Associated Press
The college basketball roundup …
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ó Freshman Trevis Simpson scored 15 points to lead North Carolina-Greensboro to a 71-64 win over Davidson in the first round of the Southern Conference tournament Friday.
Brandon Evans had 12 points and Kyle Randall 11 for the Spartans (7-23), who will face Western Carolina in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Brendan McKillop scored 14 points and J.P. Kuhlman had 11 for the Wildcats (17-14), who shot 18 of 75 from the floor (24 percent) in their final game of the season.
UNC Greensboro made its first four field goals, including two 3-pointers by Evans, and Davidson missed its first seven attempts en route to a 32-24 Spartans lead at halftime.
The Wildcats scored only two points off 17 offensive rebounds in the first half, shooting 6 of 37 from the floor (16.2 percent) and 1 of 12 from the 3-point line.
After Davidson got to 50-44, UNC Greensboro answered with an 8-0 run.
App. State 65, Ga. Southern 57
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ó Donald Sims scored 14 of his game-high 20 points in the second half to lead Appalachian State over Georgia Southern 65-57 in the opening round of the Southern Conference tournament on Friday.
The Mountaineers (16-14) will play Wofford in the tournament quarterfinals on Saturday. Ben Drayton had 16 points to lead Georgia Southern (5-27).
A 3-pointer by Georgia Southern’s Jelani Hewitt tied the score at 35 with 10:14 to go, but Appalachian State converted on a short jumper by Anthony Breeze and the Eagles trailed by at least three the rest of the way.
Omar Carter scored 14 points and Petey Hausley added 11 for Appalachian State, which has won four straight and eight of nine.
CAA
RICHMOND, Va. ó Josh Micheaux scored 14 points and Georgia State held North Carolina-Wilmington to under 30 percent shooting in a 58-52 victory in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament on Friday.
The Seahawks (13-18) got 19 points from Chad Tomko, but he made just 7 of 21 shots. UNC Wilmington as a team hit just 18 of 61 (29.5 percent) and missed 10 of 20 free throws.
NOTE
DURHAM ó Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says freshman point guard Kyrie Irving has been cleared for “a few basketball-related activities” as he recovers from a toe injury that has sidelined him most of the season.
But the Hall of Fame coach said Friday that he still doesn’t expect Irving to return this season.
Irving met with a doctor in Charlotte and was cleared for the next step in his rehabilitation, though Krzyzewski says it wouldn’t be at the normal pace to prepare him to return to the lineup for the fourth-ranked Blue Devils. He says Duke has “a responsibility that … we take care of his future.”
Irving has been out since injuring his right big toe in a December win against Butler.
He was averaging 17 points and five assists while starting the first eight games.