NCAA Basketball Recap
Hosted by Big Dill
About This Episode
Generated sports podcast with host Big Dill based on prompt: I want the scores from yesterday’s mens NCAA college basketball games. Give me scores, highlights, and top performers.
Transcript
Welcome to Big Dill Sports! I’m Dillon, your host, and today we've got an exciting episode lined up for you as we dive into the action-packed day of NCAA men’s basketball from December 16, 2025. It was a day full of blowouts, statement wins, and standout performances from several Top 25 and Power Five teams. So, let's get right to it!
Kicking things off with No. 1 Arizona's commanding victory over Abilene Christian. Arizona never looked back after an early 6-0 run, cruising to a 96-62 win. Brayden Burries led the charge with 20 points and was supported by Motiejus Krivas, who notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Wildcats' shooting was sensational, hitting 66.7% from the field and dominating in the paint with a 44-22 advantage.
Over in Durham, No. 3 Duke had a bit of a rocky start but overcame 16 first-half turnovers to rally past Lipscomb, 97-73. Cameron Boozer was a force with 26 points and 13 rebounds, fueling a game-defining 33-9 run. Duke's resilience showed in their rebounding, turning 20 offensive boards into 26 second-chance points.
In Hartford, No. 5 UConn opened Big East play with a 79-60 win over Butler. Solo Ball was the star, scoring a career-high 26 points, including a crucial 17 in the first half. UConn's defense held Butler to just 25 first-half points, showing their grit on both ends of the floor.
At Allen Fieldhouse, No. 17 Kansas overcame the brief absence of star freshman Darryn Peterson with a balance attack, securing a 73-49 victory against Towson. Flory Bidunga was a standout, racking up 18 points and 10 rebounds. Despite Towson’s Dylan Williamson scoring 19 points, the Tigers struggled, shooting just 27.5% from beyond the arc.
In Knoxville, No. 20 Tennessee snapped a three-game skid, defeating No. 11 Louisville 83-62. Ja’Kobi Gillespie was spectacular, scoring 23 points with 20 coming in the second half. Tennessee capitalized on Louisville's absence of their point guard, Mikel Brown Jr., forcing 16 turnovers.
Texas got back on track with a dominant 95-53 win over Le Moyne. Tramon Mark led a balanced attack with 18 points, as the Longhorns shot 58.5% while controlling the pace of the game from start to finish.
In Norman, Oklahoma secured an 89-67 victory over Kansas City, thanks to a strong first-half lead. Xzayvier Brown made his mark with 21 points, as the Sooners flexed their depth with five players scoring in double figures.
Before we wrap up, it's time for our 'big dill' spotlight—the player who really stood out. This episode, it's none other than Cameron Boozer from Duke. Boozer’s dominance on both ends of the court, especially with his second-half surge, makes him our big dill of the day.
Looking ahead, the excitement continues this weekend as conference play heats up. Keep an eye on Arizona facing San Diego State, UConn traveling to DePaul, Kansas at Davidson, and a thrilling matchup between Duke and No. 19 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden.
Thanks for tuning in to Big Dill Sports. Remember to subscribe and join me next time for more exciting sports action. Until then, keep it real and keep it dill!
## Overview of December 16, 2025
Tuesday’s slate of NCAA men’s college basketball delivered a mix of blowouts and statement wins as several Top 25 programs and Power Five teams flexed their depth and resuming conference play. Highlights included No. 1 Arizona’s rout of Abilene Christian, No. 3 Duke’s 97-73 victory over Lipscomb, No. 5 UConn opening Big East play with a 79-60 win at Butler, and No. 20 Tennessee snapping a skid with an 83-62 triumph over No. 11 Louisville. Elsewhere, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas each posted double-digit victory margins over mid-major opponents ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/top-25-roundup-no-20-tennessee-beats-no-11-louisville-snap-skid--flm-2025-12-17/)).
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## No. 1 Arizona 96, Abilene Christian 62
Arizona (10-0) never trailed after an early 6-0 run, building a 51-31 halftime advantage and outscoring Abilene Christian 45-31 over the final 25 minutes to preserve its unbeaten start ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/six-double-digit-scorers-help-no-1-arizona-blow-out-abilene-christian--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai)).
• Top performers:
- Brayden Burries – 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting, his third 20-point game in five outings ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/six-double-digit-scorers-help-no-1-arizona-blow-out-abilene-christian--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai))
- Motiejus Krivas – 15 points, 10 rebounds on a perfect 4-for-4 FG and 7-for-8 FT ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/six-double-digit-scorers-help-no-1-arizona-blow-out-abilene-christian--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai))
- Ivan Kharchenkov – 11 points
- Jaden Bradley, Koa Peat & Tobe Awaka – 10 points each
• Team stats: shot 66.7% (30-of-45) from the field, outrebounded ACU 38-23, and held a 44-22 edge in points in the paint ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/six-double-digit-scorers-help-no-1-arizona-blow-out-abilene-christian--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai)).
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## No. 3 Duke 97, Lipscomb 73
In Durham, Duke overcame a sloppy first half (16 turnovers) with a dominant 49-28 margin after the break, fueled by a 33-9 run that put the game out of reach ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/cameron-boozer-no-3-duke-use-second-half-surge-down-lipscomb--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai)).
