College Basketball Roundup : North Carolina Beats Virginia in 2nd Overtime, Gains ACC Final

Kenny Smith hit an eight-foot jumper from the lane with three seconds left in the second overtime, and second-ranked North Carolina overcame Virginia, 84-82, Saturday in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament at Landover, Md.

North Carolina (29-2) plays North Carolina State for the ACC title today.

Virginia (22-9), which led by 11 points in the first half, tied the score, 82-82, on Andrew Kennedy’s two free throws with 35 seconds left. Smith, who was limited to eight points and seven rebounds, then made his winning shot over three Cavaliers.

Kennedy’s 10-footer had previously tied the score at 72-72 with 1:40 left in regulation, and neither team scored again before the buzzer.

North Carolina freshman Scott Williams, who missed an eight-footer at the end of regulation, sent the game into the second overtime when his 12-foot hook shot at the buzzer tied the score, 78-78.

Joe Wolf scored 27 points for North Carolina. Tom Sheehey had 20 for Virginia.

North Carolina State 77, Wake Forest 73--Bennie Bolton scored four points in the second overtime, including two clinching free throws with eight seconds left, to lift the Wolfpack past the Demon Deacons in the other ACC semifinal game at Landover.

Vinny Del Negro gave the Wolfpack (19-14) its winning points when he hit two free throws with 51 seconds left for a 75-71 lead.

N.C. State held a 67-65 lead with nine seconds left in the first overtime, but Antonio Johnson of Wake Forest (14-15) scored at the buzzer.

A three-point field goal by Tyrone Bogues with 1:31 left in regulation tied the score, 58-58, and sent the game into overtime.

Other tournaments:

BIG EAST

Georgetown 84, Providence 66--Reggie Williams had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Perry McDonald scored 19 as the seventh-ranked Hoyas routed the Friars in the semifinals at New York.

The top-seeded Hoyas (25-4) advanced to today’s championship game against Syracuse.

Dave Kipfer, who had 18 points for the Friars (21-8), scored the first four points of the second half to get Providence within three at 40-37. But Georgetown scored the next seven points and pulled away, building its lead to 84-61 with 1:17 to play.

Delray Brooks scored 16 for the Friars, and Billy Donovan, who set a Big East tournament scoring record with 34 points against St. John’s in the quarterfinals Friday night, was held to 11.

Syracuse 99, Pittsburgh 85--Sherman Douglas scored a tournament-record 35 points and added 11 assists as the No. 10 Orangemen downed the No. 11 Panthers in the other semifinal.

Syracuse (25-5), which tied for the regular-season title with Georgetown and Pitt (24-7), has been to the title game four times, winning it in 1981. The Orangemen avenged two losses to Pitt during the regular season.

Douglas made 9 of 13 from the field and 16 of 21 free throws.

BIG EIGHT

Kansas 82, Oklahoma 77--Danny Manning scored 27 points to become Kansas’ career scoring leader and lead the Jayhawks past the No. 17 Sooners in the semifinals at Kansas City, Mo.

The Jayhawks (23-9) will play regular-season champion Missouri in the final today.

Manning has 1,901 points, surpassing the 1,888 scored by Clyde Lovellette, the All-American center who led the Jayhawks to the national championship in 1952.

Oklahoma (22-9) bolted to a 12-point lead early in the game, but Missouri got within four at 37-33 by halftime.

Missouri 72, Kansas State 69--Nathan Buntin scored 28 points, including three free throws down the stretch, and the Tigers rallied to edge the Wildcats for their eighth straight victory.

Missouri (23-9) trailed by 12 points with 13:53 left but went ahead when Buntin scored 10 points in a 20-4 run. Buntin’s basket gave the Tigers a 52-51 lead with 8:55 left, but Kansas State (19-10) regained the lead on two free throws by Charles Bledsoe.

Missouri took the lead with six straight points, but Kansas State rallied again to take a 64-63 lead on a basket by Norris Coleman.

Derrick Chievous, who scored 20 points, had a three-point play, and Buntin made his free throws as Missouri gained control for good.

SOUTHEASTERN

LSU 89, Georgia 88--Anthony Wilson scored 9 of his 31 points in the second overtime, and the Tigers survived a rally by the Bulldogs in the semifinals at Atlanta.

The Tigers (21-13) will play regular-season champion Alabama in today’s final.

Georgia (18-11) overcame a 20-point deficit in the final 14:05 of regulation to force the first overtime period on Milt Blakley’s three-point basket at the buzzer.

