embed from Getty Images

Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 25 Kansas State 28, No. 18 NC State 19

Avery Johnson found Jayce Brown for an 11-yard touchdown to cap the clinching drive in the fourth quarter as No. 25 Kansas State defeated No. 18 North Carolina State 28-19 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Thursday in Orlando.

The Wildcats took the ball with 10:12 left in the fourth quarter and kept it for 7:24 on the decisive march, which lasted 15 plays and covered 72 yards.

Kansas State (9-4) had only one quarterback on the roster Thursday, limiting the Wildcats’ use of Johnson in the running game. He still finished with 71 yards on seven carries to go with 14-of-31 passing for 178 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

North Carolina State (9-4) was seeking its second 10-win season in program history (2002). Brennan Armstrong was 14 of 28 for 164 yards and one interception. He led the Wolfpack with 121 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground but ran for only 7 yards in the second half.

Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers 31, Miami 24

Kyle Monangai rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown, Gavin Wimsatt added two short scoring runs and the Scarlet Knights rallied in the second half to top the Hurricanes in New York.

Wimsatt completed 7 of 15 passes for 84 yards for Rutgers (7-6), which beat Miami for the first time in 12 meetings. It marked Rutgers’ first bowl victory since 2014.

Jacurri Brown was 20 of 31 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first start for the Hurricanes (7-6). He also ran for two touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns Clinch Playoff Spot

by

CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Joe Flacco eclipsed 300 passing yards for the fourth straight game, Jerome Ford made two touchdown catches and the Cleveland Browns clinched their second playoff berth in 21 years by beating the visiting New York Jets 37-20 on Thursday night.

Embed from Getty Images

Cleveland (11-5) won its fourth straight game and improved to 4-1 with Flacco starting at quarterback. The 38-year-old former Jet, a midseason signing, finished 19-of-29 passing for 309 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

The Browns used a high-octane first half to take control. Flacco piled up 296 of his 309 passing yards in the first half, and tight end David Njoku had 113 of his team-high 134 receiving yards in the first quarter.

Browns receiver Amari Cooper (heel) did not play four days after his 11-catch, 265-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win over Houston.

Another former Jet, receiver Elijah Moore, had an 8-yard touchdown catch Thursday to make it 27-7 Cleveland before suffering a head injury late in the first half. He did not return.

Trevor Siemian completed 32 of 45 passes for 262 yards, one touchdown and one pick for the Jets (6-10). Breece Hall had 84 rushing yards on 13 attempts, and 42 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.

Flacco engineered a quick seven-play drive to open the game, culminating in a 7-yard scoring pass to Ford. The Jets responded when Hall caught a pass and sprinted in for a 21-yard tying score.

Njoku’s 43-yard reception brought the Browns to New York’s 7-yard line, and Kareem Hunt rushed to paydirt on the next play. With new kicker Riley Patterson missing the extra point, it was 13-7 Cleveland.

New York’s night went from bad to worse when Siemian threw straight to Browns safety Ronnie Hickman, who followed his blockers 30 yards for a touchdown and a 20-7 edge late in the first quarter.

After Flacco’s touchdown pass to Moore, Jermaine Johnson batted a throw by Flacco, corralled the interception and returned it 37 yards for a Jets touchdown to cut it to 27-14 with 2:02 before halftime.

Flacco responded by creating the play of the night. He escaped a rush, rolled left and completed a pass to an open Ford, who made multiple defenders miss en route to a 50-yard touchdown and a 34-14 lead.

Greg Zuerlein gave the Jets a 46-yard field goal as time expired in the half. He then had a 31-yard field-goal try blocked by Shelby Harris on the first possession of the second half.

The Browns’ offense slowed down after halftime. But after Zuerlein tacked on a 44-yard field goal with 8:50 remaining, the Browns took advantage of a New York turnover on downs and got a 33-yard field goal from Patterson with three minutes to go.

–Field Level Media

NFL Thursday: Jets at Browns

by

CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – All the New York Jets wanted in 2023 was one healthy and productive quarterback. Looking back, they might wish they had answered when Joe Flacco knocked in September. Flacco instead played catch with his brother an hour away from the Jets’ facility and waited three more months for the Cleveland Browns to call.

