College Basketball Roundup : Georgia Tech Rambles Past Tar Heels to Tie for Title

Yvon Joseph hit four free throws and Bruce Dalrymple added three in the final 37 seconds as Georgia Tech fought off North Carolina, 67-62, at Atlanta Wednesday night to clinch at least a tie for the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championship.

The Yellow Jackets (20-6, 9-5) held a 60-54 lead before the Tar Heels (21-7, 8-5) rallied on Joe Wolf’s three-point play to cut the lead in half with 1:50 remaining.

A free throw by Brad Daugherty with 1:05 left chopped the lead to two points before Joseph and Dalrymple hit their free throws in the final minute.

Mark Price scored 18 points for Tech, Dalrymple had 15, freshman Duane Ferrell 13 and Joseph 12.

Kenny Smith scored 16 points for North Carolina, Daugherty had 15, Wolf 13 and Steve Hale 10.

Texas Tech 59, SMU 54--Tony Benford made three free throws each in the final 40 seconds at Dallas as the Red Raiders (18-7, 11-4) upset the Mustangs to clinch at least a share of the Southwest Conference regular-season title.

SMU (21-7, 10-5) fumbled away chance after chance to score during the game’s final minutes, the most damaging of the mistakes coming from Carl Wright--who earlier in the day was arrested for owing more than $300 in traffic fines.

The Mustangs took a 54-51 advantage with 5:01 left on the last of Wright’s 10 points. SMU missed four shots and committed a turnover with 25 seconds left while trailing by two points.

During that stretch Quentin Anderson made two baskets to put the Raiders in front, Benford hit three free throws and Bubba Jennings one--the last of his 23 points--to give Tech (18-7, 11-4) the victory and its first title in 12 years.

Oklahoma 89, Oklahoma State 84--Darryl Kennedy scored 21 points and All-American Wayman Tisdale added 20 at Norman, Okla., as the sixth-ranked Sooners wrapped up a second straight Big Eight Conference regular-season championship.

The Sooners (23-5, 12-1), who ran their home-court winning streak to 31 games, saw a 45-31 halftime lead shrink to 72-70 with 6:04 left but pulled away in the final minutes.

Terry Faggins came off the bench to scored 23 points in the second half to get the Cowboys (12-14, 3-10) back into the game.

Georgia 94, Mississippi 66--Horace McMillan and Donald Hartry scored 16 points each as the Bulldogs remained tied for the Southeastern Conference lead by routing the Rebels at Athens, Ga.

The Bulldogs (20-6, 12-5) broke a 43-43 tie with 12 straight points early in the second half and Ole Miss (11-15, 5-12) never threatened again despite 27 points from Curtis Richmond.

LSU 78, Auburn 73--Nikita Wilson scored 22 points and LSU sank 5 of 7 free throws in the final two minutes at Auburn, Ala., to maintain its share of the SEC lead.

Auburn (15-11, 7-10) sliced a seven-point deficit to 47-46 with 13:54 left, but LSU (18-8, 12-5) the Tigers off down the stretch.

Chuck Person scored 26 points for Auburn.

Duke 90, Clemson 73--Johnny Dawkins scored 19 points and the Blue Devils rolled past the Tigers in an ACC game at Raleigh, N.C.

The Blue Devils (21-5, 8-5) made 20 of 28 shots in the first half and hit 67.9% in the game.

Vincent Hamilton scored 20 points for Clemson (15-11, 5-9).

Maryland 71, N.C. State 70--Ed Bias made two free throws with with five seconds left and the Terrapins knocked the Wolfpack out of a share of first place in the ACC at Raleigh, N.C.

Guard Adrian Branch scored 23 points for the Terrapins (22-10, 7-6). Lorenzo Charles had 17 for N.C. State (18-8, 8-5).