Saint Mary’s keeps hopes of shared title alive

Saint Mary’s still has a chance to catch Gonzaga for at least a share of the West Coast Conference’s regular season title after dispatching of Pepperdine on Thursday night at McKeon Pavilion

Four players scored in double figures for the No. 22 Gaels, who opened up a 20-point lead on the Waves in the first half to help cruise to a 75- 61 win.

The Gaels (26- 4, 15-2 WCC) close the regular season Saturday at home against Santa Clara, and Gonzaga (26- 4, 16-1) travels to play BYU. The Gaels can earn a share of the WCC regular-season title with a victory and a Gonzaga loss.

Sophomore guard Jordan Ford led the Gaels with 18 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Calvin Hermanson with 14 points, Tanner Krebs with 12 and Jock Landale with 10.

SaintMary’s point guard Emmett Naar, who injured his left ankle late in the first half against Portland on Saturday, started and had three points and six assists in 14 minutes, most of those in the first half. STANFORD 94, WASHINGTON

78 » Reid Travis scored 23 of his career-high 33 points in the first half as the Cardi- nal (15-13, 9- 6 Pac-12) kept its postseason hopes alive.

Dorian Pickens added 20 points, Michael Humphrey added 15 points before fouling out in the final six minutes and Oscar Da Silva scored 14 for Stanford.

Travis, who also had nine rebounds, was 11 of 17 from the floor and also from the foul line.

Jaylen Howell scored 18 points to lead the Huskies (18-10, 8-7 Pac-12), who lost their fourth straight to Stanford and fell to 2- 6 in their last eight games.

The Cardinal carried a double- digit lead for most of the game, extending it to 24 points early in the second half. WASHINGTON STATE 78, CAL 76 » Justice Sueing had 25 points and four rebounds but the Cougars’ Drick Bernstine converted a layup with two seconds left at Haas Pavilion in a game between the Pac-12’s two worst teams.

It was Cal’s fourth straight defeat, three of which have come by four points or less, as the Bears fell to 8-20 overall and 2-13 in Pac-12 play. The Cougars are now 11-16 overall and 3-12 in conference.

Cal trailed by as much as eight points early in the second half before starting to find a rhythm. Marcus Lee’s field goal with 10:36 to go in regulation time tied the game at 55, and Sueing gave the Bears a 6159 lead two minutes later with his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Neither team had a lead of more than four points throughout the last 11 minutes of the second half. USF84, PACIFIC74 » Frankie Ferrari turned in a doubledouble and the Dons pulled into a tie with the Tigers for the No. 4 seed into the West Coast Conference tournament.

With their fifth win in their last six games, the Dons now are tied with Pacific, one game behind third-place BYU, but USF swept the season series and would claim the No. 4 seed into the conference tournament.

Ferrari had 15 points and dished 13 assists. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 65, SANTACLARA64 » KJ Feagin scored 29 points for the Broncos (11-18, 8-9) but his potential winning 3-pointer bounced off the rim at the buzzer in a game featured nine ties and 16 lead changes and neither team led by more than six.

Mattias Markusson had a double- double with a career-high 19 points and 12 boards and James Batemon had 14 points for the Lions (9-19, 4-13 West Coast Conference).

Henry Caruso had 11 points and a career- high 14 rebounds for the Broncos. NO. 6GONZAGA77, SANDIEGO 72 » Killian Tillie scored 17 points, Rui Hachimura added 16 and the Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the West Coast Conference title.

The Bulldogs (26- 4, 16-1 WCC) defeated the Toreros (17-12, 8- 9) for the eighth straight game and for the 19th time in their last 20 meetings. NO. 14 ARIZONA 75, OREGON STATE 65 » Deandre Ayton had 19 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, and the Wildcats, minus one of its star players, pulled away in overtime.

The Wildcats (22- 6, 12-3 Pac-12) were without preseason All-American Allonzo Trier, who was declared ineligible by the NCAA for the reappearance of a banned substance that led to a 19-game suspension last season.

Arizona is appealing the decision and hoping Trier will regain his eligibility soon. NO. 9PURDUE93, ILLINOIS86 » Carsen Edwards scored career-high 40 points and Dakota Mathias added 18 as the Boilermakers, even with second-leading scorer, Vincent Edwards, out with an ankle injury, had little trouble scoring.

The Illini ( 13-17) have now lost 10 games this season by single digits. UTAH 84, UCLA 78 » David Collette scored 21 points and Justin Bibbins totaled 17 points and 10 assists to help the Utes take another step closer to strengthening their NCAA Tournament atlarge resume with a critical home win.

Utah (18- 9, 10- 6 Pac-12) has won five straight.

Women

STALEY SUES MIZZOU AD » South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley is suing Missouri’s athletic director, saying he slandered her when he suggested she created an atmosphere that encouraged fans to spit on his players and use racial slurs.

Staley’s suit asks for no more than $75,000 in damages from Sterk for disparaging her reputation.

Also on Thursday, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey fined JimSterk $25,000 and reprimanded him for publicly criticizing Staley.

The problems started the day after South Carolina’s 64-54 win at home on Jan. 28. The teams have played three tough, physical games in a row, and Sterk said in a radio interview the latest game had an unhealthy atmosphere.

“We had players spit on, and called the N-word and things like that. It was not a good environment and unfortunately, I think coach Staley promoted that kind of atmosphere,” Sterk said on KTGR radio. NO. 2 MISSISSIPPI STATE 82, AUBURN 61 » Teaira McCowan had 16 points and 18 rebounds to help power the Bulldogs (29- 0, 15- 0 Southeastern Conference). NO. 4LOUISVILLE51, VIRGINIA 39 » The Cardinals (28-2, 14-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) limited Virginia to 27 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers in the win. Louisville shot just 38 percent but won its third in a row by stifling the Cavaliers (16-12, 9- 6), who shot just 8- of- 40 from the field over the final three quarters. NO. 5 NOTRE DAME 89, VIRGINIATECH59 » Arike Ogunbowale scored 26 points and Marina Mabrey had 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the Irish won their 11th straight.

Notre Dame (26-2, 14-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) outscored Virginia Tech 6335 over the final three quarters.