BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - Jalen Cone scored 18 points off the bench to lead No. 24 Virginia Tech over Longwood 84-58 on Monday night.
Cone shot 6 of 15 from the floor – all 3-pointers – for the Hokies (7-1), who struggled for 30 minutes before pulling away down the stretch to win their third straight game. Keve Aluma added 14 points and Joe Bamisile finished with 11, leading a balanced Virginia Tech offense as 10 players scored.
Leslie Nkereuwem paced Longwood (1-7) with 10 points.
The Lancers trailed 45-40 after a basket by Juan Munoz with 11:39 remaining. The Hokies, though, scored on their next 13 possessions to pull away, with Cone hitting three of Virginia Tech’s five 3-pointers in that span.
NO. 1 GONZAGA 95, NORTHWESTERN STATE 57
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Corey Kispert scored 27 points and No. 1 Bulldogs beat Northwestern State of Louisiana in their home opener.
Anton Watson scored 15 points for Gonzaga (5-0), while Jalen Suggs added 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Carvell Teasett scored 16 points and Jairus Roberson 12 for Northwestern State (1-8) in the first meeting between the teams.
Gonzaga has won 32 consecutive regular-season home openers since losing to Boise State in 1988.
NO. 2, BAYLOR 99, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 42
WACO, Texas (AP) - Freshman guard LJ Cryer scored 15 points to lead five players in double figures as Baylor cruised past Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Bears (6-0) are the only Big 12 team left without a loss and have scored at least 80 points in six consecutive games for the first time since 1994.
Preseason AP All-American guard Jared Butler had 14 points and seven assists, while MaCio Teague scored 13 points and Matthew Mayer had 12. Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua had 10 points and eight rebounds for Baylor, and Flo Thamba added eight rebounds.
Shaun Doss Jr. finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-8).
NO. 8 TENNESSEE 102, SAINT JOSEPH’S 66
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Victor Bailey scored 18 points and Tennessee beat winless Saint Joseph’s.
Bailey was one of six players who scored in double figures for the Volunteers (5-0). Santiago Vescovi had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Yves Pons added 13 points and nine rebounds. Keon Johnson had 12 points, and John Fulkerson and Jaden Springer each scored 10.
Ryan Daly topped the Hawks (0-5) with 13 points. Dahmir Bishop scored 12, while Taylor Funk and Rahmir Moore added 10 apiece.
NO. 21 FLORIDA STATE 72, GARDNER-WEBB 59
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Anthony Polite had a career-high 15 points and Balsa Koprivica added a season-best 14 as Florida State pulled away late to defeat Gardner-Webb.
Polite scored in double figures for the fourth straight game.
The Seminoles (5-1) outrebounded Gardner Webb 53-30 and went 24 of 32 (75%) from the free throw line to put the game away.
Lance Terry had 23 points for Gardner-Webb (1-4), which did not score in the final 2:42.
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