Thursday’s Snacks: Purdue adds another quality win to its resume, and No. 21 SMU comes back to beat Temple

By Raphielle JohnsonFeb 19, 2015, 9:53 PM EST

GAME OF THE NIGHT: Louisiana Tech 83, Charlotte 82 (OT)

Michael White’s Bulldogs moved to 12-2 in Conference USA with a one-point win at Halton Arena, and Alex Hamilton was the star. Hamilton scored 29 points, making 11 of his 22 field goal attempts, to lead the way offensively for Louisiana Tech. Also scoring in double figures were guard Raheem Appleby (seven rebounds, four assists) and forward Michale Kyser (12 rebounds, three steals), who scored 12 points apiece. Braxton Ogbueze led five 49ers in double figures with 16 points. With the win, Louisiana Tech retains sole possession of first place in Conference USA.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

1. Purdue 67, Indiana 63

Matt Painter’s Boilermakers entered Thursday’s game in Bloomington having already beaten the Hoosiers once this season, and they were able to complete the season sweep thanks in large part to their big men. A.J. Hammons scored 20 points and blocked four shots, and fellow 7-footer Isaac Haas added 12 points and nine rebounds to lead Purdue to a road win that will enhance its NCAA tournament resume. Jon Octeus added 12 points and Rapheal Davis 11 for Purdue, which is now 10-4 in Big Ten Play. Yogi Ferrell, who missed a three-pointer that would have given Indiana the lead with five seconds remaining, led the Hoosiers with 21 points.

2. No. 21 SMU 67, Temple 58

Fran Dunphy’s Owls led by as many as ten points in the second half, but Nic Moore and company went on a 17-4 run to erase that deficit and eventually pull away for the win. Moore scored 18 points and dished out four assists for the Mustangs, who are now 13-2 in conference play, and Cannen Cunningham added ten points off the bench. Will Cummings finished with 14 points, seven assists and seven steals for the Owls, who shot 6-for-21 from beyond the arc and were outscored 20-8 from the foul line.

3. Ole Miss 71, Mississippi State 65

Rivalry games can be tough, even if one of the teams involved isn’t a threat to go to the NCAA tournament. Mississippi State gave Ole Miss everything they wanted in Starkville, but thanks to Stefan Moody the Rebels were able to pick up the road victory. Moody scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds for Ole Miss, making eight three-pointers, and during the second half he put together a stretch of three consecutive threes that gave the Rebels a much-needed boost. Now 18-8 overall and 9-4 in SEC play, Ole Miss avoided a loss that would not have helped their resume as they look to earn an NCAA tournament bid.

STARRED

1. Gonzaga’s Kyle Wiltjer

Wiltjer scored a career-high 45 points, shooting 15-for-22 from the field (7-for-10 3PT), while also grabbing six rebounds and dishing out for assists in an 86-74 win at Pacific.

2. Jacksonville’s Kori Babineaux

Babineaux led the Dolphins to an 83-75 overtime win over Northern Kentucky, tallying 27 points, ten assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Northern Kentucky’s Tayler Persons accounted for 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

3. Maryland’s Melo Trimble

Trimble tallied 26 points, six rebounds and five assists in the Terps’ win over Nebraska.

4. Ole Miss’ Stefan Moody

Moody scored 29 points, shooting 8-for-12 from three, while also tallying six rebounds and four steals in a 71-65 win at Mississippi State.

STRUGGLED

1. Tulane’s Louis Dabney

Shot 1-for-12 from the field, scoring three points, in the Green Wave’s 69-55 home loss to UCF.

2. Oregon State’s Olaf Schaftenaar

To be fair no one shot particularly well in this game, a 47-37 Utah win. Schaftenaar scored three points on 1-for-9 shooting from the field.

3. USC’s Katin Reinhardt

With Jordan McLaughlin sidelined Reinhardt struggled in the Trojans’ loss at No. 7 Arizona, scoring two points on 1-for-7 shooting.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25

Melo Trimble accounted for 26 points, six rebounds and five assists as No. 16 Maryland held off Nebraska 69-65 in College Park. The Terrapins are in a tie for second place in the Big Ten with Purdue.
No. 7 Arizona rolled to an 87-57 win over USC, and the Wildcats finished the game with six players scoring in double figures. Among those six was backup point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who scored 11 in his first game since suffering a concussion in a home win over Oregon January 30.
No. 3 Gonzaga wrapped up at least a share of the WCC regular season title with an 86-74 win at Pacific. Kyle Wiltjer scored 45 points for the Bulldogs, who shot 60 percent from the field.
There were no such offensive fireworks in Corvallis, as No. 9 Utah beat Oregon State 47-37. Dakarai Tucker led the Utes, who handed the Beavers their first home loss of the season, with 11 points.

