Wisconsin holds off Marquette in an in-state square off - NCAA HOOPS

(MILWAUKEE) Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said the win over in-state rival Marquette reminded him of playground basketball.

There must have been plenty of misses and defense when Ryan played while growing up in suburban Philadelphia.

Josh Gasser scored 12 points on four 3-pointers, while 7-footer Frank Kaminsky added 15 points and 10 rebounds in the No. 2 Badgers' 49-38 victory.

Wisconsin (8-1) shot 32 percent while contending with a 2-3 zone defense by the undersized Golden Eagles, who don't have a starter taller than 6-foot-7.

''Playground days. You want to stay on the playground. You've got to figure out a way to beat the other team,'' Ryan said. Marquette ''had a plan, they worked their plan; we worked enough shots to get it done.

''I love playing in those kinds of games,'' Ryan said.

Wisconsin bounced back from an 80-70 loss at home earlier in the week to No. 4 Duke. This victory reminded the Badgers that they had some things to work out against the zone - especially when shots weren't falling from the outside.

Wisconsin was 8 of 30 (26 percent) from 3-point range on the afternoon, including 4 of 16 in the second half.

Smart move by Marquette given the decided size disadvantage.

''They packed that zone in pretty tight, tried to keep the ball out of Frank's hands,'' Gasser said. ''We were fortunate to take a lot of outside jumpers, and they weren't going for the majority of the game, but we happened to make enough to win.''

Two foul shots by Sandy Cohen III with 8:57 left cut the lead to 35-33 to get upset-minded fans cheering at the Bradley Center after Marquette (4-4) chipped away at a 10-point halftime deficit.

The steady Gasser hit his 3-pointer on the next trip down the floor, and the Badgers fended off Marquette for their second straight victory in the in-state rivalry.

Marquette went 0 of 6 from the field with two turnovers in the next 6-plus minutes after Cohen's foul shots before Matt Carlino hit a 3. He followed with two foul shots to draw within 44-38 with 2:05 left.

But it was too much to overcome against the bigger Badgers.

Wisconsin had a 25-15 lead at the half. According to the Badgers, it was the fewest by either team in a half in the series since at least 1997.

''I thought we were able to do a pretty good job defensively. Our offense let us down,'' Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said. ''Poor decisions that led to some really tough shots when we should have kicked or made one more pass, or turnovers.''

MATTY ICE

Carlino finished with 18 points for Marquette, which hung around despite shooting 28 percent. The senior transfer from BYU is averaging 13.8 points

''We have one established college scorer in Matt Carlino,'' Wojciechowski said. ''The rest of the guys are trying to find their offensive identity.''

BOARDED UP

The Golden Eagles were outrebounded 41-28, including 14-5 on the offensive end. Yet Wisconsin looked out of sorts at times with the ball in the second half, forced to settle for outside shots. The Badgers had built a steady advantage with 6-foot-8 Nigel Hayes working effectively in the high post in the first half.

Hayes finished with five points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

ON DEKKER

Sam Dekker had just two points but added five offensive rebounds and three assists. He started after missing two days of practice with a lingering left ankle injury.

''He played some D, he got on the glass, he was active ... Sam gave us some good minutes,'' Ryan said.

TIP-INS

Wisconsin: The reception for the Badgers was more hostile than in their last visit to Milwaukee, where the team won its first two games in last season's NCAA tournament run to the Final Four.

Marquette: The 6-7 Taylor had six points and five rebounds, while 6-6 Juan Anderson finished with 10 boards. They played solidly despite the size disadvantage against Wisconsin.

UP NEXT

Wisconsin: At Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Marquette: Hosts Arizona State on Dec. 16.

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OLE MISS DROPS DAX AND RIVAL, #4 MISS ST, IN EGG BOWL

OLE MISS SOLIDIFIES BAMA FOR PLAYOFFS WITH WIN OVER RIVAL IN EGG BOWL, dropping #4 at the time, MISS ST

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) Mississippi's quarterback had a hurt ankle and its two top receivers were out with leg injuries.

The offensive line was mostly a mess, with players constantly shifting spots because of injuries or ineffective play.

And despite all that, the Rebels managed to play their best game of the season.

The unlikely duo of Jaylen Walton and Jordan Wilkins - along with coach Hugh Freeze's deep dive into the playbook - pushed No. 18 Ole Miss to a convincing 31-17 victory over No. 4 Mississippi State on Saturday in the Egg Bowl.

''I was willing to throw everything we had at them,'' Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. ''And we had some more if we needed it.''

