SPARTANS TOPPLE NO. 22 UCONN AT BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS

PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS» A.J. Hoggard hit the go-ahead free throws with 30.3 seconds left and Michigan State scored the game’s final nine points to push past No. 22 Connecticut 64-60 in Thursday’s Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals.

Gabe Brown scored 16 points for the Spartans (5-1), who blew a 14-point lead before halftime and shot just 32% after the break.

But Michigan State did enough to take back momentum after the Huskies (5-1) went up 60-55 with 1:41 left and finally secure a spot in Friday’s championship game against Baylor.

NO. 6 BAYLOR 69, VCU 61. PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS» Matthew Mayer scored 15 points to help Baylor hold off VCU in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals.

Freshman Kendall Brown added 14 points for the reigning national champion Bears (6-0), who had to clean up a mistakefilled first half and keep the

Rams (3-3) at arm’s distance throughout the second half.

IONA 72, NO. 10 ALABAMA 68.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA.» Nelly Joseph and Walter Clayton Jr. made key free throws in the final seconds to lift Iona over Alabama in an opening-round game at the ESPN Events Invitational.

Clayton got an offensive rebound and made one of two free throws to make it 70-68 with 20 seconds left. After Jahvon Quinerly missed a shot for Alabama (4-1), Joseph secured the Iona (6-0) win with two free throws with 9 seconds remaining.

NO. 4 KANSAS 71, N. TEXAS 59.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA.» Ochai Agbaji had 18 points and Christian Braun added 16 as Kansas beat North Texas in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational.

Agbaji became the 63rd player to reach 1,000 points in Kansas (4-0) history when he hit a 3 to open the scoring 2½ minutes into the game. Kansas (4-0) also got 15 points from Arizona State transfer guard Remy Martin.

NO. 19 AUBURN 62, LOYOLA CHICAGO 53.

PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS» Freshman Jabari Smith had 14 points to help Auburn regroup from a doubleovertime loss and beat Loyola Chicago in the consolation round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.

The Tigers (4-1) held the Ramblers (4-2) to just two field goals over an 11-minute span in the second half, building a 10-point margin heading into the final minutes. Walker Kessler added 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for the Tigers.

NO. 24 SOUTHERN CAL 70, SAINTS JOSEPH’S 55.

ANAHEIM, CALIF.» Boogie Ellis scored 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting, Joshua Morgan added 13 and Southern California beat St. Joseph’s in the opening round of the Wooden Legacy. Chevez Goodwin had 10 points and eight rebounds for USC (4-0).

Women NO. 5 NC STATE 78, NO. 2 MARYLAND 60.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS» Elissa Cunane scored 20 points, making eight of her nine shots from the field, to help No. 5 North Carolina State run past second-ranked Maryland 78-60 on Thursday at the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship tournament.

Diamond Johnson added 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals for the Wolfpack (5-1).

N.C. State went right at the Terrapins, with the 6-foot-5 Cunane dominating the inside and Johnson controlling the outside. Maryland (6-1) trailed 11-9 with 4 minutes left in the first quarter before N.C. State scored 11 of the final 14 points to close the period and take command of the game.

NO. 7 STANFORD 69, NO. 4 INDIANA 66.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS» Cameron Brink had 21 points, 22 rebounds and five blocks to help Stanford edge Indiana at the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship tournament.

Brink, who set a career high on the boards, also added five assists for the Cardinal (4-1) and made one of two free throws with 6.8 seconds left to make it a three-point game.

Indiana (4-1) had one last chance, but Ali Patberg’s 3-pointer was off the mark. She had 19 points to lead Indiana.

NO. 9 ARIZONA 48, VANDERBILT 46.

ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS» Shaina Pellington hit an off-balance layup at the buzzer to lift Arizona past pesky Vanderbilt in the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam tournament.

With the game tied at 46, Arizona (5-0) put the ball in Pellington’s hands. She drove from the left wing and her scoop layup dropped in just before the horn sounded, setting off a celebration under the Wildcats’ basket.

NO. 6 BAYLOR 86, FORDHAM 45.

CANCUN, MEXICO» Nalyssa Smith had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Jordan Lewis added 15 points with six assists and No. 6 Baylor rallied in the second half to beat Fordham at the Cancun Challenge. Sarah Andrews and Ja’mee Asberry each scored 10 points for Baylor (4-1).

BYU 61, NO. 17 FLORIDA ST. 54.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.» Shaylee Gonzales scored 24 points, including three clutch free throws in the final 42 seconds, and BYU knocked off Florida State at the St. Pete Showcase.

The 24 points matched Gonzales’ season high, and she also had a season-high five steals as BYU (6-0) swiped the ball 14 times, scoring 25 points off as many Florida State (4-1) turnovers.

Maria Albiero scored 10 for BYU, Lauren Gustin added six points and 11 rebounds. Sammie Puisis led Florida State with 16 points.

NO. 22 WEST VIRGINIA 65, PURDUE 57.

ST. PETERSBURG,

FLA.» Kirsten Deans scored 12 points with six assists, 10 of 11 Mountaineers scored and West Virginia (4-0) held off a tough challenge from Purdue at the St. Pete Showcase.

Purdue, under former Seattle Storm guard and two-time NAIA coach of the year Katie Gearlds, stayed within eight points of West Virginia for most of the game and drained 10 3-pointers to remain a threat.