DePaul stops Providence

Javon Freeman-Liberty and Charlie Moore each scored 21 points and DePaul surprised Providence 70-62 in a Big East Conference Tournament opener Wednesday night in New York.

DePaul advances to the quarterfinals to face No. 3 seed Connecticut on Thursday.

No. 11 seed DePaul (5-13) entered the tournament having lost nine of its last 10.

No. 6 seed Providence (13-13) was seeking a sweep of DePaul, having defeated the Demons twice during the regular season.

The Friars led 36-35 at halftime before DePaul used a 12-4 run for a seven-point lead within the first 4½ minutes after the break.

Jared Bynum’s jumper capped a 13-6 Providence run to knot it at 53-all with 8:04 left. Freeman-Liberty responded with a jump shot and DePaul led the rest of the way.

Minnesota 51, Northwestern 46

Tre Williams scored 14 points and Jamal Mashburn Jr. 11 and Minnesota snapped a seven-game skid by rallying past Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.

The Gophers (14-14) advance to take on fifth-seeded and No. 9-ranked Ohio State on Thursday.

The Wildcats went scoreless over the final 4:20 after leading 46-39.

Miller Kopp shot just 4-for-18, but led Northwestern (9-15) with nine points.

North Carolina 101, Notre Dame 59

Big men Armando Bacot and freshmen Day’Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler each had a double-double and North Carolina routed Notre Dame at the ACC Tournament.

No. 6 seed UNC (17-9) plays third-seeded Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Bacot, a 6-10 sophomore, finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Kessler added 16 points and a career-best 12 rebounds and Sharpe had 14 point and 10 boards.

Prentiss Hubb and Nate Laszewski scored 13 points apiece for No. 11 seed Notre Dame (11-15), which was outscored 52-4 at one point.