COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Georgia Tech Recovers to Defeat Wake Forest

Georgia Tech blew an eight-point lead in the final 3:45, shot miserably and still defeated No. 15 Wake Forest, 67-65, at Atlanta on Tuesday night.

“We easily could have lost that game,” Coach Bobby Cremins said after the 22nd-ranked Yellow Jackets squandered their lead. “We did not play well and yet we won, which was a real positive sign.”

Freshman Matt Harpring broke a tie with a layup with 40 seconds to play and Travis Best added three free throws in the final 20 seconds.

The Yellow Jackets, 10-5 overall and 2-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, shot only 39% but led, 50-42, on two free throws by Harpring with 4:03 to play. Wake Forest (9-3, 2-2) started its comeback with Randolph Childress’ two free throws.

A rebound layup by Travis Banks had lifted the Deacons, who shot only 38%, into a tie, 62-62, with 56 seconds to play.

No. 6 Syracuse 91, St. John’s 87--Lawrence Moten scored 11 of his 21 points in the final 9:35 as the Orangemen (13-1, 6-0) held off St. John’s (8-5, 2-4) in a Big East game at Syracuse, where freshman Felipe Lopez tied a Carrier Dome record for scoring by an opposing player with 35 points.

Michigan 69, No. 20 Illinois 59--Dugan Fife made three three-point baskets in a row in the second half to give the Wolverines (10-6, 4-1) a nine-point lead and they beat Illinois in a Big Ten game at Champaign.

Michigan tied the Illini (13-4, 4-1) for first place in the Big Ten and denied Coach Lou Henson his 400th victory at Illinois.

No. 25 Pennsylvania 90, La Salle 71--Scott Kegler scored 19 points as the Quakers (9-2) recovered from a 33-point drubbing by Massachusetts to hammer the Explorers (8-5) at Philadelphia.

OTHER GAMES

Shawn Good sank three free throws in the final two minutes for Virginia Tech (13-3) in a 57-54 victory over Marquette (9-5) in Milwaukee. . . . Danny Hurley scored 18 points, led a 15-1 second-half spurt and carried Seton Hall (12-4, 3-3) down the stretch in a 66-58 Big East victory over Boston College (6-7, 0-6) at East Rutherford, N.J. . . . Andy Meyer led a balanced Dayton (6-7) attack with 11 points in a 73-63 victory over Notre Dame (10-6) at Dayton. . . . Landers Nolley scored 21 points, including seven during a 13-0 run late in the second half that gave Louisiana State (9-4, 3-0) a 74-61 victory at Alabama (11-4, 2-2) in a Southeastern Conference game

MONDAY’S LATE GAME

No. 19 New Mexico St. 99, Nevada Las Vegas 79--The Aggies (13-3, 4-1) beat UNLV for the fifth consecutive time in a Big West game, getting 17 points from reserve center Crafton Ferguson, forcing the Rebels (4-6, 1-3) into 27 turnovers.

College Notes

Clemson Coach Rick Barnes apologized for his behavior against North Carolina, which drew an ejection, but not for his team’s physical play. The Tigers were called for 32 fouls to only nine for North Carolina. . . . Ryan Cuff has left the program at No. 13 Arizona State because of a lack of playing time and Jimmy Kolyszko will stay away from the team to work on academic problems, Coach Bill Frieder said. The Sun Devils play USC on Thursday and UCLA on Saturday.