The most surprising moment came when Wilkins, a freshman running back, took a pitch from Bo Wallace and then threw a perfect 31-yard touchdown pass to Cody Core that gave the Rebels a 31-17 lead with 9:14 remaining. It proved to be an insurmountable margin for Mississippi State.

It was just the second throw of Wilkins' career.

Walton had a 91-yard touchdown run and had a career-high 148 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Wallace threw for 296 yards despite completing just 13 of 30 passes. He sprained his ankle in last week's loss to Arkansas and wasn't moving very well on Saturday. But he made enough plays to help the Rebels win the Egg Bowl for the second time in his three seasons as the starter.

''I knew this game would define my legacy,'' Wallace said. ''I had to win this game to be remembered like I want. ... I hope they'll remember as a guy who gave his all ever single game and won a lot of games.''

Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) led 7-3 at halftime before its offense got going in the second half and finished with 532 yards. It's the 10th time in 11 seasons the home team has won the Egg Bowl.

''It wasn't about us spoiling the year for them as much as reclaiming what we think is ours,'' Freeze said. ''(Mississippi State) had a good season in a great league.''

The loss by Mississippi State (10-2, 6-2, No. 4 CFP) means Alabama clinched the SEC Western Division. Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards and a touchdown.

It's the first time both teams came into the Egg Bowl ranked since 1999.

The loss is a severe blow to Mississippi State's hope of advancing to the inaugural College Football Playoff. De'Runnya Wilson caught eight passes for 117 yards and Fred Ross added six catches for 103 yards, but the Bulldogs were undone by an aggressive Ole Miss offense that wasn't afraid to take chances.

''This is as tough as it gets,'' Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. ''I do not care about the stakes. This game is for bragging right in the state. It is the most important game we play. So it is obviously a devastating loss.''

Mullen said there was ''plenty of blame to go around'' but saved the brunt of his criticism for the defense.

Walton finished with a career-high 148 yards rushing on just 14 carries. Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram caught five passes for 176 yards

Ole Miss had lost three straight conference games - including last week's 30-0 setback at Arkansas - before breaking through with a convincing win.

''People thought we wouldn't be up for this game, but it's the Egg Bowl,'' Walton said. ''How can you not get up for the Egg Bowl?''

The Rebels came into the game giving up just 13.5 points per game, which ranked No. 1 in the country. Ole Miss lived up to the stats, using a swarming defense to contain Mississippi State's running game.

But the Rebels' offense took a while to get going.

One promising early drive ended when Wallace's errant pass was intercepted in the end zone by Taveze Calhoun. But it was one of the few mistakes the senior made. His 1-yard run late in the first quarter helped the Rebels take a 7-3 lead into halftime.

The third quarter didn't look anything like the first half, with the teams trading long pass completions to set up quick scoring opportunities. Wallace completed an 83-yard pass to Engram - which was the longest for the program since 2008 - to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Jeremy Liggins that gave the Rebels a 14-10 lead.

But it was Walton's 91-yard run that really gave the Rebels momentum. The play was designed for the 5-foot-8, 166-pounder to run right, but after a few steps he changed directions, shooting through the left side of the line before breaking a few arm tackles and streaking down the left sideline for the score and a 24-10 lead.

''I made one hard cut to see what I could get,'' Walton said. ''I remember one guy missed me and then there was nothing there.''

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Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP

LUCK THROWS FOR 4 TDS, INDY ROUTS GIANTS 40-24

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The mantra throughout the NFL each week is to look ahead. Considering how ugly the previous week was for Indianapolis, the Colts needed tunnel vision toward Monday night.

Following an awful performance in a loss to Pittsburgh, the Colts beat the +New York Giants 40-24 behind Andrew Luck's four touchdown passes and an improved performance by a defense that kept Eli Manning off balance.

With his franchise-record seventh consecutive 300-yard game, Luck led the Colts (6-3) to a lopsided win one week after a 51-34 loss to Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. Unlike the way Roethlisberger toyed with their defense in that game, the Colts didn't let Manning get going in handing New York (3-5) its third straight defeat.

''It was great to get back in the win column after a tough one last week,'' Luck said.

Luck hit Coby Fleener for a 32-yard TD in the first half. He had scoring throws of 31 yards to T.Y. Hilton, 40 yards to Reggie Wayne and 2 yards to Dwayne Allen in the third period.

Indianapolis #Colts's #Fleener #TDCelebration #NYGvsIND #NFL #SportsCR3W http://t.co/owhiquPaUz
— Sports CR3W (@SportsCR3W) November 4, 2014

Adam Vinatieri added four field goals and is perfect on 20 tries this year.

