Key Pfeiffer shot dooms Marlins
Jerome Savoy hit a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 10 seconds to go as Pfeiffer overcame Virginia Wesleyan 67-64 Monday in a non-conference game at TowneBank Arena, though fifth-year senior Tim Fisher scored a career-high 31 points for the Marlins (3-3).
VWU, which trailed 34-29 at halftime and then 52-42, got back-to-back baskets from Anthony Jackson to go ahead 58-57. The score was close the rest of the way, with Fisher hitting a free throw to tie the game at 64 with 18 seconds to go.
After Savoy’s 3-pointer gave him 17 points for the Falcons (3-2), Fisher’s shot to tie rimmed away, leaving him 13 of 19 from the field. He also had 13 rebounds.
VWU next will play at 2 p.m. Sunday at home against Mary Washington.
Kent State 74, James Madison 69:
Malique Jacobs registered 18 points and seven rebounds at the Naples Invitational in Florida for the Golden Flashes (2-1), who handed the Dukes (4-1) their first defeat. Jacobs shot 9 for 11 from the free-throw line.
Justyn Hamilton, 6-foot-11, had 16 points and seven rebounds for Kent State (2-1). Duquesne transfer Sincere Carry added 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and Giovanni Santiago had 11 points.
Julien Wooden had 13 points and seven rebounds and Vado Morse and Justin Amadi each had 12 points for the Dukes, who erased an 11-point deficit in the second half to take a 52-49 lead with 9:25 left. But Kent State scored the next nine points to move ahead 58-52 and never surrendered the edge.
Top 25
No. 12 Houston 70, Butler 52:
Fabian White Jr. scored 21 points for the Cougars, who rode a dominating first half to win in the opening round of the Maui Invitational in Las Vegas.
In a game reminiscent of last week’s 67-47 victory over Virginia, the Cougars (4-0) overwhelmed Butler early, scoring the game’s first 17 points while building a 21-point halftime lead.
Next up for Houston is a spot in today’s semifinals against Wisconsin, which overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat former Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams’ Texas A&M team 69-58.
Houston lost four key players from last year’s Final Four team, including third-team AP All-American guard Quentin Grimes. Coach Kelvin Sampson filled the holes with quality transfers to play alongside a solid returning core.
Women
No. 23 South Florida 71, No. 9 Oregon 62:
Jose Fernandez got the finish he wanted from USF at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Coach Kelly Graves couldn’t say the same for Oregon.
Elisa Pinzan had a career-high 26 points to go with 10 assists, while the Bulls (4-2) scored 28 points off turnovers to beat the Ducks (3-2) in Monday’s third-place game at the inaugural women’s tournament at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas.