COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : La Salle’s Simmons Tops 3,000-Point Mark

Moments after being presented with his very own day, Lionel Simmons went out and made it his night.

Simmons, La Salle’s high-scoring forward, was presented with a proclamation from the governor of Pennsylvania before Thursday night’s game against Manhattan, declaring Feb. 27 as Lionel Simmons Day in the state.

The senior forward then went out and scored 27 points to pass the 3,000 mark and move into fourth place on the all-time NCAA list as No. 14 Explorers cruised to a 100-60 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory at Philadelphia.

“I’ve never been so nervous in my life,” said Simmons, who endured a two-day publicity buildup while needing only three points to hit 3,000. “My legs were shaking at the start of the game.”

Simmons, who has a career total of 3,024 points, passed Hersey Hawkins’ 3,008 for fourth place on the list with his last basket of the first half, a three-point shot with 1:51 left that gave the Explorers a 44-28 lead.

Pete Maravich of Louisiana State leads the list at 3,667, followed by Freeman Williams of Portland State (3,249) and Harry Kelly of Texas Southern (3,066).

Simmons became the fifth Division I player to score 3,000 points, reaching the milestone on a free throw with 12:44 left in the first half.

“I told the kids years from now we’ll be able to say we played with one of the greatest players in the history of the game,” La Salle Coach Speedy Morris said.

Doug Overton scored a career-high 30 points to lead the Explorers (24-1, 14-0), who extended their winning streak to 16 games. Keith Bullock and Peter Runge had 16 apiece for Manhattan (10-16, 6-9).

Virginia 73, No. 8 Georgia Tech 71--Bryant Stith’s short jump shot in the lane at the buzzer gave the Cavaliers the upset win in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Atlanta.

Stith, who scored a team-high 19 points, hit his game-winning shot off an in-bounds pass from John Crotty and ended the Yellow Jackets’ seven-game winning streak.

It was the Cavaliers’ (16-8, 5-6) second win over the Yellow Jackets (19-5, 7-5) this season and snapped a five-game losing streak against Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Brian Oliver led the Yellow Jackets with 23 points. Freshman Kenny Anderson had 21.

No. 18 Minnesota 68, Wisconsin 67--Jim Shikenjanski scored the Gophers’ last five points, including three on free throws in the final 27 seconds in a Big Ten game at Minneapolis.

Larry Hisle Jr. made a free throw with no time left to pull Wisconsin within a point. But after a Minnesota timeout, Hisle missed a second free throw that would have sent the game into overtime.

Willie Burton scored a team-high 17 points for the Gophers (18-6, 9-5). Richard Coffey added 14 points and a season-high 15 rebounds.

Willie Simms led Wisconsin (13-15, 3-12) with 21 points.

No. 19 Xavier 74, Detroit 62--The Musketeers clinched their third Midwestern Collegiate Conference regular-season title in five years at Detroit.

Tyrone Hill scored 23 points to lead Xavier (22-2, 11-1), which extended its winning streak to 10 games. Shawn Williams scored a team-high 19 points for Detroit (9-15, 2-9).

The Musketeers were behind, 59-54, with 10:54 left, before going on an 18-0 run.

No. 24 New Mexico State 103, Utah State 84--James Anderson scored 17 points and five teammates scored in double figures to lead New Mexico State in a Big West Conference game at Las Cruces, N.M.

The Aggies (22-3, 13-2) scored more than 100 points for the third time this season.

Keith Hill scored 16 points to lead Utah State (14-12, 8-7).

Northwestern 72, Iowa 66--Sophomore David Holmes scored 18 points and made a three-point shot with less than two minutes left to lead the Wildcats in a Big Ten game at Evanston, Ill.

The victory snapped a six-game losing streak for Northwestern (9-15, 2-12). Iowa (11-13, 3-11) suffered a fifth consecutive loss.

Iowa’s Les Jepsen scored a game-high 19 points. Walker Lambiotte and Kevin Nixon each scored 13 points for Northwestern.

New Mexico 82, Hawaii 71--Luc Longley scored 23 points and reserve Willie Banks added 17 to lead the Lobos in a Western Athletic Conference game at Albuquerque, N.M.

The Lobos (14-11, 6-7) have won four consecutive conference games. Hawaii is 19-7 and 8-5.

Longley, Banks and Rob Robbins hit 10 of 12 free throws down the stretch and Banks ended the game with a breakaway slam dunk. The basket was set up by a pass from senior point guard Darrell McGee, whose assist gave him the all-time school record of 631.

Texas El Paso 70, San Diego State 55--Antonio Davis scored 13 points to lead the Miners in a Western Athletic Conference game at El Paso.

Prince Stewart had 12 points and Marlon Maxey added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Miners (17-8, 9-4).

Shawn Jamison scored a game-high 22 points for San Diego State (13-14, 4-9).