COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Syracuse Comes Up Shorter at Pitt, 93-79

Brian Shorter, bothered all season by a viral infection, had 32 points and 11 rebounds Monday night and No. 17 Pittsburgh knocked off eighth-ranked Syracuse, 93-79, in a Big East Conference game at Pittsburgh.

It was the second consecutive defeat for Syracuse (13-2 overall, 1-2 in the Big East).

Shorter, who totaled only 17 points in Pitt’s first two Big East games, scored 22 points in the second half, including 14 in the first six minutes.

Shorter was averaging just 10 points per game--half his average of last season--and was coming off a seven-point performance at Connecticut that included a career-low three shots. He scored 20 or more points only once previously this season.

Jason Matthews added 16 points for Pittsburgh (13-3, 2-1), which trailed by three points before going on a 16-4 run capped by Shorter’s three-point play for a 60-51 lead with 14 minutes left.

Billy Owens, who had 23 points, scored six consecutive points to slice Pitt’s lead to 75-72, but missed a three-point shot that Pitt converted into two free throws by Sean Miller.

That started the Panthers on a 6-0 run that made it 81-72 with 2:09 left.

No. 1 UNLV 95, San Jose State 63--Larry Johnson had 27 points and 11 rebounds the Rebels overpowered San Jose State in a Big West Conference game at Las Vegas for their 20th consecutive victory.

Johnson scored 17 of his points in the second half before being pulled with 7:29 remaining and UNLV (9-0, 3-0) ahead, 79-49.

Terry Cannon had 14 points for the Spartans (2-10, 0-3), who lost their fifth straight.

No. 20 LSU 83, Georgia 76--Shaquille O’Neal had 34 points and 16 rebounds as the Tigers turned back the Bulldogs in a Southeastern Conference game at Baton Rogue, La.

Georgia (8-5, 1-3) held O’Neal to four points in the first 10 minutes as 6-10 center Neville Austin smothered the sophomore in the post. O’Neal finally got going and had 16 points as LSU (9-3, 2-1) took a 37-29 halftime lead.

Litterial Green scored 26 points for Georgia.

No. 21 South Carolina 67, Louisville 64--Jo Jo English hit a jumper with 10 seconds left to lift the Gamecocks to a Metro Conference victory over the Cardinals at Louisville, Ky.

It was the first victory for South Carolina (11-2, 1-0) in Freedom Hall, where the Gamecocks lost their previous eight games.

South Carolina had a 55-48 lead with 3:58 left, but Louisville (5-5, 0-2) rallied and got even, 64-64, on Everick Sullivan’s three-pointer with 25 seconds left.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

EAST

Chris Brooks and Chris Leonard scored 23 points each as West Virginia (6-3, 2-0) romped to a 107-73 Atlantic 10 Conference victory over Duquesne (3-7, 2-2) at Morgantown, W.Va. Effrem Whitehead had 20 for the Dukes.

MIDWEST

Willie Simms scored 19 points and Wisconsin (7-4) beat Minnesota, 72-62, in the Big Ten opener for both schools at Madison, Wis. Kevin Lynch had 17 points for the Gophers (7-4).

SOUTH

Kendrick Warren scored 17 points and put Virginia Commonwealth (7-8, 1-0) ahead to stay on a three-point play with 1:15 left in a 66-64 victory over Alabama Birmingham (10-5, 2-1) in a Sun Belt Conference game at Richmond, Va.

WEST

Charles McKinney scored 25 points and Will Brantley added 24 to lead Oregon State (8-4) to a 74-65 win over Gonzaga (9-4) at Corvallis, Ore.