NCAA News Wire
Top 25 roundup: Christmas, Syracuse top Louisville
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Center Rakeem Christmas scored 29 points, including 18 in the second half, to lead Syracuse to a 69-59 win over No. 12 Louisville on Wednesday night in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at the Carrier Dome.
The Orange (17-9, 8-5 ACC) trailed 35-28 at the half but outscored the Cardinals 41-27 in the final 20 minutes, led by Christmas, who rebounded from a subpar, 11-point effort against Duke on Saturday. Christmas grabbed eight rebounds and blocked four shots Wednesday.
Louisville (20-6, 8-5) lost for the third time in four games. The Cardinals played their first game without senior guard Chris Jones, who was suspended for violating team rules. His replacement, freshman Quentin Snider, scored 13 points in his first career start. Guard Terry Rozier led the Cardinals with 17.
Syracuse forward Michael Gbinije, coming off a career-high 27-point effort against Duke, had 18 points against Louisville, while forward Tyler Roberson chipped in with 13.
Wisconsin 55, Penn State 47
Forward Sam Dekker scored a career-high 22 points to help the Badgers offset a huge night by Nittany Lions guard D.J. Newbill, and No. 5 Wisconsin prevailed at State College, Pa., for its ninth consecutive win.
The Badgers (24-2, 12-1) are off to the best start in program history. Forward Frank Kaminsky had four crucial points to answer a big Penn State run, and he finished with 16 points.
Newbill scored 29 points on 13-of-21 shooting and assisted on three of Penn State’s other eight field goals. He had seven points during a 13-2 Penn State run that pulled the Nittany Lions to within five with 4:08 remaining.
Northern Iowa 58, Loyola (Chicago) 39
CHICAGO — Forwards Seth Tuttle and Nate Buss each scored 10 points to lead the 11th-ranked Panthers to a Missouri Valley Conference victory over the Ramblers.
Northern Iowa (25-2, 14-1 MVC) broke a two-game Gentile Arena losing streak, extended its current winning run to 14 and tied a school record with its seventh consecutive road win.
Guards Devon Turk and Ben Richardson each scored six points for the Ramblers (16-11, 6-9). Loyola saw its two-game winning streak snapped, and it lost for the eighth time in 10 all-time meetings with Northern Iowa.
