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After Slow Start, St. John’s Defeats Providence

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From Times Wire Services

Bill Wennington scored 18 points and Chris Mullin added 16 as St. John’s, playing its first game in 33 years as the nation’s top-ranked team, pulled away from stubborn Providence for a 77-60 Big East Conference victory Wednesday night at Providence, R.I.

The Redmen (16-1, 8-0), won their 11th consecutive game by erasing a 22-20 deficit to take a 33-28 halftime lead. They stretched it to 63-47 with 5:06 left on a 10-point run that broke open the game for good.

Walter Berry added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Redmen. Harold Starks scored 16 points for the Friars (9-12, 2-6).

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Clemson 52, North Carolina 50--Junior forward Chris Michael hit an 18-foot jumper with three seconds remaining and the Tigers (11-7, 3-5) surprised the Tar Heels (4-5, 5-3) in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Clemson, S.C.

SMU 85, Houston 78--Olympian Jon Koncak had 27 points and 21 rebounds at Dallas as the fourth-ranked Mustangs (17-2, 7-1) beat the defending Southwest Conference champion Cougars (13-6, 5-3) for the first time in seven games.

Purdue 54, Illinois 34--James Bullock scored 18 points and the Boilermakers (14-5, 5-4) shattered a six-game winning streak of the Illini (17-5, 6-3) in a Big Ten game at West Lafayette, Ind.

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North Carolina State 61, Georgia Tech 53--Lorenzo Charles scored 23 points and the Wolfpack (12-6, 4-3) broke the Yellow Jackets’ (15-3, 4-3) five-game winning streak in an ACC game at Atlanta.

Duke 76, Wake Forest 70--David Henderson hit four free throws in the final minute of overtime at Greensboro, N.C., and the Blue Devils (15-3, 5-3) avenged an earlier ACC defeat to the Demon Deacons (12-6, 3-3).

Florida 72, Mississippi State 57--Freshman Vernon Maxwell scored 23 points and the Gators (13-4, 6-3) knocked off the first-place Bulldogs (10-8, 6-3) in a Southeastern Conference game at Gainesville, Fla.

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Tulsa 67, Drake 66--Steve Harris poured in 32 points, including 15 of the last 21 for the Golden Hurricane (17-2, 8-0), who held off the Bulldogs (10-9, 2-6) for a Missouri Valley Conference victory at Des Moines, Iowa.

Maryland 71, Virginia 58--Adrian Branch scored 30 points and the Terrapins (17-5, 4-1) pulled away from the Cavaliers (10-10, 1-7) for an ACC victory at College Park, Md.

Auburn 86, Vanderbilt 80--Chuck Person poured in 29 points at Nashville, Tenn., and the Tigers (12-6, 4-5) handed the Commodores (8-10, 1-8) their eighth straight defeat in an SEC game.

Kansas 75, Kansas State 57--Freshman Danny Manning collected 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Jayhawks (16-4, 4-1) routed the Wildcats (10-8, 1-4) in a Big Eight game at Manhattan, Kan.

Arkansas 64, Baylor 57--Charles Balentine made four free throws in overtime to lift the Razorbacks (14-7, 5-3) to a Southwest Conference victory over the Bears (8-10, 1-7) at Waco, Tex.

Alabama 54, Mississippi 47--Buck Johnson scored 15 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Crimson Tide (14-5, 6-4) scored an SEC victory over the Rebels (7-11, 1-9) at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

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Boston College 82, Northeastern 75--Freshman Skip Barry scored 16 points in 15 minutes and the Eagles (15-4) withstood sophomore Reggie Lewis’ 28 points and 10 rebounds to turn back the Huskies (10-8) at Boston.

Tennessee 80, Georgia 79--Michael Brooks made two free throws with four seconds left in the second overtime at Athens, Ga., to clinch a Southeastern Conference victory for the Volunteers (13-5, 6-3) over the Bulldogs (13-5, 5-4).

Virginia Tech 81, Louisville 61--Perry Young scored 21 points on the inside and Dell Curry added 19 from the outside as the Hokies (14-4, 5-1) routed the Cardinals (10-9, 2-4) in a Metro Conference game at Louisville.

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