Okulaja Leads the Tar Heels

Ademola Okulaja scored 15 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds as No. 10 North Carolina beat Florida International, 65-44, Monday night at Chapel Hill, N.C., in the first round of the Preseason NIT.

The Tar Heels (2-0) wore down the Golden Panthers (2-1), who were playing their third game in four days. North Carolina will play host to Georgia in the second round.

OTHER GAMES

Todd MacCulloch scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Chris Walcott made three free throws in the final minute to help No. 14 Washington defeat North Carolina Wilmington, 70-63, at Seattle. . . . Courtney Alexander scored 32 points to lead Fresno State (2-0) to a 114-101 victory over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at Fresno. . . . Jaraan Cornell scored 23 points to help No. 15 Purdue (2-0) defeat Illinois Chicago, 77-61, in a Preseason NIT game at West Lafayette, Ind. The Boilermakers will next play host to Gonzaga. . . . Monty Mack scored 24 points and made three three-point shots as No. 23 Massachusetts beat Niagara, 87-63, in a Preseason NIT game at Amherst, Mass. UMass next plays St. John’s.

WOMEN

Tamika Catchings had 30 points and 11 rebounds as fourth-ranked Tennessee rebounded from a shocking upset to rout St. Joseph’s, 108-63, at Knoxville, Tenn. The Lady Vols lost to Purdue, the new No. 1 team, Sunday night, ending a 46-game win streak.