JAMES BOUKNIGHT

Former UConn star James Bouknight of the Charlotte Hornets was tossed from his courtside side by a game official in the second half as the No. 24 Huskies held off Xavier 72-61.

Former UConn star James Bouknight of the Charlotte Hornets was tossed from his courtside side by a game official in the second half Saturday as the No. 24 Huskies held off Xavier 72-61. Bouknight, who played two seasons for Connecticut and is in his NBA rookie season, was sitting in the front row opposite the Xavier bench when he was asked to leave. Bouknight then moved over to the UConn student section.

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– Eric Ayala scored 23 points and Maryland clamped down on defense down the stretch to snag a 63-54 victory over No. 7 UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. The 10th-seeded Terrapins held UConn to 32% shooting to overcome the Huskies' strong physical game. Ayala and Darryl Morsell each made a pair of three throws to push the lead back to nine. It was the first meeting between Maryland and UConn since Maryland won in the 2002 regional final en route to its only national championship.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK – The most accurate shooting team in the Big East was having a hard time buying a bucket. The second-seeded Bluejays (20-7) will play eighth-seeded Georgetown Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in their third Big East final since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season. They came in shooting 48.7% to lead the Big East. Creighton will look for its first Big East Tournament championship a little more than a week after McDermott was suspended by the school for making racially insensitive remarks to his team. Creighton: Zegarowski struggled to find his groove most of the game against Cole and UConn's tough perimeter defense.

It was their eighth victory this season by five points or fewer, and their highest-ranked victim at home since beating No. Suddenly, a program that began the season in turmoil is on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. At one point the Ducks had six of seven games postponed by COVID-19, and that streak ended with an ugly loss to Washington State. But they followed with five straight wins, including one over fellow bubble-dweller Colorado, heading into an important game against No. That makes their game against Oregon on Thursday night crucial for helping out a shaky resume.

So is North Carolina. The Blue Devils are 8-8 and 6-6 in the ACC after beating North Carolina State on Saturday, a win that ended a three-game losing streak. The Scarlet Knights were poised to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991 before the tourney was canceled last season. A team on the NCAA Tournament bubble can't really afford consecutive losses late in the season. ___AP Basketball Writer Aaron Beard in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

Posh Alexander scored 18 points to lead five players in double figures and the Red Storm came from behind to upset No. The Red Storm chipped away and Alexander tied the game at 59 with a pair of free throws. A 3-pointer by Earlington gave the Red Storm their first lead, 64-62, with just over four minutes left. BIG PICTURESt. John's: The Red Storm's defense, which had been forcing an average of 18 turnovers a game, got 18 on Monday. UP NEXTSt. John's: The Red Storm do not have another game scheduled until Jan. 27, when they visit DePaul.

And so, in what has since become a viral video, Jackson, a 2006 UConn graduate who lives in Boston, posted a tweet of himself downing a large spoonful of Black Bison hot sauce, then taking another swig from the bottle, while chanting, "U-C-O-N-N, UConn, UConn, UConn." Another fan tweeted that he believed all UConn fans should follow suit, in penance for doubting their Huskies. Numerous fans began posting videos of themselves taking shots of hot sauce. One hot sauce brand got wind of the challenge and is offering discounts to participants who buy their sauce. “I mean, I'd have to celebrate with some hot sauce," he said.

And so, in what has since become a viral video, Jackson, a 2006 UConn graduate who lives in Boston, posted a tweet of himself downing a large spoonful of Black Bison hot sauce, then taking another swig from the bottle, while chanting, "U-C-O-N-N, UConn, UConn, UConn." Another fan tweeted that he believed all UConn fans should follow suit, in penance for doubting their Huskies. Numerous fans began posting videos of themselves taking shots of hot sauce. One hot sauce brand got wind of the challenge and is offering discounts to participants who buy their sauce. “I mean, I'd have to celebrate with some hot sauce," he said.