Associated Press
The college hoops roundup…
HARTFORD, Conn. ó Alex Oriakhi had 16 points and eight rebounds to lead No. 4 Connecticut to its 14th consecutive win, 80-60 over Maine on Thursday night.
Jeremy Lamb also scored 16 points and freshman DeAndre Daniels added 15 for UConn (3-0). Andre Drummond and Tyler Olander both added double-doubles. Drummond had 11 points and 14 rebounds, while Olander chipped in 11 points and 10 boards.
UConn extended the longest winning streak in Division I while winning its 36th consecutive non-conference game.
Justin Edwards had 20 points for the Black Bears (1-1).
Maine kept it close through the first half, before UConn went on a 23-2 run to open the second. The Huskies held the Black Bears without a field goal for the first 10 1/2 minutes after intermission.
NO. 7 FLORIDA 91, NORTH FLORIDA 55
GAINESVILLE, Fla.ó Kenny Boynton scored 20 points and Erving Walker added 17 to help Florida bounce back from a loss at No. 3 Ohio State.
Freshman Bradley Beal chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Gators (2-1), who won their eighth consecutive home game ó and this one was completely one sided from the opening tip.
Florida built a double-digit lead in the first eight minutes, opened a 17-point cushion by halftime and pulled ahead 70-34 on Mike Rosarioís 3-pointer from the corner midway through the second half.
Parker Smith led the Ospreys (2-2) with 17 points.
NO. 16 ALABAMA 62, MARYLAND 42
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico ó Tony Mitchell scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Alabama in the opening round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
Mitchell was 7 of 12 from the field, including 3 for 4 from 3-point range, and Trevor Releford scored 10 points for the Crimson Tide (3-0).
Alabama cruised despite senior forward JaMychal Green heading to the bench early in the game with two quick fouls. They didnít need him against a cold-shooting Maryland squad that went 13 for 49 from the field (26.5 percent). The Terps (1-1) went just 2 for 12 from beyond the arc.
James Padgett scored nine points and Ashton Pankey had 10 rebounds for Maryland.
NO. 17 MICHIGAN 59, WESTERN ILLINOIS 55
ANN ARBOR, Mich. ó Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 16 points and Trey Burke added 14 for the Wolverines in their final tuneup before heading to Hawaii to play No. 10 Memphis on Monday.
Michigan (3-0) led by five with 3:06 remaining when Western Illinoisí Obi Emegano missed a free throw that would have completed a three-point play, and Hardaway scored at the other end to make it 53-46.
Jordan Morgan added 11 points for Michigan.
MISSISSIPPI ST. 69, NO. 19 TEXAS A&M 60
NEW YORK ó Dee Bost scored 20 points, including a big 3-pointer with 3:16 to play for Mississippi State in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.
The Bulldogs (3-1) will play the winner of the game between No. 15 Arizona and St. Johnís in Friday nightís championship game.
Mississippi State, which started the game by making 10 of its first 13 shots from the field, saw a big portion of a 22-point first-half lead disappear.
Naji Hibbertís drive with 3:37 to play brought Texas A&M (2-1) within 60-52, but Bost hit a 3-pointer 19 seconds later that started the Bulldogsí 9-4 run that got them back in control.
NO. 24 MISSOURI 83, NIAGARA, 52
COLUMBIA, Mo. ó Marcus Denmon scored 22 points to lead five Missouri players in double figures, and the Tigers rode a hot-shooting first half to an easy win.
Kim English added 14 points and seven rebounds, and Ricardo Ratliffe, Matt Pressey and sixth-man Michael Dixon scored 12 points each for Missouri (3-0) in its final regional game of the College Basketball Experience Classic.
ECU 63, COKER 50
GREENVILLE ó Darrius Morrow scored 25 points to lead East Carolina to a 63-50 win over Coker on Thursday night.
Tied at 17 with 9:03 left in the first half, the Pirates (2-1) pulled away for a 33-26 lead at the break.
East Carolina opened up a 10-point advantage in the second half, but the NCAA Division II Cobras (2-1) got within five, at 38-33 with 13:30 remaining.
A Paris Campbell jumper and a Morrow dunk sparked a 7-2 run to get the Piratesí lead back into double figures.
East Carolina has won 25 of its last 26 games against non-Division I opponents, but Coker stayed closer than the last four, who lost by an average of 32 points.
Julian Nelson scored 14 points to lead the Cobras, who won the battle of the boards 41-32.
The Pirates outshot Coker 47.2 percent (25 of 53) to 33.9 percent (21 of 62).
The Associated Press
11/17/11 22:56