Embed from Getty Images

And did he ever answer.

Flacco has the Browns (10-5) on the doorstep of an improbable playoff bid and gets a visit from his old team, the Jets (6-9), on Thursday night with a chance to hand-deliver a reminder of what might have been for the beleaguered New York franchise.

Beat the Jets, and the Browns can clinch a spot in the playoffs.

“We talked about it a little bit this past week. Every week you look at the game and you’re like, ‘Man, it’s a big win. Another big one,’” Flacco said.

QUICK PICK
Journeyman Trevor Siemian is the Jets’ fourth starting quarterback of the year and his experience is very valuable, especially behind an inconsistent offensive line. However, that will be put to the ultimate test on the road, on a short week and against Cleveland’s top-ranked defense with the Browns trying to clinch a playoff spot.

Prediction: Browns 23, Jets 13

TRENDING
The Browns are consensus 7.5-point favorites. That includes at BetMGM, where the line moved from opening at 7.0 with Cleveland backed by 73 percent of the bets and 67 percent of the money.

The Browns’ Money line has also been popular, with it shifting from -300 to -350 while drawing 78 percent of the money. However, the Jets have been backed by 52 percent of the total bets at +280.

The Over/Under has been split with the point total settling at 34.5 by Thursday. The Over has drawn 57 percent of the bets and 51 percent of the money at the book.

PROP PICK
Browns TE David Njoku Anytime TD (+185 at DraftKings): Njoku has found quick chemistry with Flacco, catching 22 passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns over the past three games. He’s also averaging 10.3 targets over that span. Njoku has been a popular player in the prop market at both books, but you’ll get a slightly better payout at DraftKings than the same prop at +160 at BetMGM.

THE NEWS
The fourth quarterback to start for the Browns this season, Flacco took over in Week 13. Since then, he leads the NFL with 1,307 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Jets have 10 total TD passes in 2023.

When New York and 30 other teams passed, Flacco said he fell right into the ideal spot with the Browns.

“You think you are coming into a good situation,” Flacco said of signing with the Browns. “There’s a possibility for this. I think you assume from the outside this is a pretty good situation. When you get here it’s an even better situation than you’ve imagined.”

The Jets expected to be in this position but with another heavily seasoned quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, at the controls. Without Rodgers, a championship-caliber defense wasn’t enough to consistently generate wins using Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Siemian at quarterback.

Running back Breece Hall is proving to be a lifeline for the Jets’ offense with 39 receptions in the past six games. Hall had 191 yards from scrimmage (95 rushing, 96 receiving) in last week’s win against the Commanders.

The Browns’ defense has allowed fewer than 300 yards in five of its past six games. Cleveland is first against the pass (160.1 yards per game), total defense (260.3 yards per game), yards per play (4.46 yards) and interception rate (3.46 percent).

“I think the fans are going to bring the energy, I think we’re going to bring the energy,” Browns guard Joel Bitonio said.

KEY STAT
Defensive end Myles Garrett has 13 of the Browns’ 44 sacks in 2023.

INJURY REPORT
Wilson will not play because of a concussion. Siemian is expected to get his second consecutive start after throwing for 217 yards and a touchdown during Sunday’s 30-28 victory over Washington.

The Jets will also be without offensive tackle Duane Brown (back) and tight end Jeremy Ruckert, while running back Israel Abanikanda (ankle), wide receiver Allen Lazard (illness) and kicker Greg Zuerlein (right quadriceps) are questionable.

The Browns have lost multiple quarterbacks to season-ending injuries. Deshaun Watson (shoulder) and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson (hip) are on injured reserve along with running back Nick Chubb (knee) and both of the Browns’ starting offensive tackles.

Also out for Cleveland are defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (pectoral) and linebacker Anthony Walker (knee). Punter Corey Bojorquez (left quad) is doubtful, while wide receivers Amari Cooper (heel) and Marquise Goodwin (knee) and free safety Juan Thornhill (calf) are questionable.

