The first winners
Senior guard hits three 3-pointers in a row in overtime to beat Cornell
NEC champ Fairleigh Dickinson, Belmont win NCAA openers.
Robert Morris held Cornell to seven points in overtime, and senior guard Matty McConnell connected on three consecutive 3-pointers to lift the Colonials to a 98-89 win Tuesday against Cornell in the CollegeInsider.com tournament at Robert Morris.
McConnell had 27 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals, with senior guard Josh Williams leading RMU with 36 points.
The Colonials found a way to contain Cornell sophomore forward Jimmy Boeheim (son of Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim), who scored 23 points in the first half but was held to six in the second and two in overtime.
In regulation, tied at 7676 with 2:18 left, a Josh Williams 3-pointer gave RMU the lead. Cornell responded with a quick layup but Terrance McBride later stepped out of bounds for a turnover with 38 seconds to go. Jon Williams was then fouled on RMU’s next possession and he made two free throws for a three-point advantage. Regulation ended 82-82.
First Four
Darnell Edge scored a career-high 33 points, and Fairleigh Dickinson rallied to win its first NCAA tournament game, taking down
Prairie View A&M, 82-76, in the opener in Dayton, Ohio. Edge was 7 for 9 from beyond the 3-point line, and Jahil Jenkins scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half for the Knights (21-13), who will face No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Thursday in Salt Lake City. Prairie View (22-13), also seeking its first tournament win, built up 13-point leads in both halves, but Fairleigh Dickinson took control in the second half behind the shooting of Edge and Jenkins. … Kevin McClain poured in 29 points as Belmont (27-5) knocked out Temple (23-10), 81-70. Nick Muszynski added 16 points, and six other players scored for the Bruins. Temple had four players in double figures, led by Shizz Alston Jr., but did not have the overall balance of Belmont, which will face Maryland in Jacksonville, Fla.
Saint Joseph’s
Head coach Phil Martelli, 64, was fired after 24 seasons, after a third-consecutive losing season (1419) and with the Hawks making only three NCAA tournament appearances since 2004, the year they were a No. 1 seed and made a run to the Elite Eight. Martelli became head coach in 1995 after 10 years as an assistant and had a 444-328 record and made seven NCAA appearances.
Mississippi
Coach Kermit Davis earned a new four-year contract, the longest allowed by state law, after leading Mississippi on a surprising run to the NCAA tournament. The school announced that it had agreed in principle to a new deal with Davis but financial terms weren’t disclosed. Ole Miss was picked to finish last in the Southeastern Conference, but finished 20-12 and is a No. 8 seed.
Elsewhere
Former Auburn assistant coach and 13-year NBA veteran Chuck Person pleaded guilty in New York to a bribery conspiracy charge in the widespread college basketball scandal.