It was the eighth time this season that Luck had thrown for more than 300 yards and the 17th time in his three pro seasons. He was 25 for 46 for 354 yards, helping the Colts head into their bye with a two-game lead on Houston on the AFC South.

''Reggie spoke to it last night,'' Luck said. ''He's had only one or two, but he said losses before bye weeks stink.''

So do defeats like the one the +Pittsburgh Steelers laid on Indy. The quick remedy: Win the next time out.

RT @ESPNMondayNight "Somebody (Vontae Davis) is excited about the outcome of this game... pic.twitter.com/vpN1X8Vphh"
— Sports CR3W (@SportsCR3W) November 4, 2014

''We got that bad taste out of our mouths, the way we lost that last game,'' coach Chuck Pagano said. ''It's awesome.''

Wayne, who broke down in tears during the national anthem, surpassed James Lofton for career yards receiving and has 14,070 in his 14-season career.

''I'm just blessed to be out there,'' Wayne said. ''It's an emotional game, man, and sometimes it comes out. It was a prime-time game, and an opportunity to turn things around a little bit.

''An old wise guy once told me you shouldn't hold back your tears. Tonight was a night with the tears.''

Giants first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. had 156 yards on eight receptions, by far his best game. Manning threw for 359 yards and two TDs, but most of that came with the game decided.

Giants rookie wide receiver, O'Dell Beckham Jr after a nice grab vs the Colts.
Photo Courtesy: New York Giants (AP)

Luck seemed to look for Fleener on every pass in the first half. That well-established combination - they played together at Stanford before joining the Colts in 2012 - paid off on consecutive passes for the game's first touchdown.

But the +Indianapolis Colts probably caught a break on one of those plays. Fleener was awarded a 21-yard gain to the New York 32, although video replays showed he dropped the ball. Giants coach Tom Coughlin threw the challenge flag too late, seconds before Fleener was uncovered down the right side for the touchdown.

''We saw the coaches gathering on the sideline and we didn't know if he was trying to challenge it or not,'' safety Antrel Rolle said. ''And you know as a defense we have to get lined up and get a call. No one got lined up ... we failed to do so as an entire unit. It was one of those plays that costs you.''

Also, costly for the Giants were drops by receivers, an inability to sustain a ground game, and enough pressure against Manning to force long or high throws that had no chance to be caught. Indy led 16-3 at the half thanks to Fleener's TD and field goals of 48, 31 and 48 yards by Vinatieri, who added a 43-yarder in the fourth quarter.

The Colts held the Giants to 143 yards in the opening half, and then staged an 84-yard drive to Hilton's TD on the first series of the third quarter.

New York matched that drive to finally get into the end zone. Beckham got loose for a 59-yard gain on a pass from Manning, and then Andre Williams broke two tackles for a 24-yard reception. Williams surged in from the 1 to make it 23-10.

Luck simply picked New York apart on the next series to go over 300 yards in the air once again. The Colts QB beat a blitz to hit former Giants running back, Ahmad Bradshaw, for 22 yards, Luck, also, did the same to hit Fleener for 11 on third down, and then connected with Wayne on a 40-yard play down the left sideline.

Rookie Jonathan Newsome's sack of Manning three plays later knocked the ball loose and safety Sergio Brown returned it 28 yards to the Giants 4. Luck got his fourth TD pass on a 2-yarder to an uncovered Allen.

That score sent many of the fans to the exits, about the only satisfaction they received being a halftime ceremony when former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan received his Hall of Fame ring.

New York got a pair of late scores on Larry Donnell's 5-yard reception and rookie Corey Washington's 1-yard catch for his first career TD. Quick reaction from the New York Giants on the game.

NOTES: New York lost cornerback Prince Amukamara (torn biceps), probably for the rest of the season, and rookie guard Weston Richburg (ankle). ... Indy held the Giants to 89 yards rushing, while Bradshaw, in his return to the Meadowlands, averaged 7.1 yards a carry, gaining 50, and also had three catches for 29 yards.

+The Associated Press +NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

Manning vs. Brady (Eric Allen - ESPN)

+New England Patriots had issues when they had Talib, but the Thomas pair will be ready for a bit of bounce back redemption from a poorly officiated "B.*" game and a punt they bounces off of a player in 40 mph winds. +Denver Broncos will let Brady throw underneath and the Orange Crush Bookends will have heat on Brady all day. The one thing he cannot deal with. 

Who else is ready for Sunday?!! Time To Ride! United in Orange!

NFL Power Rankings V.8 (ESPN)