College Basketball Roundup : Georgia Tech Beats North Carolina St., 69-57

Freshman Tom Hammonds scored five points in the final 4:06, and Mark Price hit four free throws down the stretch as fourth-ranked Georgia Tech downed No. 18-ranked North Carolina State, 69-57, in an Atlantic Coast Conference basketball game Thursday night at Atlanta.

The Yellow Jackets (22-4 overall, 10-3 in the ACC) scored the final 12 points in the game, holding the Wolfpack scoreless for the final 5:11 after N.C. State (18-10, 7-7) had pulled into a 57-57 tie.

“We did it with defense,� Georgia Tech Coach Bobby Cremins said. “This game could have gone either way. My only disappointment is that our offense broke down.�

Tech overcame a pair of 4 1/2-minute scoreless stretches in the second half.

Chris Washburn, who scored 20 points, capped N.C. State’s surge with a jumper from the free throw line that turned out to be the Wolfpack’s last gasp.

John Salley broke the tie on a free throw with 4:38 left, and Hammonds made a three-point play for a 61-57 lead with 4:06 left.

Tech built a five-point lead when Duane Ferrell converted a steal into a dunk with 2:22 remaining, and the Jackets closed the scoring on Price’s four free throws and Hammonds’ dunk.

Kentucky 62, Tennessee 60--Kenny Walker had 32 points and nine rebounds as the fifth-ranked Wildcats held off the Volunteers in a Southeastern Conference game at Knoxville, Tenn.

The victory broke a seven-year losing streak at Knoxville for Kentucky (25-3, 16-1).

Tennessee (12-14, 5-12) pulled within 59-58 on two free throws by Tony White, but White missed two shots that would have put the Volunteers’ ahead.

Kentucky’s James Blackmon hit two free throws and Roger Harden added another to clinch the victory.

Memphis State 63, New Orleans 52--Baskerville Holmes scored 17 points in his final home game as the seventh-ranked Tigers turned back the Pirateers at Memphis, Tenn.

New Orleans (16-9) had a six-point lead early in the game, but Memphis State (25-3) rallied for a 29-26 halftime lead and put the game away by holding the Privateers scoreless in an eight-minute stretch of the second half.

Bradley 71, Indiana State 51--Sophomore Hersey Hawkins had 13 points and nine rebounds as the 11th-ranked Braves overpowered the Sycamores at Peoria, Ill., to become only the second team complete a Missouri Valley Conference season without a defeat.

The Braves (29-1, 16-0) stretched the nation’s longest winning streak to 20 games. The last MVC team to go undefeated was Indiana State in 1979. Larry Bird led the Sycamores to a 33-1 season, losing in the NCAA final to Michigan State and Magic Johnson.

John Sherman Williams scored 23 points for Indiana State (10-16, 4-11).

Indiana 95, Minnesota 63--Steve Alford scored 22 points despite sitting out the final 14 minutes as the No. 16 Hoosiers defeated the Gophers at Bloomington, Ind., to move back into a tie for the Big Ten lead with idle Michigan.

The Hoosiers (19-6, 11-4) blew open the game midway through the first half by scoring 16 straight points to start a 27-8 which gave them a 41-18 lead with 4:10 left.

John Shasky scored 16 points for the Gophers (15-3, 5-10).

Michigan State 82, Northwestern 48--Scott Skiles scored 35 points and the 17th-ranked Spartans routed the Wildcats in a Big Ten game at Evanston, Ill.

The Spartans (19-6, 10-5) ran off 16 points in the first half for a 22-2 lead and then wrapped it up by scoring 22 straight points in a seven-minute span in the second half to build the lead to 64-32.

Illinois 81, Purdue 72--Ken Norman scored 17 of his 24 points in the first half as the Illini piled up a 12-point halftime lead and knocked off the No. 20 Boilermakers at West Lafayette, Ind.

Troy Lewis scored 26 points for Purdue (21-8, 10-6), while Bruce Douglas added 18 for Illinois (19-8, 10-6).