COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Santa Clara’s Image Takes a Beating

Santa Clara came in with a national ranking and a nationally hyped player.

Marquette came in with a tainted record and without its most dominant player.

Well, Marquette not only came away with a victory over No. 22 Santa Clara at Milwaukee on Saturday, but a convincing one at that, 78-49.

“They played at a real high level,” Santa Clara Coach Dick Davey said. “We were ranked but we probably won’t have to worry about that much longer. We looked very inferior today.”

Marquette (5-1) looked very inferior in a three-point loss to winless LaSalle last Saturday, but came out strong against Santa Clara (6-2) in taking a 25-7 lead.

The Broncos missed 15 of their first 16 shots and finished at 30%. They were also outrebounded, 44-21, although the Golden Eagles were without 6-foot-11 Amal McCaskill (sprained ankle).

“Today we did to them what they [LaSalle] did to us,” Marquette Coach Mike Deane said. “We were the most physical we’ve been all year.”

The most physical aspect of Marquette’s performance was 6-6 Roney Eford’s defensive work on Santa Clara’s 6-3 guard Steve Nash, who was held to 11 points and four assists.

“I enjoy playing defense,” Eford said. “I like those individual challenges. I used my size and long arms to advantage.”

Nash, the subject of several national publication features, was able to get only six shots from the floor and was held 11 points below his average.

“I should take it on myself to score more,” Nash said. “I didn’t take enough shots and that’s my fault. I have to step up.”

Eford had a game-high 21 points.

No. 1 Kansas 91, Indiana 83--The Jayhawks (6-0) had five players score in double figures at Kansas City as they avenged last season’s 19-point loss to the Hoosiers (4-4).

For added motivation, Kansas Coach Roy Williams played the tape of the game on the team bus as it traveled from nearby Lawrence, Kan.

Freshman Paul Pierce had a team-high 21 points and made a steal and breakaway dunk at 2:18 that sealed the Jayhawk victory.

Center Scot Pollard helped Kansas maintain dominance inside with 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.

“I remember they embarrassed us on the boards last year,” Pollard said. “I was embarrassed. I didn’t want that to happen again.”

Brian Evans scored a game-high 26 points for Indiana, which made 10 of 15 three-point shots.

No. 5 Kentucky 96, Morehead State 32--The Wildcats (5-1) held the Eagles (3-4) to 14% shooting (nine of 65) at Lexington, Ky., in recording their 10th most-lopsided victory.

Kentucky also blocked 16 shots, compiled a 62-35 rebounding edge and scored 38 points off 26 turnovers.

Morehead State was second nationally in three-point baskets (12 a game) but made only four of 17 attempts.

No. 6 Memphis 57, Tennessee 55--Damon Johnson missed two shots in the final five seconds to allow the cold-shooting Tigers (36%) to escape at Memphis.

In a matchup between two of the nation’s better centers, Tennessee’s Steve Hamer (17 points, nine rebounds) outplayed Memphis State’s Lorenzen Wright (five points on two-of-nine shooting, seven rebounds). Wright had entered the game averaging 23.5 points and 14.5 rebounds.

Memphis State is 5-0; Tennessee 3-3.

No. 9 Iowa 110, Texas Southern 67--The Hawkeyes (8-1) made 62% of their shots in the first 20 minutes and compiled a 62-24 rebounding edge for the game at Iowa City.

High-scoring Texas Southern guards Kevin Granger and Randy Bolden were limited to 31 points--27 below their combined season average.

No. 10 North Carolina 96, Dartmouth 66--Jeff McInnis scored a career-high 24 points and the Tar Heels (7-1) opened the game with a 24-5 run at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Dartmouth (6-1) had entered the game with the nation’s longest winning streak (10 games dating to last season) but missed 15 of its first 17 shots. Seamus Lonergan, the nation’s seventh-leading scorer with a 24.7 average, was held to 10 points on four-of-14 shooting.

McInnis scored 20 points or more for the sixth time this season.

No. 12 Cincinnati 70, Temple 49--Danny Fortson scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half to allow the Bearcats (6-0) to break open a close game in Cleveland. They had beaten their previous five opponents by an average of 34 points.

Temple (2-3), which upset No. 2 Villanova on Wednesday, trailed by four points with six minutes to play before Damon Flint made consecutive three-point shots to ignite a 21-4 run that finished game.

