COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL ROUNDUP : Purdue Prolongs Ohio State’s Wait, 72-67

Trying to clinch its first outright Big Ten Conference championship in 20 years, second-ranked Ohio State got a history lesson from Purdue.

Jimmy Oliver scored 27 points, including nine of the last 15, and the Boilermakers upset the Buckeyes, 72-67, Wednesday night at West Lafayette, Ind.

It was the sixth consecutive loss at Purdue for Ohio State.

Ohio State (26-2 overall and 15-2 in the conference) is a lock for the tournament, but Purdue (16-11, 8-9) improved its slim chances for a berth by winning its third consecutive game and fifth in the last six.

Ohio State was within 68-67 after Perry Carter hit the first of two free throws and Jackson sank a jumper off Carter’s missed second shot with 1:14 left, but the Buckeyes didn’t score again.

Oliver and Linc Darner sank two free throws each in the final 1:03 to hold off the Buckeyes, who need a victory in their final game at Iowa or a loss by second-place Indiana to win their first outright Big Ten title since 1971.

Ohio State guard Jimmy Jackson scored just 12 points.

No. 25 DePaul 75, Miami, Fla. 58--Melvon Foster scored all 10 of his points during a 20-2 second-half run as the Blue Demons ran away from the Hurricanes at Rosemont, Ill.

Independent DePaul (19-8) has probably locked up a berth in the NCAA tournament by winning 11 of its last 12 games and seven in a row at home.

Miami (9-19) finished 0-11 on the road this season, stretching its road losing streak to 13.

Wisconsin 85, Illinois 77--Willie Simms scored 18 points and John Ellenson added 17 as the Badgers kept their hopes alive for a National Invitation Tournament bid by downing the Illini in a Big Ten game at Madison, Wis.

Wisconsin (14-13, 8-9), hoping for a bid to the NIT, clinched the victory on a free throw by Ellenson with 1:06 left and two by Tim Locum with 47 seconds left.

Illinois is 21-9 and 11-6.

NCAA QUALIFYING GAMES

St. Francis, Pa., 70, Fordham 64--Joe Anderson had 32 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Red Flash to their first NCAA tournament berth with a victory over the Rams at Loretto, Pa.

Anderson hit a pair of three-pointers during an 11-1 run that gave St. Francis (24-7), champion of the Northeast Conference, a 51-46 lead with 11:35 remaining. Fordham (24-7), Patriot League champion, which took the lead with a 12-2 run to start the second half, never caught up.

Coastal Carolina 78, Jackson State 59--DuWayne Cheatam and Robert Dowdell each scored 19 points and the Chanticleers qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time by trouncing the Tigers at Jackson, Miss.

The Chanticleers (24-7), champions of the Big South Conference, led all the way, handing Jackson State (17-13), Southwest Athletic Conference champion, its first defeat in 11 home games this season.

Northeast Louisiana 87, Florida A&M; 63--Anthony Jones scored 21 points and had five steals as the Indians routed the Rattlers (17-13) at Monroe, La., to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Northeast Louisiana (24-7) won the regular-season and tournament championships in the Southland Conference.

TOURNAMENTS OHIO VALLEY

Murray State 89, Morehead State 61--Greg Coble and John Jackson each scored 15 points as the Racers overpowered the Eagles (16-13) in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament at Murray, Ky.

Murray State (23-8), the regular-season champion, will play Middle Tennessee, an 83-66 winner over Eastern Kentucky in the other semifinal, in the championship game tonight.

TRANS AMERICA

Georgia State 94, Texas San Antonio 84--Chris Collier had 25 points and 13 rebounds as the Panthers (15-14) upset the regular-season champion Roadrunners (21-8) in the semifinals of the Trans America Athletic Conference tournament at Deland, Fla.

WESTERN ATHLETIC

San Diego State 58, Air Force 51--Keith Balzer scored 18 points and the Aztecs held the Falcons (7-20) scoreless in the first five minutes of each half while winning in the first round of the Western Athletic Conference tournament at Laramie, Wyo. The victory puts San Diego State (13-15) into a quarterfinal game against top-seeded and eighth-ranked Utah.