College basketball: Villanova roars back behind Grant
Villanova was crazed. LSU was dazed. No one on either side could remember a comeback – or a collapse – like this one.
Malcolm Grant converted a four-point play and scored 13 points over the final 3 minutes, and Dante Cunningham scored the game-winner with 5.9 seconds left as the 25th-ranked Wildcats rallied from a 21-point deficit to stun LSU 68-67 on Thursday night in the Big East/SEC Invitational at Philadelphia.
“That,” said an exhausted Villanova coach Jay Wright, “was unbelievable.”
No one was more unbelievable than Grant, a 6-foot reserve freshman guard who came in averaging 7.2 points a game. He scored seven points in 14 seconds to jolt Villanova (6-1).
LSU (5-3) dominated almost the entire game and most of the crowd had started to leave. Villanova gave those who stuck around one to remember.
(13) Butler 53, Detroit 46: At Detroit, Matt Howard scored 20 points and Julian Betko hit a late 3-pointer to help the Bulldogs (8-0) beat the Titans (4-4) in the Horizon League opener for both.
Olson won’t return this season
Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson said he would extend his leave of absence through the end of this season, citing undisclosed family matters that require his attention.
In a statement released by the university, Olson said he plans to return to coach Arizona for the 2008-09 season.
“There are personal issues within my family that need to be addressed and I must devote my full energy to that,” Olson said in the statement.
Athletic director Jim Livengood said assistant coach Kevin O’Neill will continue to serve as interim coach for the rest of this season.
Women
(17) Duke 49, (4) Rutgers 44: Carrem Gay’s free throw with 30 seconds left put the Blue Devils (6-3) ahead to stay in a victory over the Scarlet Knights (5-2) at Durham, N.C.
Abby Waner and Keturah Jackson both made two late foul shots for the Blue Devils, who avoided their first four-game slide since 1994.
Rutgers upset the Blue Devils last March in the Greensboro Regional semifinals when Lindsey Harding missed two free throws in the final seconds.