Gilder-Tilbury, Conley hit big shots in Texas State's OT win
NEW ORLEANS (AP) Kavin Gilder-Tilbury scored 23 points and Bobby Conley 14, and both hit key shots to lead Texas State over Tulane 69-66 in overtime on Friday.
Gilder-Tilbury sank a contested, high-arcing 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 60 and send it to overtime where Conley made a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left for what proved to be the game-winner.
Tulane (3-9) had a final chance with 2.7 seconds left after deflecting a Texas State inbounds pass off a Bobcats player, but the Green Wave then had its inbounds pass stolen by Conley after a scramble on the floor.
Gilder-Tilbury and Conley both made three 3-pointers with the Bobcats (7-5) making 9 of 20. Nijal Pearson added 11 points.
Cameron Reynolds scored 20 points for the Green Wave with Malik Morgan adding 15 points and 10 rebounds and Ryan Smith 15 points and six blocks.
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Varnado's big second half sparks Troy to victory
LAS VEGAS (AP) Jordon Varnado scored all 21 of his points in the second half when Troy pulled away from Chicago State 83-65 on Friday.
The Trojans' victory came in the championship game of the ''Visitors' Finals'' at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.
Kevin Baker made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points, and Wesley Person and Jeremy Hollimon each scored 14 for Troy (8-6), which was 13 of 30 from the arc.
Fred Sims Jr. had five 3-pointers and 21 points to lead the Cougars (4-10). Delundre Dixon and Trayvon Palmer added 12 points each. Deionte Simmons grabbed 10 rebounds.
Chicago State scored back-to-back baskets to open the second half and tie the game at 40. But Baker made a 3-pointer and two free throws to give Troy the lead for good. A 10-0 run bookended by a 3-pointer and a layup by Varnado put Troy in front by 20 with five minutes left.
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McBrayer scores 19; Minnesota beats Arkansas State 82-75
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Dupree McBrayer scored 19 points and Minnesota held off Arkansas State 82-75 Friday in the final non-conference game for both teams.
Jordan Murphy added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Gophers, whose 12-1 record before Big Ten play is its best in four seasons. Akeem Springs had 14 points and Nate Mason 12.
Minnesota, which is home to Michigan State Tuesday, was playing its first game in nine days because of final exams. The Gophers, ranked 13th nationally in rebounds per game entering the game, had seven fewer than the Red Wolves and shot 65.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Devin Carter scored 23 points and Deven Simms 13 for Arkansas State (9-4), which lost its second straight.
A 3-pointer by Carter was part of an 8-0 Red Wolves run to get within 69-64 with 4:21 to play before Springs made a 3-pointer and Coffey scored on a layup for a 10-point lead with 2 minutes to go.
Amir Coffey, the Gophers second-leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, returned after missing a game with turf toe and scored seven points. His powerful one-handed dunk off a long pass from Eric Curry was followed by a fast-break layup by Mason to put Minnesota up 55-38 with 12:25 to play, its biggest lead.
Five Gophers scored during a 9-2 surge for a 24-14 lead midway through the first half. Three-pointers by Springs and Mason helped push the lead to 35-20.
Minnesota finished 7 of 14 from long distance.
BIG PICTURE
Arkansas State: The Red Wolves entered the game shooting 39.5 percent from outside the arc, were 7-for-21. Carter, who made 10 treys Dec. 14 against Tennessee-Martin, is 6-for-31 in three games since, including 2-for-12 Friday.
Minnesota: The Gophers enter Big Ten play with six straight wins. It's a much different feeling than last season when Minnesota lost four of its final five non-conference games, including home games to South Dakota State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee, before starting 0-13 in the Big Ten en route to a 2-16 conference record.
UP NEXT
Arkansas State: After five straight games away from home, the Red Wolves welcome Louisiana for a New Year's Eve tilt to open Sun Belt Conference play.
Minnesota: Opens Big Ten action with a home game against Michigan State Tuesday.