College hoops roundup: Duke defeats Pitt, NIU upsets Buffalo

Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The No. 2 Duke Blue Devils cruised past the Pittsburgh Panthers with a 79-64 win Tuesday night at the Petersen Events Center.

Zion Williamson made his first 10 shots of the night and finished with 25 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in front of a raucous crowd with famed talent sitting courtside.

Pitt (12-7, 2-4 ACC) hosted acclaimed rapper Jay-Z, who reached out to the school a few weeks ago for courtside seats.

"We beat a great team tonight and a crowd that was ready," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters following the win. "What a neat atmosphere, a great atmosphere, that is back at Pitt. They were ready for us."

Fellow forward RJ Barrett had 26 points, five rebounds and three assists. Cam Reddish dropped 15 points and center Marques Bolden had a near double-double with seven points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Freshman guard Trey McGowens led the Panthers with 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Sophomore forward Terrell Brown had 12 points and six rebounds, and senior guard Jared Wilson-Frame added 12 points and five rebounds.

Duke (16-2, 5-1 ACC) hosts Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Panthers visit Louisville for the second time this season on Saturday. Pitt defeated the Cardinals 86-83 in overtime on Jan. 9.

In other men's hoops action, unranked Northern Illinois defeated No. 14 Buffalo 77-75 on Tuesday night.

Huskies reserve Noah McCarty banked in a game-winning layup with two seconds remaining, lifting Northern Illinois (11-8, 4-2 MAC) to its first home win over a ranked team in 47 years.

NIU guard Dante Thorpe scored 23 points on 7-of-8 shooting, and Eugene German added 20 points and 10 rebounds. McCarty had six points and six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

CJ Massinburg led Buffalo (17-2, 5-1 MAC) with 23 points, seven assists and four assists. Jeremy Harris had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Jayvon Graves scored 10 points.

Buffalo stays on the road for a contest against Kent State on Friday. The Huskies travel to play Akron on Saturday.