Game 3

St. Bonaventure closed strong, using a dominant second half to pull away from East Carolina for a 67–58 win at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Frank Mitchell set the tone with 17 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, anchoring a Bonnies defense that held ECU to 29 percent shooting from the field. Daniel Egbuniwe delivered a huge spark as well, scoring 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 5-of-6 at the line, as St. Bonaventure outscored ECU 39–29 after halftime.

Jordan Riley kept the Pirates within reach with 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting, but ECU couldn’t generate enough complementary offense as no other Pirate scored more than 10. The Bonnies controlled the glass 39–40, won the paint 26–18 and turned 17 ECU turnovers into 17 points. Dasonte Bowen added 10 points and six made free throws for St. Bonaventure, which led for nearly 36.

Game 4

A sold-out Thanksgiving Night crowd of over 3,500 fans were treated to a marquee matchup, as Michigan State earned a 74–58 win over North Carolina, using a dominant second half and a balanced attack to take control down the stretch. The Spartans shot 62 percent after halftime and outscored UNC 41–30 over the final 20 minutes.

Jaxon Kohler anchored Michigan State with 10 points and 11 rebounds, leading a frontcourt that controlled the paint throughout the night. Jeremy Fears Jr. delivered one of his sharpest performances of the season, scoring 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting while adding seven assists. Carson Cooper added 14 points and six rebounds, and Cam Ward chipped in 11 off the bench as MSU finished with 46 points in the paint and a 37–30 rebounding advantage.

North Carolina was paced by Caleb Wilson’s 18 points and seven boards and Henri Veesaar’s 13-point, six-rebound effort. The Tar Heels struggled from the perimeter, going 4-of-23 from three, and managed just one made three in the second half as Michigan State continued to build its lead. UNC’s largest surge was an 8–0 run in the opening period, but the Spartans ultimately led for more than 31 minutes and never allowed the Tar Heels to regain momentum.