South Florida Holds Off Loyola Marymount

James Holmes scored 24 points Friday to lead South Florida to a 54-50 victory over Loyola Marymount for seventh place in the Rainbow Classic at Honolulu.

Melvin Buckley had 10 points and Solomon Jones added nine points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls (6-5).

Holmes’ three-point basket from the left wing gave South Florida a 52-50 lead with 30 seconds remaining. Loyola Marymount turned the ball over, then missed a three-point shot with less than five seconds to play, and South Florida’s Chris Capko made two free throws to secure the victory.

Chris Ayer led Loyola Marymount (3-9) with 12 points and Matthew Knight added nine.

South Florida led, 34-19, at halftime and by as many as 16 early in the second half. Loyola Marymount then outscored the Bulls, 23-7, over the next 10 minutes, tying the score at 42-42 on John Montgomery’s three-point basket with 9:48 remaining.

Ayer’s hook shot with 1:47 left gave Loyola Marymount a 50-49 lead.

Fresno State 79, UC Santa Barbara 76 -- Quinton Hosley scored 25 points and Ja’Vance Coleman added 22 and the Bulldogs held off the Gauchos at Fresno.

Fresno State (6-3) nearly blew a 20-point lead in the final 10 minutes.

Cecil Brown and Joe See had 14 points apiece for Santa Barbara (4-5), which pulled within 78-76 on See’s three-point basket with 1:14 left.

Neither team scored again until Kevin Bell made a free throw with 2.3 seconds remaining.

UC Santa Barbara’s Lance Hurdle missed a shot from near half court at the buzzer.

Fresno State is 4-0 at the Save Mart Center and Santa Barbara is 0-5 on the road.

Fresno State shot 61.5% in the first half but only 28% in the second half.