College Basketball Roundup : Pitt Beats Slumping Eagles

Freshman Charles Smith poured in 26 points, including 18 free throws, as Pitt came from 14 points down in the second half to surprise stumbling Boston College, 61-55, in a Big East game at Newton, Mass.

Boston College (11-5, 2-5), which blew a 10-point lead in a 66-59 loss to St. John’s Saturday and has lost five of six games, stretched a 33-25 halftime advantage into a 42-28 bulge with 15:21 left in the game.

However, Pitt (10-5, 2-3) reeled off 20 of the next 26 points to tie the Eagles, 48-48, on a layup by Smith, who had seven of those points, with 5:34 remaining.

Maryland 99, Holy Cross 75--Adrian Branch scored 26 points and Tom Jones added 19 as the Terrapins pulled away from the Crusaders at College Park, Md.

Holy Cross (4-12) was within 64-56 with 9:56 left before Jones, a junior college transfer, scored 13 of his points for the Terrapins (15-4) in the final 8:08.

Jim McCaffrey had 27 points for the Crusaders.

North Carolina 74, Jacksonville 68--Junior center Brad Daugherty scored a career-high 28 points--18 in the first half--to spark the Tar Heels past the Dolphins at Greensboro, N.C.

Daugherty was 12 for 13 from the field and 4 for 4 from the free-throw line.

North Carolina (14-3) led from the outset by making 11 of its first 12 shots. Jacksonville (8-8) got back in the game with a 27-12 surge, cutting the Tar Heels’ lead to 38-37, but could never pull even.

DePaul 72, E. Washington 50--Tyrone Corbin scored 17 points and the Blue Demons rolled past the Eagles at Rosemont, Ill., to extend their homecourt winning streak to 36 games.

The Blue Demons (13-3) led, 29-17, at the half, but the Eagles (7-12) closed to 32-26 with 18 minutes to play.

Four 20-foot jumpers by Kenny Patterson helped DePaul move to a 46-30 lead with 12 minutes to play.

Georgia Tech 49, Virginia 46--John Salley and Yvon Joseph each hit a pair of free throws in the final 11 seconds as the Yellow Jackets pulled out an Atlantic Coast Conference victory over the Cavaliers at Atlanta.

South Carolina 64, Louisville 59--Mike Brittain had 16 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocked shots as the Gamecocks beat the fading Cardinals in a Metro Conference game at Columbia, S.C.

Pacific 101, Utah State 89--Freshman forward Domingo Rosario scored a season-high 25 points as the Tigers downed the Aggies, despite 41 points by Vince Washington.