THEY SAID IT
Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who interviewed to be Cleveland’s head coach in 2020 and coached Flacco in New York, isn’t surprised by Flacco steering the Browns into the playoff picture.

“I’ve said it before, he’s like a Ford pickup truck. You might not like it in the summer but in the winter months that son of a gun starts humming,” Saleh said.

–Field Level Media

Bowl Games Round-Up: USC Victorious

by

SAN DIEGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miller Moss passed for a Holiday Bowl-record six touchdown passes in his first career start to lead Southern California to a 42-28 victory over No. 15 Louisville on Wednesday night in California.

Embed from Getty Images

Moss got the start due to 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams opting out of the game and he was up to the task, completing 23 of 33 passes for 372 yards with one interception while setting the school’s bowl record for passing touchdowns.

Tahj Washington caught seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns for the Trojans (8-5), who won for just the second time in their past seven games. Ja’Kobi Lane also had two scoring receptions, Duce Robinson had one and Kyron Hudson caught one while also blocking a punt.

Isaac Guerendo rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns and also caught five passes for 42 yards for the Cardinals (10-4), getting extra work after star runner Jawhar Jordan opted out of the game. Jack Plummer completed 21 of 25 passes for 141 yards.

Texas Bowl: No. 20 Oklahoma State 31, Texas A&M 23

Alan Bowman passed for 402 yards and two touchdowns as Oklahoma State defeated Texas A&M 31-23 in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night in Houston.

Rashod Owens caught two of Bowman’s touchdown passes and finished with 164 yards on 10 receptions for the No. 20 Cowboys (10-4), who finished with 570 total yards. Brennan Presley added 16 catches for 152 yards. Ollie Gordon II, the nation’s leading rusher and the winner of the Doak Walker Award, produced 118 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.

Aggies quarterback Jaylen Henderson injured his right arm on the first play of the game and was replaced by Marcel Reed. The freshman backup completed 20 of 33 passes for 361 yards and amassed 29 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries for Texas A&M (7-6).

Military Bowl: Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20

Kyron Drones rushed for a career-best 176 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to lead Virginia Tech to a victory over Tulane in Annapolis, Maryland.

The teams combined for eight fumbles (losing five) in wet and slippery conditions. The Green Wave lost all three of their fumbles.

Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns as the Hokies rolled up 362 yards on the ground. Drones completed 13 of 21 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score.

Duke’s May Bowl: West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10

Lee Kpogba’s 12 tackles led the West Virginia defense as the Mountaineers defeated North Carolina in Charlotte, N.C.

WVU quarterback Garrett Greene was 11-of-22 passing for 204 yards and a touchdown. He also led the Mountaineers with 75 yards rushing. North Carolina lost for the fifth time in its past seven games, and UNC quarterback Conner Harrell was 18-of-27 passing for 199 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

After forcing a North Carolina punt, the Mountaineers went 78 yards in two plays to open a three-score advantage. Jahiem White ran to the end zone from 11 yards out to give West Virginia a 27-10 lead with 12:48 left in the game.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Take It to the Lakers

by

LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis scored 28 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the visiting Celtics to a 126-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA’s featured game on Christmas Day.

Porzingis, who did not play in Boston’s win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday because of an ankle injury, helped the Celtics overcome a 40-point performance by Lakers center Anthony Davis, who shot 15 of 26 from the field. Davis also pulled down 13 rebounds.

The Lakers trailed by nine points after three quarters and trailed by at least eight points throughout the fourth. Los Angeles never led by more than two points.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum finished the game with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The Celtics also received 18 points and 11 assists from Derrick White, 19 points from Jaylen Brown and an 18-point effort from Jrue Holiday.

Taurean Prince (17 points), LeBron James (16), Rui Hachimura (12) and Austin Reaves (11) also scored in double figures for the Lakers. James, who had nine rebounds and eight assists, collided with Brown with 4:02 remaining in the first half, but both returned to the game.

It was the final game of Boston’s four-game California road trip. The Celtics went 3-1 in those contests.

The Celtics scored the game’s first 12 points. The Lakers didn’t get on the scoreboard until Cam Reddish sank a 3-pointer with 8:59 remaining in the first quarter.