LSU’s Oliver Brown scored with 14 seconds left in the first overtime to tie the score, 73-73.

Alabama 87, Auburn 68--Derrick McKey scored 22 points and Jim Farmer added 21 to lead the No. 9 Crimson Tide past the Tigers at Atlanta.

Auburn (17-12) was within 41-40 at the half, but Farmer hit three straight three-point shots midway through the second half, and the Tide (25-4) soon turned a 55-53 deficit into a 71-59 lead.

SOUTHWEST

Baylor 54, Houston 52--Michael Williams scored 18 points and Darryl Middleton added 16 to rally the Bears from an early 13-point deficit to a victory over the Cougars in the semifinals at Dallas.

The Bears (18-11), seeking their first NCAA tournament berth in 37 years, face Texas A&M; today for the championship.

Houston (18-11) had a chance in the final seconds. Ricky Jackson made a free throw with four seconds left but intentionally missed the second shot. Houston’s Greg Anderson rebounded but missed a follow shot, and time ran out.

Texas A&M; 68, Texas Tech 60-- Winston Crite scored 26 points and Darryl McDonald added 23 as the eighth-seeded Aggies made it to the title game by turning back the Red Raiders.

The Aggies (16-13), who upset regular-season champion TCU Friday night, are the first eighth-place team to reach the SWC tournament final.

The loss snapped a seven-game tournament win streak for defending champion Tech (15-14).

METRO

Louisville 78, Southern Mississippi 71--Pervis Ellison scored 23 points, and the defending national champion Cardinals turned back the Eagles in the semifinals at Louisville.

The Cardinals (18-13) face Memphis State in today’s final.

Southern Mississippi (17-11) rallied to make it 72-71 with 1:21 left on a basket by Derrek Hamilton, two three-pointers by John White and a three-pointer by Casey Fisher.

Louisville’s Mike Abram hit three free throws in the stretch.

Memphis State 74, South Carolina 64--Vincent Askew scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half to lift the Tigers past the Gamecocks in the other semifinal.

Memphis State (25-8), which reached the final for the fourth straight year, is on probation and can’t play in the NCAA tournament. The Gamecocks finished 15-14.

WESTERN ATHLETIC

Wyoming 64, New Mexico 62--Eric Leckner scored 27 points and Eric Dent hit a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to lift the Cowboys over the Lobos in the championship game at Albuquerque, N.M.

The Cowboys (22-9) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

New Mexico (25-9) tied the score, 62-62, on Kelvin Scarborough’s three-point basket with 13 seconds left, and the Lobos immediately fouled Dent.

Dent made both shots. Leckner fouled Scarborough with five seconds left, but he missed both shots. George Adams rebounded for New Mexico and Willie Jones blocked two shots by Adams as time ran out.

BIG SKY

Idaho State 92, Nevada Reno 81--Donn Holston scored 24 points and Jim Rhode 23 as the Bengals beat the Wolf Pack in the championship game at Flagstaff, Ariz.

The Bengals (16-14), who won the tournament for the first time since 1977, received an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

Darryl Owens scored 23 points for the Wolf Pack (14-16), which lost three times to Idaho State this season.

MID-AMERICAN

Central Michigan 64, Kent State 63--Tommie Johnson hit two free throws with six seconds left to give the Chippewas a victory over the Golden Flashes at Toledo, Ohio, and their first MAC tournament title.

Central Michigan (22-7) earned a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Dan Majerle scored 25 points for the Chippewas. Reggie Adams and Jay Peters scored 17 each for Ken State (19-10).

OHIO VALLEY

Austin Peay 71, Eastern Kentucky 68--Richie Armstrong hit a three-point shot with no time left to give the Governors the Ohio Valley Conference title at Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The Governors (19-10) will make their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1974.

Darryl Bedford scored 27 points for Austin Peay, and Antonio Parris had 23 for Eastern Kentucky (19-11).

NONTOURNAMENT

DePaul 68, Marquette 59--Kevin Edwards scored 18 points, and the fifth-ranked Blue Demons defeated the Warriors at Rosemont, Ill.

Marquette (16-12) pulled into a 49-49 tie with 6:30 left, but Dallas Comegys hit a layup and blocked a shot that started an eight-point burst that put DePaul (26-2) into the driver’s seat.

Notre Dame 62, Dayton 56--David Rivers scored 19 points and Donald Royal 17 as the Irish held off the Flyers at Dayton, Ohio.

Rivers scored with 20 seconds left to give the Irish (22-7) a 60-56 lead, and Royal sank two free throws with nine seconds left.