Umass Wins Game, Loses Two Starters
Top 25
Top-ranked Massachusetts overcame injuries to its two best players, Lou Roe and Marcus Camby, and beat St. Joseph’s 74-62 Wednesday night in Amherst, Mass.
Roe, the leading scorer and rebounder for UMass, left the game after he fell to the floor, clutching his left knee, with 5:09 left and Massachusetts ahead 64-51. His condition was not immediately known but he remained on the bench.
The 6-foot-11 Camby, the Minutemen’s top shot-blocker and second-leading scorer, appeared more seriously hurt. He didn’t return after straining his left hamstring with 8:56 left in the first half. He was to be re-evaluated today.
Massachusetts (9-0 Atlantic 10, 17-1) extended its winning streaks to 16 overall and 41 on campus, both the longest in the nation. St. Joseph’s (4-4, 11-7) was led by Reggie Townsend with 14 points and Bernard Blunt with 13.
(5) Maryland 71, (15) Virginia 62 Joe Smith had 29 points, 21 rebounds and seven blocked shots as the Terrapins (7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference, 17-3) pulled away from the Cavaliers (5-3, 12-6) in the final seven minutes at College Park, Md.
(6) Kentucky 90, South Carolina 72
Rodrick Rhodes scored 19 points, including six during an 8-0 run at the start of the second half that carried the Wildcats (8-1 Southeastern Conference, 14-3) past the Gamecocks (1-7, 5-12) in Lexington, Ky.
(24) Oklahoma 79, Iowa St. 78 The Sooners (3-2 Big Eight, 16-4) survived an off night by Ryan Minor, uncharacteristically poor free throw shooting in the clutch and 30 points from Fred Hoiberg to hold off the Cyclones (3-3, 17-4) 79-78 in Norman, Okla.
(14) Wake Forest 69, N.C. State 61 Jerry Braswell scored a career-high 13 points, all of them in the first 6:03 of the second half, as the Demon Deacons (5-3 ACC, 13-4) held off the slumping Wolfpack (2-6, 10-8) in Raleigh, N.C.
(19) Villanova 78, St. John’s 62 Kerry Kittles scored 24 points and Eric Eberz added 23 as the Wildcats (7-2 Big East, 14-5) pulled away from the Red Storm (2-7, 9-8) in New York.
(20) Alabama 65, Auburn 63 The Crimson Tide (6-2 Southeastern Conference, 15-4) survived a final flurry by Auburn, beating the Tigers (4-4, 11-6) in Tuscaloosa, Ala., when the officials ruled that a tying basket came after the final buzzer.
Alabama’s Bryan Passink missed his first free throw of the season with 9.3 seconds remaining. Auburn rebounded, but didn’t get the ball upcourt quickly enough. The clock had expired by the time Lance Weems got off a falling jumper that banked in.
(21) Ga. Tech 80, Clemson 50 Travis Best scored 29 points and went 5-of-6 from 3-point range as the Yellow Jackets (6-3 ACC, 15-6) beat the Tigers (2-6, 11-6) in Atlanta.
Mississippi St. 70, (25) Florida 47 Darryl Wilson scored 22 points in the second half and the Bulldogs (5-2 Southeastern Conference, 13-2) finished the game with a 23-1 run in beating the Gators (4-4, 10-7) in Starkville, Miss.