Boston extended its lead to 32-14 with 3:11 left in the opening quarter, but Los Angeles ended the frame with a 9-0 run and trailed 32-23 after 12 minutes.

The Lakers tied the game, 52-52, on a Prince 3-pointer with 2:04 remaining in the second quarter, but Boston led 58-57 at halftime.

Los Angeles had its first lead of the game after a James basket made it 59-58 24 seconds into the third quarter. The Celtics outscored the Lakers 41-33 in the period, however, and had a 99-90 advantage entering the fourth.

After making a total of 47 3-pointers in their previous two games, the Celtics were 13 of 42 from deep on Monday.

–Field Level Media

Ravens Make Statement to Niners, NFL

by

SANTA CLARA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Lamar Jackson threw for 252 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns while the Baltimore Ravens intercepted San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy four times in a 33-19 win Monday night in California.

Baltimore (12-3) entered as a 6 1/2-point underdog in a matchup of the top teams in their conferences, and the visitors overcame a slow start. Jackson decisively outplayed Purdy in a matchup of the quarterbacks considered by many to be the top candidates for Most Valuable Player.

Jackson, who completed 23 of 35 passes, turned a four-point game at the half into a rout with scoring strikes of 6 and 9 yards to Nelson Agholor and Zay Flowers, respectively, in an 18-second span early in the third.

The result means Baltimore can clinch the AFC North and the top seed in the conference Sunday with a home win over the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins.

Purdy hit on 18 of 32 attempts for 255 yards before leaving during a fourth-quarter touchdown drive with a stinger in his neck. Sam Darnold replaced him and finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown strike to Ronnie Bell but later tossed the team’s fifth interception of the night. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Raiders 20, Chiefs 14

Bilal Nichols and Jack Jones scored defensive touchdowns seven seconds apart in the second quarter to lead Las Vegas to an upset of host Kansas City, preventing the Chiefs from clinching the AFC West for the eighth straight season.

Zamir White rushed for a career-high 145 yards on 22 carries as Las Vegas (7-8) remained alive in the AFC West race. Patrick Mahomes completed 27 of 44 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Kansas City (9-6).

The Raiders’ first touchdown came when Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco took a direct snap but botched a handoff to Mahomes. Nichols picked up the ball and went 8 yards for the score with 4:55 left in the half. On the next offensive play, Jones jumped an out route, easily picked off Mahomes and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.

Eagles 33, Giants 25

Jake Elliott kicked four field goals and host Philadelphia scored 13 points in the fourth quarter en route to a victory over New York.

The Eagles (11-4) moved a game in front of the Dallas Cowboys (10-5) atop the NFC East. Jalen Hurts threw for a TD and rushed for another for Philadelphia. He completed 24 of 38 passes for 301 yards and was picked off once.

Tyrod Taylor connected with Darius Slayton for a 69-yard scoring strike to pull the Giants (5-10) within 30-25. Taylor took over under center for Tommy DeVito, who was benched to start the second half. Taylor finished with 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 7-for-16 passing. DeVito was 9 of 16 for 55 yards.

–Field Level Media

Chiefs Face Christmas Challenge

by

KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Preview) – The Kansas City Chiefs don’t resemble a formidable football team with three games remaining in the regular season. However, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes insists there is still time to get into top form.

Embed from Getty Images

Kansas City (9-5) is just one victory away from clinching its eighth straight AFC West title as it enters a Monday contest against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs can also clinch if they tie the Raiders and the Denver Broncos lose to the New England Patriots on Sunday.

The Chiefs have lacked the consistency this season of some of their recent Mahomes-led squads, but the man who makes the offense go believes that can be turned around.

“You always want to be playing your best football going into the playoffs,” Mahomes said. “Let’s put that complete game together. I think if we can do that and start getting better and better these last few games, we can get to the playoffs and be playing our best football.

“Then I think the AFC is wide open and we’ll be able to go out there and try to find a way to get to the Super Bowl.”

Kansas City enters the weekend with the third-best record in the AFC behind the Baltimore Ravens (11-3) and the Miami Dolphins (10-4), so there is plenty of work to do in terms of home field advantage.

