Carr scores 35 as Minnesota gets big win over Ohio State
Wofford shocks depleted North Carolina 68-64
Minnesota guard Marcus Carr (5) drives around a pick by Minnesota center Daniel Oturu (25) as Ohio State guard Luther Muhammad plays defense in
the first half during a NCAA basketball game on Dec 15, in Minneapolis. (AP)
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec 16, (AP): Marcus Carr scored a career-high 35 points and Daniel Oturu had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Minnesota toppled undefeated and thirdranked Ohio State 84-71 for coach Richard Pitino’s first win against a top-five team.
Oturu outworked Kaleb Wesson in the paint to win the battle of two of the Big Ten’s best big men with his sixth double-double of the season for the Gophers (5-5, 1-1). Prior to this game, the highest-ranked opponent they’d beaten in seven years under Pitino was No. 6 Maryland on Feb. 18, 2016.
Freshmen D.J. Carton (19 points) and E.J. Liddell (14 points) had season highs off the bench for the Buckeyes (9-1, 1-1), and Wesson had 12 points and six rebounds with his playing time limited by foul trouble.
Carr, who’s in his debut with the Gophers
Ten, the Buckeyes took the nation’s best scoring differential, an average margin of 26.2 points per game, into the night. They took two big steps toward making this December one to remember, blowing out then-No. 7 North Carolina on the road and topping the 100-point mark in the conference opener against Penn State. That was the first time the Buckeyes reached triple digits in a Big Ten game since 2006.
In Chapel Hill, N.C., The venue was different, but the result was the same.
Wofford traveled to Chapel Hill and shocked a ranked North Carolina team again, getting 19 points from Trevor Stumpe and riding a 16-0 run in the second half to a 68-64 win over the 17th-ranked Tar Heels on Sunday.
Storm Murphy added 15 points and Messiah Jones had 13 points for the Terriers (7-4), who won at North Carolina for the second time in three years.
Wofford beat No. 5 North Carolina 79-75 at the Smith Center on Dec 20, 2017, for its first win over an AP Top 25 opponent. That one came with Mike Young, now the coach at Virginia Tech, on the sideline.
This one gave first-year coach Jay McAuley a signature win in the Tar Heels’ first regular-season game at Carmichael Arena since Jan. 4, 1986.
While the Terriers sprinted to midcourt to celebrate, the Tar Heels (6-4) walked away in a daze after their third straight loss.
North Carolina played without starters Cole Anthony (out indefinitely with an injured right knee) and Leaky Black (sprained right foot). The school said treatment plans are being evaluated for Anthony, the second-leading scorer among freshmen nationally, who is averaging 19.1 points.
Wofford, a 12-point underdog, made four 3-pointers during its decisive spurt, a 6-minute stretch in which the Tar Heels missed 10 consecutive shots.
The Terriers had just five turnovers and made 14 of 40 3-point attempts, outscoring North Carolina by 24 points from 3-point range.
Garrison Brooks had 17 points and 12 rebounds for North Carolina, which led 36-32 at halftime.
Brandon Robinson added a career-high 16 points for the Tar Heels. They cut Wofford’s lead to 65-61 with 51.5 seconds remaining but got no closer.
Howard’s 3-point attempt with 3 seconds left that bounced off the rim to preserve Louisville’s fourth straight win in the rivalry series.
Shook finished with 11 points and three 3s with 13 rebounds for Louisville (10-1). Evans had 18 points and 10 assists.
Howard had 26 points for the Wildcats. Florida State 74, St John’s 70 In Tallahassee, Florida, Nausia Woolfolk scored a season-high 25 points, Kiah Gillespie had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Florida State held off St John’s.
Nicki Ekhomu had 10 points for the Seminoles (10-0), who used an 18-2 run in the second quarter to take the lead and stayed in front the rest of the way.
Qadashah Hoppie scored 16 points and Alissa Alston came off the bench to contribute 15 for St. John’s (6-4).
NC State 62, Elon 49 In Raleigh, North Carolina, Elissa Cunane scored 28 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as North Carolina State overcame a sluggish opening three quarters to beat Elon.
The Wolfpack improved to 10-0 after struggling for most of the game and leading by only three points with 6 minutes remaining. Kayla Jones added 12 points and Aislinn Konig scored 10 for NC State.
Brie Perpignan led Elon with 10 points as the Phoenix (3-5) gave NC State all it could handle in the Wolfpack’s first game in 10 days.
UCLA 68, Pacific 57 In Los Angeles, Japreece Dean and Michaela Onyenwere each scored 19 points and Charisma Osborne added
South Carolina forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (21) and Victaria Saxton (5) celebrate a score during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Purdue on Dec
15, in Columbia, SC. (AP)