College Basketball Roundup : Georgetown Survives DePaul Challenge, 85-70

Reggie Williams scored 30 points as Georgetown survived a rugged and sometimes ragged challenge from DePaul to post an 85-70 victory Saturday in a nationally televised match of unbeaten college basketball teams at Rosemont, Ill.

Williams scored 16 points in the opening half, including 10 straight during a stretch late in the period that allowed Georgetown to increase a 27-26 edge to 41-34 by intermission.

Georgetown (8-0) then took advantage of a gift--Michael Jackson’s two free throws after DePaul Coach Joey Meyer’s first-ever technical--to start a 6-0 run that pushed the Hoya lead to 47-34, their biggest of the contest, just a minute into the second half.

But Meyer’s outburst apparently had the desired effect on his players as well. The Blue Demons, scoreless through the first two minutes, responded with a 6-0 run of their own, pulling within 47-40 with 15:38 remaining.

The pushing and shoving of the rough first half nearly erupted into a full-fledged brawl a minute later, when Georgetown’s Jonathan Edwards fouled Dallas Comegys under the goal, and several players squared off.

Cooler heads ultimately prevailed, however, and Jackson, who finished with 14 points, began to support Williams’ offensive forays with some perimeter jump-shooting.

With a more diverse attack, Georgetown was able to regain the 13-point margin and hold it down much of the stretch.

DePaul, slipping to 6-1, got a team-high 20 points from freshman guard Rod Strickland, 16 from Kevin Holmes and 10 from Comegys.

David Wingate had 19 points for Georgetown, and Coach John Thompson said: “We’re as good as anybody on the perimeter. It was their power against our quickness, and I think we kind of forced them to put more quickness in, and that was to our advantage.”

Meyer said: “We didn’t match up with them on the perimeter. They play like four guards out there. I thought the key to the game was controlling the tempo, and they controlled the tempo.”

Kansas 89, Arkansas 78--Danny Manning had 24 points, including a three-point play that triggered a 7-0 run late in the second half for the Jayhawks (9-1) as they scored their 23rd straight win at home. Ron Kellogg had 26 points and Calvin Thompson 19 for Kansas which is off to its best start since it went to the NCAA Final Four in 1970-71. Williams Mills had 22 points for Arkansas (7-2).

Syracuse 83, St. Bonaventure 64--Ron Seikaly, 6-10 sophomore center, had 11 points, plus a career-high 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots as the Orangemen (7-0) turned back the Bonnies (5-2) at Syracuse, N.Y. Wendell Alexis (S) 17; Dwayne Washington (S) 16; Doug Turner (SB) 16.

Georgia Tech 72, Jacksonville 53--Mark Price, hitting from long range, scored 22 points as the Engineers (7-1) outclassed the host Dolphins (5-3) in the Gator Bowl tournament at Jacksonville, Fla. Tom Hammonds (GT) 18; John Salley (GT) 17; Danny Pearson (J) 14. In the consolation game, 6-3 guard Don Marbury had 32 points and 12 rebounds to lead Texas A&M; (6-4) to an 81-61 win over Southern Mississippi (7-2).

Illinois 67, Missouri 55--Ken Norton had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Anthony Welch added 16 points for the Illini (7-2), who used a 13-3 spurt to build a 33-22 halftime lead at St. Louis. Lynn Hardy and Derrick Chievous had 16 and 15 points for the Tigers (7-4). Missouri’s Dan Bingenheimer, averaging 20.5 points, was held to eight points.

Richmond 58, Virginia 46--John Newman scored 19 points and triggered a 10-2 run in the second half that gave the unbeaten Spiders a nine-point lead in the second half of the Richmond Invitational at Richmond, Va. It was the the first title for Richmond (8-0) in the 10-year history of the tournament. Mel Kennedy had 13 points for Virginia (5-3). Virginia’s Tom Sheehey was shut out in the second half after scoring six points in the first half.

Pittsburgh 88, Florida State 75--Demetreus Gore scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half, and Jerome Lane had 19 points and a career-high 15 rebounds as the Panthers (6-2) turned away the Seminoles (4-3) at Pittsburgh. Charles Smith (P) 17.

Clemson 65, Texas Tech 64--Larry Middleton kept the Tigers (10-0) unbeaten by hitting a 20-footer with four seconds left at Lubbock, Tex. Tony Benford had 18 points for the Red Raiders (4-5). Horace Grant (C) 23; Middleton 19; Glenn Corbit (C) 15.

Virginia Tech 76, West Virginia 69--At Blacksburg, Va., Dell Curry had 29 points and 15 rebounds for the Hokies, who have won eight straight since a season-opening one-point loss to Michigan. Of Curry, Coach Charles Moir said: “He just played a great game. How many guards do ever see get 15 rebounds?” Wayne Yearwood had 22 points and 10 rebounds for West Virginia (4-5).

U. San Diego 78, Alaska Anchorage 64--Nils Madden had 21 points and 9 rebounds as the Toreros (6-4) overcame the Seawolves (7-6) in the consolation game of the Longhorn tournament at Austin, Tex. In the championship game, Ray Davis scored 17 points to lead Texas (5-4) to a 60-55 win over South Florida (4-4).

Utah 76, Arizona 68--Manny Hendrix scored 24 points, and Jerry Stroman added 21 for the Utes (7-3), who built a 37-29 halftime lead over the Wildcats (5-4) at Salt Lake City. Sean Elliott (A) 19; Steve Kerr (A) 15; Craig McMillian (A) 14.

St. John’s 104, Niagara 61--Walter Berry had 27 points at New York as the Redmen (9-1) avenged one of the four losses it sustained last season. Joe Arlauckas had 13 points for the Purple Eagles (3-4). Willie Glass (SJ) 18; Ron Rowan (SJ) 16; Mark Jackson (SJ) 15.

Maryland 60, Alabama 58--Len Bias scored all of his 14 points in the second half, including the go-ahead basket with 2:09 to play, as the Terrapins (7-2) handed the Crimson Tide (6-1) its first loss at College Park, Md. Buck Johnson (A) 24.

Indiana 86, Iowa State 65--Daryl Thomas had a career-high 31 points, and Steve Alford added 24 as the Hoosiers (6-2) outclassed the Cyclones (7-2) at Bloomington, Ind. Jeff Grayer (IS) 32.

St. Joseph’s 63, Villanova 61--Maurice Martin scored 17 points, including two free throws with 20 seconds left, as the Hawks (2-2) held off the defending NCAA champion Wildcats (6-4) at Philadelphia. Harold Pressley (V) 18; Doug West (V) 15.

Montana 78, UC Santa Barbara 67--Larry Krystkowiak had 24 points as the Grizzlies (6-4) came back after the Dons (4-4) took a 37-34 halftime lead at Missoula, Mont. Conner Henry (SB) 12.