PRESEASON NIT ROUNDUP : UNLV Runs Away From California, 101-81

Forward Larry Johnson scored 25 points and top-ranked Nevada Las Vegas blew open the game in the first half to beat California, 101-81, Friday night at Las Vegas and advance to the semifinals of the preseason National Invitation Tournament.

Johnson had 17 of his points during the first half, when the Runnin’ Rebels used two 11-0 runs to take control of the game.

UNLV, with Johnson scoring 11 of his points during the spurt, outscored Cal, 33-12, the last 9:30 of the first half to take a 48-28 lead.

Anderson Hunt added 16 for UNLV (2-0), which cleared its bench midway through the second half when it led by as many as 33.

Keith Smith had 22 points for California (1-1), and Roy Fisher added 15.

Kansas 89, Louisiana State 83--The Jayhawks went over the top of the second-ranked Tigers’ towering lineup as Terry Brown led a long-range attack at Baton Rouge, La.

Brown made four three-point shots in a 2:27 span of the first half as Kansas overcame a seven-point deficit and took a 29-27 lead. LSU regained the lead at 65-63 with 9:30 left in the game, but Kevin Pritchard and Mark Randall made baskets to put Kansas ahead to stay.

LSU’s sophomore guard Chris Jackson made a three-point shot with 41 seconds left, but with Kansas ahead by four, missed twice from three-point range in the final 23 seconds. Jeff Gueldner made two free throws for Kansas with two seconds left.

Jackson led the Tigers with 32 points, but made only 11 of 30 shots, including four of 10 three-point attempts.

Randall led Kansas with 25 points and Gueldner had 16. For LSU, 7-foot Stanley Roberts had 12 points and 7-2 Shaquille O’Neal had 10.

DePaul 70, North Carolina State 63--Stephen Howard made a basket and four free throws in the last 2:12 and the Blue Demons’ pressure defense effectively handled the Wolfpack’s outstanding backcourt duo of Rodney Monroe and Chris Corchiani, holding them to seven points in the final 11 minutes at the Rosemont Horizon.

With DePaul leading, 60-56, Howard intercepted a pass and hit a short jumper, but Monroe, who had 22 points, made a layup with 1:31 left.

The Wolfpack got the ball back, but this time DePaul’s Curtis Price made a steal and Kevin Holland made a 15-foot jumper. With 55 seconds remaining, Holland made a steal and Howard made two free throws for a 66-58 lead.