Alabama Gets the Good News When Washington Hits Basket

Alabama was unbeaten and had won in Alaska, but that was in the Top of the World Classic, not the Great Alaska Shootout. The victories there had come against Northeastern Illinois and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, not Kansas and Virginia.

So the Crimson Tide wondered just how good it was.

A clue came Thursday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where Eric Washington made a three-point basket with five seconds to play to give Alabama (6-0) a 70-67 victory against No. 16 Minnesota.

Washington was somewhat philosophical about it.

“I felt like we had a chance to win before the game ever started,” he said after finishing with 14 points despite making only four of 16 shots. “Just because they’re highly ranked doesn’t mean they beat us until they beat us.”

Minnesota (5-1) was coming off a win over then-No. 10 Clemson.

After trailing throughout the second half, the Golden Gophers tied the score, 67-67, when Bobby Jackson made three free throws with 15 seconds to play.

But on the next possession, Washington got the ball on the left side, spotted up and rattled in the game-winner.

After Washington’s shot, Minnesota called a timeout, then got the ball to Sam Jacobson, who missed a three-point shot from the top of the key at the buzzer.

The players said they knew Minnesota was important to them.

“I really saw this as a chance to see where we were as a team,” said Alabama center Thalamus McGhee, who finished with six points and seven rebounds. “This was a test for us. They are a Big Ten favorite.”

Minnesota Coach Clem Haskins said he wasn’t too disappointed with the loss against a team he judged good enough to make the NCAA tournament.

“We got what we came here for, to play a very good ballclub,” Haskins said.

No. 10 Duke 72, Florida State 66--Carmen Wallace, the Blue Devils’ sixth man, made two free throws 56 seconds into overtime to give Duke (5-1) the lead for good at 65-64, then drew a charging foul, blocked a shot and added two more free throws over the final 1:11 at Durham, N.C.

The Blue Devils’ victory in their first Atlantic Coast Conference game of the season made Duke the fifth NCAA school to win 1,500 basketball games--the others are North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky and St. John’s--and gave them a 1,500-741 record in 92 seasons.

The Seminoles (3-1, 0-1), who led by as many as 10 points in the second half, had two chances to win the game in regulation. Randell Jackson’s short baseline jump shot clanged off the rim, and LaMarr Greer rebounded with five seconds left but missed from 12 feet as the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime at 63-63.

No. 7 Michigan 75, Detroit 59--Louis Bullock scored eight of his 13 points in the second half, including two of his three three-point baskets, to help the Wolverines (4-0) break open a tight game against Detroit (2-3) in Ann Arbor.

No. 9 Iowa State 57, Tennessee-Martin 36--Leading their lightly regarded visitors by only 33-30 in the Cyclone Classic, Iowa State (3-0) outscored the Skyhawks, 15-2, over a span of 10:15 in the second half.

Tennessee-Martin is 2-5.

OTHER GAMES

Odell Hodge sparked a 12-0 run by Old Dominion (5-0) in the second half with two layups and two jump shots to push the Monarchs to a 67-57 victory over Washington (3-1) at Norfolk, Va. . . . Ray Weathers and Mateen Cleaves each scored 14 points for Michigan State (3-0), a 90-60 winner over Illinois-Chicago (0-3) at East Lansing. . . . Wes Flanigan’s 17 points led Auburn (3-3) to a 75-63 home win over Arkansas-Little Rock (1-3), which is coached by Wimp Sanderson, a Tiger nemesis when he was at Alabama. . . . Monty Owens scored 15 points, including six free throws in the final 1:07, and Pacific (2-1) won its third in a row, 63-57 over San Diego (2-2). . . . Led by Raymond Tutt with 20 points, UC Santa Barbara beat Akron, 65-58, in the Gaucho Classic at Goleta.

WOMEN

UCLA 60, Loyola Marymount 39--Maylana Martin scored 20 points to lead the Bruins (2-1), who used a 17-2 run in the second half to break the game open at Loyola.

The Lions (0-6), who were led by Taryn Reynolds with 10 points, committed 19 of their 28 turnovers in the second half.

College Basketball Notes

Big West Conference officials said they are reviewing the conduct of New Mexico State Coach Neil McCarthy, who allegedly made an obscene gesture to fans after being ejected from a 79-73 loss Wednesday night at Texas El Paso. McCarthy denied making the gesture, though news video seems to contradict his denial.