COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Owens Scores 33 as No. 1 Syracuse Wins

Syracuse survived a threat to the No.1 ranking it earned earlier Monday, beating Rutgers, 95-79, as sophomore Billy Owens scored 18 of his career-high 33 points in the final 8 1/2 minutes.

Senior Stephen Thompson, who inherited the point guard spot from graduated All-American Sherman Douglas, added 29 points, tying his career best as Syracuse closed the game with an 18-8 streak.

It was the eighth consecutive home-opening victory at the Carrier Dome for Syracuse, which led, 43-41, at the half and still led by only two with 6:11 remaining.

Rutgers was led by former Orangeman Keith Hughes’ 21 points. Hughes left Syracuse midway through the 1987-1988 season.

Michigan 73, Boston University 65--The 10th-ranked Wolverines recovered from last Saturday’s season-opening loss to Arizona with a victory at Boston.

Loy Vaught scored 23 points to lead the defending NCAA champions. Vaught had only four points in 26 minutes and fouled out of the 82-75 loss to Arizona.

But against Boston, Vaught teamed with Rumeal Robinson in the second half when Michigan (1-1) held off a late threat after it had stretched a 36-31 halftime lead to 68-57 with 1:15 left. Boston University dropped to 1-1.

North Carolina State 97, Appalachian State 67--Rodney Monroe scored 21 points to lead seven Wolfpack players in double figures at Raleigh, N.C.

Brian Howard scored 17 points for the 25th-ranked Wolfpack (2-1). Tom Gugliotta and Brian D’Amico finished with 12 points apiece, Mickey Hinnant had 11 and Chris Corchiani and freshman Kevin Thompson added 10 each.

Michigan State 73, Kansas State 68--Steve Smith’s 17 points led the Spartans in the championship game of the Alaska Shootout.

Smith, named the tournament’s outstanding player, finished with 11 assists, six rebounds and several blocked or tipped shots.

Steve Henson, hampered by a bruised thigh and a case of the flu, scored 14 points but was largely ineffective for the Big Eight Wildcats (2-1).

Hawaii 75, Texas A&M; 71--Chris Gaines hit 19 of 22 free throws and Andrew McGuire scored all 12 of his points in the first seven minutes of the second half to lead the Rainbows to third place in the Alaska Shootout.

Gaines finished with 24 points for the Rainbows (2-1). David Harris had 18 points for the Aggies (1-2).

Louisiana Tech 60, McNeese State 56--Reggie Gibbs scored 20 points to lead the Bulldogs at Ruston, La.

Roosevelt Powell had 15 and P.J. Brown added 12 for Louisiana Tech (2-0). Anthony Pullard had 18 to lead McNeese State (0-1).

Seton Hall 80, Bridgeport 62--Senior Michael Cooper scored a career-high 24 points and freshman Terry Dehere added seven in an early 14-point run as last year’s NCAA runner-up won at South Orange, N.J.

Dehere finished with 12 points for the Pirates. Point guard Oliver Taylor added 17 and center Anthony Avent had 13.

Portland 56, Washington State 51--Ron Deaton hit a jump shot with 33 seconds to play as the Pilots erased a 13-point deficit at Portland, Ore. The victory was the biggest yet for former Portland Trail Blazer and Kentucky star Larry Steele, 8-48 in his two previous seasons as head coach.

Each team is 1-1.

Cal 95, Cal Poly Pomona 72--Keith Smith and Roy Fisher scored 15 points each for the Bears at Berkeley. Terry Ross scored 20 points for Pomona (1-2). Cal improved to 2-1.

Missouri 80, North Carolina 73 (late Sunday)--The Tigers made Coach Norm Stewart’s return to the sidelines one to remember, upsetting the Tar Heels to win the Maui Classic in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Stewart missed the last 14 games of last season after undergoing cancer surgery and the Tigers gave him three more victories by winning the tournament.

Doug Smith, the tournament’s most valuable player, had 20 points for Missouri.

Louisville 83, Villanova 60--The Cardinals took third place at the Maui tournament on Sunday.