COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL ROUNDUP : Hoyas Get a Lesson From Young Miners

Texas El Paso didn’t think it was an upset, and No. 5 Georgetown didn’t think it was a setback after the Miners handed the Hoyas their first nonconference loss at home since 1982, beating them, 71-60, Saturday.

“I thought coming in here, some people would be surprised at our players, but we took it to them and played with poise and patience,” said Texas El Paso Coach Don Haskins. “We’re a young team, but no one should be surprised.”

Haskins called it a big victory for the Western Athletic Conference, saying: “We’re looked upon as not as good as some of the other conferences.”

Georgetown had won six in a row at the Capital Centre in Landover, Md. Their last home loss outside of the Big East was by 62-61 to American University in December of 1982. They are 119-12 at the building since moving there for their home games in the 1981-82 season.

Mark McCall’s three three-point plays helped the Miners (5-2) build a 10-point lead, and they scored the last 10 points of the game after Georgetown (6-1) had closed to 61-60 with 2:41 to play.

Hoya Coach John Thompson’s teams usually start the season with routs over such opponents as Hawaii Loa of the NAIA and Division II St. Leo, whom the Hoyas beat by 30 points Wednesday.

“I might be more satisfied with this game than any game we’ve had this year in terms of our development as a team in the long run,” Thompson said. “I don’t like to lose, but I think it was a good experience for our kids.

“It’s more important that we become a better team. . . A couple of losses now are good for the soul. You need some bruises.”

No. 1 Nevada Las Vegas 95, No. 21 Michigan State 75--The Spartans opened the second half with an 18-9 run to take a 60-59 lead with 13:26 left, but the Rebels then went on a 20-6 run over the next 8:07 to clinch the victory at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Larry Johnson, who led defending NCAA champion UNLV (3-0) with 35 points, scored nine points during the run. He also had 14 rebounds. Stacey Augmon scored 20 for the Rebels while Steve Smith scored 23 points to lead the Spartans (3-3).

The victory gave UNLV Coach Jerry Tarkanian the best winning percentage in major college history. His record is 568-119 in 22-plus seasons at the major college level and his .8267 winning percentage surpassed the .8266 by Clair Bee, who coached at Rider College (1929-31) and Long Island University (1932-51).

No. 7 Indiana 97, Western Michigan 68--The Broncos (3-3) got to within 17 points early in the second half, but a three-point play by Damon Bailey started a 13-5 run and the Hoosiers led by as many as 29 points in the closing minutes at Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana (8-1), which scored the first 16 points of the game, survived the ejection of Coach Bob Knight to win its sixth in a row since losing to Syracuse at the Maui tournament.

Knight got the first technical for something he said to referee Steve Welmer. Knight then walked to the scorer’s table to continue his protest and was assessed the second technical, meaning automatic ejection from the game.

No. 8 Ohio State 109, American University 73--The Buckeyes improved to 6-0 by routing the Eagles at Washington. They have won each game by at least 30 points, and their average margin of victory has been 42.8 points.

Treg Lee scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Buckeyes, who closed the first half with a 15-0 run, blanking American (3-4) over the final 4:30 to take a 58-24 lead.

No. 9 North Carolina 95, No. 20 Alabama 79--The Tar Heels (6-1) got 75 points from their front line at Chapel Hill, N.C., to win their third in a row.

Alabama’s Bryant Lancaster scored the first basket of the second half, moving the Crimson Tide (2-3) to within 45-39, but they got no closer.

No. 14 St. John’s 78, Howard 65--The undefeated Redmen used a 16-0 run to take control in the second half in New York.

St. John’s (8-0) couldn’t shake Howard (1-6) for 29 minutes, but held the Bison to only three baskets in the final 11 minutes and all three were in the last two minutes. Malik Sealy led the Redmen with 23 points.

No. 15 Pittsburgh 98, Robert Morris 74--The Panthers (7-1) are off to their best start since opening the 1987-88 season with nine consecutive victories. Robert Morris (1-6), which played in the last two NCAA tournaments but is on probation this season, is off to its worst start since becoming a Division I school in 1976.

No. 18 Kentucky 86, Tennessee Chattanooga 70--Richie Farmer, Reggie Hanson and John Pelphrey made consecutive three-point baskets to give the Wildcats (5-1) a 65-47 lead with 9:44 left at Lexington, Ky. Sean Woods made six throws in the final 2:21 as the Wildcats beat the Moccasins (3-4) for the 10th time without a loss.

No. 22 Southern Mississippi 84, Northeast Louisiana 72--The Indians (3-4) started the second half with a 16-8 run to turn a 43-40 deficit into a 56-51 lead, but the Eagles (3-1) scored 12 of the next 17 points to take a 68-62 lead and weren’t threatened again at Hattiesburg, Miss.

Temple 69, No. 23 Georgia Tech 67--The Owls won their 16th in a row at home, improving their record at McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia to 71-4.

Temple (3-2) led, 68-64, after a dunk by Mark Strickland with 47 seconds to play, but Brian Hill made two free throws for the Yellow Jackets (3-3) with 25 seconds left.

After Strickland made one of two free throws with 11 seconds left, Georgia Tech’s Kenny Anderson was fouled with four seconds remaining. He made the first shot and intentionally missed the second. The Yellow Jackets got the rebound, but were unable to score.

No. 24 East Tennessee State 96, George Mason 86--Keith Jennings scored 18 of his 29 points in the second half and teamed with Calvin Talford to rally the Buccaneers from a nine-point deficit at Fairfax, Va.