The Bearcats made all 17 of their free throws and held the Owls to 35% shooting from the field.

No. 14 Missouri 73, Arkansas St. 63--The Tigers (6-1) never led by more than 13 points in a lackluster effort against the Indians (1-4) at Jonesboro, Ark.

Arkansas State scored the first six points of the second half and stayed within striking distance the rest of the way.

No. 15 Mississippi St. 72, Southern Mississippi 69--The Bulldogs (5-1), last-second losers to Arkansas Little Rock last week, barely avoided another upset loss with an overtime victory at Hattiesburg, Miss.

Marcus Bullard made two steals and two baskets in a 30-second span of a 10-0 Mississippi State run late in regulation and scored the game-winner with 43 seconds left in overtime. Erick Dampier had 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Southern Mississippi (3-2) made 15 three-point baskets, including two in the final 39 seconds of regulation that helped tie the score, 59-59. The Golden Eagles made only 10 of 37 two-point shots.

No. 16 Illinois 81, Illinois Chicago 73--Jerry Gee’s 24 points and 17 rebounds led the Illini (7-0) at Champaign, Ill.

Illinois Chicago (3-3) had pulled within three points with less than 1:30 remaining, but Kiwane Garris put the game away with three free throws and a dunk.

Georgia 85, No. 17 Virginia Tech 72--The Bulldogs (6-1) shot 62% from the field and never trailed at Atlanta in ending the Hokies’ winning streak at eight games.

Virginia Tech (3-1) finished last season with five consecutive victories and the NIT title.

Georgia had four double-figure scorers, led by Katu Davis at 18.

No. 19 Georgia Tech 88, No. 20 Louisville 77--Matt Harpring made nine of 13 shots in a 22-point, 11-rebound performance that lifted the Yellow Jackets (6-3) past the Cardinals (6-3) at Atlanta.

Louisville had cut a 21-point deficit with 10 minutes left to seven when Stephon Marbury made a three-point shot at 3:41 that turned the momentum.

No. 25 Syracuse 72, Charleston 61--The Orangemen (8-0) scored the first 11 points of the second half and stayed in control at Syracuse, N.Y.

Charleston (2-1) made its first eight shots in taking a 16-4 lead to start the game.

OTHERS

Jason Daisy scored 26 of his 36 points in the second half as Northern Iowa (3-1) surprised Nebraska (6-2) in a 109-104 victory at Lincoln, Neb. Daisy made 12 of 16 shots from the field and Northern Iowa had 15 three-point baskets. . . . Rick Yudt made all nine of his free throws in a 24-point scoring performance that led Ohio State (5-0) to a 105-96 victory over Seton Hall (3-3) at Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes, 6-22 last season, start one senior (Yudt) and four freshmen. Danny Hurley had 23 points for Seton Hall. . . . Jamie Feick had 17 points and 13 rebounds to lead Michigan State (4-4) to a 67-54 victory over Kansas State (3-3) at Manhattan, Kan. The Wildcats shot 39% from the field. . . . Purdue (5-2) held Texas Christian (4-4) to 33% shooting in an 88-69 victory at Indianapolis.

Guard Randy Livingston saw his first action since fracturing a knee cap last January in Louisiana State’s 93-74 victory over Tennessee Martin. Livingston had five points and six assists in 20 minutes for LSU (3-3). . . . Merl Code, shooting 45% entering the game, made 10 of 14 shots and had 25 points as Clemson (6-0) posted a 76-61 home-court victory over Furman (2-4). It is the third time in four years Clemson has won its first six games. . . . James Collins scored 22 points as Florida State (5-2) bounced back from a 18-point loss to Connecticut with a 74-52 victory over Florida (2-4) at Orlando, Fla. Dametri Hill had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Gators, who have lost their last three games by an average of 23 points. . . . Alabama (4-0) made 16 of 27 three-point shots in a 100-73 victory at Tuscaloosa, Ala., over Mercer (5-2). Eric Washington had a career-high 27 points, including seven three-point baskets. . . . Marcus Brown scored a school-record 45 points, including 13 of 13 free throws, for Murray State (5-2) in a home-court 108-87 victory over Washington (Mo.). . . . Texas A&M; (4-1) had five double-figure scorers in an 83-55 victory over St. Mary’s (3-1) at College Station, Tex.