Gaels advance in NIT, Cardinal season is over
Behind timely scoring from guard Jordan Ford and star big man Jock Landale, the top-seeded Saint Mary’s Gaels saved off fifth-seeded Washington 85-81 at McKeon Pavilion on Monday night in the second round of the NIT.
The Gaels (30-5) set a single-season school record for victories with the win and will play host to another Pac-12 team on Wednesday night, this time No. 2 Utah, which beat No. 3 seed LSU by 24,
Saint Mary’s seem to have everything in control against the Huskies (2114), taking a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter. Yet Washington wouldn’t go away, cutting the hosts’ lead to three points five separate times with under five minutes left in the game.
“Thank goodness we were good offensively,” Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett said of the near collapse. “I thought we were good defensively for a stretch and then they just kept coming at us.”
Ford, the sophomore averaging 10.6 points per game entering Monday night, led the way for the Gaels with a game-high 26 points, his second-highest total of the season. Landale and Calvin Hermanson each scored 14.
With under a minute left and St. Mary’s leading by only three, Ford held the ball at the top of the key. He saw a defender darting toward him out of the corner of his eye and pump faked, creating ample space to get a shot off and bury a 3 that gave the Gaels some breathing room.
Ford’s free throw with 3.8 seconds finally iced the game.
OKLAHOMA STATE 71, STANFORD 65 >> Michael Humphrey and Reid Travis combined for 29 points and 31 rebounds, but Stanford’s season game to an end in a 71-65 loss to Oklahoma State in the second round of the NIT on Monday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Stanford ended the season with a 19-16 record and its first postseason berth in three years.
Humphrey recorded a career-high 20 rebounds, tied for the 10th most in a game in Stanford history, to go along with 15 points in his final game in a Cardinal uniform.
Travis posted his seventh consecutive doubledouble with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Cardinal.
The Cowboys used a 12-1 run late in the second half to take a 10-point lead with 3:09 left.
Stanford feverishly tried to get back in it, using a Travis dunk, a Humphrey free throw and a Daejon Davis three to get within four with 1:02 left.
Oklahoma State’s Kendall Smith connected on a three from the corner with 34 seconds remaining, however, to seal the win for the Cowboys.
Senior Dorian Pickens rounded out Stanford’s double-digit scorers with 11 for the Cardinal.
USF ADVANCES >> Chase Foster scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds as USF held off Utah Valley 78-73 in the quarterfinals of the CBI tournament. The Dons (20-15) advance to the semifinals to play host to Campbell on Thursday night.
WCC >> The West Coast Conference has hired former Pac-12 executive Gloria Nevarez as its new commissioner.
The WCC announced
Monday that Nevarez will replace Lynn Holzman and become the fourth fulltime commissioner in conference history. Holzman left in January to become NCAA vice president for women’s basketball.
Nevarez spent the last eight years with the Pac12, where she served as the senior associate commissioner and senior woman administrator overseeing all Pac-12 championships with the exception of football. She also served as the director of compliance at San Jose State from 199899 and was the assistant athletic director for compliance and legal at Cal from 1999-01.
Nevarez will be one of 10 female conference commissioners in Division I and the first Latin American woman to become a Division I commissioner. PURDUE >> Coach Matt Painter said he does not expect starting center Isaac Haas to play again this season — even if the NCAA approves a brace to protect his fractured right elbow.
The 7-foot-2 senior was injured in an NCAA Tournament win over Cal State Fullerton. Second-seeded Purdue beat Butler without Haas to reach its second straight Sweet 16. The Boilermakers play Texas Tech on Friday in Boston. MEMPHIS >> A person familiar with the situation says Memphis will announce former Tigers star Penny Hardaway as its men’s basketball coach. Memphis hasn’t publicly announced the hire but has scheduled a news conference for today to introduce its next coach.
Hardaway, 46, replaces Tubby Smith, who was fired after going 40-26 in two seasons with Memphis. CHARLOTTE >> The Charlotte 49ers hired Virginia associate head coach Ron Sanchez as their new coach. Sanchez will be introduced at a news conference next week.