NOTABLES

Dayton moved into a first-place tie with VCU and Rhode Island atop the Atlantic 10 standings with a 68-64 win over Saint Joseph’s. Kendall Pollard finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, and Dyshawn Pierre posted another double-double (15 points, ten rebounds and six assists).
A Jamail Jones layup with 29.8 seconds remaining proved to the be the difference as FGCU moved to 10-1 in the Atlantic Sun with a 54-53 win over Kennesaw State. The Eagles maintained their one-game lead on North Florida.
Wofford erased a ten-point halftime deficit, scoring 52 points in the second half of their 77-62 win over UNCG. Mike Young’s Terriers remain a game ahead of Chattanooga, which beat Mercer Thursday night, atop the SoCon standings.
Coastal Carolina won for the fifth time in its last six games, beating Campbell 81-57. The Chanticleers (11-5) are a game behind High Point and Charleston Southern (both 11-4) in the loss column in the Big South.
St. Francis-Brooklyn moved to 13-2 in NEC play with a 70-54 win over Fairleigh Dickinson. As a result of the win, Glenn Braica’s Terriers have clinched at least a share of the the regular season title.
Delaware, which began the season on a 12-game losing streak, has won three of its last four games with all three wins coming against teams at the top of the CAA standings. Monte Ross’ Fightin’ Blue Hens knocked off UNCW Thursday night.
Georgia State won for the seventh time in its last eight games, beating South Alabama 79-51 in Atlanta. Tied with Georgia Southern for second place in the Sun Belt, Ron Hunter’s Panthers (11-4) remain a game behind ULM (12-3).
Rider moved to 13-4 in the MAAC with a 94-83 win over Quinnipiac, wrapping up a first round bye in next month’s conference tournament. Monmouth also secured a bye, as they beat Saint Peter’s 63-58 in Jersey City.
New Mexico State moved to 10-1 in WAC play with a 51-38 win at Utah Valley, limiting the Wolverines to 28.6% shooting from the field and 1-for-16 from three.
Both Saint Mary’s and BYU picked up home wins, with the Gaels beating Portland and BYU taking care of San Diego. With both looking to get into the NCAA tournament, they need every win they can pick up.
Alan Williams returned to the lineup for UCSB, but it wasn’t enough to help the Gauchos avoid a two-point loss at UC Riverside. That may not impact the regular season title race, but the return of Williams is a big deal when it comes to the Big West tournament.
UC Davis is now 10-1 in Big West play after winning 65-58 at Long Beach State. Jim Les’ Aggies have now won six straight games.
Venky Jois scored 22 points to lead Eastern Washington to a win at Southern Utah despite Tyler Harvey shooting 3-for-16 from the field. The Eagles have now won 20 games for the second time in school history.

Charlotte head coach Ron Sanchez resigns after winning CBI title

Associated PressJun 7, 2023, 1:39 PM EDT

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ron Sanchez resigned as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers.

Sanchez took over the 49ers on March 19, 2018, inheriting a team coming off a 6-23 campaign. In five years Charlotte went 72-78 under Sanchez, highlighted by winning the College Basketball Invitational championship this past season, the Niners’ first post-season tournament title in school history.

The 22 wins this past season are the most for Charlotte since 2001.

“Ron took over a proud but struggling program and carefully rebuilt it into a 22-game winner. He has led with class, dignity and devotion to our young men,” Charlotte director of athletics Mike Hill said. “His decision to step down from Charlotte was a difficult one for him and everyone associated with our program. We wish him and his family every happiness.”

Hill said the team has already begun a national search for a replacement.

“This is a bittersweet day for me and my family as I step down to pursue other opportunities,” said Sanchez, who came the 49ers after working as an assistant coach at Virginia under Tony Bennett. “It has been a tremendous privilege to lead the 49ers basketball program over the past five years and I want to thank Niner Nation for its support. I will be forever grateful to my staff, players and the university.”

Marquette extends Shaka Smart’s contract through 2029-30 season

Associated PressJun 6, 2023, 9:55 PM EDT

Adam Cairns/USA TODAY NETWORK

MILWAUKEE — Marquette coach Shaka Smart has received a contract extension after leading the Golden Eagles to their first outright regular-season championship and tournament title in the Big East.

Smart’s contract now runs through the 2029-30 season. This is the first extension Smart has received since signing a six-year deal when he took over as Marquette’s coach in 2021.

Marquette didn’t release financial terms of Smart’s deal.

“In a very short period of time, Shaka and his staff have done a tremendous job of establishing a winning culture, both on and off the court,” athletic director Bill Scholl said in a statement. “Shaka’s vision for the program is focused on extended, sustainable success. The individuals who interact with the team on a daily basis are able to observe frequent examples of growth and the excitement around the program is contagious.”