Standing in their way is a Las Vegas squad that set a franchise record for points with a 63-21 steamrolling of the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14.

“We know it won’t be easy,” Mahomes said. “The Raiders are playing good football and they definitely want to beat us. And so we have to come in with the mentality that we’re gonna play our best game and have our best week of practice in order to go out there and win that game.”

Kansas City posted a 31-17 road win over the Raiders on Nov. 26 for their 18th victory in the past 21 meetings. Mahomes passed for 298 yards and two touchdowns.

But Las Vegas is well-rested and should be full of confidence after the wipeout of the Chargers.

Raiders cornerback Jack Jones went the bravado route while expressing that the Kansas City receivers are not a concern.

“We’re not worried about them,” Jones said. “It’s Patrick Mahomes we’ve got to stop. You stop the magician, then the act is over.”

Christmas Day: Celtics vs. Lakers

by

LOS ANGELES – The Boston Celtics can continue their recent torrid shooting toward some familiar rims when they visit the Lakers for a Christmas Day matchup between longtime rivals Monday.

After beating the Sacramento Kings 144-119 on the road Wednesday, the Celtics earned a 145-108 victory in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Saturday. Boston made 47 3-pointers during the two victories, a franchise record for made 3-pointers in a two-game stretch.

The Celtics weren’t even at full strength for the pair of games. Jayson Tatum didn’t play against Sacramento because of a sprained ankle, and Boston didn’t have Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) against the Clippers.

Tatum returned to the lineup Saturday and scored a game-high 30 points against the Clippers, while hitting half of his 10 attempts from 3-point range. Monday’s game will be played in the same downtown Los Angeles arena.

“We just play to our strengths,” Tatum said. “Nine times out of 10, everybody on the floor can space the floor and shoot. No matter if we’re shooting 50 percent or 20 percent, we always want to create the advantage and find the open man.

“I think that’s what makes us so dynamic. Everybody can space the floor, so it’s hard to guard us one-on-one. And if you help, we always got shooters around. It’s all about taking the right shots.”

Saturday’s victory over the Clippers marked the first time the Celtics have scored at least 140 points in back-to-back games since 1966. It was Boston’s seventh win in its last eight games, and the Celtics scored a combined 289 total points in consecutive contests.

“I do like the fact that we’re developing a fast-paced identity and not turning it over,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said when asked about the high-scoring pair of games. “I think at times in the past, we’ve played fast but turned it over. So we’re finding a good balance of pace and execution, which I think is important. But it’s not because of the points. I just liked our execution.”

The Lakers ended a four-game losing streak with a 129-120 road victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. LeBron James was moved to point guard and scored a season-high 40 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter and 11 in the final 4:29.

James was 13 of 20 from the field and made all of his five 3-point attempts. He also had seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.

“To know I can go out and still make game-winning plays and affect the game in multiple ways, and I can still close out a game in the fourth quarter when my team needed it, when they started making a run, it’s always a good feeling, for sure,” James said.

Anthony Davis added 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers, who also received a 21-point performance off the bench from Rui Hachimura.

James changed positions after point guard D’Angelo Russell was moved into a reserve role. Jarred Vanderbilt was inserted into the Lakers’ starting lineup.

“The result was a win,” Russell said. “For me, that’s all that matters.”

The Lakers entered Saturday’s game with one victory in six games since winning the NBA’s in-season tournament.

“We’ve been kind of struggling,” Hachimura said. “The schedule, the travel, all of that, but we talked about it after the game, the last game in Minnesota, and said the next game has to be a must win. (Anthony Davis) said it.

“We’ve got to keep doing it. We just got to get into a rhythm and the next one’s big too, the Christmas game against the Celtics. We’ve just got to go out there again like we just did and try to get into rhythm.”

–Field Level Media

Patriots Upset Broncos Hopes

by

DENVER – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New England PK Chad Ryland drilled a 56-yard field goal with two seconds left on Sunday night as the New England Patriots upset the host Denver Broncos 26-23, dealing a serious blow to their playoff hopes.

