ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 21, 1996 TAG: 9602210025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: ROUNDUP
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
Adrian Griffin and Levell Sanders each scored 17 points and Seton Hall held off several challenges from No.15 Syracuse for an 80-79 Big East victory Tuesday night in East Rutherford, N.J., that ended a six-game losing streak.
The Pirates (11-13, 6-10 Big East) came up with points every time the Orangemen (19-7, 9-6), who had won five straight, came within striking distance. Seton Hall scored on five of its last six possessions and it was just enough.
Griffin missed two free throws with 10 seconds left, the one time the Pirates didn't score in the last 2:45, and the Orangemen called a timeout down 80-79. After another timeout with three seconds left, Syracuse got the ball to John Wallace, whose baseline turnaround nicked the front of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
Wallace finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds but he didn't score over the final 13:14. The final shot was his only shot during that span.
In other games:
No.1 Massachusetts 74, Rhode Island 69: In Providence, R.I., Marcus Camby had 25 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks as the top-ranked Minutemen survived a scare and stayed unbeaten with an Atlantic 10 victory over the Rams.
Tyrone Weeks scored 16, getting a tip-in with under a minute left and then sinking a free throw with 18 seconds to go to give UMass (26-0, 14-0 Atlantic 10) a 70-66 lead in the final minute.
It was 72-66 with 11.5 seconds left when Preston Murphy hit a 3-pointer for Rhode Island (15-9, 7-6). Carmelo Travieso missed the front end of a one-and-one to give the Rams another chance with 5.1 seconds left.
But Rhode Island's first inbound attempt was tipped out of bounds. Travieso, who scored 15 points, stole the next attempt with 4.4 seconds left and went in for the dunk that put away the game.
No.2 Kentucky 84, Alabama 65: In Lexington, Ky., Tony Delk scored seven points during a 26-6 run that carried the Wildcats past the Crimson Tide and to their 38th Southeastern Conference title.
Kentucky (23-1, 13-0), seeking to become the first team since Alabama (14-9, 7-6) in 1956 to go unbeaten in league play, won its 22nd consecutive game.
No.7 Purdue 74, Illinois 71: In Champaign, Ill., Roy Hairston scored 23 points as the Boilermakers held off the Illini in a Big Ten contest.
Purdue (22-4, 12-2 Big Ten) led by as many as 10 points in the second half, but Illinois (16-9, 5-8) closed to 67-66 on Matt Heldman's two free throws with 1:41 to go.
Purdue responded with a basket from Hairston and two free throws from Porter Roberts to take a 71-66 lead with 32 seconds to go.
Kiwane Garris hit a 3-pointer and Chris Gandy got an inside layup in the final 30 seconds, but Purdue got free throws from Chad Austin and Roberts to preserve the win.
No.9 Texas Tech 75, SMU 54: In Lubbock, Texas, Jason Sasser scored 24 points as the Red Raiders beat the Mustangs and clinched a share of the Southwest Conference title.
Texas Tech (23-1, 12-0) had to come from behind early in their first-ever game as a Top 10 team.
Southern Methodist (6-17, 2-9) was down just 44-40 before Texas Tech went on an 8-0 run to take a comfortable lead with 11:44 to go. A slam dunk by Cory Carr gave Texas Tech a 60-45 lead.
No.19 Memphis 91, Southern Miss. 66: In Memphis, Tenn., Mingo Johnson scored 17 points to lead the Tigers to a rout of the Golden Eagles in a Conference USA game.
Johnson connected on 5-of-7 from 3-point range and both of his free throws as Memphis (18-5, 9-2 Conference USA) ran its home winning streak to 31, second-longest in the nation.
The Golden Eagles (10-13, 4-7) were led by Kelly McCarty and Sam Jones, who scored 12 each.
Xavier, Ohio 102, Dayton 95: In Cincinnati, Gary Lumpkin had a career-high 27 points, and Darnell Williams scored a career-high 25 to lead Xavier of Ohio (10-12, 6-6 Atlantic 10) over Dayton. Darnell Hahn scored 24 for Dayton (12-12, 3-9).
Hofstra 69, Fordham 57: In Hempstead, N.Y., freshman Anthony Davis scored a season-high 25 points and the Flying Dutchmen (8-16) ended a nine-game losing streak with a victory over the Rams (3-20).
Temple 53, Penn 42: In Philadelphia, Marc Jackson scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Owls held off a furious Penn rally and defeated the Quakers (12-9).
It was the 15th straight time the Owls had beaten their city rivals, and Temple (14-11) now holds a 31-17 edge in the series that began in 1896.
Women
No.9 Virginia 80, Georgia Tech 62: In Charlottesville, Wendy Palmer scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Cavaliers rallied to beat the Yellow Jackets in an ACC game.
Georgia Tech (13-11, 4-11 ACC) trailed 37-30 at the half and hung around for most of the second half, down 57-48 with 7:56 left. The Cavaliers (21-5, 12-3) then went on a 12-4 run to take a 69-52 lead with 4:43 left and the game firmly in hand.
Richmond 64, Virginia Tech 55: Carol Detollenaere scored 14 points, including three 3-pointers, as the Spiders downed the Hokies in a non-conference game at Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech (8-15) led 12-0 before Detollenaere hit two 3-pointers to spark an 18-4 Richmond run midway through the first half.
Molly McClure scored all 10 of her points in the second half as Richmond (11-12) led by as many as 13. Former William Byrd standout Sherry Banks hit a 3-pointer to cut Richmond's lead to five with 24 seconds left but Detollenaere and Denise Winn hit two free throws each to seal the win.
Michelle Hollister had a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds for Tech. Banks added a career-high 10 rebounds and 11 points.
Notes
ROANOKE ON TOP: Roanoke College, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament champion, is ranked first in the South Region in the final NCAA Division III men's basketball poll of the season, with the NCAA's 64-team field to be selected Sunday.
The significance of the Maroons' ranking is it could translate into home games for coach Page Moir's team throughout the NCAA tourney. Roanoke (22-4), if it is the region's top seed, could host first and second-round games, then two sectional ``Sweet 16'' dates at the Bast Center on campus. The NCAA first-round games are scheduled Feb.29.
The Division III Final Four will be played March 15-16 at the Salem Civic Center.
Besides Roanoke, the ODAC has two other teams in the final regional poll. Bridgewater (18-9) ranks sixth, with Randolph-Macon (18-8) tied for eighth with Stillman, Ala. Millsaps, Miss. (21-3), fell from first to second, and has one game remaining in its season.
CHARLOTTE-BOUND: The city of Charlotte, N.C., which has hosted the Atlantic Coast Conference men's tournament eight times in the league's history, will get the women's tourney starting in 1997.
The tournament will be held at Independence Arena, the renovated building which hosted the ACC men's tournament in 1968, 1969 and 1970. The 41-year-old facility also has hosted NCAA men's basketball regionals as recently as 1987.
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