COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL ROUNDUP : Pitt Is Back on Track, Overcoming Seton Hall

Pittsburgh, reeling from three consecutive losses including its worst defeat in five seasons, 112-85 to UCLA on Saturday, needed any kind of victory to feel like a top 25 team again.

The Panthers beat Seton Hall, 86-80, in a Big East game at Pittsburgh Monday night, thanks to Brian Shorter, who scored 22 points and made three free throws in the final 34 seconds to seal it.

Jason Matthews, benched for the first time this season, scored all 11 of his points in the second half--including three three-point shots--as No. 24 Pittsburgh rallied after blowing a seven-point first-half lead.

The Panthers, 16-7 overall and 5-4 in the conference, withstood 25 points by Terry Dehere and 23 by Anthony Avent to deal Seton Hall (13-7, 5-6) its third consecutive loss.

No. 11 Virginia 87, Radford 54--Bryant Stith scored 25 points and Kenny Turner added 18 and a career-high 16 rebounds at Charlottesville, Va., as the Cavaliers (17-4) won their sixth game in a row.

Ron Shelburne led the Highlanders (16-5) with 16 points, and reserve Stephen Barber had 14.

No. 12 Southern Mississippi 98, Appalachian State 74--Russell Johnson scored 22 points to lead the Golden Eagles (15-2) to victory at Boone, N.C.

Appalachian State (11-10) led, 25-21, before two three-point baskets by Bernard Haslet fueled a 10-2 run for Southern Mississippi.

No. 13 East Tennessee State 93, Tennessee Chattanooga 70--Keith Jennings had 26 points and Calvin Talford added 19 as the Buccaneers (19-2, 8-1) won a Southern Conference game over the only team to beat them in the league this season.

The Moccasins (14-8, 7-2) never led before a record crowd of 12,884 at Johnson City, Tenn. REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS EAST

Freshman Bernard Blunt scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead St. Joseph’s (8-12, 5-8) to a 66-60 victory over Temple (14-6, 8-3) in an Atlantic 10 game at Philadelphia. . . . Tracy Bergan scored with 12 seconds left to provide Loyola, Md., (9-11) with the winning margin in its 85-84 victory over Towson State (13-7) at Towson, Md. MIDWEST

Deon Thomas scored 22 points to lead Illinois (16-6, 6-3) to a 73-59 Big Ten victory over Northwestern (5-14, 0-9) at Champaign, Ill. . . . Tony Bennett scored 22 points and John Martinez added 21 to lead Wisconsin Green Bay (15-5, 7-2) to a 72-67 Mid-Continent Conference victory over Northern Iowa (6-16, 3-7) at Green Bay. SOUTH

Andre Cunningham scored 22 points and Marshall (10-13, 3-6) ended a three-game losing streak with a 90-78 Southern Conference victory over The Citadel (4-16, 0-9). . . . Randolph Childress had 25 points as Wake Forest (11-7) beat William & Mary (10-11), 93-74, at Williamsburg, Va.