Gaels hold off LMU for first conference win
Matthias Tass had 18 points as Saint Mary’s edged Loyola Marymount 65-61 on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Dan Fotu added 16 points for the Gaels, who forced a season-high 27 turnovers. Logan Johnson had 11 points for Saint Mary’s (105, 1-3 WCC). Tommy Kuhse added 11 points.
Eli Scott had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Lions (7-5, 2-2).
Dameane Douglas added 12 points and nine rebounds.
USC-STANFORD POSPONED >> Stanford’s game Wednesday against USC was postponed due to a suspected COVID-19-related issue within the USC program.
The announcement came within an hour of the scheduled tip in Santa Cruz. Stanford continues its season on Saturday against UCLA in Santa Cruz (2 p.m.).
The Trojans were scheduled to play at Cal on Saturday.
NEW MEXICO 67, SAN JOSE STATE 51 >> Makuach Maluach had a season-high 25 points as the Lobos (58, 1-8 Mountain West) defeated the Spartans (2-11, 0-9). The game was played at the home of Dixie State in St. George, Utah, because of COVID-19 concerns in New Mexico.
The Lobos have been based in St. George, Utah, since playing the Thunderbirds on Jan. 13. So far they have played all games on the road but after facing the Spartans again on Saturday the Lobos have been cleared to return to practice in Albuquerque.
Ralph Agee had 14 points for the Spartans, whose losing streak reached five games.
PENN STATE 75, RUTGERS 67 >> Izaiah Brockington and Myreon Jones scored 17 points apiece, Jones making three clinching free throws in the waning seconds, and the Nittany Lions scored their first Big Ten Conference win this season.
Seth Lundy chipped in 16 points with 10 rebounds. Lundy had all three steals just past the midway point of the first half as Penn State (4-6, 1-5) harassed Rutgers into early turnovers to fuel a 10-0 run.
Ron Harper Jr. scored 14 of his 18 points for Rutgers after halftime, making 5 of 10, including a pair of 3-pointers as the Scarlet Knights rallied. Myles Johnson scored 14 with seven rebounds for Rutgers (7-6, 3-6), which is in a stretch of five straight losses.
BUTLER-SETON HALL IS OFF >> The Big East postponed today’s Butler-Seton Hall contest due to COVID-19 issues within the Bulldogs’ program. Butler (5-7, 4-5 Big East) won 67-53 at DePaul on Tuesday and is scheduled to play at No. 23 UConn next Tuesday.
Seton Hall (9-6, 6-3) is scheduled to next host No. 11 Creighton on Wednesday.
NO. 21 OREGON MISSING KEY PLAYER IN RETURN >> No. 21 Oregon will be without leading scorer Chris Duarte as well as LJ Figueroa when it returns to the floor against visiting Oregon State tonight in the program’s first game in two weeks.
Duarte and Figueroa will be out because of COVID-19 protocols, according to Ducks coach Dana Altman. Oregon (9-2, 4-1 Pac-12) paused team activities on Jan. 12 due to COVID-19 issues within the program.
Oregon’s last outing was a 79-73 road win over Utah on Jan. 9.
Women
UCONN TOPS VOLS IN RENEWED RIVALRY >> Evina Westbrook, who transferred from Tennessee to UConn two years ago, connected on back-to-back fourth-quarter 3-pointers to spark the No. 3 Huskies (9-0) to a 67-61 victory over the No. 25 Volunteers (9-3) in Knoxville.
It was a classic meeting in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Revival Series during We Back Pat Week, which honors legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, who passed away in 2016. The Lady Vols wore for the third time “Summitt” on the back of their jerseys.
This was UConn’s first trip to Tennessee since 2006.
Huskies coach Geno Auriemma is spending this season chasing Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer for the all-time most wins in women’s college basketball. VanDerveer entered Thursday night with 1,105 victories while Auriemma now has 1,100.