Charleston Cruises to Another Victory

The College of Charleston won its 23rd consecutive game Friday with a 98-74 victory over Furman in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament at Greensboro, N.C..

The No. 17-ranked Cougars (26-2) bolted to a 19-1 lead. Less than 10 minutes into the game, Charleston had taken a 30-point lead over the stunned Paladins and finished with its most points in 102 games.

“We jumped ahead as quick as quick can be,” Charleston Coach John Kresse said. “It was one of the finest starts in tournament play that I’ve been around in my 35 years of this great, great profession.

Sedic Webber scored 16 points for Charleston, who shot 65% from the field.

Furman (12-16), with its most wins since the 1991-92 season and a first-round winner over Virginia Military Institute, got 15 points from Marcus Dilligard.

Princeton 65, Cornell 45--Gabe Lewullis scored 18 points and the Tigers (19-6, 10-2) kept their Ivy League title hopes alive by opening a 19-point halftime lead at Princeton, N.J.

The victory kept Princeton a game behind Penn in the race for the league title and its automatic NCAA tournament berth. The Quakers beat Columbia, 68-48.

The schools will trade opponents tonight and then play Tuesday at Princeton in the regular-season finale. If the schools finish tied, a one-game playoff would be held Friday at Lehigh.

Old Dominion 65, East Carolina 62--Michael Williams made two free throws with 5.7 seconds left in the second overtime and the Monarchs scored on a turnover on the ensuing inbounds in the quarterfinals of the Colonial Athletic Assn. tournament at Richmond, Va.

Andre McCullum led the Monarchs (23-7) with 16 points.

College Basketball Notes

It probably would take a lot more than a bruised hand to keep Utah guard Andre Miller out of his final game in the Huntsman Center. Miller is listed as questionable for today’s regular-season finale against New Mexico. He landed hard on his left hand in the final minute of No. 12 Utah’s 75-70 win over Texas El Paso Thursday. X-rays of Miller’s hand were negative. Both team doctors and Miller himself think the senior will be ready to play in the last home game of his college career.