DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Ngongba II had a career-high 28 points to go with nine rebounds to help No. 2 Duke beat Coastal Carolina 113-52 on Thursday night. The Blue Devils scored the game’s first 16 points and led by 36 by halftime. Ngongba had 18 points by halftime to surpass his previous career high of 17 points. His night included a pair of straightaway 3s in the second half of this romp. Caleb Foster and John Blackwell each scored 15 points for the Blue Devils. Trey Perry scored 14 points to lead Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers shot 30.2% on the night.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame defeats Mercyhurst 83-56 on Thursday night. Ethan Roberts scores 18 points, while Brady Koehler and Braeden Shrewsberry each add 17. The Fighting Irish start strong with a 19-5 run and lead 38-23 at halftime. Mercyhurst closes the gap to 11 points early in the second half, but Notre Dame pulls away. Two consecutive 3-pointers from Koehler and another from Shrewsberry extend the lead to 78-41. Notre Dame shoots 54% from the floor and 15 of 32 from distance. Mercyhurst hosts Penn State Shenango on Saturday, and Notre Dame hosts Eastern Illinois on Monday.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Syracuse dominates Central Connecticut State with a 102-49 victory on Thursday night. Gavin Doty scores a season-best 18 points, while Mark Morano adds 16. Doty and Morano combine for seven of Syracuse's nine 3-pointers. Luke Wilson and Kiyan Anthony each contribute 14 points. Sadiq White Jr. matches a career-best with 10 rebounds and adds eight points. Syracuse finishes with 64% shooting from the floor. Raphel Laurent scores 17 points for Central Connecticut. A 12-0 run in the first half gives Syracuse a commanding lead. Syracuse faces Indiana on Monday in the Bad Boy Mowers Series.
UNDATED (AP) — Next week, Congress could begin debating a bill to overhaul college sports, amid uncertainty from recent Democratic election victories. The House, still Republican-led, will decide what to do with the Protect College Sports Act, which passed the Senate last month. The bill regulates athlete pay and protects Olympic sports but faces opposition. Supporters argue it prevents smaller sports from disappearing, while critics say it lacks sufficient protections. Major sports conferences like the SEC and Big Ten are considering their own governance if Congress doesn't act. They hope for federal guidance to manage spending wars for athletes.
UNDATED (AP) — No. 1 Miami visits No. 4 Notre Dame on Saturday to top the Atlantic Coast Conference and national schedule for the week. The Hurricanes beat the Fighting Irish last year in a game that ultimately swung a College Football Playoff bid to them instead of the Irish last year. Miami went on to play for the national title. The schedule includes Virginia Tech visiting SMU in a game featuring two of the teams in a logjam with two league losses. Clemson also visits a Syracuse team that has won two straight games.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame is gearing up for a major showdown against No. 1 Miami on Saturday night with the mantra "leave no doubt." Miami faces uncertainty after losing top receiver Malachi Toney to an ankle injury. This game is a rematch from last season, where Miami's win helped them reach the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame, ranked No. 11 in the CFP, sees this as a crucial opportunity. Miami's challenge is heightened without Toney, but they aim to adapt. The game is set to be a cold night in South Bend, which might favor Notre Dame.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tyler Tanner had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Vanderbilt beat Wake Forest 74-51 on Thursday night to extend the nation’s longest active nonconference winning streak to 21 games. Ace Glass III added 16 points for Vanderbilt (2-0). Anthony Brown Jr. scored 14 points and Chandler Bing had 13. Kevair Kennedy led Wake Forest (1-1) with 20 points. Tanner made a driving layup to push the lead at 65-47 with 3:43 left. The game was the second in a home-and-home series, with Vanderbilt winning the first one 98-27 at Wake Forest.
