No. 16 Memphis beats NC State in Barclays Center Classic
NEW YORK — Boogie Ellis scored 21 points to help No. 16 Memphis beat North Carolina State 83-78 on Thursday in the Barclays Center Classic.
Precious Achiuwa added 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Tyler Harris had 14 for Memphis (6-1).
Markell Johnson led North Carolina State (5-2) with 22 points. Jericole Hellems added 17, and DJ Funderburk had 14.
Trailing by 16 at the start of the second half, the Wolfpack cut it to 75-72 on C.J. Bryce’s free throw with 3:51 left.
Achiuwa made a jumper, and D.J. Jeffries converted a putback on Memphis’ next two possessions to extend the lead to seven, only for Bryce to respond with a jumper to cut it to 79-74.
Harris missed a floater in the lane, but the ball went off a N.C. State player. Johnson then drew a blocking foul on Ellis, and made both foul shots to cut it to 79-76.
Memphis dashed any thoughts about an upset when Harris converted a threepoint play, and Alex Lomax stole the ball from Johnson.
Memphis did not have freshman center James Wiseman (NCAA suspension) and freshman guard Lester Quinones (broken right hand), although freshman center Malcolm Dandridge played his first game after suffering a torn meniscus in February. Dandridge finished with two points and a rebound.
Michigan 73,
No. 6 North Carolina 64
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Eli Brooks matched his career high with 24 points and Michigan ran off 19 straight points in the second half to upset No. 6 North Carolina to reach the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game.
Isaiah Livers added 12 points for the Wolverines (6-0), who led by five early in the second half before pulling away with the big run for first-year coach Juwan Howard’s first marquee victory. Michigan will face No. 8 Gonzaga in the final Friday.
The 19-0 burst included a dazzling run of five straight baskets. At one point, Brooks buried a 3-pointer to push the lead to 19 and left Tar Heels coach Roy Williams standing on the sideline with both hands resting on top of his head.
Yet Franz Wagner followed with another, then Brooks added a runner that pushed the lead to 60-36 with 11:18 left and finally forced the timeout-hoarding Williams to burn one.
The Tar Heels (5-1) managed a long push to get back in it, twice getting as close as eight on interior buckets by Garrison Brooks in the final 3 1/2 minutes. But Eli Brooks made a 3 with 1:12 left, pushing the margin back to double figures.
Freshman Cole Anthony had 22 points and seven rebounds for North Carolina.
No. 8 Gonzaga 73, Oregon 72, OT
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Drew Timme hit a free throw with 20.6 seconds left in overtime and Gonzaga survived Payton Pritchard’s shot for the win to beat Oregon in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals.
Pritchard missed a jumper against Ryan Woolridge, and Gonzaga’s Filip Petrusev tied up the rebound during a tussle in the paint. The possession arrow favored the Bulldogs with 0.2 seconds left, allowing them to secure the win by inbounding to Joel Ayayi.
Petrusev had 22 points and 15 rebounds for Gonzaga (8-0). The Bulldogs blew a 17-point first-half lead in a matchup of neighboring-state programs playing three time zones away from their
Pacific Northwest campuses.
Pritchard led the Ducks (6-1) with 17 points.
No. 5 Maryland 76, Temple 69
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Anthony Cowan Jr. scored five of his career-high 30 points in the final 3 minutes, helping Maryland overcome a slow start against Temple in the opening game of the Orlando Invitational.
Eric Ayala had 13 points and Jalen Smith finished with 12 points and nine rebounds for the Terrapins (6-0).
Alani Moore II led Temple (4-1) with 22 points. J.P. Moorman II had 14 points and nine rebounds.