Saint Mary's downs No. 1 Gonzaga to cap historic day of upsets
Saint Mary's shocked the college basketball world Saturday by knocking off No. 1 Gonzaga 67-57 to hand the Bulldogs their first conference loss since Feb. 27, 2020.
The upset win capped an incredible day of action across the sport, with the top-six teams in the AP Poll all losing on the same day for the first time ever, according to ESPN's David Bearman.
The loss also marked the end of a number of significant streaks for Gonzaga.
Gonzaga:
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) February 27, 2022
17-game win streak❌
34-game conference win streak❌
12-game win streak on the road ❌
7-game win streak vs Saint Mary’s❌
Second-ranked Arizona was cruising in Colorado with a five-point lead at the half, but the Wildcats fell apart in the final 20 minutes en route to a shocking loss. The Buffaloes outscored their opponent 47-26 in the second frame to notch their first win over a top-two opponent since 1992.
No. 3 Auburn lost a tight one on the road at No. 17 Tennessee, with the setback marking the Tigers' third defeat in the last six games. It's also the third straight road loss for Bruce Pearl's outfit after winning their first seven away from Auburn to start the season. It doesn't get any easier for the SEC West program either, as a road date with Mississippi State awaits Wednesday.
Purdue battled hard in East Lansing on Saturday, but late-game heroics by Tyson Walker ensured Michigan State's three-point victory over the fourth-ranked Boilermakers. That loss might not be the only one Matt Painter's program suffers over this four-day period, as a road game at No. 13 Wisconsin is next on the schedule.
The most understandable loss among the top teams on the day was No. 5 Kansas falling at No. 10 Baylor. The Jayhawks got 27 points from Ochai Agbaji but couldn't slow down the balanced Bears' attack in Waco. Despite losing, it shouldn't be too far of a drop in the next AP Poll for the Jayhawks.
Finally, sixth-ranked Kentucky fell 75-73 on the road at No. 18 Arkansas. Oscar Tshiebwe was brilliant in the loss for the Wildcats with 30 points and 18 rebounds, but JD Notae had 30 of his own for the Razorbacks in a huge home victory. Eric Musselman's outfit is rolling in SEC play, as Saturday's win marked Arkansas' 12th victory in the last 13 conference games.