College basketball highlights: Creighton-Xavier, Maryland-Indiana, more

The further we advance into the week, the higher the stakes get in the world of men’s college basketball, as the major conference tournaments — including the Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 — kicked into high gear Friday.

The day began with an intense matchup between Big Ten regular-season champion Purdue and Rutgers, which saw the Scarlet Knights come up just short in a game that went down to the wire in Chicago.

Big East champ Marquette and defending national champion Kansas both secured wins, while Pac-12 regular-season champion UCLA is currently in action.

We’ve got you covered with all the action from start to finish from around the league.

Here are the top moments!

Creighton vs. Xavier (Big East)

3 in 33

Baylor Scheierman has made a 3-pointer in the last 33 games, which is tied for the Creighton record.

Here comes the Boum

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Souley Boum gives Xavier a comfortable lead.

Maryland vs. Indiana (Big Ten)

Starting hot!

The Hoosiers made their first five baskets to open Friday evening’s contest, a run that was capped off by Miller Kopp’s layup.

TJD throws it down

Traye Jackson-Davis’ two-man game with Kopp continues, this time with TJD on the receiving end of an alley-oop.

Carey is carrying

Carey’s feeling it from deep and Maryland’s reaping the benefits.

Oregon vs. UCLA (Pac-12)

Andrews from above

UCLA’s Dylan Andrews came in and made an instant impact.

Second chance points

Kelel Ware battled hard on the offensive glass before jamming it home himself.

Kansas 71, Iowa State 58 (Big 12)

Coming through!

Kansas made a statement right out of the gate, courtesy of K.J. Adams‘ big-time dunk that brought fans to their feet.

Neck and neck

Iowa State settled into a rhythm early in the second half to keep the Jayhawks within arm’s reach.

All gas, no brakes

Both teams continued to heat up as the second half continued, and the Cyclones kept their foot on the gas.

Rock Chalk!

In the end, Kansas’ power was too much for Iowa State to overcome, and the Jayhawks cruised to a strong win, 71-58.

Marquette 70, UConn 68 (Big East)

Hot start!

Marquette came out of the gate swinging, setting the tone with a monster dunk on the first play of the game.

UConn didn’t waste any time making a statement of its own, sinking a 3-pointer for its first points in Friday’s tilt.

Anyone’s game

Both teams went back and forth in the first half, bringing things to an even 38-all at the break.

From downtown!

Marquette stayed right on target in the second half to keep UConn within striking distance.

Securing the W

In the end, Marquette was able to hold on to a two-point lead and secure the big win at Madison Square Garden.

Penn State 67, Northwestern 65 OT(Big Ten)

Style points

Northwestern took a 4-0 lead to start things off, but Penn State had a few tricks up its sleeve as well.

The Wildcats held a one-point lead, 26-25, at halftime.

Star power

Northwestern’s stars brought out all the stops to continue to extend its lead when things resumed.

After trailing since the 19:34-mark in the beginning of the second half, Northwestern tied the score at 45-all with less than eight minutes to play.

Overtime

After a hard-fought battle, things headed to overtime, where Penn State narrowly sealed the win by one basket.

Ohio State 68, Michigan State 58 (Big Ten)

Hot start

Ohio State was first to strike in this one, but Michigan State‘s Tyson Walker sparked a run for the Spartans early.

Then, the Buckeyes heated up as the first half got underway, connecting on one shot after another to build a small lead.

Throw it down big man!

Ohio State big man Felix Okpara threw down a two-handed flush to give the Buckeyes a 24-17 lead over the Spartans. 

The Buckeyes took a 33-24 lead into halftime.

No quit

The Spartans went on a run early in the second half after a much-needed spark from Mady Sissoko, who came up with a massive block to swing the momentum Michigan State’s way.

Eyes on the prize

Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton drained a quick bucket thanks to a smooth pass from teammate Sean McNeil that extended their lead to double digits, 46-36, midway through the second half.

Ohio State held on to win by the same margin, 68-58.

Purdue 70, Rutgers 65 (Big Ten)

And we’re off!

Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi accounted for the first points of the game on this smooth reverse dunk.

The Scarlet Knights jumped out to a 12-4 lead by the first official TV timeout, making a big statement early.

Keeping it close

Purdue went on a 5-0 run midway through the first half to keep Rutgers within arm’s reach, 17-10.

The Scarlet Knights had a few tricks up their sleeve, however, as the first half continued. Exhibit A: Cam Spencer.

Boom!

Boilermakers center Zach Edey slammed it home to tie things up for Purdue ahead of the break.

It was a one-point game at halftime, 29-28.

Back and forth

Rutgers regained the lead early in the second half, but Purdue turned up the heat and didn’t stay behind for long.

Not how they drew it up

Rutgers guard Derek Simpson drained a 3-point jumper to make it a one-point game, 50-49, late in the second half after the team’s initial play didn’t go as planned.

Rutgers continued to bring the pressure with one big bucket after another as the game wound down.

Tensions running high

Things got heated as the final moments approached. Edey was assessed a flagrant 1 foul during the sequence, which involved players from both teams getting in a dust up on the court.

In the end, the Boilermakers were able to hang on to the lead and secure the win, 70-65.

COMING UP:

TCU vs. Texas (Big 12)

Arizona State vs. Arizona (Pac-12)

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