COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Oklahoma Routs Arkansas Little Rock, 134-81

Oklahoma Coach Billy Tubbs and Arkansas Little Rock Coach Mike Newell are friends. Closer, maybe. Newell used to work for Tubbs as an assistant coach.

But friendship has its bounds.

The fourth-ranked Sooners, behind Skeeter Henry and William Davis, handed Arkansas Little Rock its worst defeat Tuesday night, 134-81. Afterward, Tubbs waxed between sympathy and pragmatism.

“It’s tough playing friends or family. Mike is more like family to us,” Tubbs said. “But in a situation like that, if somebody’s got to lose, I’d always it rather be them than me.”

Henry scored 35 points and missed only three of his 13 field goals. He was perfect on four three-pointers. Oklahoma (11-0) shot 56% and made 12 of 18 three-pointers.

The 53-point defeat surpassed a 49-point Arkansas Little Rock loss to Missouri St. Louis in 1969.

“We did get the total treatment,” said Newell, in his sixth year at Arkansas Little Rock (7-4). “I told Billy afterward ‘Those guys can’t say you don’t have a soft heart anymore.’ They could have scored 160, 170 if they didn’t call that press off.”

The Sooners have beaten five opponents by at least 50 points.

No. 21 La Salle 106, Siena 90--Lionel Simmons scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Randy Woods and Doug Overton had 20 points each for the Explorers (9-1, 1-0) in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game in Philadelphia.

Siena is 5-6 and 2-1.

No. 24 Alabama 79, Georgia 62--Keith Askins and Robert Horry each scored 17 points and the Crimson Tide took control with a 12-0 run in the first half in a Southeastern Conference game in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama (11-3 overall, 2-1 in the SEC) led by 11 at halftime, and Georgia (8-4, 1-2) got no closer.

Connecticut 71, Villanova 54--Nadev Henefeld and Chris Smith each scored 19 points and Rod Sellers added 18 to lead the Huskies to a Big East Conference victory at Villanova, Pa.

The Wildcats were cold coming off a victory over No. 1-ranked Syracuse Saturday. Villanova (9-7, 2-2) committed 25 turnovers and shot just 40.9% from the floor.

Connecticut (12-3 and 2-2) capitalized on a Villanova turnover early and jumped out to a 14-4 lead with 13:44 to play.

Providence 78, Seton Hall 70--Carlton Screen scored six of 20 points early in the second half to spark the Friars in a Big East Conference game in Providence, R.I.

Seton Hall (8-4, 1-1) led, 30-19, over the cold-shooting Friars (9-3, 2-1) early, but a 10-3 run late in the first half and quick second-half start gave Providence control.

Clemson 76, Virginia 70--Kirkland Howling hit two free throws with 18 seconds to play to give the Tigers a four-point lead that they rode to an Atlantic Coast Conference victory in Charlottesville, Va.

Clemson is 9-3, 2-1 in the ACC. Virginia is 8-3 and 0-2.

Notre Dame 80, Boston College 67--Keith Robinson scored 21 points and teammate Joe Frederick added 17 for Notre Dame in a victory in Newton, Mass.

The Irish (7-4) won for the sixth time in their last seven games. Boston College is 6-7.