COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Arkansas Falls, but There Are Upsets Aplenty

Not that it is any consolation for the Arkansas Razorbacks, but they were not alone.

Mississippi State’s T.J. Honore made two free throws in the final 33 seconds as the unranked Bulldogs shocked third-ranked Arkansas, 72-71, Wednesday night at Starkville, Miss.

But the Razorbacks’ loss only seemed to typify the night, as six top-25 teams were losers, including No. 4 North Carolina.

The Bulldogs improved to 11-2 overall, and are 5-0 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time in more than three decades. Arkansas fell to 12-2 and 3-2.

Mississippi State made only two of five free throws in the closing minute, but Arkansas failed to take advantage when it missed three shots in that span.

Brian Price had 15 points and 15 rebounds and freshman Erick Dampier 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

Corliss Williamson had 26 points for Arkansas, which shot only 34%.

Virginia 81, No. 4 North Carolina 77--Junior Burrough scored 10 of Virginia’s last 14 points and the Cavaliers held the Tar Heels to four field goals in the final six minutes at Charlottesville, Va.

Burrough finished with 22 points as Virginia, 10-4 and 4-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, took sole possession of first place in the league. Kevin Salvadori led North Carolina (13-3, 3-2) with 16 points, but he failed to score in the final 10 minutes.

No. 10 Connecticut 79, Providence 78--Kevin Ollie dribbled the length of the court and made his only field goal of the game, a layup with 2.2 seconds to play, to lift the Huskies in a Big East game at Providence, R.I.

The Friars (9-4, 3-3) took a 78-77 lead on Michael Brown’s sixth three-pointer with 8.8 seconds left.

Ollie then took Donyell Marshall’s inbound pass down the left side and connected from the baseline for the winning basket.

Donyell Marshall led the Huskies (16-1, 6-0) with 28 points.

Michigan State 70, No. 14 Wisconsin 60--Shawn Respert scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half of a Big Ten game at East Lansing, Mich., as the Spartans dealt the Badgers their second consecutive road loss.

Wisconsin (12-2, 3-2) missed 15 of its first 20 shots. Michigan State improved to 12-5 and 3-2.

Wake Forest 67, No. 17 Georgia Tech 63--Trelonnie Owens scored 23 points, including a go-ahead three-point play with 1:42 remaining as the Demon Deacons won an ACC game at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Tim Duncan had 18 points, 16 rebounds and six blocked shots for Wake Forest (12-4, 3-1). Georgia Tech is 10-5 and 1-3.

Marquette 60, No. 18 Alabama Birmingham 58--Jim McIlvaine scored 24 points, including two free throws with seven seconds to play to seal the Great Midwest victory at Birmingham, Ala.

Alabama Birmingham (13-2, 2-1) shot only 38%. Marquette improved to 10-4 and 3-0.

No. 22 Xavier 82, No. 19 Cincinnati 76--Jeff Massey made two three-point baskets in overtime to lift Xavier of Ohio at Cincinnati.

Cincinnati (12-4) overcame a 10-point deficit to send the game into overtime. Xavier (12-2) opened the overtime with three-pointers from Massey and Steve Gentry to go ahead, 77-71.

No. 24 West Virginia 79, Marshall 67--Pervires Greene scored 23 points to lead West Virginia at Charleston, W.Va.

Ricky Robinson added 17 points, including 13 in the second half, for West Virginia (11-2).

Marshall fell to 5-10.