Nevada advances with sharp free-throw shooting
TOP 25 NO. 6 NEVADA 96, TULSA 86
LAS VEGAS — Nevada passed its first challenge away from home this season thanks to Jordan Caroline and the Wolf Pack’s freethrow shooting.
Caroline had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 6 Nevada made 35 of 42 free throws to beat Tulsa 96-86 on Thursday in the third round of the Las Vegas Invitational.
Nevada (5-0) will face Massachusetts in the championship game tonight. Massachusetts beat Southern Illinois 84-62.
“Away from home and getting a win is a positive,” Nevada Coach Eric Musselman said.
“We took a step back from Monday’s win (against Cal Baptist). We were lacking from getting stops (defensively). Tulsa is a good team.”
Caleb Martin added 21 points and 6 rebounds for the Wolf Pack, making all 10 of his free throws. Jazz Johnson had 20 points on 5-of-7 shooting from threepoint range.
Sterling Taplin led the Golden Hurricane (4-1) with 22 points, and Martins Igbanu added 14.
NO. 4 VIRGINIA 66, DAYTON 59
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — De’Andre Hunter matched his career high with 23 points to help fourthranked Virginia hold off Dayton in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals.
Hunter made a three-pointer with 53.1 seconds left and Virginia protecting a 60-56 lead. It turned out to provide just enough cushion to keep the Cavaliers (5-0) in control and send them into the championship game today against No. 25 Wisconsin.
Virginia shot 50 percent in the second half.
Ty Jerome added 15 points for Virginia, and Kyle Guy had 14.
Josh Cunningham led Dayton (4-1) with 15 points.
TEXAS 92,
NO. 7 NORTH CAROLINA 89
LAS VEGAS — Kerwin Roach II had a career-high 32 points with 7 assists and 6 steals to lead Texas over No. 7 North Carolina in the third round of the Las Vegas Invitational.
Roach also had 6 rebounds and was 12 of 15 from the field, including 3 of 3 from deep.
North Carolina freshman Coby White had 33 points, but he missed a three-pointer that would have put the Tar Heels (5-1) ahead with 1:01 left. He was 7 of 10 from three-point range.
Matt Coleman III had 16 points for Texas (5-0), and Jaxson Hayes had 15 points and 9 rebounds.
NO. 19 LSU 67, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 55
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Emmitt Williams had 14 points and nine rebounds, and No. 19 LSU beat College of Charleston to reach the AdvoCare Invitational semifinals.
Skylar Mays added 12 points for the Tigers (5-0). Freshman Naz Reid, slowed by an ankle injury, had 6 points and 2 rebounds in 15 minutes.
Charleston (3-2) got a season-high 27 points and 9 rebounds from Jarrell Brantley.
NO. 25 WISCONSIN 78, OKLAHOMA 58
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — D’Mitrik Trice set career highs with 25 points and a tournament-record 7 three-pointers to help No. 25 Wisconsin (5-0) beat Oklahoma in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Trice started 7 for 7 from behind the arc, the last coming when he pumpfaked a defender and stepped to his right to bury the shot for a 66-47 lead with 6:22 left. But he finally missed a three less than a minute later to finish at 7 for 8.
Christian James scored 18 points for the Sooners (4-1).