Jennings scored 11 of his points during a 24-11 run as the Buccaneers (7-1) scored their sixth consecutive victory, spoiling the home opener for the Patriots (2-4). Talford scored seven points during a two-minute span that gave the Buccaneers an 83-77 lead with four minutes left. He then made three free throws and another basket after George Mason pulled to 85-84.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS TOURNAMENTS

Doug Overton scored 24 points and Jack Hurd had 23 as La Salle beat Baylor, 87-82, in an NCAA-sanctioned tournament in Tokyo. The Explorers (5-1), led by Hurd, who made six of 14 three-point shots, made 11 of 32 three-pointers. Hurd scored 11 points, including three three-pointers, as La Salle opened an 80-68 lead with 6:47 to play. Baylor (6-1) pulled to 80-74, but got no closer. In the other game, Ricardo Boyd scored 21 points to help Idaho defeat the Japan Collegiate All-Stars, 92-59. Games played between two NCAA teams count in their 28-game records, but games against the Japanese team do not.

EAST

Undefeated Princeton used a 10-2 run late in the game for 58-45 victory over previously unbeaten Rutgers at Piscataway, N.J. The Scarlet Knights (5-1) shot only 41.9% in losing to the Tigers (7-0) for the third consecutive time and fifth time in the last six games. It is Princeton’s best start since 1966-67, when the Tigers started 8-0.

SOUTH

Kenny Brooks drove the length of the court and made a layup as time ran out to give James Madison a 72-71 victory over Mt. St. Mary’s at Emmitsburg, Md. The Dukes (3-2), trailing by 10 points with 5:26 left, tied the score at 71 before the Mountaineers’ Jeff Hall made one of two free throws with nine seconds remaining. After a timeout, Brooks scored to cap an 18-7 run. Mt. St. Mary’s (1-6) did not make a basket during the final five minutes.

Henry Williams scored 31 points as North Carolina Charlotte defeated Clemson, 108-100, at Clemson, S.C., ending the Tigers’ 29-game home winning streak. The 49ers (4-3) used constant pressure to upset the Tigers. Clemson (5-2) had lost only one of its previous 58 nonconference games at home. . . After Florida State used a 10-4 run to get to within one point of Auburn with nine seconds left, Ronnie Battle, who scored 22 points, made two free throws as the Tigers (5-1) held off the Seminoles (3-2), 99-96, at Auburn, Ala.

MIDWEST

With the score tied at 43-43 in the second half, Indiana State scored 21 consecutive points and defeated Miami (Ohio), 72-53, at Terre Haute, Ind. The Sycamores’ streak started with 13:05 left. Indiana State (4-5) built the lead to 64-43 with 5:27 left on two free throws by Juda Parks before the Redskins (5-3) finally scored. . . Minnesota defeated Oregon State, 64-53, for its first 6-0 start since 1976-77. It was Minnesota’s first game since the NCAA disclosed numerous rules violations against the school’s basketball, football and wrestling programs. Sanctions, if any, won’t be announced until spring. Oregon State (2-3) has a losing record for the first time since it was 1-2 in 1987. It’s the Beavers’ worst five-game start since 1985-86, their last losing season.

John Karaffa scored seven of his 11 points in the second overtime to help Butler defeat Wisconsin, 94-88, at Indianapolis. The Bulldogs (5-3) sent the game into the first overtime at 72-72 on two free throws by Brett Etherington with two seconds left. The Badgers (3-4) led by two points in the first extra period before a layup by Jermaine Guice with one second remaining tied the score at 80.

Acie Earl scored a career-high 31 points to lead Iowa to a 98-81 victory over Maryland Baltimore County at Iowa City. The Hawkeyes (7-1) extended their winning streak to six. The Retrievers (1-7) lost for the sixth consecutive time. It’s their longest losing streak since they lost eight in a row during their first Division I season in 1986-87.

SOUTHWEST

Byron Smith scored 26 points, including seven of Houston’s last 13 points, as the Cougars defeated Texas Southern, 90-78, at Houston in the first meeting between the schools. . . Colorado State held Texas Pan American to only 13 points in the first half and defeated the Broncs, 53-41, at Edinboro, Tex. Texas Pan American (2-5) made only five of 32 shots in the first half and 16 of 62 for the game (26%). Colorado State (5-1) made 20 of 35 shots (57.1%).

ROCKIES

Reggie Jordan scored five consecutive points late in the second half and New Mexico State’s pressure defense led the Aggies to a 72-64 victory over New Mexico at Las Cruces. The Aggies (6-1) avenged a 94-88 loss to New Mexico (6-2) last week on the Lobos’ court.

WEST

Stanford handed Santa Clara its second worst defeat in history, 82-47, at Stanford. Last season, Loyola Marymount routed the Broncos, 117-86. The Cardinal (4-1) jumped to a 25-4 lead over the cold-shooting Broncos (5-4) and led, 39-11, at halftime. For the game, Santa Clara shot only 29% (17 of 59). . . Gary Gray scored five of his 21 points during a run late in the second half to lead UC Santa Barbara to a 65-55 victory over St. Mary’s at Moraga. The Gauchos (2-1) took the lead for good with a 13-2 run that gave them a 61-49 lead with about three minutes to play. The Gaels are 2-7.

Drake ended a three-game losing streak with a 99-72 victory over USIU at Des Moines, Iowa. Kevin Bradshaw of the Gulls (1-9), who entered the game as the nation’s second-leading scorer, led both teams with 33 points. Mark Raveling, son of USC Coach George Raveling, was one of six Drake (3-4) players in double figures with 11 points. . . Portland won for the first time in six games by defeating Texas Tech, 74-72, at Portland. . .Nevada won for the second time in nine games, beating Oregon, 73-66, at Reno. The Ducks (2-3) shot only 38%