Embed from Getty Images

The Broncos (7-8) missed out on a chance to join Indianapolis, Houston, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati at 8-7 with two weeks left in the regular season. They will have to win their final two games — against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders — if they want to have any chance of securing an AFC playoff berth.

On its final drive of the game, New England (4-11) went 43 yards in seven plays, the big one Bailey Zappe’s 27-yard pass to DeVante Parker that set the Patriots up at the Denver 47. Zappe hit a couple of short passes to get one more first down, and Ryland then delivered the game-winner.

Zappe was 25-of-33 passing for 256 yards and two touchdowns, which both came in a 20-point third quarter. He found Ezekiel Elliott and Mike Gesicki for 15 and 11-yard scoring strikes, respectively, as the Patriots built a 23-7 lead that they took into the fourth.

Russell Wilson, who completed 25 of 37 passes for 238 yards, headlined a Broncos rally with two touchdown passes and two two-point conversion throws in a 5:40 span of the fourth quarter. He connected with Brandon Johnson for a 21-yard TD with 2:53 left, then tied things with a two-point pass to Javonte Williams.

Denver missed a chance to score in the game’s first two minutes. D.J. Jones strip-sacked Zappe on the first offensive snap of the contest and returned the fumble to the New England 6. But the Patriots came up with a goal-line stand, as Williams’ fourth-down run at the 2 was stopped after a gain of 1.

However, the Broncos were able to score first with 5:15 left in the first quarter, as Williams barged in from the Patriots 3. Ryland hit a 33-yard field goal with 13:30 left in the first half to get New England on the board.

It stayed 7-3 at the break after both teams missed field goals in the final minute of the half.

After Zappe’s TD throw to Gesicki, Marvin Mims Jr. fumbled on the ensuing kickoff. Cody Davis recovered at the Denver 1 and fell into the end zone to put the Patriots up 23-7.

Wilson hit Lucas Krull for a 3-yard touchdown and found Johnson on the two-point try to make it 23-15 and ignite the Broncos’ rally.

–Field Level Media

Big Day, Big East

by

HARTFORD – Saturday’s BIG EAST action began with a thrilling overtime affair and ended with a hotly contested battle between two original league members before a raucous sellout crowd.

In the first game of the day, Providence guard Ticket Gaines hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation before the Friars (11-2, 2-0 BIG EAST) prevailed 85-75 in OT over Butler. PC’s Devon Carter scored 10 of his game-high 24 points in the extra period. The Friars got double-doubles from Josh O’Duro (18 pts., 12 rebs.) and Bryce Hopkins (14 pts., 13 rebs.). DJ Davis led Butler (10-3, 1-1) with 22 points. Pierce Brooks had 20. The Bulldogs committed only five turnovers.

Xavier used a 14-0 run in the second half to pull away from Seton Hall in a 74-54 victory. The Musketeers (7-6, 1-1) got a game-high 29 points and seven rebounds from

Embed from Getty Images

 Ousmane (16 pts., 10 rebs.) and Dayvion McKnight (15 pts., 10 rebs.) contributed double-doubles. Dre Davis led the Pirates (8-5, 1-1) with 18 points. Kadary Richmond had 13 points and eight boards.

Villanova made it a 2-0 road trip with an 84-48 victory at DePaul. The Wildcats (9-4, 2-0) shot 55.1 percent from the field and built a 46-28 lead by halftime. Hakim Hart came off the bench to post a game-high 20 points. Eric Dixon added 12 points. The Blue Demons (2-9, 0-1) got 11 points each from Chico Carter Jr., Da’Sean Nelson and Jaden Henley.

Fifth-ranked Connecticut and St. John’s engaged in an intense BIG EAST battle at a sold-out XL Center. The Huskies (11-2, 1-1) managed to score eight of the game’s final 10 points and win 69-65. Samson Johnson scored a career-high 16 points. Tristen Newton made all-around contributions with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. St. John’s Joel Soriano had his eighth double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Daniss Jenkins added 13 points and four assists.

The BIG EAST holiday break is a little longer than usual this year. Games do not resume until Dec. 30.