COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Oklahoma State Upsets Memphis State, 93-66

Oklahoma State simply caught Memphis State a little short.

With Memphis State missing its top two centers, the Cowboys found plenty of scoring room inside and trounced the 16th-ranked Tigers, 93-66, Tuesday night at Stillwater, Okla.

“I knew this could happen,” Memphis State Coach Larry Finch said. “We lost our two big men and had to go with three first-year players.”

Todd Mundt broke his hand in practice last week and his replacement, Tim Duncan, got sick Monday and couldn’t play.

That left the Tigers (3-1) with 6-7 Ben Spiva, who didn’t score, and freshman Montrell Nash, who had two points in 15 minutes.

Neither of them could stop Byron Houston, who scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds, or Royce Jeffries, who added 20 points for Oklahoma State (3-1).

Virginia Tech 76, No. 21 Alabama 75--Freshman Rod Wheeler made a three-point shot with 2:23 left to put the Hokies ahead to stay in an upset of the Crimson Tide at Blacksburg, Va.

Wheeler made three free throws and Bimbo Coles, who scored 34 points, had two in the final seconds as Virginia Tech (2-1) held on.

Melvin Cheatum had 21 points and 15 rebounds for Alabama (4-1).

No. 19 North Carolina State 67, No. 15 St. John’s 58--Rodney Monroe and Chris Corchiani scored 22 points each and the Wolfpack used a six-point play to beat the Redmen at Greensboro, N.C.

St. John’s (5-2) built a 50-44 lead on Boo Harvey’s three-point shot with 11:37 left. He became a key figure in the six-point play when he fouled Tom Gugliotta of the Wolfpack (5-1) 26 seconds later. Harvey slammed the ball on the floor and was assesed a technical foul.

North Carolina State’s Mickey Hinnant made one of two free throws, but officials ruled the wrong shooter attempted the free throws. Gugliotta made both free throws and Corchiani followed by making both free throws for the technical. The Wolfpack kept the ball and Corchiani made a jumper to tie the game with 10:39 left.

Corchiani’s three-point play with eight minutes left broke a 52-52 tie, and St. John’s managed just eight points in the final 11 minutes.

No. 7 Illinois 74, No. 25 Florida 69--Marcus Liberty scored 21 points and Kendall Gill added 19 as the Illini got past the Gators at Gainesville, Fla.

The Illini (3-0), winning for the 26th time in the last 27 games in which Gill has played, scored the first five points of the second half to pull away from a 34-34 halftime tie.

Dwayne Schintzius scored 19 points for Florida (1-1), but missed two free throws in the final five minutes.

No. 10 Arkansas 90, Mississippi 76--Todd Day scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half and the Razorbacks rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to overcome the Rebels at Pine Bluff, Ark.

Ole Miss (0-4) put on a spurt late in the first half and led, 44-35, at halftime. Tim Jumper and John Matthews scored 18 points each for the Rebels.

Ron Huery scored 14 of his 21 points and Lee Mayberry had 11 of his 16 in the second half for Arkansas (4-0).

No. 14 Indiana 81, Notre Dame 72--Freshman Calbert Cheaney scored 20 points and the Hoosiers (4-0) beat the Fighting Irish at Bloomington, Ind.

Daimon Sweet had 16 points for Notre Dame (1-2).

Alabama Birmingham 79, Oregon 69--Andy Kennedy scored 22 points as the Blazers defeated the Ducks at Birmingham, Ala.

Alan Ogg had 15 points and 13 rebounds for UAB (3-1). Richard Lucas scored 19 points for Oregon (2-2).

Brigham Young 65, Arizona State 64--Marty Haws scored 20 points and Andy Toolson added 17 as the Cougars held off the Sun Devils at Tempe, Ariz.

The Cougars (5-1) had a 65-57 lead, but Arizona State (0-3) scored the last seven points on Matt Anderson’s three-point shot with 1:54 left, Alex Austin’s jumper 30 seconds later and Emilio Kovacic’s jumper with 52 seconds left.