College Basketball Roundup : Seton Hall Hands Cold-Shooting Georgetown First Loss, 74-53

After many years as a Big East Conference doormat, Seton Hall could be ready to become a contender.

“This was the biggest win for Seton Hall ever--no question,” Coach P.J. Carlesimo said after Seton Hall upset eighth-ranked and previously unbeaten Georgetown, 74-53, Saturday at Landover, Md. “This win will go a long way toward making them believe they are good players.”

Mark Bryant, a junior averaging 14 points a game, scored 24 for Seton Hall (9-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big East). It was the first time in 15 games since 1977 that the Pirates had beaten the Hoyas.

“I think we’re as good as any team in the Big East,” Bryant said.

The Pirates controlled the game from the start, taking a 5-3 lead on a 10-foot jumper by Bryant, and never trailed.

After a Georgetown basket, Seton Hall then ran off eight straight points, including three baskets by Bryant, putting the visitors up, 16-5.

The Pirates led by as many as 17 points in the first half, while limiting Georgetown scoring leader Reggie Williams to just 2 points (on free throws) during that time. Williams came into the game averaging 25.2 points. He finished with 7 points.

Perry McDonald led Georgetown with 18 points.

“I came out slow today, and it was a disease everyone else on the team caught,” Williams said.

The Hoyas (9-1 and 0-1) shot just 25% and converted 2 of 8 free throws in the first half.

Syracuse 88, Connecticut 71--Sherman Douglas scored 8 of his 20 points during a 16-2 Syracuse run midway through the second half to help the seventh-ranked Orangemen pull away at Hartford, Conn.

Center Rony Seikaly added 16 points, and guard Greg Monroe had 15 for Syracuse (12-0 and 1-0).

Forward Cliff Robinson scored 19 points for Connecticut (5-6 and 0-2).

Florida 87, Georgia 80--Andrew Moten had 20 points, and Chris Capers, coming off the bench, had 18 points and 17 rebounds for the Gators, who built a 45-32 halftime lead in the Southeastern Conference game at Athens, Ga.

Dennis Williams scored a career-high 20 points for Georgia (8-4 and 1-2). Florida is 10-3 and 2-0.

Kentucky 63, Auburn 60--Rex Chapman scored 21 of his 24 points in the second half for the No. 11-ranked Wildcats, who held on after building a 50-37 lead over the No. 5-ranked Tigers at Auburn, Ala.

Chapman, a freshman, hit 8 of 10 shots, including 5 of 6 from three-point range, in the second half for Kentucky (7-2 and 1-1).

Chris Morris scored 22 points, and Jeff Moore had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Auburn (7-2 and 0-1).

Alabama 64, Mississippi State 49--Derrick McKey had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots for the Crimson Tide (8-2 and 2-0) at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Mississippi State is 4-6 and 0-1.

Illinois 95, Michigan 84--Ken Norman scored 19 of his 29 points in the second half, and Glynn Blackwell had a career-high 28 points as the No. 16-ranked Illini (9-2) turned away the Wolverines (8-5) in a Big Ten opener at Champaign, Ill.

Michigan’s Gary Grant, who was averaging 24 points a game, scored 15 before fouling out with 4:44 to play.

Purdue 87, Michigan State 72--Everette Stephens scored a career-high 22 points, and Melvin McCants added 21 for the No. 2-ranked Boilermakers in a Big Ten opener at West Lafayette, Ind. The Boilermakers (9-1) scored 14 straight points midway through the first half to take a 25-21 lead, and the Spartans (5-6) never recovered.

Minnesota 69, Wisconsin 67--Kim Zurcher scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, including a 15-footer with two seconds left, to carry the Gophers to victory at Minneapolis.

Kelvin Smith had 22 points for Minnesota (10-3). Mike Heineman scored 21 for Wisconsin (10-4).

Iowa 80, Northwestern 44--The Hawkeyes, off to their best start in history, improved to 13-0 with the rout of the Wildcats, who have not won at Iowa City since 1963.

Northwestern (5-6) was outrebounded, 49-19.

Pittsburgh 76, Providence 67--Charles Smith had 22 points for the No. 17-ranked Panthers, who overcame a 12-point deficit in the first half of the Big East opener at Pittsburgh.

Both teams are 9-2.

DePaul 80, Dayton 64--Kevin Edwards scored 24 points, and Dallas Comegys added 21 as the No. 15-ranked Blue Demons (10-0) ended a five-year losing streak at the University of Dayton Arena.

Anthony Corbitt and Dan Christie each scored 15 points for Dayton (7-2).

Temple 81, Rhode Island 65--Nate Blackwell scored 31 points for the Owls in the Atlantic 10 game that was marked by a bench-clearing brawl at Kingston, R.I.

With 3:44 remaining, Temple’s Ramon Rivas and Rhode Island’s Bonzi Colson engaged in a fight, and both benches emptied. Fans were restrained by security forces from joining the melee.

When peace was restored, Temple Coach John Chaney was assessed two technical fouls. No one else was penalized.

Temple, ranked No. 14, is 12-1. Rhode Island is 8-3.

Duke 70, Virginia 63--Kevin Strickland scored 18 points and triggered an 11-0 run midway through the second half as the No. 20-ranked Blue Devils (9-1) made it eight straight wins in an Atlantic Coast Conference opener at Charlottesville, Va.

Sophomore guard Richard Morgan had a career-high 24 points for the Cavaliers (6-3).

TCU 80, Arkansas 77--Carl Lott had 29 points, including seven 3-point goals, for the Horned Frogs in a Southwest Conference opener at Fayetteville, Ark.

Lott hit three straight 3-pointers for the Horned Frogs as they fought back from a 60-58 deficit with 8:48 left.

TCU is 10-3, Arkansas 8-5.

Texas 72, Rice 52--Dennis Perryman scored a career-high 26 points, and Patrick Fairs added 19 for the Longhorns (8-6) in a Southwest Conference opener at Austin, Tex.

Rice (5-6) was led by Greg Hines with 22 points.

Notre Dame 71, Penn 67--David Rivers scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half, including a pair of 3-pointers in the last three minutes, as the Irish (7-2) overcame a 15-point deficit against the Quakers (1-6) at Philadelphia.

Louisville 79, Rutgers 49--Herbert Crook had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists as the Cardinals raised their record to 5-7 with an easy win at Louisville, Ky.

Eric Riggins had 23 points for the Scarlet Knights (2-8).

Oklahoma 68, McNeese State 63--Darryl Kennedy scored 20 points, and Harvey Grant had 15 rebounds to pace the No. 12-ranked Sooners in the championship game of the Sooner Invitational at Norman, Okla.

Oklahoma is 9-2, McNeese State 6-4.