Princeton Passes Pre-Tournament Overtime Test

Steve Goodrich scored a career-high 33 points, including five in overtime, as No. 8 Princeton survived a scare from Ivy League rival Pennsylvania with a 78-72 victory Tuesday night at Philadelphia.

The Tigers (26-1, 14-0 Ivy League), had to go to overtime for the first time this season to win their 19th consecutive game since losing to North Carolina in December. The Tigers had already secured the league title and automatic bid.

Coach Bill Carmody is 28-0 in the Ivy League since joining Princeton last season. Penn (17-12, 10-4) has lost five in a row to the Tigers.

“It would have been nice to win the game in regulation, but we haven’t been in this situation all year,” said Gabe Lewullis, who had 18 points, including many of Princeton’s big shots down the stretch. “Come tourney time, we’re going to meet these situations every game. I don’t think this game is going to hurt us at all.”

Lewullis made a jump shot to give the Tigers a one-point lead with one minute left in regulation and a layup and foul shot to give Princeton a four-point cushion in overtime.

Paul Romanczuk had 22 points and nine rebounds. Michael Jordan had 14 points, and George Mboya tied a career high with 10.

Although Princeton led by 18 late in the first half, they trailed 64-62 after Jordan made a three-point basket, then drove and made a foul shot with under two minutes remaining.

MCAC TOURNAMENT

Matthew Graves scored 18 points and Mike Marshall grabbed 11 rebounds, leading Butler to a 70-51 victory over Wisconsin Green Bay at Green Bay, for the Midwestern Collegiate Conference title and a spot in the NCAA tournament.

In capturing a second consecutive MCC title and the automatic NCAA slot, Butler shut down Green Bay’s shooters and outrebounded the Phoenix, 42-29.

Otis Frazier scored 17 points and Jeff Rogers had 15 for Butler (22-10), which led 29-21 at halftime and gradually wore down Green Bay (17-12).

Wayne Walker led the Phoenix with 18 points and Jerry Carstensen added 13 before fouling out late in the game.

Green Bay got only six points from B.J. LaRue, who had led the Phoenix with 26 in a 68-65 upset of Detroit in semifinals Sunday.

MID-CONTINENT TOURNAMENT

Bill Jenkins scored 16 points and Valparaiso earned another trip to the NCAA tournament by defeating Youngstown State, 67-48, at Moline, Ill., to win its fourth consecutive Mid-Continent Conference tournament title.

Jamie Sykes scored 15 points for the top-seeded Crusaders (21-9). Bryce Drew scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half and also had five assists, four rebounds and four steals.

Valparaiso becomes only the eighth Division I school to win at least four consecutive conference tournaments. Kentucky holds the all-time NCAA record with seven in a row.

Youngstown State, which shot only 35.7%, was led by Craig Haese’s 11 points and 10 from Anthony Hunt. The Penguins (20-9) fell behind, 33-17, at the half.

Valparaiso raced to a 13-2 lead in the first seven minutes and limited Youngstown State to six points in the first 13 minutes.

SUN BELT TOURNAMENT

Toby Madison made the winning basket with 40 seconds left as South Alabama shook off Southwestern Louisiana for a 62-59 victory in the Sun Belt Conference tournament title game at Lafayette, La.

The victory sends South Alabama (21-6) to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

The Jaguars, after leading since early in the game, had to fight off Southwestern (18-13) throughout the second half as the Cajuns made seven of their nine three-point baskets. South Alabama was eight for 14 from three-point distance in the game.

Chris Manuel brought Southwestern within one at 59-58 with 1:28 left on a three-point basket from the right side, then tied the score at 59 by making the front end of a one-and-one with 1:07 left.

Madison then made the final field goal to make it 61-59 with 40 seconds left and he grabbed a rebound off a Southwestern miss with 14 seconds left.

After a timeout, Manuel fouled Dusty Dubbs on the inbound pass. Dubbs made the first free throw, making it 62-59. A last-second three-point attempt by Southwestern’s Tyrone Foster hit the front of the rim.

Madison led South Alabama with 18 points and Darrian Evans had 14 and nine rebounds.

Foster led Southwestern with 18 points. Manuel and Casey Green had 14.

WAC TOURNAMENT

Willie Davis made two free throws with 7.9 seconds remaining to give Southern Methodist a 76-71 victory over Colorado State in the opening round of the Western Athletic Conference tournament at Las Vegas. After fighting back from a 25-point deficit, Colorado State narrowed SMU’s lead to 74-71 with 10 seconds to play, but Brian Christiansen’s off-balance three-point attempt was off the mark. Davis was fouled in the scramble for the ball and he sealed the win.

Shawn Williams had 15 points and Rod Thompson 13 as Tulsa opened an early lead and then hung on to defeat Brigham Young, 59-56. Williams made one of two free throws with 10.4 seconds left, then Tulsa blocked a final three-point try by Danny Bower that would have tied the game.

Jason Richey scored a game-high 20 points to lead San Diego State to a 60-57 victory over Wyoming in overtime. Trailing, 58-57, Wyoming’s Gregg Sawyer missed a short jump shot with six seconds to play. Richey rebounded, was fouled and made both free throws.

Nevada Las Vegas defeated Hawaii, 64-59, in the late game.

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They’re In

Schools that have received automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. All bids are by virtue of conference tournament championships with the exception of the Ivy League and Pacific 10, which do not conduct postseason tournaments:

* Arizona, Pacific 10

* Butler, Midwestern Collegiate

* Coll. of Charleston, Trans America Ath.

* Davidson, Southern

* Fairleigh Dickinson, Northeast

* Illinois State, Missouri Valley

* Iona, Metro Atlantic Athletic

* Murray State, Ohio Valley

* Princeton, Ivy

* Radford, Big South

* Richmond, Colonial Athletic Assn.

* San Francisco, West Coast

* South Alabama, Sun Belt

* Valparaiso, Mid-Continent