Top line
St. John’s (N.Y.) outlasted Xavier 87-82 in the NCAA’s marquee result of the seven-game slate on Feb. 9, 2026. In Uruguay’s Liga Uruguaya, Peñarol handled Biguá 98-76 while Urunday posted the night’s biggest margin in a 106-78 road win over Cordon.
NCAA: Close finish at the Garden, plus two decisive outcomes
St. John’s (N.Y.) 87, Xavier 82
The tightest game of the night ended with St. John’s (N.Y.) executing just enough to stay in front. An 87-82 final reads like a possession-by-possession grind that still produced points—an outcome that typically comes down to late-game shot quality and the ability to avoid empty trips when the pace slows.
Chicago State 80, St. Francis (PA) 75
Chicago State protected home court with an 80-75 win over St. Francis (PA), a five-point result that suggests a competitive game where a couple of key stops—or one clean scoring burst—made the difference. In a matchup this narrow, the team that wins usually owns the margins: limiting second chances, getting to the line at the right time, and converting in the half court when the game tightens.
Navy 76, Bucknell 60
Navy’s 76-60 win at Bucknell was one of the night’s clearer statements. A 16-point gap on the road generally reflects control across multiple phases—stringing together defensive possessions, turning stops into runouts, and keeping the opponent from generating easy answers.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 84, Jackson State 63
Arkansas-Pine Bluff delivered the most lopsided NCAA result, rolling past Jackson State 84-63. A 21-point win usually means the game tilted early and stayed there, with the winner consistently winning possessions rather than relying on a single hot stretch.
Liga Uruguaya: Road dominance and a Peñarol surge
Peñarol 98, Biguá 76
Peñarol’s 98-76 win over Biguá was the most emphatic home performance on the Uruguay side of the slate. Putting up 98 while holding the opponent to 76 signals a complete night—offense with flow and finish, plus enough defensive resistance to keep the game from ever turning into a trade-basket shootout.
Urunday 106, Cordon 78
Urunday authored the night’s biggest blowout, winning 106-78 at Cordon. Crossing the 100-point mark in a 28-point road win is a loud indicator of sustained pressure: scoring across multiple segments of the game and never allowing the home side to string together enough stops to threaten.
Defensor 91, Welcome 77
Defensor took care of business on the road as well, beating Welcome 91-77. The 14-point margin fits the profile of a team that built a workable lead and defended it—answering runs, managing clock and possessions, and keeping the opponent from generating the kind of high-leverage stops that flip a game late.
What stood out across the slate
Two leagues, one theme: separation. Four of the seven games finished with double-digit margins (Navy over Bucknell; Arkansas-Pine Bluff over Jackson State; Urunday over Cordon; Peñarol over Biguá; plus Defensor over Welcome also landed in that category), while the two tight NCAA games—St. John’s vs. Xavier and Chicago State vs. St. Francis (PA)—were decided by five points. The night split cleanly between late-game execution and wire-to-wire control.