• Top performers:
- Cameron Boozer – 26 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, shooting 10-of-17 FG and 6-of-6 FT ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/cameron-boozer-no-3-duke-use-second-half-surge-down-lipscomb--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai))
- Isaiah Evans – 16 points
- Patrick Ngongba II – 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks
- Darren Harris & Maliq Brown – 11 points each off the bench
• Team stats: outrebounded Lipscomb 55-21, converting 20 offensive boards into 26 second-chance points ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/cameron-boozer-no-3-duke-use-second-half-surge-down-lipscomb--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai)).
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## No. 5 UConn 79, Butler 60
Opening Big East play in Hartford, UConn (11-1) broke a sluggish start with a 14-3 run late in the first half and never looked back, controlling the boards and defensive glass to hold Butler to just 25 first-half points ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/no-5-uconn-uses-career-night-solo-ball-blow-by-butler--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai)).
• Top performers:
- Solo Ball – career-high 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 17 in the first half ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/no-5-uconn-uses-career-night-solo-ball-blow-by-butler--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai))
- Tarris Reed Jr. – 16 points, 5 rebounds
- Silas Demary Jr. – 11 assists, +24 plus-minus despite a shooting slump
- Jayden Ross – 13 second-half points spark runs ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/no-5-uconn-uses-career-night-solo-ball-blow-by-butler--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai)).
• Team stats: forced Butler into 1-for-12 three-point shooting and scored 35 points in the paint ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/no-5-uconn-uses-career-night-solo-ball-blow-by-butler--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai)).
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## No. 17 Kansas 73, Towson 49
At Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas (9-3) suffered the loss of star freshman Darryn Peterson to a quadriceps cramp but responded with a balanced attack and a decisive 11-0 early run to seize control ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/no-17-kansas-trounces-towson-thanks-balanced-attack--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai)).
• Top performers:
- Flory Bidunga – 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/no-17-kansas-trounces-towson-thanks-balanced-attack--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai))
- Tre White – 16 points, career-high 6 assists
- Melvin Council Jr. – 15 points, 5 rebounds
- Bryson Tiller – 11 points
• Towson’s Dylan Williamson countered with 19 points; the Tigers shot just 27.5% (3-of-24) from three and lost the rebounding edge 45-43 ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/no-17-kansas-trounces-towson-thanks-balanced-attack--flm-2025-12-17/?utm_source=openai)).
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## No. 20 Tennessee 83, No. 11 Louisville 62
In Knoxville, Tennessee (8-3) snapped a three-game skid by leveraging its size to hold Louisville (9-2) to a season-low 62 points, turning a sluggish start into a 58.3% second-half shooting performance ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/top-25-roundup-no-20-tennessee-beats-no-11-louisville-snap-skid--flm-2025-12-17/)).
• Top performers:
- Ja’Kobi Gillespie – 23 points, 20 of which came after intermission ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/top-25-roundup-no-20-tennessee-beats-no-11-louisville-snap-skid--flm-2025-12-17/))
- Nate Ament – 13 points
- Jaylen Carey – 12 points, 10 rebounds off the bench
• Louisville, playing without point guard Mikel Brown Jr., committed 16 turnovers and managed just 34.6% shooting overall ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/top-25-roundup-no-20-tennessee-beats-no-11-louisville-snap-skid--flm-2025-12-17/)).
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## Texas 95, Le Moyne 53
At Moody Center, Texas (8-4) rebounded from a loss with a 42-21 second-half surge over Division II Le Moyne, marking its fourth 26-point rebound win of the season ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/tramon-mark-18-points-leads-balanced-texas-attack-romp-over-le-moyne--flm-2025-12-17/)).
• Top performers:
- Tramon Mark – 18 points
- Matas Vokietaitis – 16 points, 10 rebounds
- Dailyn Swain – 15 points
- Jordan Pope & Simeon Wilcher – 11 points each
- Camden Heide – 10 points
• Texas outscored Le Moyne 53-32 to open the second half and never looked back, shooting 58.5% from the field overall ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/tramon-mark-18-points-leads-balanced-texas-attack-romp-over-le-moyne--flm-2025-12-17/)).
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## Oklahoma 89, Kansas City 67
Back in Norman, Oklahoma (8-3) used a dominant 54-27 first-half lead to cruise past Kansas City, as the Sooners opened their homestand with a balanced offensive attack ([dallasnews.com](https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/oklahoma-sooners/2025/12/16/oklahoma-kansas-city-xzayvier-brown-basketball-final-score/?utm_source=openai)).
• Top performers:
- Xzayvier Brown – 21 points on 8-of-15 FG, 2 three-pointers, 3 for 3 FT ([dallasnews.com](https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/oklahoma-sooners/2025/12/16/oklahoma-kansas-city-xzayvier-brown-basketball-final-score/?utm_source=openai))
- Derrion Reid – 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
- Mohamed Wague – 11 points
- Nijel Pack – 15 points, 4 assists
• The Sooners forced 16 turnovers and outrebounded the Roos 42-34, fielding five scorers in double figures ([dallasnews.com](https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/oklahoma-sooners/2025/12/16/oklahoma-kansas-city-xzayvier-brown-basketball-final-score/?utm_source=openai)).
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**Next Steps:** Conference play ramps up this weekend, with matchups including Arizona vs. San Diego State, UConn at DePaul, Kansas at Davidson, and Duke vs. No. 19 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden. These performances set the stage for another high-stakes week in college basketball.
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