Arizona Handles San Diego, 80-69

Mustafa Shakur scored 23 points and Ivan Radenovic had 20 -- both career highs -- to lead No. 10 Arizona to an 80-69 victory over San Diego on Tuesday night in the first round of the Preseason NIT at Tucson.

Salim Stoudamire also scored 20 for the Wildcats, who won their 13th consecutive Preseason NIT game and are 13-1 overall in the event. Arizona won the tournament in its last three appearances -- 1990, 1995, 1999.

The Wildcats will play host to Wright State in the second round Thursday night. The winner goes to the semifinals in New York next week.

Brice Vounang matched his career best with 28 points and had 11 rebounds for the Toreros.

Shakur, Arizona’s sophomore playmaker who averaged only six shots a game last season, made seven of 12 shots.

Radenovic, in his second season with the Wildcats from Serbia and Montenegro, was eight for 17 and had 10 rebounds.

The Wildcats led at halftime, 41-23.

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Ryan Gomes scored 25 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and made the game-winning jumper in the lane with 24 seconds left as Providence overcame a 13-point deficit to escape with an 83-78 victory over Niagara in the first round of the Preseason NIT at Providence, R.I.... Travis Diener scored 34 points, making five three-point baskets, to lead Marquette over Air Force, 69-65, in the championship of the Black Coaches Assn. Classic at Milwaukee. Dameon Mason had 12 points and Steve Novak 10 for Marquette (3-0).