College Basketball Roundup : Middleton Scores 24; Clemson Wins, 83-57

Junior transfer Larry Middleton scored 24 points and veteran forward Horace Grant grabbed 15 rebounds to spark Clemson to an 83-57 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore Monday night at Clemson, S.C.

Middleton, who played the last two years at Valley College, brought immediate firepower to the Tigers in his first start, scoring 16 points in the first 10 minutes to stake Clemson to a 24-10 lead.

Middleton, who went to Taft High in Woodland Hills, cooled in the second half after hitting 8 of 11 from the field in the first half, finishing with 12 baskets in 21 attempts.

Grant scored 10 points in the first half, making every shot he took from the field, and finished with 16 points. Guard Chris Michael added 12 points for the Tigers.

The Tigers took a 43-21 lead at halftime and stretched it to 47-22 with 8:33 to play on baskets by Glen McCants and Middleton and coasted the rest of the way.

The Eagles were led by Darryle Dennis’ 15 points, and Marvin Blye added 14.

McNeese State 76, Mississippi State 67--Mike Marshall made 10 straight shots to pull the Cowboys away to an upset of the Bulldogs at Lake Charles, La.

Marshall, who scored 29 points, hit the first of his string after Mississippi State whittled an 11-point halftime deficit down to three with more than 12 minutes left.

Kenny Jimerson had 18 points, and Jerome Batiste added 12 points and 12 rebounds for McNeese State.

Mississippi State was led by 12 points from Mark Peters, who made all six shots he took. Raymond Brown had 12 points. Chauncey Robinson chipped in 10 points.

Missouri 61, California 46--Dan Bingenheimer scored 19 points and Derrick Chievous added 15 as the Tigers rolled past the Bears at Columbia, Mo.

Chievous led a Tiger rally in second half that enabled Missouri to build a 42-29 lead less than five minutes into the half. In that span, the Tigers outscored the Golden Bears, 14-4.

Cal committed 10 fouls and two turnovers in the first nine minutes of the second half, and three Bears fouled out.

Freshman center Gary Leonard paced Missouri in the first half by scoring 10 of his 12 points.

Kevin Johnson led Cal with 14 points.

North Carolina State 80, W. Carolina 57--Senior guard Nate McMillan scored 19 points to lead the 15th-ranked Wildcats past the Catamounts at Raleigh, N.C.

Freshman forward Chucky Brown chipped in with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore center Chris Washburn and freshman Kelsey Weems added 13 points each.

Sophomore forward Leroy Gasque had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Catamounts.

Nevada Las Vegas 73, South Carolina 56--Armon Gilliam scored 14 points and the 16th-ranked Rebelss rolled to a 73-56 victory over the Gamecocks in a nonconference game at Las Vegas.

The Rebels (2-0) led, 38-30, at halftime before racing to a 25-point bulge midway through the second half before Rebel Coach Jerry Tarkanian began clearing his bench.

Guard Tony Shaw scored 13 points to lead South Carolina, which fell to 0-2.

Georgia Tech 119, South Carolina Aiken 60--John Salley scored 21 points, and the second-ranked Yellowjackets set a school scoring record in routing the Pacers at Atlanta.

Tech, which also won by its biggest margin ever, got 18 points from forward Duane Ferrell, while guard Bruce Dalrymple finished with 15. Mark Price and Craig Neal each scored 14.

Greg Woods scored 19 points for the Pacers (3-3).

Northwestern 79, Illinois Wesleyan 62--Sophomore Shon Morris scored 26 points as the Wildcats struggled past the Titans at Evanston, Ill.

The Wildcats were leading, 56-52, with 12:23 left in the game when they scored 15 straight points to put it out of reach.

Larry Lessen came off the bench to score 19 points for Illinois Wesleyan.

Alabama 82, Northwest Louisiana 77--Jim Farmer had 24 points and 11 rebounds at Tuscaloosa, Ala., as the Crimson Tide overcame a 36-point performance by the Demons’ Victor Willis.

Willis made 18 of 23 shots as the Demons shot 80% in the second half to stay close.

Senior forward Buck Johnson, the Tide’s leading scorer last year, chipped in 16 points. James Jackson added 16 points, while guard Terry Coner had 14 points and 8 assists.