Eligibility Question Doesn’t Stump Texas
Daniel Gibson had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Texas shook off any distractions about P.J. Tucker’s future with an impressive 75-61 victory over Oklahoma State on Monday night at Austin, Texas.
Tucker, who spent most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble, scored 15 points in the second for the No. 15 Longhorns (14-3 overall, 3-1 Big 12 Conference), but it might have been his final game this season. The team’s leading scorer has said academic problems could keep him off the court during the spring semester, which starts today.
Coach Rick Barnes and school officials have declined to comment, citing federal privacy laws protecting student records.
Ivan McFarlin scored 19 points to lead the fifth-ranked Cowboys (13-2, 3-1), who had foul trouble all game. Starters Joey Graham and Terrence Crawford fouled out with more than eight minutes to play.
No. 16 Connecticut 77, Seton Hall 68 -- Josh Boone scored 20 points and Connecticut’s frontcourt dominated on an off night by the guards at East Rutherford, N.J.
Freshman Rudy Gay had 18 points and Charlie Villanueva had 16 for Connecticut (11-3, 3-1 Big East Conference), which won for the 11th time in 12 games against Seton Hall despite going 0 for 6 from three-point range.
Andre Sweet had 22 points for the Pirates (8-7, 0-4), who lost their fourth in a row and are off to their worst conference start since going 0-7 in 1985-86.
WOMEN
No. 1 Duke 82, Georgia Tech 59 -- Monique Currie scored 27 points and Jessica Foley made seven of Duke’s school-record 13 three-pointers, helping the Blue Devils rally from their largest deficit of the season, at home.
Foley finished with a career-best 23 points for the Blue Devils (17-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won 15 in a row since a loss at Notre Dame in November. They beat the Yellow Jackets (10-5, 1-3) for the 24th time in a row, dating to Feb. 27, 1994.
Jill Ingram scored 18 of her career-high 20 points in the first half for Georgia Tech, which led, 23-8, before the Blue Devils recovered.
No. 9 North Carolina 83, Miami 52 -- Ivory Latta scored 24 points at home for North Carolina (14-2, 2-1 ACC), which shot 59% in the first half to build a 25-point halftime lead. Miami’s Tamara James, who came in leading the nation in scoring at 24.5 points a game, missed her first eight shots and finished with 12 points for the Hurricanes (8-8, 0-3).
No. 13 Connecticut 73, No. 15 Texas 57 -- Freshman Charde Houston scored a career-high 25 points for Connecticut (11-4). The Longhorns (9-6) lost to their fourth ranked opponent on the road.
North Carolina State 76, No. 23 Virginia Tech 75 -- Marquetta Dickens’ three-point play with 22 seconds left in overtime lifted the Wolfpack (13-4, 2-2 ACC) at Blacksburg, Va. Carrie Mason had 14 points for Virginia Tech (11-4, 1-2).