COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Oregon State Turns to Payton in Overtime, 96-90

Jim Anderson was succinct in his appraisal of No. 24 Oregon State’s 96-90 overtime victory over Tennessee Sunday at Knoxville, Tenn.

“Gary Payton was our savior--scoring, assists, everything,” said Anderson, Oregon State’s coach.

Payton scored 39 points, including 26 in the second half and overtime, to help the Beavers (4-1) rebound from Friday’s loss at Memphis State. He also had a game-high nine assists.

“Overall, I played the best whole all-around ballgame that I’ve had at Oregon State,” said Payton, a senior guard. “It’s a good victory. That’s all we care about.”

Will Brantley scored 24 points for the Beavers. Brantley and Payton combined to hit 27 of 41 shots (66%), and the rest of the team was 13 for 34 (38%).

Tennessee (2-3) got 24 points from Greg Bell.

Both Brantley and Payton scored four points in the overtime, which Tennessee forced by scoring the last five points of regulation. Bell’s two free throws with two seconds left tied the score, 86-86.

“We did everything wrong there in the last few seconds of regulation,” Anderson said. “They made the free throws to get it into overtime. They came right back.”

Ronnie Reese had 18 points for Tennessee. Ian Lockhart added 17 and Allan Houston and Ron Taylor had 11 each. Lockhart was the game’s leading rebounder with 13.

St. Francis (Pa.) 76, Niagara 74--Tom Bennetch sank two free throws with eight seconds left to lead the Red Flash to a victory at Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Leading 44-31 at the half, St. Francis improved its margin to 66-49 on John Hilvert’s three-point jump shot with 9:02 left before Niagara rallied with a 25-8 spurt. The Purple Eagles (0-4) tied the score, 74-74, on Patrick Jones’s tip-in with 12 seconds to play.

Mike Iuzzolino led St. Francis with 22 points, and Jon Anderson and Harkeem Dixon added 16 each. Jones led Niagara with 20 points and a game-high 18 rebounds.

Virginia 72, Houston 54--Cavalier sophomore Bryant Stith celebrated his 19th birthday by scoring 26 points and grabbing seven rebounds in a game in Charlottesville, Va. The game was rescheduled to Sunday because Houston was stranded in Charlotte, N.C., by bad weather and unable to make a Saturday date.

Stith connected on six of 13 field-goal attempts and converted 13 of 15 free throws. The Cavaliers (6-1), who outscored Houston, 42-22, in the second half, also got a career-high 14 points from sophomore Anthony Oliver and 12 points and five assists from point guard John Crotty.

Holy Cross 69, Fordham 62--Dwight Pernell scored 22 points, including 14 in second half, and Holy Cross beat Fordham at New York in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Lorn Davis scored 12 points for the Crusaders (5-1, 1-0) and Jim Nairus added 10. Fred Herzog had 19 points for Fordham (4-2, 1-1), 13 of them in the second half.

Hawaii 86, Colorado 77--Chris Gaines scored 24 points and Troy Bowe added 14 for the the Rainbows in winning the championship of the Early Season Tournament at Lahaina, Hawaii, on the island of Maui, late Saturday. Hawaii (5-1) has won the tournament four times.