College Basketball Roundup : Michigan Beats Ohio State, 99-82, to Set Up Showdown With Indiana

Roy Tarpley scored 22 points, and Antoine Joubert had 17 as seventh-ranked Michigan set up a showdown with Indiana for the Big Ten title by turning back Ohio State, 99-82, Thursday night at Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Wolverines (26-4, 13-4) pulled even with Indiana and will play host to the Hoosiers Saturday.

Michigan put the game out of reach early in the second half, outscoring Ohio State, 11-2, at the outset to take a 58-38 lead with 15:48 remaining. The lead reached 32 points at one stage.

Dennis Hopson scored 27 points for Ohio State (14-13, 8-9).

Iowa 57, Illinois 53--Freshman Roy Marble scored five crucial points late in the game and sophomore Bill Jones added three clutch free throws to lift the Hawkeyes over the No. 19 Illini in a Big Ten game at Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes (19-11, 9-8) kept alive their hopes for an NCAA Tournament berth and beat Illinois (20-9, 10-7) for the 17th time in the last 19 games at Iowa City.

Iowa led by 11 points in the first half, but the Illini trimmed the margin to 52-51 on Efrem Winters’ turn-around jumper from the baseline with 1:27 left. Marble countered with a jump shot at the 1:03 mark and Jones then hit three free throws in the final 27 seconds.

Purdue 64, Minnesota 63--The Boilermakers kept themselves in the running for an NCAA bid by holding off the Gophers in a Big Ten game at Minneapolis.

The Boilermakers (22-8, 11-6) had a 62-50 lead with 4:55 left, but the Gophers (15-15, 5-12) battled back to within 64-63 on a dunk by John Shasky with 1:13 to go.

The Gophers missed two shots in the final seconds and lost their seventh straight game.

TOURNAMENTS

BIG EAST

Georgetown 57, Pittsburgh 56--Reggie Williams scored 16 points and the No. 14 Hoyas held off the Panthers in the final seconds at New York.

Ralph Dalton gave the Hoyas (23-6) a 57-54 lead with 1:18 remaining when he made a layup, but he missed a foul shot that would have completed a three-point play.

Jerome Lane made two free throws with 1:07 left for the Panthers (15-13), but they turned out to be the final points.

Pitt’s Curtis Aiken put up a shot in the final seconds just as a roll of toilet tissue sailed onto the court. Officials gave the Panthers two more seconds, but Demetrius Gore slipped and couldn’t get off a shot.

St. John’s 87, Seton Hall 68--Walter Berry had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Ron Rowan added 19 points as the fifth-ranked Redmen eased past the Pirates.

The Redmen (28-4) will play Villanova tonight in the semifinals.

St. John’s took a 39-31 lead at halftime and broke open the game with a 12-3 surge for a 51-34 lead five minutes into the second half.

Mark Bryant scored 19 points for Seton Hall (14-18). Mark Jackson had 14 points and 13 assists for St. John’s.

Syracuse 102, Boston College 79--Dwayne (Pearl) Washington had 27 points and the eighth-ranked Orangemen set a Big East Tournament scoring record while trouncing the Eagles.

The Orangemen (24-4) will play Georgetown in tonight’s semifinals.

Syracuse broke the tournament point-total record of 94, set in Boston College’s 1982 victory over the Orangemen.

Syracuse took a 46-40 halftime lead and pulled away early in the second half with a 16-5 run.

Boston College (13-15) suffered its 10th loss in its last 12 games.

Villanova 75, Providence 63--Harold Pressley had 26 points and 14 rebounds as the defending national champion Wildcats downed the Friars to reach the semifinals.

The Wildcats (22-12) built a 45-35 halftime lead on 62% shooting, and the Friars (15-13) made just one run in the second half. Providence pulled within 49-44 before Villanova took away the suspense with an 18-5 surge.

SOUTHEASTERN

Mississippi State 65, Auburn 63--Chauncey Robinson scored 25 points and Raymond Brown added 22 as the Bulldogs survived three missed free throws in the final 37 seconds to upset the Tigers in the quarterfinals at Lexington, Ky.

The Bulldogs (8-21), who finished the regular season in the SEC cellar, moved into tonight’s semifinals against Alabama.

Robinson’s two free throws with 7:01 left put Mississippi State ahead to stay, 51-49.

Chuck Person’s basket with 17 seconds left pulled Auburn (19-10) to within 63-61, but Mark Peters made two free throws with four seconds left to sew up the victory.

Kentucky 95, Mississippi 69--Kenny Walker scored 28 points and the third-ranked Wildcats rolled past the Rebels.

It was Kentucky’s ninth straight victory and its 17th straight over an SEC foe. Kentucky plays LSU in tonight’s semifinals.

Kentucky (27-3), playing on its home floor, sewed up the victory early with bursts of 11-0 and 16-0 bursts while piling up a 31-9 lead in the first 12:15.

Curtis Ritchwood had 19 points for Ole Miss (12-17).

LSU 72, Florida 66--John Williams collected 20 points and 20 rebounds, and Derrick Taylor added 27 points as the Tigers ended a 10-game postseason losing streak by beating the Gators.

Williams set an SEC Tournament one-game rebounding record.

Florida (16-12), which trailed by 13 points in the first half, sliced the lead to 61-60 with 3:12 left on Vernon Maxwell’s 20-footer. Ricky Blanton hit one free throw, Don Redden added three and Taylor scored six points down the stretch as LSU (22-10) pulled away.

Maxwell scored 22 points.

Alabama 79, Georgia 59--Buck Johnson scored 21 points as the Crimson Tide routed the Bulldogs.

The Crimson Tide (21-7) made 76% of its shots in the first half and built a 17-point lead.

Toney Mack led Georgia (16-12) with 16 points.

WESTERN ATHLETIC

San Diego State 73, Utah 71--Freshman guard Josh Lowery hit a 20-foot jump shot at the buzzer to give the Aztecs an upset over regular-season co-champion Utah at Laramie, Wyo.

The Aztecs (9-18) will play Texas El Paso (25-5) in tonight’s semifinals.

San Diego State tied the score, 71-71, on two free throws by John Martens with 1:27 left.