LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Tyler Ulis scored a career-high 21 points, and No. 2 Kentucky beat Wright State 78-63 on Friday night.
The Wildcats (4-0) followed their impressive victory Tuesday night over No. 5 Duke by shooting 53 percent from the field, with the 5-foot-9 Ulis setting the tone by getting to the basket and the foul line. He was 5 for 9 from the field and 10 for 12 from the line with five assists, after he had 18 points and six assists against the Blue Devils.
Kentucky held the Raiders (1-3) to 36 percent shooting and outrebounded them 37-27. Alex Poythress had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Marcus Lee grabbed seven rebounds.
Grant Benzinger, the son of former major leaguer Todd Benzinger, had 19 points for Wright State.
NO. 5 DUKE 79, VCU 71
NEW YORK (AP) - Grayson Allen bounced back from an off game against Kentucky by scoring a career-high 30 points, and Duke beat VCU in the opening round of the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Allen, who averaged 27 points in the Blue Devils' first two games of the season, was held to six points on 2-for-11 shooting by No. 2 Kentucky on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic. Facing the Rams, he looked a lot more like the player who had an exceptional Final Four in leading Duke to its fifth national championship last season.
He was 9 for 15 from the field, including matching his career high with four 3-pointers. He was the key to Duke's 17-3 run that turned VCU's last lead of the game, 54-53, into a comfortable 70-58 lead.
The Blue Devils (3-1) will face Georgetown, which beat Wisconsin, in the championship game Sunday.
Melvin Johnson led the Rams (2-1) with 20 points.
NO. 3 MARYLAND 65, RIDER 58
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Freshman Diamond Stone fueled a second-half surge that brought Maryland back from a 14-point deficit, and Jake Layman had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Terrapins (3-0) trailed 43-29 with 15:56 remaining and grabbed the lead for the first time when Rasheed Sulaimon scored on a runner in the lane with 5:19 left to make it 52-50.
It was 61-58 before Rider's Kahlil Thomas misfired on the front end of a 1-and-1. Sulaimon missed two foul shots on the other end, but Layman grabbed the rebound and clinched it with a pair of free throws.
Robert Carter Jr. scored 13 for Maryland and Stone added 12, including eight in a 15-3 spurt that got the Terps to 46-44. After starting the first two games, the 6-foot-11 Stone came off the bench to go 6 for 7 from the floor with five rebounds.
Thomas led Rider (0-3) with 14 points.
NO. 6 VIRGINIA 87, LONG BEACH STATE 52
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Marial Shayok had a career-high 17 points, London Perrantes added 15 and Virginia reached the Charleston Classic final.
The Cavaliers (3-1) will play George Mason on Sunday night in the championship game.
Virginia used a 19-2 run early in the first half to take control.
Nick Faust led Long Beach State (3-1) with 13 points.
NO. 8 OKLAHOMA 85, MCNEESE STATE 56
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Buddy Hield scored 24 points and No. 8 Oklahoma shook off a sluggish start to rout NcNeese State in its home opener.
Hield scored 13 points in the first 4:45 of the second half before sitting the rest of the game. The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year was 9 of 13 from the field, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range.
Jamaya Burr had 11 points for McNeese State (0-3).
NO. 11 VILLANOVA 86, EAST TENNESSEE STATE 51
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) - Daniel Ochefu posted his third straight double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds and Villanova beat East Tennessee State in a preliminary round of the NIT Season Tip-off.
The Wildcats (3-0) blew the game open with a 24-0 run over a span of 8:26 in the first half, helped by nine turnovers by East Tennessee State.
Kris Jenkins had 17 points, and Phil Booth had 16 points - both career highs.
T.J. Cromer had 12 points for the Buccaneers (2-1).
NO. 13 MICHIGAN ST. 92, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 46
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Sophomore Javon Bess scored a career-high 16 points and Michigan State beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Denzel Valentine, the star Tuesday night in the Spartans' upset victory over Kansas, had 11 assists for the Spartans (3-0). Bryn Forbes had three quick 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. Matt Costello added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Spartans.
Ghiavonni Robinson scored 24 for the Golden Lions (1-2).
NO. 15 CALIFORNIA 70, EAST CAROLINA 62
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Ivan Rabb had 14 points and 13 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 16 points and 10 boards, and California got a win in the Las Vegas Invitational.
Tyrone Wallace scored 20 points and Jabari Bird had 10 for the Golden Bears (3-0), who trailed midway through the first half before pulling away late in the first-ever meeting between the schools.
Michael Zangari matched his career high of 17 points for East Carolina (2-1).
MIAMI 90, NO. 16 UTAH 66
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Sheldon McClellan scored 27 points to help Miami to another runaway win in the Puerto Rico Tipoff.
Tonye Jekiri added 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Hurricanes (4-0), who took control early and never let the Utes make a serious push to climb back in it. Miami shot 53 percent.
Jordan Loveridge scored 18 points for Utah (3-1), which had its own good-shooting performance and even managed to slow Miami's torrid shooting after halftime. But the Hurricanes helped themselves with a 23-4 edge in points off turnovers, converting time and time again to earn a date with No. 22 Butler in the Tipoff final.
NO. 22 BUTLER 74, TEMPLE 69
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Kellen Dunham scored 16 points to help Butler beat Temple in the second round of the Puerto Rico Tipoff.
Tyler Lewis scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half for the Bulldogs (3-0), Butler shot just 36 percent, including 5 of 21 from 3-point range, but shook off a slow start to stay unbeaten and advance to the Tipoff's championship game. Quenton DeCosey scored 24 points for the Owls (1-2).
NO. 20 BAYLOR 77, JACKSON STATE 60
WACO, Texas (AP) - Al Freeman scored 20 points and No. 20 Baylor overcame a slow start.
Freeman, a sophomore guard, hit 4 of 7 3-point shots, a successful follow-up to his 22-point performance in a loss at No. 25 Oregon on Monday night.
Taurean Prince scored 13 for Baylor (2-1), reaching double figures for the 20th time in his last 21 games. Rico Gathers had 12 points and 16 rebounds.
Paris Collins led Jackson State (1-2) with 17 points.
XAVIER 86, NO. 24 MICHIGAN 70
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Trevon Bluiett scored 15 points, including a 3-pointer that started a key 12-1 run in the second half, and Xavier pulled away from Michigan.
Jalen Reynolds and Remy Abell added 15 points apiece for the Musketeers, who shot 9 of 21 from 3-point range and 23 of 26 on free throws. Xavier (3-0) scored the game's first seven points, led 45-36 at halftime and repelled several Michigan rallies down the stretch.
Caris LeVert scored 29 points for Michigan (2-1).
NO. 25 OREGON 75, SAVANNAH STATE 59
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Chris Boucher scored 17 points and Elgin Cook had 12 points and eight rebounds, leading Oregon to the victory.
Dillon Brooks added 11 points for the Ducks (3-0), who led by as many as 22 after the pesky Tigers pulled within 10 midway through the second half.
Troyce Manassa led Savannah State (3-1) with 15 points, and Chris Martin and Lenjo Kilo each had 11.