CBB weekend winners, losers: Texas Tech's heroics, Auburn's errors highlight the holidays

Anderson shone in the spotlight, shooting 9-for-14 from the field and 5-for-9 from beyond the arc. After setbacks throughout November and December, Texas Tech is peaking at the right time heading into Big 12 play.

Loser: Auburn Tigers

The Steven Pearl era in Auburn has gotten off to a bumpy start. After an 88-60 beatdown at the hands of No. 6 Purdue on Saturday, the No. 21 Tigers will likely fall out of the top 25 for the first time in 41 weeks.

Auburn shot 36.2% from the field and suffered a pair of key injuries to guard Tahaad Pettiford and forward KeShawn Murphy. The Tigers have now lost four games against top 10 opponents, three of them by at least 28 points.

Auburn’s start to the SEC schedule is unforgiving, so reaching the Final Four, let alone the NCAA Tournament, may be a tall task.

Winner: North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson

No. 12 North Carolina was in a dogfight with Ohio State during Saturday’s CBS Sports Classic. After the Buckeyes took a 70-69 lead, Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar was in the right place at the right time for a go-ahead dunk.

Star freshman Caleb Wilson tallied 20 points and 15 rebounds, marking his eighth double-double of the season. Wilson finished the day in emphatic fashion by blocking the Buckeyes’ putback attempt.

North Carolina has made it through the bulk of its nonconference schedule, and head coach Hubert Davis appears to have the program back in its prime.

Loser: UC San Diego Tritons

UC San Diego was picked to compete for another Big West title and is seeking back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. However, its loss to lowly San Diego won’t help.

The two schools are separated by just 13 miles, and the Tritons trailed by double digits for much of the night. Upon leading 80-79 in the final 20 seconds, UC San Diego failed to guard San Diego’s Ty-Laur Johnson, who opened up the bank to gain bragging rights.

Winner: Miami Ohio RedHawks

Among the remaining unbeaten powerhouses is a small college in Oxford, Ohio. Sure, the RedHawks’ best win so far is against 6-7 UNC Asheville, but reaching Christmas undefeated is no easy feat.

Miami Ohio opened conference play by handling Ball State on Saturday, and there’s a real chance they can run the table in the MAC. Four players average at least 12 points, making Miami a mid-major to watch come March.