College basketball

Controversial call favors Miami

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Big East tournament has a timeout controversy.

No. 18 Rutgers was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Miami on Sunday night after being hit with a technical foul for excessive timeouts in a 77-74 loss. But the player who called the timeout, Cappie Pondexter, has laryngitis and can barely speak above a whisper.

Tamara James hit two go-ahead free throws with eight seconds left that resulted from the technical. The Hurricanes (18-11) insist Pondexter called a timeout after diving for a loose ball.

"(Official Angie Lewis) said I called timeout," said Pondexter, whose 30 points were a school record for a tournament. "I didn't. My arms were around the ball."

Yalonda McCormick added a free throw with 5.4 seconds left, and Pondexter missed a 3 at the buzzer.

NO. 1 UCONN 70, SETON HALL 47: Diana Taurasi hit two 3-pointers to cap a quick 13-0 run for the top-seeded Huskies. Taurasi finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds as Connecticut (30-0) won its 69th straight. UConn faces Virginia Tech tonight.

VA. TECH 74, NO. 24 BC 70 (OT): Chrystal Starling scored 10 of her 18 in overtime for the fifth-seeded Hokies (21-8), who rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit. Jessalyn Deveny's 3-pointer with 28.1 seconds left sent it to overtime for Boston College.

NO. 20 VILLANOVA 50, NOTRE DAME 39: Trish Juhline scored 12 of her 14 in the second half for Villanova (23-5), which faces Miami today.

ACC

NO. 2 DUKE 76, GA. TECH 52: Sheana Mosch scored 16 to move No. 2 Duke (30-1) closer to its fourth consecutive tournament title at Greensboro, and the senior guard became the winningest player in league history with 119 victories.

NO. 11 UNC 88, VIRGINIA 78: La'Tangela Atkinson had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead second-seed North Carolina (27-4).

Big Ten

NO. 12 PURDUE 84, IOWA 57: Shereka Wright matched her season-high with 28 points as the third-seeded Boilermakers (25-5) reached the championship a sixth time.

OHIO STATE 72, NO. 14 PENN ST. 61: Courtney Coleman scored 19 as the fourth-seeded Buckeyes (21-8) advanced to today's championship in Indianapolis for the first time in eight years. Tanisha Wright scored 19 for No. 1 seed Penn State (24-8).

C-USA

TCU 85, CINCY 76 (OT): Sandora Irvin had 26 points and 19 rebounds and keyed a second-half comeback as fifth-seeded Texas Christian (19-13) won the conference championship in Memphis, Tenn. Irvin, the tournament MVP, tied it at 71 to send it to overtime.

Horizon

NO. 21 WIS.-GREEN BAY 83, DETROIT 59: Kristy Loiselle and Natalie Yudt scored 17 each as host Wisconsin-Green Bay (27-3) won its fifth tournament title in six years. The Phoenix, playing its eighth straight tournament final, beat a conference opponent on its home court for the 40th straight time.

Pac-10

NO. 9 STANFORD 69, UCLA 64: Nicole Powell scored 18, including a 3 late in the second half, for the Cardinal (25-4), who advanced to tonight's championship in San Jose, Calif.

NO. 22 ARIZONA 74, NO. 25 WASH. 51: Shawntinice Polk scored 22 for the third-seeded Wildcats (22-7). The Huskies shot just over 27 percent from the floor, missing their last 10.

SEC

NO. 6 LSU 78, NO. 3 TENN. 62: Temeka Johnson, the shortest player on the court at 5 feet 3, had 24 points and a game-high nine rebounds as the Tigers (27-3) won their first title since 1991 at North Little Rock, Ark. The Vols (28-4) never got closer than 12 in the second half.

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