A loaded Monday slate across the Players Era tournament and national nonconference schedule delivered overtime drama, dominant top-five performances, and major freshmen breakouts. From No. 3 Houston’s survival against Syracuse to Arizona’s 100-point blitz, here’s a full recap of the night in college hoops.

No. 3 Houston 78, Syracuse 74 (OT)

Milos Uzan posted the best game of his career with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals as Houston survived an overtime scare in Las Vegas. Emanuel Sharp matched Uzan with 26 points of his own, scoring five straight in overtime to give the Cougars the cushion they needed. Joseph Tugler added five blocks as Houston improved to 6–0.

Syracuse rallied from an 11-point deficit late in regulation and had six players score in double figures, led by Tyler Betsey’s 16 points and William Kyle III’s 12-point, 10-rebound double-double. The Orange were without leading scorer Donnie Freeman (leg) but pushed Houston to the wire.

Houston meets No. 17 Tennessee next, while Syracuse draws Kansas on Tuesday.

No. 2 Arizona 103, Denver 73

Arizona’s freshman core overwhelmed Denver as Brayden Burries and Ivan Kharchenkov each scored 20 points to lead the Wildcats to another statement victory in Tucson. Dwayne Aristode added 17 and Koa Peat scored 12 before fouling out, while Tobe Awaka dominated the glass with 15 rebounds.

Denver received 18 points from Carson Johnson and 17 from Zane Nelson, but couldn’t keep pace with Arizona’s firepower as the Wildcats moved to 6–0.

No. 6 Louisville 87, Eastern Michigan 46

Louisville locked down defensively and buried 14 threes to blow out Eastern Michigan. Isaac McKneely led the Cardinals with 17 points and five triples, while Mikel Brown Jr. and Aly Khalifa added 11 each.

Eastern Michigan shot just 28.1% and finished 2-for-15 from deep. Mohammad Habhab posted his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds, but the Eagles were overwhelmed by Louisville’s rebounding and perimeter attack.

No. 7 Michigan 94, San Diego State 54

Michigan used balanced scoring — six players in double figures — to dominate SDSU in Las Vegas. Yexel Lendeborg led the Wolverines with 15 points, six boards and four assists, as Michigan forced turnovers and turned them into a 28–13 edge in points off giveaways.

Elzie Harrington scored 15 for San Diego State, which struggled to 27.4% shooting on the night.

No. 12 Gonzaga 95, No. 8 Alabama 85

Graham Ike recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds as Gonzaga outlasted Alabama in a high-powered opening-round matchup in Las Vegas. Tyon Grant-Foster matched Ike with 21 points, and Braden Huff added 18 on 75% shooting as the Bulldogs remained unbeaten at 6–0.

Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr. led all scorers with 29 points and seven assists. Amari Allen and Aiden Sherrell contributed 14 each, but the Crimson Tide couldn’t slow Gonzaga’s efficiency.

No. 13 Illinois 87, UT Rio Grande Valley 73

Andrej Stojakovic led Illinois with 24 points as five Illini reached double figures in a steady home win. Mihailo Petrovic added 12 off the bench, though Illinois shot just 26.7% from three in a tune-up for a Black Friday showdown with UConn.

Kye Dickson posted 21 points for UTRGV, which hung within 11 until the final minutes before Illinois pulled away.

No. 15 Iowa State 83, No. 14 St. John’s 82

Milan Momcilovic knocked down five threes and scored 23 points, leading Iowa State to a tight win over St. John’s in the first day of the Players Era tournament. Joshua Jefferson added 17 points and eight rebounds, while Tamin Lipsey scored 16 as the Cyclones improved to 5–0.

Oziyah Sellers scored 20 for St. John’s, with Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins adding 16 apiece. Ejiofor missed a potential tying three before a last-second putback left the Red Storm one point short.

No. 17 Tennessee 85, Rutgers 60

Ja’Kobi Gillespie erupted for a career-best 32 points and six threes as Tennessee cruised past Rutgers. Nate Ament added 20 points, including 17 before halftime, and the Volunteers dominated the boards 43–28 with 21 second-chance points.

Rutgers, now 4–2, got 14 points from Harun Zrno and 13 from Darren Buchanan Jr. The Volunteers advance to face No. 3 Houston next.

No. 21 Auburn 84, Oregon 73

Tahaad Pettiford scored 24 points and Auburn used a late 10–0 run to put away Oregon in Las Vegas. Keyshawn Hall added 18 points in his return from a foot sprain, and the Tigers capitalized on 18 Ducks turnovers to secure the win.

Takai Simpkins led Oregon with 22 points and five threes. Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad were limited to 10 and nine points.

Seton Hall 85, No. 23 NC State 74

AJ Staton-McCray scored 22 and Seton Hall pulled away with a massive second-half run to hand NC State its first loss of the season in the Maui Invitational. Mike Williams added 14 points, Elijah Fisher 13, and Adam Clark posted 13 with five steals as the Pirates’ bench delivered key minutes.

NC State’s Ven-Allen Lubin scored 16, while reserve Matt Able added 15. The Wolfpack struggled in their first true road game under new coach Will Wade.