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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Villanova Crushes North Carolina

Associated Press

Top 25

Villanova coach Steve Lappas kept waiting for one of North Carolina’s famed runs. It was one of those rare games where it never came.

The seventh-ranked Wildcats pulled away from the 10th-ranked Tar Heels with a 24-8 burst midway through the second half Saturday to hand North Carolina its worst defeat in two years, 76-56.

“We were shocked that they didn’t make a run,” Lappas said. “That’s something that they always do, but it was one of those games.”

Villanova (14-3), playing in front of the largest basketball crowd in Philadelphia history (18,524), got an outstanding game from Kerry Kittles at both ends of the floor.

Kittles scored 23 points and played tight defense on Dante Calabria, who was held to seven points, equalling his previous low for the season. The performance came 11 days after Kittles sustained a groin strain that left him hobbled the last three games.

“I’m still nursing the injury,” he said. “It’s a nagging kind of thing that I just have to deal with.”

North Carolina, which also lost to Villanova in the finals of this season’s Maui Invitational, lost its other three games this season by a total of seven points. It was the first time North Carolina lost to a non-conference opponent twice in the same season since the Atlantic Coast Conference was formed in 1954.

(1) UMass 93, Duquesne 89

At Pittsburgh, Carmelo Travieso scored 25 of his 33 points in the first 8 minutes of the second half and the Minutemen won their third in a row without Marcus Camby, holding off the Dukes.

Camby, the junior center who hasn’t played since mysteriously collapsing before last Sunday’s game at St. Bonaventure, rejoined the team but did not attend the game.

Dana Dingle had 24 points and eight rebounds as the Minutemen (16-0, 5-0 Atlantic 10) withstood a Duquesne stretch rally to match a school-record 16-game winning streak. The Dukes (5-9, 0-5) lost their sixth in a row overall and ninth straight against Massachusetts despite Mike James’ career-high 25 points.

Massachusetts, which dealt Duquesne its worst loss in 52 years by 103-53 last season, kept the Dukes in the game with some poor foul shooting. The Minutemen finished 26 of 42 after making 13 of 17 in the first half, and five misses came in the final 32 seconds.

(2) Kentucky 124, TCU 80

At Lexington, Ky., the Wildcats sank a season-high 15 3-pointers, led by Tony Delk’s school-record nine, to beat the Horned Frogs (9-9).

Delk scored 27 points, all coming from 3-point range, while Antoine Walker scored 16 and Wayne Turner, Derek Anderson and Walter McCarty 13 apiece. Kentucky (15-1) scored more than 100 for the fourth time this season.

(4) Kansas 80, Colorado 78

At Boulder, Colo., Kansas scored the last six points of the game, four by foul-troubled center Scot Pollard, and the Jayhawks (14-1, 2-0 Big Eight) held off the Buffaloes in the head-coaching debut of CU’s Ricardo Patton.

The upset-minded Buffaloes (5-10, 0-4) had a 62-54 lead with 10:53 left, and Mack Tuck’s 3-pointer with 3:57 left gave Colorado a 76-70 lead.

With 1:49 left, Colorado, victimized by three turnovers, didn’t score again.

(8) Georgetown 82, Seton Hall 62

At East Rutherford, N.J., Allen Iverson scored 24 points, and the Hoyas used suffocating runs at the start of each half.

The Hoyas (16-2, 6-1 Big East) won their third straight and 13th in 14 games on the strength of a 26-6 run over the game’s opening 6 minutes and a 14-4 spurt over the first 5 minutes of the second half.

Iverson, who had 40 points in the Hoyas’ victory over the Pirates (8-7, 4-4) earlier in the season, had eight assists and was 4 for 6 from 3-point range.

Marquette 59, (9) Memphis 55

At Milwaukee, Amal McCaskill scored 19 points and had two crucial baskets and a key steal in the final minute as the Eagles beat the Tigers.

Cedric Henderson’s basket with 16 seconds remaining pulled Memphis (12-3, 2-1 USA Conference) within 57-55, but Anthony Pieper made two free throws with 7.1 seconds left.

Marquette improved to 12-3, 3-1.

(15) Utah 88, Wyoming 65

At Salt Lake City, Keith Van Horn scored 18 points and Michael Doleac added a season-high 14 as the Utes rolled to an easy win over the Cowboys.

Van Horn and Doleac each scored six of their points as Utah (14-3, 6-1 WAC) began the second half with a 17-9 run. Brandon Jessie then scored six of his 12 points in an 8-2 spurt that buried the Cowboys (8-9, 2-5).

Michigan St. 62, (16) Iowa 60

At East Lansing, Mich., Quinton Brooks tipped in Ray Weathers’ miss with 5.6 seconds remaining, and the Spartans (9-8, 3-2 Big Ten) rode a solid rebounding advantage to a win past the Hawkeyes (14-4, 3-3).

Brooks led the Spartans with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Illinois 71, (17) Purdue 67

At West Lafayette, Ind., Kiwane Garris, playing for the first time in four games, scored a basket and two free throws in the final 30 seconds to lift the Fighting Illini past the Boilermakers.

The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Illini (12-6, 1-5), the worst start in Big Ten play in Lou Henson’s 21 years as coach, and ended the Boilermakers’ conference winning streak at 12 games. Purdue is 14-3, 5-1.

Arkansas 80, (21) Miss. State 68

At Fayetteville, Ark., the Razorbacks outrebounded the Bulldogs 40-25 in their upset win. Arkansas had a 17-5 edge in offensive rebounds.

Derek Hood and Sunday Adebayo of Arkansas had 10 rebounds each, including five offensive rebounds by Hood.

The Bulldogs (11-4, 3-3 SEC) got as close as 42-40 early in the second half. Arkansas improved to 10-6, 3-2.

Tennessee 67, (22) Georgia 62

At Knoxville, Tenn., Steve Hamer scored 12 of his 21 points in the final 8 minutes, and the Volunteers’ man-to-man defense stifled the Bulldogs.

Tennessee (9-7, 2-4 SEC) also got 16 points from Brandon Wharton to break a six-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.

Georgia (11-4, 2-3) fell to 0-3 in SEC road games in coach Tubby Smith’s first trip around the league.

(24) Boston Coll. 91, St. John’s 78

At Newton, Mass., James Penn scored 23 points and Danya Abrams added 21 as the Eagles posted a Big East Conference win over the Red Storm.

It was the third straight win for the Eagles (12-3, 5-2) and their eighth victory in their last nine games.

Zendon Hamilton led the Red Storm (7-7, 1-5) with 19 points while Tyrone Grant contributed 15 points and Rowan Barrett 14. It was the second consecutive loss for St. John’s.

(25) Texas Tech 95, Houston 76

At Lubbock, Texas, Jason Sasser scored 10 of his 24 points during a 23-4 first-half run and the Red Raiders cruised to a win over the Cougars (8-7, 2-1 SWC).

Texas Tech led only 29-28 when it took charge. Sasser had 10 points and Cory Carr had nine as the Red Raiders (14-1, 4-0) bolted to a 52-32 lead at halftime.