Marquette has gone 48-20 in Smart’s two seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament each of those years.

The Golden Eagles went 29-7 and won the Big East’s regular-season and tournament championships last season after the league’s coaches had picked them to finish ninth out of 11 teams. Marquette’s season ended with a 69-60 loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32.

Purdue’s Edey returning to school at NBA draft deadline; Kentucky’s Tshiebwe stays in

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 11:17 AM EDT

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue’s Zach Edey decided it was the right call to go back to school instead of staying in the NBA draft. His predecessor as national player of the year, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, is sticking with his pro pursuit.

And Connecticut’s reign as NCAA champion will begin with multiple starters having left for the NBA draft and one returning after flirting with doing the same.

The 7-foot-4 Edey and UConn guard Tristen Newton were among the notable names to announce that they were withdrawing from the draft, the NCAA’s deadline for players who declared as early entrants to pull out and retain their college eligibility.

Edey’s decision came in social media posts from both the center and the Boilermakers program that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament behind Edey, The Associated Press men’s national player of the year.

But Tshiebwe announced late in the afternoon that he would remain in the draft after a college career that included being named the AP national player of the year in 2022.

For the current champions, Newton (10.1 points, 4.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds) is returning after being one of four Huskies to declare for the draft after a run to UConn’s fifth national championship in early April. He scored a game-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds in the victory over San Diego State in the title game.

The others were Final Four Most Outstanding Player Adama Sanogo, wing Jordan Hawkins and versatile guard Andre Jackson Jr. Sanogo (17.8 points) and Hawkins (16.3) have made it clear they have closed the door on their college careers, while team spokesman Phil Chardis said that Jackson (6.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists) would remain in the draft.

The Huskies have 247sports’ No. 3-ranked recruiting class for next year to restock the roster, led by McDonald’s All-American point guard Stephon Castle.

The NBA’s withdrawal deadline is June 12, but is moot when it comes to college players returning to school due to the NCAA’s earlier timeline to retain playing eligibility.

STAYING IN SCHOOL

TREY ALEXANDER: Creighton gets back a 6-4 guard who averaged 13.6 points and shot 41% from 3-point range in his first full season as a starter.

ADEM BONA: The 6-foot-10 forward and Pac-12 freshman of the year is returning to UCLA after starting 32 games as a rookie and averaging 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks – with coach Mick Cronin praising his toughness for “competing through multiple injuries for as long as he could” in a statement Wednesday.

EDEY: He averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists while shooting 60.7% from the field. His presence alone helps Purdue be a factor in the Big Ten race.

JOSIAH-JORDAN JAMES: The 6-6 guard went through the NBA G League Combine and had workouts with multiple teams before opting to return to Tennessee for a fifth season alongside teammate Santiago Vescovi.

JUDAH MINTZ: The 6-3 freshman averaged 16.3 points and 4.6 assists for Syracuse, ranking third among Division I freshmen in scoring behind only Alabama’s Brandon Miller and Lamar’s Nate Calmese.

OWLS’ RETURNEES: Florida Atlantic got good news after its surprise Final Four run with the return leading scorers Johnell Davis (13.8) and Alijah Martin (13.4). ESPN first reported their decisions, while Martin later posted a social media statement.

TERRENCE SHANNON JR.: Illinois got a big boost with Shannon announcing his night in a social media post. The 6-6 guard is returning for a fifth college season after averaging 17.2 points.

SPARTANS’ RETURNEES: Michigan State announced that guards Jaden Akins and A.J. Hoggard have withdrawn from the NBA draft. Standout guard Tyson Walker had previously withdrawn in April, setting up Tom Izzo to have five of his top scorers back.

GOING PRO

KOBE BROWN: Missouri’s 6-8 swingman opted against returning for a fifth college season after being an AP first-team all-Southeastern Conference pick averaging 15.8 points last season.

JAYLEN CLARK: The third-year UCLA guard averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while leading the Pac-12 with 2.6 steals en route to being named Naismith national defensive player of the year. Cronin called him a winner with strong intangibles who made UCLA “a better program because he chose to be a Bruin.”

BRICE SENSABAUGH: The Ohio State freshman averaged 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 31 games before missing his final two in the Big Ten Tournament due to a knee injury. He’s a potential first-round prospect.

TSHIEBWE: The 6-9, 260-pound forward is a tough interior presence who led the country in rebounds for two straight seasons (15.1 in 2022, 13.7 in 2023) while racking up 48 double-doubles. But he faces an uncertain next stop and is projected at best as a second-round prospect.

