Gonzaga, UConn pause men's basketball after COVID-19 tests

Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Gonzaga and UConn have suspended all team activities for their men's basketball programs due to positive COVID-19 test results.

The schools announced the pauses for the 2020-21 season on Sunday.

Gonzaga -- ranked No. 2 in the coaches poll -- had its scheduled game against No. 1 Baylor called off on Saturday after a student athlete and a member of the school's travel party tested positive for COVID-19.

The Bulldogs later said they have paused all men's basketball competitions through Dec. 14.

Gonzaga had been scheduled to face Tarleton State on Tuesday, Southern on Thursday, Northern Arizona on Saturday and Idaho on Dec. 14, but those games are now in doubt.

UConn's scheduled game against North Carolina State on Saturday also was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test within the Wolfpack program. The Huskies later announced they have "temporarily" suspended team activities after a member of the UConn program also tested positive.

The Huskies said their game against St. John's -- scheduled for Friday -- has been postponed. North Carolina State has not announced any schedule adjustments for this week and are scheduled to face Michigan on Wednesday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

"Per university protocol, team activities will remain on hold until contact tracing and additional testing is completed and it is deemed safe by medical professionals to resume," the Huskies said in a news release.

UConn is scheduled to travel to Georgetown for a game Sunday.

Several other men's basketball games were canceled over the weekend due to COVID-19-related issues.

Sunday's Iowa State-DePaul game was canceled in accordance with testing protocol within DePaul's program and Sunday's Jacksonville State-Florida International University game also was scuttled.

Ohio State's game against Alabama A&M Saturday wasn't played after the Buckeyes said Alabama A&M had shared results of recent testing. Saturday's game between Maryland and James Madison was canceled after James Madison reported a positive test.