Vols Slip Past South Carolina

Men’s Top 25

Freshman Tony Harris scored 22 points and made a key steal in the waning seconds to lead Tennessee to a 70-69 victory against No. 13 South Carolina in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday.

Tennessee (15-5, 5-5) won its fourth straight Southeastern Conference game, its longest streak in the league in nine years, and reversed a 30-point loss to the Gamecocks (17-4, 7-3) less than three weeks ago in Columbia.

Brandon Wharton scored 19 points as the Volunteers broke South Carolina’s seven-game winning streak.

BJ McKie led the Gamecocks with 27 points, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the final margin to a point. Antonio Grant added 12 and Melvin Watson scored 10 for the Gamecocks.

South Carolina took its last lead at 63-61 with 3:42 left on two free throws by Watson.

Tennessee tied it at 63-all on a steal and put-back by Torrey Harris with 3:14 to go.

After a South Carolina turnover, Tennessee took a 66-63 lead with 2-1/2 minutes left on the first career 3-pointer from sophomore Isaiah Victor, who had been 0 for 3 in his career from long range.

(5) Utah 60, Rice 49

In Houston, Mike Doleac scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half as the Utes (20-1, 7-1 Western Athletic) shut down the Owls (5-16, 2-6), giving coach Rick Majerus his 200th win at Utah.

The win also gave Majerus his 299th career victory and his seventh 20-win season in nine years at Utah.

(10) Purdue 107, Ohio St. 75

In Columbus, Ohio, Brad Miller scored 22 points and Chad Austin added 19 as the Boilermakers (20-4, 8-2 Big Ten) hit a Big Ten-record 16 3-pointers in beating the Buckeyes (7-15, 0-9).

Purdue won its fifth in a row and 15th in its last 17 starts while the loss extended Ohio State’s miseries. The Buckeyes have lost 12 in a row overall and their last 15 Big Ten games - their longest streaks ever.

(11) Princeton 76, Harvard 48

In Boston, Gabe Lewullis matched his career-high of 24 points and the Tigers (18-1, 6-0 Ivy League) shot 68 percent from the field to rout the Crimson (9-10, 3-5).

The Tigers, who crushed Dartmouth 71-39 the previous night, won their 11th in a row and beat Harvard for the 15th straight time.

(12) N. Mexico 77, Colo. St. 62

In Albuquerque, N.M., Clayton Shields scored 25 points and the Lobos (18-3, 8-1 WAC) converted five straight Rams (18-4, 6-3) turnovers into 11 points in the second half, extending their homecourt winning streak to 40 games.

Shields hit seven 3-pointers as he continued his late-season scoring binge. Shields has scored 20 or more points in five straight games and has 118 points over that span.

(14) Arkansas 93, Vanderbilt 83

In Fayetteville, Ark., Nick Davis scored 24 points and Pat Bradley bounced back from missing his first six shots to score all 17 of his points in the final 9:11 as the Razorbacks (20-3, 9-1 SEC) beat the tenacious Commodores (15-8, 4-6).

St. John’s 77, (15) W. Virginia 69

In New York, Felipe Lopez and Lavor Postell each scored 17 points and the Red Storm (18-7, 10-4 Big East) closed the game with a 10-4 run to snap the Mountaineers’ (19-4, 9-4) five-game winning streak.

The Red Storm, who won for the ninth time in 10 games, also got 15 points and 13 rebounds from freshman Ron Artest and 12 points for Tyrone Grant.

(16) Michigan St. 75, Iowa 64

In East Lansing, Mich., Antonio Smith scored 17 points and had 12 rebounds while reserve Morris Peterson added 14 points as the Spartans (17-4, 10-1) stayed atop the Big Ten standings with a win over the Hawkeyes (16-7, 5-5).

(17) Mississippi 75, Alabama 74

In Oxford, Miss., Jason Smith drove the lane for a game-winning dunk with 13 seconds left as the Rebels (15-5, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) defeated the Crimson Tide (10-13, 2-8) to snap a three-game losing streak.

Minnesota 88, (18) Michigan 78

In Minneapolis, Eric Harris scored 24 points and the Gophers (10-12, 3-8 Big Ten) made 14 of 20 3-pointers as they upset the Wolverines (17-7, 7-4).

Seton Hall 85, (19) Syracuse 61

In Syracuse, N.Y., the Pirates (12-10, 6-6 Big East) ended 16 years of futility, winning for the first time ever in the Carrier Dome by holding the Orangemen (17-5, 7-4) to one field goal over the final 12 minutes of the first half en route to victory.

Seton Hall hit a season-high 14 3-pointers on 24 attempts, led by Donnell Williams and Levell Sanders who each had five and finished with 23 points.

N.C. Charlotte 69, (20) Cincinnati 62

In Charlotte, N.C., the 49ers (12-8, 8-2 Conference USA) climbed back into the thick of the conference race, getting 18 points and 11 rebounds from DeMarco Johnson.

The 49ers broke a two-game conference losing streak and tied Cincinnati atop the league’s American Division with 8-2 records.

(22) G.Washington 67, St. Joe’s 62

In Philadelphia, Yegor Mescheriakov scored 17 points and Shawnta Rogers had 16 as the Colonials (20-3, 9-1 Atlantic 10) nearly blew a 20-point second-half lead before hanging on to beat the Hawks (8-12, 1-9).

(25) Maryland 68, Florida St. 62

In Tallahassee, Fla., Rodney Elliott scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half, including two free throws with 48 seconds left, as the Terrapins (14-7, 7-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) recovered from an 11-point deficit to defeat the Seminoles (16-8, 5-6).