Monday, March 09, 2009
College basketball roundup: Wake Forest runs Clemson ragged
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- While most of the attention in the ACC on Sunday was on the North Carolina-Duke rivalry, Wake Forest served notice it's a contender for next week's league tournament crown, too.
With James Johnson scoring 17 of his 21 points after halftime, the 10th-ranked Demon Deacons had their offense humming in a 96-88 comeback win over No. 18 Clemson on Sunday in the regular-season finale.
Johnson, taking charge of the offense with guard Jeff Teague in foul trouble, hit his first eight shots. He finished 10-for-14 from the field, while the Demon Deacons (24-5, 11-5) shot 60 percent in their fourth straight win to grab the No. 2 seed for the ACC Tournament.
Al-Farouq Aminu also scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Wake Forest, which rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit to extend its home winning streak over Clemson to 17 games.
Demontez Stitt scored a career-high 21 points. K.C. Rivers also scored 21 and Trevor Booker had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (23-7, 9-7), who lost for the fifth time in nine games and will limp into the ACC Tournament as the No. 5 seed.
No. 8 Michigan St. 62, No. 19 Purdue 51
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Kalin Lucas scored 21 points to help Spartans win their fifth straight game heading into the Big Ten tournament.
The Spartans (25-5, 15-3) scored nine straight points early in the second half to break open a tight game, and pushed the lead to as many as 14 in the second half.
JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore each scored 12 points for Purdue (22-9, 11-7).
No. 14 Gonzaga 94, Santa Clara 59
LAS VEGAS -- Austin Daye scored a career-high 28 points, Micah Downs hit four 3-pointers, and Gonzaga rolled into another West Coast Conference tournament final, beating Santa Clara in the semifinals.
MISSOURI VALLEY
Northern Iowa 60, Illinois State 57, OT
ST. LOUIS -- Ali Farokhmanesh scored eight of Northern Iowa's 12 points in overtime, helping the top seed overcome a big finish from Osiris Eldridge in a win over Illinois State in the championship game.
WOMEN
No. 4 Maryland 92, No. 8 Duke 89, OT
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Marisa Coleman had 28 points and 15 rebounds, Kristie Toliver added 24 points and Maryland captured its first ACC title in 20 years with an overtime victory over Duke.
Coleman's 3-pointer with 2:53 left in overtime put Maryland ahead to stay, and Abby Waner missed a desperation 3-point attempt in the final seconds for Duke.
-- Associated Press
