Sit-In Postpones Umass-Rutgers

College basketball

Students protesting racially inflammatory comments by Rutgers president Francis Lawrence staged a sit-in Tuesday night, abruptly ending a basketball game between No. 4 Massachusetts and Rutgers with the Scarlett Knights leading 31-29, in Piscataway, N.J.

The protest started with a black female student sitting at the center circle just before the second half was to begin, and escalated into a crowd of more than 100 students.

Police and university officials negotiated briefly with the students, while the sellout crowd of mostly whites shouted “Get off the court” and “We want hoops.”

Lawrence, who was not at the game, has been criticized by university students and faculty, as well as state legislators, for his comments last fall that minorities don’t have the genetic background to do well on college entrance exams.

The contest was declared an “interrupted game,” by Atlantic-10 commissioner Linda Bruno, which means it can be continued. Both coaches remained optimistic the game would be continued. If not, Rutgers would forfeit.

(8) Maryland 86, (1) N. Carolina 73

With all eyes focussed on Terrapin center Joe Smith, the Terrapins’ backcourt duo of Duane Simpkins and Johnny Rhodes made the difference in their win over the Tar Heels (8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference, 18-2) at College Park, Md.

Maryland (8-2, 18-4) registered its first win over a No. 1 team since beating North Carolina 77-72 on Feb. 20, 1986, the Tar Heels’ first loss in the Smith Center.

And though Smith did have a lot to do with the latest victory, it was guards Simpkins and Rhodes who came up big; each had 21 points.

UNC, which had a nine-game win streak snapped, had just taken over the No. 1 spot from UMass.

Rhodes’ 3-pointer with 15:59 to play started a 7-0 run that gave the Terrapins’ their first 10-point lead, 54-44. Every time the Tar Heels would get close, Simpkins or Rhodes would come up with the big play to stave off one of North Carolina’s famed rallies.

(25) Purdue 78, (7) Michigan St. 69

Cuonzo Martin scored six of his 28 points in the final 1:21, leading the Boilermakers (7-2 Big Ten, 16-5) to a win over the Spartans (8-2, 16-3) in East Lansing, Mich.