College basketball

Sooners sputter but pull away

By wire services
Published December 1, 2005

TULSA, Okla. - Terrell Everett scored a career-high 26, including three late free throws, to help No.5 Oklahoma stave off a late rally in a 62-53 win against Tulsa on Wednesday night.

Everett scored six during a 10-4 run that gave the Sooners a 47-28 lead with 11:32 left.

But with Everett on the bench for a brief rest, Tulsa immediately charged back.

Deion James scored six straight to bring the Golden Hurricane within 47-34, and Chris Wallace followed with a three-point play after Everett returned. Charles Ramsdell dunked an alley-oop pass with two hands, and Anthony Price brought the Golden Hurricane within 49-41 with a fast-break layup.

Nate Carter hit a 3-pointer from the left wing and a jumper from the right side on consecutive possessions to extend Oklahoma's lead to 54-42, and Tulsa's comeback chances faded.

Everett hit three of Oklahoma's eight free throws down the stretch, and the Golden Hurricane never again was closer than eight points.

The Sooners (4-0), who hadn't played at Tulsa in 20 years, were greeted by a standing-room crowd of 8,555 fans that tied the Reynolds Center record set at a 2002 game against Kansas.

Oklahoma was ranked No.8 in its last visit, and an unranked Tulsa team pulled off a 104-89 upset that made Sooners coach Billy Tubbs vow never to bring his team back to the state's second-largest city.

NO.6 GONZAGA 89, PORTLAND ST. 80: Adam Morrison scored 34 as the host Bulldogs used a dominant inside game to beat the scrappy Vikings. Gonzaga (4-1) led by three early in the second half against unheralded Portland State before Morrison scored 15 in the first 12 minutes of the half to widen the margin.

NO.9 MEMPHIS 97, JACKSON ST. 70: Rodney Carney scored 25 and matched his career high with six 3-pointers to lead host Memphis. Shawne Williams added 17 points for Memphis (5-1), which won its second straight after losing 70-67 to Duke in the finals of the Preseason NIT.

NO.19 GW 85, ST. FRANCIS (PA.) 68: J.R. Pinnock scored 20 to help the host Colonials (3-0) overcome a poor first half. George Washington star Pops Mensah-Bonsu served the final game of his three-game suspension for violations related to his early declaration for the NBA draft.

Big East

NO.4 VILLANOVA 86, RIDER 57: Allan Ray scored 21 and Kyle Lowry added a career-high 20 as the host Wildcats cruised. Villanova (3-0) had another big game from beyond the 3-point line, going 13-for-32 one game after setting a school record with 17 3s against Lehigh. Mike Nardi had all 18 of his points on 3s for the Wildcats.

SYRACUSE 87, MANHATTAN 82 (OT): Gerry McNamara scored 25 and Josh Wright had a career-high 19 as the host Orange (5-2) erased an 11-point deficit in the final 2:21 of regulation. McNamara sank two 3s within 20 seconds in the final minute, and freshman Eric Devendorf forced overtime by hitting a 3 from the right wing with 14.2 seconds left.

W.VA. 66, ST. BONAVENTURE 61: Mike Gansey scored 28 to lead the visiting Mountaineers (3-3). The Bonnies went on a 21-0 run over eight minutes to erase a 45-25 deficit. But Gansey clinched the win with four free throws with less than 20 seconds left.

RUTGERS 67, TEMPLE 53: Quincy Douby scored 13 of his 27 in the final 1:56 to lead the host Scarlet Knights. Freshman Anthony Farmer added a season-high 13 for Rutgers (4-1), which beat the Owls for the fourth straight time.

NEBRASKA 84, MARQUETTE 74: Aleks Maric scored seven of his 15 in the final six minutes as the host Cornhuskers (5-0) held off a second-half comeback.

WICHITA ST. 82, PROVIDENCE 74: Kyle Wilson had 19 points and Sean Ogirri 17 for the host Shockers. Ogirri scored 13 in the second half, including two 3-pointers that ignited a 10-2 run.

DePAUL 72, CREIGHTON 57: Wilson Chandler scored 17 and Sammy Mejia 15, and the host Blue Demons pulled away with two big second-half runs.

SEC

VANDY 76, OREGON 75: Mario Moore hit a running 3-pointer from 30 feet at the buzzer for the host Commodores (5-0), who rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit. Aaron Brooks hit a driving layup with 3.3 seconds left to give the Ducks a 75-73 lead.

S. CAROLINA 77, UNC-GREENSBORO 55: Tarence Kinsey scored 20 and Renaldo Balkman added 16 points and seven rebounds for the Gamecocks (5-1), 28-1 against nonconference foes in four years at the Colonial Center.

TENNESSEE 64, MURRAY ST. 53: Chris Lofton scored 18 and spurred a game-breaking 12-1 run for the host Volunteers, 4-0 under new coach Bruce Pearl.

MISS. ST. 67, NEW ORLEANS 59: Jamall Edmondson scored a career-high 26 and hit six 3-pointers for the host Bulldogs (4-2), who snapped a two-game skid.

ARKANSAS 77, SO. MISS 35: Ronnie Brewer scored 16 to lead four players in double figures for the host Razorbacks, who allowed their fewest points since 1981.

State

FAU 77, N. FLA. 75: DeAndre Rice scored 22, including a key basket and free throw late in the game, to lead the host Owls (1-2).

Nation

TEXAS TECH 81, TCU 54: Jarrius Jackson scored 23, and Terry Martin and Jon Plefka scored 14 each for the host Red Raiders (5-2).

KANSAS ST. 84, CS FULLERTON 59: Lance Harris scored 19 and Cartier Martin 17 for the host Wildcats (4-0), who have not allowed more than 60 points this season.

OKLA. ST. 80, UNLV 62: Torre Johnson scored 17 and JamesOn Curry 16 for the host Cowboys (5-1).

[Last modified December 1, 2005, 01:08:09]