COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Tar Heels End Virginia’s Streak

Seventh-ranked Virginia’s 16-game winning streak came to an end Wednesday night when No. 3 North Carolina beat the Cavaliers, 80-58, in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Chapel Hill, N.C.

“North Carolina didn’t do anything tonight to disprove to me that they’re the best team in the country,” Virginia Coach Jeff Jones said.

The Cavaliers, who had the nation’s longest winning streak as well as the third longest in school history, could not overcome North Carolina’s occasional dry spells in the first half.

The Tar Heels, 15-1 overall and 5-0 in the ACC, extended their winning streak to seven games as Kevin Salvadori scored 14 points.

No. 19 Vanderbilt 102, No. 8 Arkansas 89--Billy McCaffrey scored 28 points, including four in a row on technical fouls after the ejection of Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson, and the Commodores upset the Razorbacks (12-2, 3-1) in a Southeastern Conference game at Nashville, Tenn.

Vanderbilt (14-3, 4-1) led, 57-54, with 15:50 remaining when Richardson was ejected for arguing what he thought was a charging foul and disputing a three-second violation against Arkansas.

“I’ve gotten technicals in my life, but I never got one because they read my lips,” Richardson said. “That’s the way it goes.”

McCaffrey, the second-leading free-throw shooter in the SEC, gave Vanderbilt a 61-54 lead with his free throws. Bruce Elder added a basket and two free throws as the Commodores pulled away.

No. 5 Michigan 80, Minnesota 73--Jalen Rose and Chris Webber, wearing a mask to protect his broken nose, sparked a 21-12 second-half run as the Wolverines handed the Gophers their first home loss of the season in a Big Ten game at Minneapolis.

Rose scored 23 points and Webber added 12 points and seven blocked shots as Michigan (14-2, 3-1) avenged last season’s Big Ten loss at Minnesota (10-4, 2-3).

No. 20 Pittsburgh 81, Boston College 70--Jerry McCullough scored 22 points as the Panthers (12-2, 5-2) beat the Eagles in a Big East game at Newton, Mass.

Malcolm Huckaby had 19 of his 24 points in the second half to rally Boston College (9-5, 3-3), but the Eagles twice missed the front end of ond-one free-throw opportunities after pulling to within 58-56 midway through the second half.

Wisconsin 76, No. 24 Ohio State 67--Sophomore forward Michael Finley scored a career-high 34 points as the Badgers beat the Buckeyes (9-3, 2-2) in a Big Ten game at Madison, Wis.

It was the second consecutive victory over a ranked team for the Badgers, who beat then-No. 19 Minnesota on Saturday. Wisconsin (9-4, 2-2) is off to its best conference start since 1987.

OTHER GAMES

Senior center Detlef Musch scored 20 points to lift Davidson (5-7, 2-3) to an 80-70 Southern Conference victory over The Citadel (1-11, 0-6) at Davidson, N.C. . . . In the SEC, South Carolina (7-7, 3-2) beat Florida (9-5, 3-2) at Gainesville, Fla., 81-76. . . . Auburn (7-5, 2-3) defeated Tennessee (9-6, 1-3) in an SEC game, 88-75, at Auburn, Ala. . . . Mississippi (4-8, 1-4) defeated Mississippi State (8-7, 1-4) at Oxford, Miss., 69-53, in an SEC game. . . . Florida State (12-5, 4-1) defeated Clemson (9-4, 0-4) in an ACC game, 89-71, at Clemson, S.C. . . . DePaul (9-7, 1-2) beat Alabama Birmingham (11-7, 1-2) in a Great Midwest Conference game, 73-62, at Birmingham, Ala.