COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : North Carolina Defeats Virginia for Its 13th ACC Tournament Title

North Carolina, ranked No. 4 in the nation, used strong inside play and the shooting of Donald Williams down the stretch to defeat Virginia, 73-66, in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship game Sunday at Charlotte, N.C.

Five of Williams’ 13 points came in the final 45 seconds. Jerry Stackhouse, named the tournament’s most valuable player, led the Tar Heels (27-6) with 14 points. Eric Montross had 12.

It was the 13th tournament championship for the Tar Heels and the 12th for Coach Dean Smith, who on Saturday got his 800th coaching victory.

Virginia (17-12) used the tournament as a stepping stone to an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament. Freshman Harold Deane, who scored 19 points, made a three-pointer and two free throws to draw the Cavaliers to 66-64 with 54.5 seconds left.

But then Williams went on his personal, decisive run. The highlight was a jumper in transition with 45.9 seconds left.

BIG EIGHT TOURNAMENT

Coach Danny Nee just took another step to putting that other program at Nebraska on the map, as Nee and the Cornhuskers beat Oklahoma State, 77-68, in the final of the Big Eight tournament at Kansas City, Mo.

It is the first tournament title for a basketball team accustomed to playing in the shadow of the school’s football program.

“This is a giant step for the Nebraska program,” Nee said after the Cornhuskers (20-9) went through Oklahoma, No. 3 Missouri and No. 23 Oklahoma State.

Jamar Johnson scored 19 points to lead Nebraska. Oklahoma State (23-9), which had beaten No. 11 Kansas in the semifinals, got 21 points from Randy Rutherford.

Bryant Reeves, the Cowboys’ 7-foot, All-Big Eight center, made just six of 18 shots as Oklahoma State shot only 35%. Reeves finished with 18 points.

SEC TOURNAMENT

Kentucky won its third consecutive Southeastern Conference tournament championship by defeating Florida, 73-60, at Memphis.

Kentucky gave Florida a dose of its own medicine. The Gators shut down Alabama in the semifinals by packing a 2-3 zone around the basket, a deployment Kentucky used on Sunday.

Florida’s all-SEC guards, Dan Cross and Craig Brown, hit 11 of 25 shots--but only two of 11 three-pointers--and combined for 28 points.

Rodrick Rhodes, suspended from Kentucky’s opening round game for a violation of team rules, sparked the Wildcats off the bench with 12 of his 15 points in a decisive 22-4 spurt in the second half. Kentucky (26-6) also got 13 points each from Tony Delk and Jeff Brassow, and 10 from tournament MVP Travis Ford.

No. 17 Florida (25-7), making its third appearance in the title game and first in five years, was led by Cross with 17 points.

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT

Providence got 16 points and 16 rebounds from tournament MVP Michael Smith and defeated Georgetown, 74-64, in the Big East championship game at New York.

The Friars (20-9) were making their first championship game appearance.

Georgetown (18-11) had three starters foul out, was hit with three technicals--one against coach John Thompson--and one intentional foul, but was still within 67-63 with 1:45 left.

But the Hoyas, making their record ninth appearance in the championship game and winners of six titles in the league’s 15-year history, never got any closer.

METRO TOURNAMENT

Clifford Rozier had 20 points and 17 rebounds as Louisville (26-5) beat Southern Mississippi, 69-61, at Biloxi, Miss., to win its fifth Metro Conference tournament title in seven years. It wasn’t easy after the Cardinals struggled through the first half.

Rozier, the two-time Metro Conference player of the year and the tournament’s most valuable player, had consecutive inside baskets as Louisville opened the second half with a 13-3 run to take the lead for good. He had 14 points and 10 rebounds in the second half.

Bernard Haslett had 16 points for Southern Mississippi (15-14).

MEAC TOURNAMENT

North Carolina A&T; defeated South Carolina State, 87-70, in the championship game of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament at Baltimore and will face Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Phillip Allen and John Floyd scored 21 points apiece for the Aggies (16-13).

SWAC TOURNAMENT

Kevin Granger scored 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds, leading Texas Southern past Jackson State, 70-67, at Baton Rouge, La., for the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament title. Texas Southern (19-10) will meet Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

NONTOURNAMENT

Iowa 83, Ohio State 74--Jess Settles scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to become Iowa’s all-time freshman scoring and rebounding leader as the Hawkeyes beat the Buckeyes at Iowa City.

Chris Kingsbury had 18 points for Iowa (11-16, 5-13). Ohio State (13-16, 6-12) finished with a losing record for the first since 1976-77. Jamie Skelton led the Buckeyes with 23 points.