Sports

College basketball

Top 25: Bulldogs save best for last

Associated Press
Published December 11, 2005

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SEATTLE - Adam Morrison took the ball with No.9 Gonzaga trailing by a point to Oklahoma State and less than 10 seconds left.

As he began his shot from behind the 3-point line, the nation's leading scorer saw it was about to be blocked by Marcus Dove or David Monds.

So Morrison stepped back from the defenders and banked a 3-point shot high off the backboard with 2.5 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 64-62 comeback win over the Cowboys.

Morrison finished with 25 points - four below his season average coming in.

"Morrison does such a good job moving without the ball," OSU coach Eddie Sutton said. "He's like a throwback. He plays the way a lot of players used to. He's terrific."

Mario Boggan finished with a career-high 19 to lead the Cowboys, who led by 12 after the first possession of the second half. JamesOn Curry, the lone returning starter from a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, scored two.

NO.8 OKLA. 57, COPPIN ST. 47: Kevin Bookout scored 19 and Taj Gray 18, but the host Sooners struggled to put away the winless Eagles. Oklahoma (5-1) extended its 19-point halftime lead to 40-16 with an 8-0 run early in the second half. But Coppin State (0-7), cut into it with a 13-2 run and later pulled within nine.

gs,2 NO.11 ILLINOIS 89, OREGON 59: Dee Brown had 26 points and seven assists for the Illini (10-0) in the Pape' Jam in Portland, Ore. The Ducks struggled against an Illinois defense that forced 13 turnovers and held them to 35 percent shooting.

NO.13 WASH. 81, N.M. 71: Jamaal Williams led a balanced scoring attack with 22 as the undefeated Huskies got their eighth consecutive win for their best start in 36 years at the 12th annual John R. Wooden Classic in Anaheim, Calif. Washington led by as many as 20 in the first half and never trailed.

NO.14 MICH. ST. 83, WICHITA ST. 64: Maurice Ager scored 21 to lead the Spartans in Auburn Hills, Mich. Michigan State (7-2) took control with a 13-0 run after trailing early and held the Shockers without a field goal for more than 11 minutes.

NO.16 UCLA 67, NO.17 NEVADA 56: Jordan Farmar scored 10 of his 24 during a game-clinching 16-2 run, and the Bruins (7-1) won the nightcap of the Wooden Classic. Nick Fazekas scored 15 of his 24 in the second half to lead the Wolf Pack (6-1), who had won its previous 14 regular-season road games.

NO.19 GWU 102, MORGAN ST. 75: Pops Mensah-Bonsu had 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks, and Danilo Pinnock added a game-high 23 points for the Colonials in Baltimore. George Washington (7-0) took charge early by scoring the first 22 but had to fight off a stubborn Morgan State team that cut it to five with about 16 minutes left.

NO.24 ARIZ. 73, SAINT MARY'S, CALIF. 61: Hassan Adams led a second-half charge, scoring 18 of his season-high 27 after halftime, for the host Wildcats. Arizona (4-3) tied a season high with 15 steals and forced the Gaels (1-3) to commit 24 turnovers. ... Wildcats guard Jesus Verdejo will transfer to Miami, coach Lute Olson said. Verdejo redshirted this season.

State

FAMU 74, ALABAMA ST. 67: Tony Tate scored 17 and Jon Mason drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:52 left as the host Rattlers stopped a three-game losing streak. Florida A&M (3-4) made four free throws in the final 16 seconds to seal it.

NOTRE DAME 81, FIU 47: Torin Francis and Chris Quinn scored 16 each as the Irish took control from the start. The Golden Panthers (3-4) couldn't cut into the lead much even after Notre Dame played most of the final eight minutes with a lineup of four freshmen and a sophomore.

Nation

KANSAS 69, CAL 56: The Jayhawks' Brandon Rush scored eight during a 24-6 run opening the second half in Kansas City, Mo. The spree turned the Bears' 34-31 halftime lead into a 53-38 advantage.

MIZZOU 82, TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 81: Jimmy McKinney tipped in a shot with 7.4 seconds left for the host Tigers. The Islanders had a chance to win, but Josh Ervin's desperate halfcourt shot was short.

TEXAS TECH 103, TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN 50: Jarrius Jackson scored 22 as the host Red Raiders (6-4) snapped a two-game losing streak.

TEXAS A&M 101, GRAMBLING ST. 71: Josh Carter scored 20 and Martellus Bennett added another 18 for the host Aggies.

OHIO ST. 81, SAINT JOE'S 74: The visiting Buckeyes (4-0) hit their first seven 3-pointers and survived a second-half rally.

MINNESOTA 72, UNLV 67: In his first game since breaking a finger Nov.18, Vincent Grier scored 19 as the host Golden Gophers dealt the Runnin' Rebels their fifth straight loss.

[Last modified December 11, 2005, 02:15:36]