Game previews, recaps and daily roundups
Oregon State outlasted San Diego 78-76 in overtime on Jan. 31, 2026, escaping after the Toreros surged late to force the extra period. The Beavers’ steadier finish in OT flipped a game that swung hard in the second half.
Washington State turned a tight first half into a runaway, blasting Portland 104-74 on Jan. 31, 2026. The Cougars hung 53 before halftime and never let the Pilots back into the game.
UMass banked a first-half cushion and survived a second-half push to beat Eastern Michigan 70-67 on Jan. 31, 2026. The Minutemen moved to 14-9, while the Eagles fell to 9-13 after another tight loss.
Nicholls State snapped a five-game skid with a 72-68 road win over East Texas A&M on Jan. 31, 2026. After leading by 10 at halftime, the Colonels absorbed a second-half push and still closed out a needed result.
Stephen F. Austin overwhelmed SE Louisiana 85-58 on Jan. 31, 2026, pairing a dominant first half with a steady finish. The Lumberjacks carried a 48-23 halftime lead and never let the game tighten after the break.
North Dakota St outlasted South Dakota 89-84 in overtime on Jan. 31, 2026, extending its winning streak and holding off a furious late push from the Coyotes. South Dakota’s 49-point fourth quarter forced extra time, but the Bison closed with a 15-10 edge in OT to secure the road win.
Syracuse turned a tight first half into a decisive win, outscoring Notre Dame 46-41 after halftime to secure an 86-72 victory on Jan. 31, 2026. The Orange, coming in 13-9 and sliding recently, delivered their most complete offensive night in weeks against an 11-11 Irish team searching for traction.
Bradley turned a tight first half into a decisive road win, outscoring Drake after the break to claim an 87-73 victory on Jan. 31, 2026. The Braves’ second-half execution separated them from a Drake team that entered at 12-11 and searching for consistency.
Penn used a 49-point first half to seize control and never fully relinquished it, beating Cornell 91-81 on January 31, 2026. Cornell’s 46-point second half made it interesting, but the early deficit proved too steep.
Dartmouth survived a furious second-half swing and closed in overtime to beat Brown 77-70 on Jan. 31, 2026. Brown won the fourth quarter 39-28, but Dartmouth’s 12-5 edge in OT sealed it.
Princeton flipped the script late Friday, breaking a 34-34 halftime tie with a 46-point second-half surge to beat Columbia 80-68. The Tigers’ closing punch handed the Lions their fourth loss in their last five games.
Florida State beat Stanford 88-80 on Jan. 31, 2026, leaning on a decisive second-half push to secure the home win. The Seminoles took control before halftime and matched Stanford’s late scoring to finish the job.
Ole Miss snapped through a tight finish to knock off Vanderbilt 71-68 on Jan. 31, 2026, handing the Commodores a costly road loss. After leading 31-23 at halftime, the Rebels survived a second-half push and closed the door in the final possessions.
Kentucky outlasted Arkansas 85-77 on Jan. 31, 2026, leaning on a steadier finish after a back-and-forth second half. The Wildcats won both scoring periods after halftime to hand the Razorbacks their seventh loss of the season.
George Mason survived a first-half deficit and finished the job in the final period, beating St. Bonaventure 77-73 on Jan. 31, 2026. The Bonnies led 39-31 at halftime, but the Patriots’ 46-point second half flipped the game.
Indiana flipped the game with a 45-point second quarter and survived a late Atlanta push to win 129-124 Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The result gives the Pacers a needed home win despite entering at 13-36, while the Hawks (24-27) couldn’t fully erase the halftime damage.
New Haven Chargers (10-12) handled business on the road, topping St. Francis (PA) 81-69 on Feb. 1, 2026. After a tight first half, the Chargers’ 40-point second half created the separation they needed.
Wofford and East Tennessee State arrive with identical 15-7 records, setting up a high-information matchup where recent form and execution under pressure should decide it. With both teams showing late volatility in their last five, this game profiles as a swing spot for momentum heading deeper into the conference calendar.
Two teams with identical win totals but very different recent trajectories meet in Washington, where the Wizards’ uneven form contrasts with the Kings’ five-game skid. With both clubs deep in the loss column, this matchup functions less like a playoff barometer and more like a test of execution, composure, and late-game decision quality.
Toronto enters February 1 with a 29-21 record and a recent LLWWW stretch, trending back toward control after a brief dip. Utah arrives at 15-34 on a five-game skid (LLLLL), facing a difficult environment at Scotiabank Arena where execution margins tend to shrink.
Miami enters February 1 with a narrow record advantage and a stronger recent stretch, while Chicago arrives needing to reverse a slide that has defined its last five games. At Kaseya Center, the matchup profiles as a possession-by-possession test of execution where small swings in late-game efficiency could decide it.
Detroit enters Feb. 1 at Little Caesars Arena with a 35-12 record, while Brooklyn arrives at 13-34 and searching for stability amid a 1–4 recent stretch. This matchup sets up as a classic expected-value problem: the Pistons can press their advantage, while the Nets need a high-variance script to steal a road win.
Nebraska (20-1) enters February with a 4-1 stretch in its last five (LWWWW), while Illinois (18-3) arrives in full flight on a five-game winning streak (WWWWW). With both teams carrying elite win profiles into this NCAA matchup, the game projects as a high-leverage referendum on which résumé is more stable going forward.
Boston enters Feb. 1 with a 30-18 record and a win-loss rhythm (WLWLW) that suggests stability even without a long streak. Milwaukee arrives at 18-28, carrying a five-game form line (LLLLW) that frames this as a high-leverage opportunity to reset — but one with thin margin for error at TD Garden.
