The No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the country fell on Tuesday.
The Champions Classic started off with a mostly one-sided affair, as Michigan State led wire-to-wire to knock off No. 2 Duke, 79-73.
The Spartans jumped out to an early lead on a 9-0 run that started just one minute into the game. Jeremy Fears Jr. was in control from the jump, dishing out 8 of his 11 assists in the first 20 minutes.
In the second half, it was more of the same, with Michigan State maintaining a comfortable lead until the 4-minute mark, when Duke went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 5. Fears hit a handful of free throws to close the game out and give the Spartans an impressive early-season win.
Over in Lubbock, Brad Underwood's squad found themselves down by as many as 22 in the first half. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Cruz Davis combined for 26 points in the first 20 minutes, nearly outscoring Illinois on their own.
The Illini flipped the script in the second half, walking the lead all the way down to one with just five minutes to go. Quentin Coleman and Andrej Stojakovic led the comeback with 14 points apiece in the final 20 minutes. Ultimately, it wasn't enough, as Texas Tech withstood the charge and held on to win, 84-78.
It's not very often both the No. 2 and No. 3 teams lose on the same day, but for both to lose in wire-to-wire fashion? Well, that hasn't happened in the last 20 years.
More scores to know from Wednesday night:
No. 1 Florida 81 - Florida State 72: It took nearly 35 minutes for Florida to create real separation from the Seminoles. The Gators took a two-point lead into the half, but Thomas Haugh took over in the second to help Florida seal the win. Haugh finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Boogie Fland added 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Sebastian Rancik led all scorers with 23 points for Florida State.
Kansas 89 - Kentucky 69: Kansas took the lead with 11 minutes left in the first half and never looked back. Tre White had 30 points on 11-for-16 shooting and Tyran Stokes put up a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Zoom Diallo (24pts) and Malachi Moreno (19pts, 10rebs) were the only bright spots for Kentucky. The Wildcats shot 4-for-21 from three and Milan Momcilovic was held to just five points. Momcilovic is 2-for-11 from three in his last two games.
Virginia Tech 93 - Iowa 88 (OT): Ben Hammond had 32 points and Jaylen Curry had 25 as the Hokies outlasted Iowa in overtime. The teams combined for 56 fouls and 80 free throw attempts. Cooper Koch had 26 points for the Hawkeyes.
Siena 99 - Dayton 89: Siena shot 28-33 from the free throw line and controlled most of the second half, handing Dayton their second consecutive buy game loss. Tim Ibukunoluwa led the Saints with 23 points and 7 rebounds. The freshman is averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds through his first three games. Aiden Derkack had 25 points for Dayton as Anthony Grant's seat continues to get warmer.
Vanderbilt 105 - Memphis 81: Ace Glass led all scorers with 23 points and was one of five Commodores in double figures. Vandy out-rebounded the Tigers 44-29 and shot 15-for-32 from three. Luke Almodovar had 21 for Memphis.
Saint Louis 125 - Northern Kentucky 63: 30 assists, 18-for-32 from three and 58.7% from the field overall. An offensive masterclass from the Billikens. Trey Green had 22 points and Quentin Jones logged a double-double (11pts, 10asts).
TCU 100 - Louisiana Monroe 92 (2OT): The Horned Frogs always seem to have one of these early-season scares, but they held on in double overtime. Micah Robinson's 27 points helped avoid the upset.
New Mexico 94 - Little Rock 69: Jake Hall continues to dominate, scoring 39 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in just 29 minutes. Hall is averaging 30.7 points through three games.
Kansas State 89 - Creighton 82: Kansas State led by as many as 15 in the second half despite 22 turnovers on the night. Brandon Rechsteiner had 26 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the Wildcats. BJ Davis had 25 points for Creighton.
Troy 74 - Loyola Marymount 69 (OT): Troy erased a 15-point deficit over the last 15 minutes to grab their first win of the season. Donovan Odey had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Jacoi Hutchison added 18 points.
Tennessee's men's basketball team and athletic director Danny White held a mock collective bargaining negotiation that is worth reading about.
Dean Wendel introduces you to America's latest mid-major darling, the East Texas A&M Lions.
Will Warren explores Houston's blitz-heavy defense.
Lukas Harkins' Stat Pack discusses Marquette's hot start, Alabama's corner threes, Texas' pace and more.
Check out breakdowns of today's top matchups in our daily watchlist.
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