For the second time this season, Arkansas coach John Pelphrey suspended Jason Henry for violating team rules. The freshman swingman averages 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Author: Michael Protos
Atlantic 10: St. Louis Provides Only Opening-Round Drama
Freshman guard Kwamain Mitchell hit the game winner at the buzzer to give No. 9 St. Louis a 62-60 win against No. 8 La Salle. No. 5 Saint Joseph’s outscored the No. 12 49ers 49-32 in the second half to rally for a 72-62 win. No. 10 Massachusetts kept up with No. 7 Duquesne for much of the game, but the Dukes pulled away in the second half for a 91-81 win. No. 6 Richmond forced 18 turnovers and held the No. 11 Bonnies to 39 percent shooting to squeeze out a 65-49 win.
Big 12: Singletary’s 43 points highlights Opening Round
Looking to revive a disappointing season, No. 9 Baylor whacked No. 8 Nebraska 65-49. Senior guard A.J. Abrams provided more defensive support than offensive domination in No. 5 Texas’ 67-56 win against No. 12 Colorado. No. 10 Iowa State appeared poised to contend for a major upset, but No. 7 Oklahoma State clamped down on defense in the second half to win 81-67. No. 11 Texas Tech sophomore forward Mike Singletary had one of the most dominating performances of the season in taking over the second half in the Red Raiders’ 88-83 upset of No. 6 Texas A&M
Big East: Friars’ Defense Helps Providence Beat DePaul; Marquette Quiets Red Storm
No. 8 Providence’s defense stepped up late to help the Friars rally for an 83-74 win against No. 16 DePaul. No. 5 Marquette crushed No. 13 St. John’s 74-45 by out-working the Red Storm for loose rebounds and out-shooting St. John’s from the field. No. 7 West Virginia jumped out to a 20-5 lead after the first 10 minutes and led by as much as 20 in the second half en route to a 74-62 win against No. 10 Notre Dame. Junior guard Eric Devendorf scored 19 points in the second half to help lead Syracuse to a 89-74 victory.
Big Sky: Late Dunk Powers Vikings to Championship
No. 2 Portland State junior forward Julius Thomas dunked the winning basket with three seconds to go in the game to give the Vikings a 79-77 Big Sky championship against No. 6 Montana State.
Big West: Akognon Goes Off for 37 Points
No. 7 Cal State Fullerton got 37 points from senior guard Josh Akognon and beat No. 6 UC Riverside 59-46. No. 8 UC Davis sophomore guard Mark Payne sank two free throws in the final 10 seconds to give the Aggiesa 69-68 win against No. 5 UC Irvine.
Conference USA: Tulane to Take on Memphis
The No. 10 Owls made 9-of-13 free throws in the final minutes to hold off No. 7 Marshall’s comeback attempt for a 60-59 win. Four out of five of No. 11 Southern Miss’ starters scored at least 16 points to pace the Golden Eagles to a 77-53 win against No. 6 Central Florida. No. 8 Tulane ended the first half on a 15-2 run to take a nine-point lead and played to a near draw in the second half for a 69-59 win against No. 9 East Carolina. Junior guard Aubrey Coleman was dominant in No. 5 Houston’s 85-76 win against No. 12 SMU.
MEAC: Morgan State Obliterates Rattlers in Quarterfinals
No. 1 Morgan State shredded No. 8 Florida A&M 71-41 to advance to the semifinals. In the last opening-round game, No. 6 Bethune-Cookman freshman guard C.J. Reed was about the only player from either team to shoot well in the Wildcats’ 52-47 win against No. 11 Maryland-Eastern Shore. Both teams failed to score in the final two minutes, and No. 2 South Carolina State survived for a 57-56 win against No. 7 Hampton.
Mountain West: Air Force Picks Up First Conference Win
No. 9 Air Force won its first Mountain West game of the season by beating No. 8 Colorado STate 71-67.
NEC: Robert Morris Wins First Championship in 17 Years
No. 1 Robert Morris junior forward Dallas Green hit a 10-foot jumper along the baseline after a loose ball fortuitously bounced to him with six seconds remaining to give the Colonials a 48-46 win against No. 2 Mount St. Mary’s.
