By: Trevon Purdie
Day one of the eighth annual Old Spice Classic was held Thursday at ESPN's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. The event featured Butler, LSU, Memphis, Siena, Washington State, Purdue, Saint Joseph's, and Oklahoma State. The Old Spice Classic will feature a bracket format with 12 games over 3 days. Each team will play one game per day. The two teams that remain undefeated will play in the championship game on the final day.
Purdue vs #5 Oklahoma State
In the first game of the tourney, the Purdue Boilermakers faced off against the fifth ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. Oklahoma State and star guard Marcus Smart showed fans in attendance and those watching at home why they are ranked fifth in the nation. The cowboys played great in the first half shooting 55 percent from the field and 72 percent behind the line. Purdue started the first half in foul trouble, sending OSU to the line 25 times. Sophomore guard Marcus Smart led the cowboys in points with 30 and forward Markel Brown added another 25. The Boilermakers came into the second half with something to prove outscoring OSU 58 to 45, but the cowboy's 23 point lead was too much to overcome. Oklahoma State won the game 97-87. OSU will play Butler on Friday and Purdue will play Washington State
Butler vs Washington State
The Butler Bulldogs defeated the Washington State Cougars in game two of Thursday's NCAA action. This game was neck-and-neck with neither team showing any signs of giving up with 10 lead changes. Butler's Khyle Marshall and Kellen Dunham combined for 62 of the Bulldog's 76 points. Kellen Dunham led the duo with 32 points shooting 6-9 behind the arc. Washington State's DaVonte Lacy led the Cougars with 26 points and shooting 7-12 from the field. The Bulldog's are still undefeated with their record now 5-0. Washington State is 2-3, Butler plays Oklahoma State on Friday and Washington State will play Purdue.
#21 Memphis vs Siena
The Memphis Tigers defeated the Siena Saints 87-60. The Tigers were relentless on defense causing 20 turnovers, 11 blocks, and 12 steals. Memphis dominated the paint by scoring 50 points from down low. Sophomore forward Shaq Goodwin was the standout player for Memphis, scoring 17 points, 10 rebounds, and shooting 80 percent from the field. #21 Memphis will play LSU on Friday and Siena will face Saint Joseph's.
LSU vs Saint Joseph's
In the final game of Thursday's action, the LSU Tigers defatted the Saint Joseph's Hawks 82-65. The Tigers simply outplayed the Hawks, grabbing 38 rebounds and spreading the ball around the court for 17 assists. LSU had 4 players in double digit scoring. Forward Mickey Jordan was LSU's standout player with 14 points and 10 rebounds. LSU will play #21 Memphis on Friday and Saint Joseph's will play Siena.