FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) - Denzel Valentine had a triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and No. 3 Michigan State beat Boston College 99-68 Thursday in an opening-round game at the DirectTV Wooden Legacy to give coach Tom Izzo his 500th career victory.
Valentine helped the Spartans expand their 13-point halftime lead to 27 midway through the second half. His second triple-double of the season was the first in the event's nine-year history.
Valentine's six 3-pointers were one off his career high, and his points total was a career best.
Tum Tum Nairn added 13 points and eight assists for the Spartans (5-0), who shot 63 percent and dominated the boards 38-20.
After the final buzzer, Izzo's players gathered around him at midcourt, holding up "Izzo 500" signs and posing for photos.
Eli Carter, a graduate transfer from Florida, led the Eagles (3-1) with 22 points.
No. 8 VILLANOVA 59, STANFORD 45
NEW YORK (AP) - Jalen Brunson scored 18 points and Villanova overcame a poor shooting performance against Stanford in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tipoff.
Brunson had the most productive game of his freshman season while the Wildcats (5-0) struggled from the floor at Barclays Center. They shot 30.6 percent but did enough to advance to the championship game Friday against Georgia Tech, which beat Arkansas 83-73.
Josh Hart added 10 points for Villanova but shot 4 of 12 and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono were a combined 6-of-24 shooting.
Leading scorer Marcus Allen had 12 points but was 3 of 12 for Stanford (2-3). Dorian Pickens added 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Cardinal shot 26 percent and committed 23 turnovers.
No. 25 TEXAS A&M 62, No. 10 GONZAGA 61
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) - Danuel House scored 19 points and Texas A&M edged Gonzaga to advance to the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Silas Melson missed a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer for the Bulldogs as time expired, with House contesting the shot.
Tonny Trocha-Morelos added 14 points for the Aggies (6-0).
The game was tight throughout, with 12 ties and seven lead changes.
Gonzaga (3-1) led for much of the game but missed some key free throws down the stretch. After making six 3-pointers in the first half, the Zags connected on just three in the second.
Kyle Wiltjer led Gonzaga with 18 points. Josh Perkins added 15.
MONMOUTH 70, No. 17 NOTRE DAME 68
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - Justin Robinson scored 22 points, including two free throws with 3.6 seconds left, and Monmouth upset Notre Dame in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational.
Robinson was fouled driving to the basket and calmly sank the decisive shots. Demetrius Jackson's midcourt jumper at the buzzer was well off the mark.
Monmouth (3-1) also got 15 points from Micah Seaborn.
Jackson had 20 points for Notre Dame (3-1).
Robinson hit two free throws before the Fighting Irish tied it at 68 on Jackson's three-point play with 32 seconds to go. Jackson had five points during an 8-0 run that cut Notre Dame's deficit to 62-59 with 4 minutes left.
SYRACUSE 79, No. 18 UCONN 76
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) - Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney each had 17 points, and Syracuse beat Connecticut to reach the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Tyler Lydon added 16 points off the bench. Gbinije also had seven assists.
The Orange (5-0) went on an 18-8 spurt to take a 65-55 lead with 7:45 remaining. Syracuse then fought off several spurts by the Huskies (4-1).
Daniel Hamilton led UConn with 18 points. Sterling Gibbs and Rodney Purvis added 12 apiece.
SOUTHERN CAL 72, No. 20 WICHITA STATE 69
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - Freshman Bennie Boatright had a career-high 22 points and USC beat Wichita State at the AdvoCare Invitational.
Wichita State (2-2) played without senior guard Fred VanVleet, who missed his second consecutive game with ankle and hamstring injuries. He twisted his ankle in the season opener Nov. 13 against Charleston Southern and then was limited by hamstring soreness four days later in a game with Tulsa.
USC (5-0) also got 15 points from Jordan McLaughlin. It's the Trojans' best start since opening the 2000-01 season 8-0.
Ron Baker had 25 points and Markis McDuffie added 14 for Wichita State.
No. 23 XAVIER 64, ALABAMA 45
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla, (AP) - Trevon Bluiett scored 15 points, J.P. Macura added 14 and Xavier beat Alabama in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational.
Macura helped the Musketeers (5-0) overcome an early first-half deficit. Bluiett was part of a second-half surge that gave Xavier a comfortable advantage.
Shannon Hale and Justin Coleman had 10 points each for Alabama (2-2).
Consecutive long-range jumpers by Myles Davis and Bluiett put Xavier ahead 36-28 early in the second half. Bluiett had a steal and basket before another 3-pointer by Davis, and James Farr's layup made it 43-28 with 13 minutes to play.
Xavier made eight of its first 13 second-half shots after shooting just 24.1 percent in the opening half.