College Basketball Roundup : Seminoles Learn a Valuable Lesson

It was a valuable lesson for 12th-ranked Florida State so early in the season.

George McCloud scored 30 points and Tony Dawson added 25, but the Seminoles had to hold on in the final minutes Wednesday night for an 87-82 victory over South Alabama at Tallahassee, Fla.

“Our kids think now that every time we get a big lead early, it will just get bigger,” Florida State Coach Pat Kennedy said. “We lacked mental intensity tonight. South Alabama is an experienced road team and they gave us a good game.”

Florida State (5-0) led, 40-27, with 1:39 left in the first half, but the Jaguars (3-3) wouldn’t roll over.

Junie Lewis hit a 3-pointer with 4:48 remaining in the game to give South Alabama its first lead, 73-71, and Neal Smith’s layup made it 75-71.

The Seminoles regained the lead for keeps, 77-76, when Derrick Mitchell drove the baseline for a layup with 2:53 left.

Jeff Hodge scored 21 points and Lewis added 20 for South Alabama.

Syracuse 135, U.S International 93--Matt Roe scored 22 points in the first half and tied a school record by making 6 3-point shots as the third-ranked Orangemen overpowered the Gulls at Syracuse.

Roe finished with 24 points, and Syracuse (9-0) set a school record for most points in a first half by racing to a 70-48 lead. Derrick Coleman and Stephen Thompson added 19 points each, and Sherman Douglas had 18.

Paul Wilson scored 30 points, Steve Smith addded 18 and Demetrius Laffitte had 14 for USIU (3-6), which lost its sixth straight game.

Iowa 102, Central Florida 68--B.J. Armstrong scored 24 points, and Roy Marble added 20 to lead the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes past the Knights at Iowa City, Iowa.

Ed Horton scored 16 of his 17 points, making all 7 of his shots, as Iowa (8-0) built a 61-28 halftime lead.

Ken Leeks had 22 points for Central Florida (0-4).

Georgetown 91, Oral Roberts 75--Charles Smith and Jaren Jackson each scored 23 points, and the fifth-ranked Hoyas defeated the Titans at Landover, Md.

The Hoyas (5-0) held 49-31 lead early in the second half, but Oral Roberts (2-7) got 12 points from Greg Sutton in a 32-16 burst that cut the margin to 65-63.

Georgetown then got 2 baskets from Dwayne Bryant in a 10-1 surge that raised the lead to 75-64 with 7:04 left.

Sutton had 25 points for Oral Roberts.

Ohio State 102, Nebraska 76--Tony White scored 21 points and Jay Burson had 20 as the No. 14 Hawkeyes got past the Cornhuskers at Columbus, Ohio.

Nebraska (4-3), which fell behind, 8-0, at the outset, drew within 40-34 on a 3-point shot by Ray Richardson with 3:29 left in the first half. But Ohio State (5-1) scored 12 of the final 13 points, with Burson getting 6, for a 52-35 halftime lead.

Pete Manning scored 17 points and Richardson had 13 for Nebraska. Jerry Francis added 18 for Ohio State.

Vanderbilt 93, Auburn 77--Frank Kornet scored 13 of his 21 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half as the Commodores rallied to beat the Tigers in a Southeastern Conference opener at Nashville, Tenn.

Auburn (5-1) went on a 15-3 run to take a 48-35 lead at halftime, but Vanderbilt (3-5) blew away the Tigers, 32-5, in the first 9 minutes of the second half.

Vandy pulled within 51-50 with 17:10 left on a 3-point play by Kornet and grabbed the lead, 52-51, when Kornet dunked on a fast break.

Keenan Carpenter had 18 points for Auburn.

Wisconsin 89, Denver 34--Danny Jones and Tim Locum scored 14 points each, and the Badgers held the Pioneers scoreless for the first 7 minutes 42 seconds at Madison, Wis.

Denver (4-3) didn’t score until Wisconsin (7-1) built an 18-0 lead, Dave Chavolich breaking the ice with a basket.

The Badgers also held Denver scoreless until 14:20 of the second half. By the time Ricky Oliver scored for the Pioneers, Wisconsin led, 57-21.

La Salle 78, St. Peter’s 74--Lionel Simmons had 36 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Explorers past the Peacocks in a Metro Atlantic Conference opener at Jersey City, N.J.

Bob Johnson came off the bench to add 20 points, including a dunk that gave La Salle (6-1) the lead for good, 65-64, starting an 8-point run that made it 71-64.

Willie Haynes scored 22 points for St. Peter’s (3-3).

DePaul 120, American 85--Stanley Brundy scored 20 of his 33 points in the first half, and the Blue Demons trounced the Eagles at Rosemont, Ill.

Melvon Foster finished with 19 points and Brad Niemann added 16 for DePaul (5-3).

Dale Spears scored 22 points for American (3-1).