North Carolina transfer Caleb Love commits to Arizona

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 10:59 AM EDT

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Caleb Love is now headed to Arizona.

The North Carolina transfer tweeted, less than a month after decommitting from Michigan, that he will play next season with the Wildcats.

“Caleb is a tremendously talented guard who has significant experience playing college basketball at a high level,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said in a statement. “We look forward to helping Caleb grow his game at Arizona. And as we near the completion of the roster for the upcoming season, we feel great about how everything has come together. Now it’s time for the real work to start.”

A 6-foot-4 guard, Love averaged 14.6 points and 3.3 assists in three seasons at North Carolina. He averaged 17.6 points in seven NCAA Tournament games, helping lead the Tar Heels to the 2022 national championship game.

Love entered the transfer portal after leading North Carolina with 73 3-pointers as a junior and initially committed to Michigan. He decommitted from the Wolverines earlier this month, reportedly due to an admissions issue involving academic credits.

Love narrowed his transfer targets to three schools before choosing to play at Arizona over Gonzaga and Texas.

Love will likely start on a team that will have dynamic perimeter players, including Pelle Larsson, Kylan Boswell and Alabama transfer Jaden Bradley.

Biden celebrates LSU women’s and UConn men’s basketball teams at separate White House events

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 11:56 PM EDT

Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK

WASHINGTON – All of the past drama and sore feelings associated with Louisiana State’s invitation to the White House were seemingly forgotten or set aside Friday as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the championship women’s basketball team to the mansion with smiles, hugs and lavish praise all around.

The visit had once appeared in jeopardy after Jill Biden suggested that the losing Iowa team be invited, too. But none of that was mentioned as both Bidens heralded the players for their performance and the way they have helped advance women’s sports.

“Folks, we witnessed history,” the president said. “In this team, we saw hope, we saw pride and we saw purpose. It matters.”

The ceremony was halted for about 10 minutes after forward Sa’Myah Smith appeared to collapse as she and her teammates stood behind Biden. A wheelchair was brought in and coach Kim Mulkey assured the audience that Smith was fine.

LSU said in a statement that Smith felt overheated, nauseous and thought she might faint. She was evaluated by LSU and White House medical staff and was later able to rejoin the team. “She is feeling well, in good spirits, and will undergo further evaluation once back in Baton Rouge,” the LSU statement said.

Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, Biden said, more than half of all college students are women, and there are now 10 times more female athletes in college and high school. He said most sports stories are still about men, and that that needs to change.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally funded education programs and activities.

“Folks, we need to support women sports, not just during the championship run but during the entire year,” President Biden said.

After the Tigers beat Iowa for the NCAA title in April in a game the first lady attended, she caused an uproar by suggesting that the Hawkeyes also come to the White House.

LSU star Angel Reese called the idea “A JOKE” and said she would prefer to visit with former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, instead. The LSU team largely is Black, while Iowa’s top player, Caitlin Clark, is white, as are most of her teammates.

Nothing came of Jill Biden’s idea and the White House only invited the Tigers. Reese ultimately said she would not skip the White House visit. She and co-captain Emily Ward presented team jerseys bearing the number “46” to Biden and the first lady. Hugs were exchanged.

Jill Biden also lavished praise on the team, saying the players showed “what it means to be a champion.”

“In this room, I see the absolute best of the best,” she said, adding that watching them play was “pure magic.”

“Every basket was pure joy and I kept thinking about how far women’s sports have come,” the first lady added, noting that she grew up before Title IX was passed. “We’ve made so much progress and we still have so much more work to do.”

The president added that “the way in which women’s sports has come along is just incredible. It’s really neat to see, since I’ve got four granddaughters.”

After Smith was helped to a wheelchair, Mulkey told the audience the player was OK.

“As you can see, we leave our mark where we go,” Mulkey joked. “Sa’Myah is fine. She’s kind of, right now, embarrassed.”

A few members of Congress and Biden aides past and present with Louisiana roots dropped what they were doing to attend the East Room event, including White House budget director Shalanda Young. Young is in the thick of negotiations with House Republicans to reach a deal by the middle of next week to stave off what would be a globally calamitous U.S. financial default if the U.S. can no longer borrow the money it needs to pay its bills.

The president, who wore a necktie in the shade of LSU’s purple, said Young, who grew up in Baton Rouge, told him, “I’m leaving the talks to be here.” Rep. Garret Graves, one of the House GOP negotiators, also attended.

Biden closed sports Friday by changing to a blue tie and welcoming the UConn’s men’s championship team for its own celebration. The Huskies won their fifth national title by defeating San Diego State, 76-59, in April.

“Congratulations to the whole UConn nation,” he said.