Quack Fix: Reviewing UNLV, Week 6 in College Basketball

Basketball Roundup

• No. 22 Oregon (10-2) ran all over the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (*literally, see below), pulling away in the second half for an 83-63 victory. Dillon Brooks (20p), Tyler Dorsey (18p) and Jordan Bell (16p) all notched double-digit scoring, as the Ducks picked up their eighth straight dub.

• Looking at UO’s next opponent, Fresno State (8-3) edged Pacific in overtime, 70-68, thanks to Paul Watson’s clutch free throws with 29.3 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs and Ducks meet at Matthew Knight Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. PT.
• Around the rest of the Pac-12: What a time to be So-Cal basketball! UCLA and USC are two of the six unbeaten teams remaining. Even on an ‘off night,’ No. 2 UCLA (12-0) impressed against Ohio State, 86-73. I know UO plays UCLA in a little over a week from now, but can we just take a moment to appreciate Lonzo Ball in the meantime? Just for a second.

OK. Moving on now with the rest of the pac…

• Jordan McLaughlin scored 19 points, including the go-ahead bucket, as No. 24 USC (10-0) rallied for an 82-77 win over Troy.… Stanford (7-3) took care of DII Cal State East Bay on Friday, 79-55, as Reid Travis registered his fifth double-double of the season with 24 points and 13 rebounds… Oregon State (3-8) dropped its fourth straight, falling 71-67 to Long Beach State on Friday… With just seven scholarship players available, No. 19 Arizona (10-2) outlasted Texas A&M on Saturday, 67-63… Josh Fortune notched a season-high 15 points, helping Colorado (8-3) defeat DII Fort Hays State, 81-71… Charles Callison came up with the game-saving block for Washington State (6-5) to preserve its 69-68 win over Santa Clara… Sedrick Barefield and David Collete made their season debuts, helping Utah (7-2) blow out Prairie View, 92-60… Cal (9-2) set a program record for longest home winning streak (27), downing Cal Poly, 81-55… Arizona State (6-5) stumbled against New Mexico, 81-70, giving the Aggies their first true road win over a Power Five conference team since 1994-95.

Across the country: It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas March. Malik Monk went off for 47 points, helping No. 6 Kentucky top No. 7 UNC, 103-100, in perhaps the most riveting game of the season yet.

Let it be known that Roy Williams is indeed my spirit animal human.

• Looking at the rest of the unbeatens (that aren’t in the Pac-12), No. 8 Gonzaga beat Akron last week, 61-43, to move to 10-0, its best start in program history… No. 1 Villanova beat Temple on Tuesday, 78-57, for its 17th straight win… No. 10 Creighton improved to 11-0 on Saturday with a 66-65 win over Oral Roberts… And No. 4 Baylor put away Jackson State on Saturday, 82-57, to improve to 10-0, rounding out the six remaining unbeaten teams in college basketball. Looks like the Baylor women aren’t too shabby either.

• West Virginia coach Bob Huggins joined the elite 800-win club with the Mountaineers’ 112-67 victory over UMKC… No. 18 Butler picked up its third straight win over a ranked team, defeating No. 9 Indiana, 83-78. Ok Bulldogs, we see you!… No. 25 Cincinnati shot 65 percent from the floor to dismantle Fairleigh Dickinson, 119-68. Efficiency at its finest!… A little small ball did the trick, as No. 15 Purdue dug itself out of a 17-point hole to top No. 21 Notre Dame, 86-81. The win marked the program’s first over the Fighting Irish since 1966.

Football Roundup

• Getting knocked for celebrating in the Celebration Bowl is the type of irony I don’t appreciate. Grambling State blocked an extra-point kick, which had been made more difficult by a celebration-induced penalty, to hold on for a 10-9 win over North Carolina Central. Really, Celebration Bowl? Really??

• In the Las Vegas Bowl, Donnel Pumphrey led San Diego State past Houston, 34-10. The senior rushed for 115 yards and a TD to break the NCAA career rushing record, finishing his collegiate career with 6,405 yards.

#ALLthefeels

• Shouts out to Arkansas State for keeping my favorite hashtag (#BeatUCF) alive and well by taking care of the Knights, 31-13.
• Don’t sleep on the FCS playoffs either — there are some incredible storylines to follow… Youngstown State topped Eastern Washington in the national semifinal, 40-38, on this wild catch:

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Youngstown State will now face James Madison (the team that shocked the five-time defending national champion North Dakota State in the semis, 27-17) in the championship game on Friday.

All Things Ducks

• With the women’s basketball team (9-2) moving into this week’s AP Poll at No. 25, both UO basketball programs are ranked for the first time together since Jan. 30, 1995. Since the poll was released Monday, the women’s team has gone 2-1, with an 87-59 win over Clemson, an 83-67 loss to Ole Miss and a 90-46 victory over Portland State.

Let me know what I missed in the comments… Before I say goodbye, say hello to HI-LIGHTS!