College Basketball Roundup : Alabama Deals LSU First Loss of Season, 83-67

Buck Johnson had 29 points and 10 rebounds Thursday night as Alabama cut down eighth-ranked and previously unbeaten LSU, 83-67, in a Southeastern Conference game at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama (9-3 overall, 2-1 in the SEC) took control of the tempo of the game early.

The Tide, leading, 40-31, at halftime, broke open the game by building a 50-33 lead seven minutes into the second half when Jim Farmer stole the ball and went the length of the court for a layup.

Farmer added 19 points, and guard Mark Gottfried had 14. Point guard Terry Coner had 12 points and 10 assists.

John Williams scored with 16 points for LSU (14-1, 2-1).

Memphis State 73, Louisville 71--William Bedford scored 20 points, and the sixth-ranked Tigers held off the 17th-ranked Cardinals for a Metro Conference victory at Memphis, Tenn.

Louisville had a chance to tie with five seconds left, but Jeff Hall missed a 15-footer from the side, and Memphis State rebounded.

Vincent Askew hit 10 straight free throws in the second half, and Marvin Alexander came off the bench late in the game and scored what proved to be the winning basket on a drive.

The victory was the 30th in a row for the Tigers (14-0, 2-0) on their home court.

Louisville (8-4, 0-1) held a slim lead midway through the second half, but Memphis State went ahead for good, 62-60, with eight minutes left on a jumper by freshman center Alexander.

The Tigers took their biggest lead, 68-63, on a 15-footer by Andre Turner with 4:35 left and nursed it to the finish.

Purdue 88, Michigan State 83--Todd Mitchell scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and the 20th-ranked Boilermakers turned back the Spartans in a Big Ten game at East Lansing, Mich.

Michigan State (10-3, 1-2) cut the lead to one point with 40 seconds left, but Purdue’s Everett Stephens hit two free throws in the waning seconds to seal the victory. The Spartans’ Scott Skiles missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw situation that could have drawn Michigan State within one again.

Troy Lewis added 24 points for Purdue (14-2, 3-0). Darryl Johnson scored 30 points, and Larry Polec had 19 for the Spartans.

Purdue broke away from a 37-34 halftime lead to open a 57-46 margin with 13:34 remaining, but Michigan State cut the lead to 65-63 on a three-point play by Carlton Valentine and two free throws apiece by Polec and Johnson in a span of 35 seconds.

But, Lewis hit three long jumpers to keep the Boilermakers in control of the game, 73-67.

Purdue held Skiles, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, to 16 points--his lowest total of the season.

North Carolina 92, Fordham 68--Brad Daugherty scored a career-high 33 points and had 11 rebounds as the top-ranked Tar Heels rolled past the Rams at New York.

Daugherty made 13 of 14 shots and led North Carolina (15-0) to a 48-29 halftime lead by scoring 22 points.

Fordham (6-7) was within 21-19 when North Carolina blew open the game with a 20-2 surge. The Tar Heels scored 14 straight points midway through the second half for a 74-42 lead.

Georgia Tech 85, Rutgers 46--John Salley and Mark Price each scored 16 points, and the fifth-ranked Yellow Jackets raced past the Scarlet Knights at New York for their 12th straight victory.

Georgia Tech (13-1) used its pressing defense and quickness in equaling the second-best start in the school’s history. The Scarlet Knights (5-8) lost their fourth straight game.

Alabama Birmingham 72, Va. Commonwealth 70--Steve Mitchell scored 27 points, including four in overtime, to help the 13th-ranked Blazers sneak past the Rams in overtime at Birmingham, Ala.

Jerome Mincy added 21 points for the the Blazers (15-2, 2-0).

The Rams (2-8, 0-2) forced overtime when Michael Brown hit a 20-foot jumper to tie the score, 61-61, with five seconds left in regulation play.

Mitchell took command in the extra period, making two baskets as UAB moved in front, 68-61. But VCU’s Bruce Pettway sank a free throw, dunked his own rebound on the missed second foul shot, and Nicky Jones scored a quick layup to pull the Rams within two points 30 seconds later.

After an exchange of baskets, Mincy hit two free throws to wrap up the victory.

Indiana 102, Northwestern 65--Ricky Calloway had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Steve Alford added 19 points as the Hoosiers buried the Wildcats at Evanston, Ill., for their first Big Ten victory.

The Hoosiers (9-4, 1-2) rolled from the start, building a 48-26 halftime lead by making 62% of their shots. The Wildcats are 6-6 and 0-2.

Bradley 57, Wichita State 55--Hersey Hawkins scored 25 points, including the winning basket with 47 seconds left, to lead the Braves past the Shockers in a Missouri Valley Conference game at Wichita, Kan.

Bradley (14-1, 2-0) is off to its best start since the 1960-61 season. Wichita State is 8-5 and 1-1.

Hawkins scored on a drive for the game-winning but was called for a charge and fouled out on the play. Wichita State had a chance to tie but reserve guard Cedric Coleman lost the ball in the lane with three seconds left.

Navy 85, James Madison 54--David Robinson collected 26 points, 18 rebounds and 11 blocked shots as the Midshipmen (10-3, 3-0) pounded the Dukes (2-9, 0-2) in a Colonial Athletic Assn. game at Annapolis, Md.