College Basketball Roundup : Michigan Moves Back Into Tie for Lead

Roy Tarpley scored 31 points, and Michigan moved back into a first-place tie in the Big Ten Conference Thursday night with a 95-84 victory over Purdue at Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Wolverines (17-3, 8-2) won their eighth straight game and pulled even with Iowa by leading from start to finish against the Boilermakers (14-6, 5-5) after jumping out to a 15-0 lead.

Richard Rellford scored 15 points to help Michigan build a 41-35 halftime lead, and Tarpley scored seven points in a 17-5 spurt that broke the game open, 58-40, in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second half.

Freshman Troy Lewis scored 22 points for Purdue.

Michigan State 64, Illinois 56--Scott Skiles scored 24 points, and Sam Vincent 20 at East Lansing, Mich., as the Spartans turned back the Illini in a Big Ten game.

The Spartans (15-5, 6-4) built a 32-26 halftime lead and seemed well in charge until Ken Norman hit three straight baskets to bring the Illini (18-6, 6-4) within 46-45 with 11:02 left.

The Illini tied it, 48-48, with 8:19 remaining on a jumper by Doug Altenberger, but Skiles hit two 15-foot jumpers to put Michigan State ahead, 52-48, with 6:29 left, and the Spartans pulled away.

Kentucky 68, Vanderbilt 62--Kenny Walker scored 31 points, and the Wildcats pulled into a four-way tie for the Southeastern Conference lead by beating the Commodores at Nashville, Tenn.

The Wildcats (12-8, 7-4) drew even with Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State by handing the Commodores (8-12, 1-10) a school-record 10th straight defeat.

Kentucky saw a 56-45 lead melt to 60-58 with 2:33 remaining, but Walker hit four straight free throws, and Bret Bearup and Ed Davender each added two free throws to halt the comeback.

Indiana 58, Wisconsin 54--Steve Alford scored 30 points, including 12 of the Hoosiers’ final 16 points, in a Big Ten victory over the Badgers at Madison, Wis.

Alford’s steal and layup gave Indiana (13-7, 5-5) a 38-29 lead early in the second half.

But J.J. Weber and Shelton Smith each hit two baskets during a 12-4 Wisconsin run that brought the Badgers (10-10, 1-9) within 42-41 with 10:48 left.

Then Alford broke loose, making 10 straight free throws in his game-saving run.

North Carolina 82, Virginia 73--Reserve Warren Martin scored a career-high 18 points, and Kenny Smith added 17 as the Tar Heels held off the Cavaliers in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Tar Heels (17-5, 5-4) built a 68-52 lead with 6:54 left, but the Cavaliers (11-11, 1-8) went on a 19-5 burst to pull within 73-71 with just under two minutes left.

North Carolina scored the next nine points--five on free throws--to lock up the victory.

Ohio State 63, Northwestern 60--Joe Concheck hit a tie-breaking 15-foot baseline jumper with 40 seconds left, and the Buckeyes survived a Wildcat comeback in a Big Ten game at Evanston, Ill.

The victory improved OSU’s Big Ten mark to 6-4 and 14-5 overall. Northwestern fell to 1-9 and 5-15.

The Buckeyes (14-5, 6-4) held a 58-44 lead with 7:25 left, but Shawn Watts scored 13 points as Northwestern (5-15, 1-9) tied the score with 2:17 left. It was 60-60 when Concheck made his shot, and Troy Taylor added a free throw with two seconds left.

Louisiana Tech 86, Texas Arlington 51--Robert Goldbolt had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists as the Bulldogs (19-2, 6-1) trounced the Mavericks (11-11, 2-5) in a Southland Conference game at Ruston, La.

Alabama Birmingham 80, Jackson State 57--Bruce Baker had 10 points and 10 rebounds as the Blazers (20-5) routed the Tigers (6-13) at Birmingham, Ala.

Creighton 58, Drake 56--Benoit Benjamin had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Reggie Morris made two free throws with seven seconds left as the Bluejays (18-6, 7-3) edged the Bulldogs (11-10, 3-7) in a Missouri Valley Conference game at Omaha, Neb.

Wichita State 80, So. Illinois 56--Xavier McDaniel had 23 points and 17 rebounds as the Shockers (13-8, 9-1) routed the Salukis (10-11, 2-8) in a Missouri Valley Conference game at Wichita, Kan.