Crescent-News.com - Johnson sparks 7th-rated Purdue

St. THOMAS, Virgin Islands (AP) -- After trailing by nine in the first half, Purdue got a big run to start the second half and ended St. Joseph's hopes of an upset.

JaJuan Johnson had 18 points and 10 rebounds and the seventh -ranked Boilermakers used a 23-3 run after halftime to pull away and beat St. Joseph's 85-60 on Sunday night in the Paradise Jam.

"When we fell behind it was a good opportunity for us to show some poise and keep fighting," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "The key was our defense; (Chris) Kramer caused havoc and made it hard for them to get into their offense."

The Hawks missed nine of their first 10 shots in the second half and committed seven turnovers during the Boilermakers' surge.

"It's a game of skill, and we didn't show skill in any part of our game," Hawks coach Phil Martelli said. "With their aggressive style, they exposed our flaws."

Ryne Smith added 16 points while E'Twaun Moore and Mark Wohlford each scored 11 for the Boilermakers (3-0), who rallied to take a 31-30 lead at halftime.

"On the offensive end, we were getting a lot better looks and we moved the ball," said Painter, whose team had 21 assists. "We kept attacking and we were patient when the shot wasn't there."

The Boilermakers play No. 10 Tennessee in the championship game on Monday night. The Vols beat DePaul 57-53 earlier Sunday.

"Tennessee has the ability to beat you in a lot of different ways," Painter said. "They have a lot of weapons."

Garrett Williamson led St. Joseph's (3-1) with 12 points. The Hawks will play DePaul in the consolation game.

Top 25

Michigan St. 90, Valpo 60

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Chris Allen scored 22 points, Kalin Lucas added 15 and Michigan State routed Valparaiso 90-60 to move coach Tom Izzo into a tie with Jud Heathcote for most career wins with the Spartans.

Both coaches have won 340 games at Michigan State. The timing was especially fitting with Heathcote set to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

The game was a regional matchup in the Legends Classic. The Spartans (4-0) head to Atlantic City, N.J., for a game Friday against Florida in the tournament semifinals.

Brandon Wood had 24 points to lead Valparaiso (1-3).

No. 5 Villanova 79, Mississippi 67

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Scottie Reynolds scored 21 points, Corey Stokes added 18 and Villanova beat Mississippi to win the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Antonio Pena added 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Wildcats (5-0), who did nothing to diminish their status as favorites in the Big East during their trip to the Caribbean.

Villanova used an 8-0 run in the opening minutes Sunday night and led 27-23 at halftime, holding the Rebels (4-1) to only 29.6 percent shooting from the field.

Chris Warren led Mississippi with a game-high 24 points.

No. 10 Tennessee 57, DePaul 53

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- Tyler Smith made two free throws with 13.7 seconds left, and the Vols held on to reach the title game of the Paradise Jam.

DePaul closed to 55-53 on Mac Koshwal's layup with 44.5 seconds left, but the Vols (4-0) ran off nearly 30 seconds before Jeremiah Kelly finally fouled Smith. He made both ends of the 1-and-1 and finished with 14 points.

Koshwal and Will Walker each had 14 points for DePaul (2-1). Eric Wallace added 10.

Kansas State 83, No. 18 Dayton 75

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Jacob Pullen scored 26 points and Denis Clemente added 21 to lead Kansas State to third place in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

The scrappy Wildcats (4-1) built an early lead and had enough to hang on at the finish to beat the Flyers, who defeated No. 21 Georgia Tech in the first round of the tournament.

Kansas State led by as many as 10 in the first half and had a 35-28 edge at the break.

Chris Johnson led the Flyers (2-2) with 16 points and six rebounds.

No. 20 Louisville 90, Morgan State 81

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Samardo Samuels had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Preston Knowles added 13 points and the Cardinals struggled to put away the Bears at Freedom Hall.

The Cardinals (3-0) held on behind solid free-throw shooting. Louisville made 33 of 41 from the line, while Morgan State (3-1) went just 18 of 24.

DeWayne Jackson led the defending MEAC champions with 21 points, and Kevin Thompson had 16 points and 15 rebounds.

No. 21 Georgia Tech 85, Boston U 67

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Zachery Peacock scored 22 points, Gani Lawal had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and the Yellow Jackets wrapped up fifth place at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Georgia Tech (3-1) led only 42-40 at the half, but the Terriers' inability to take care of the basketball and stifling defense eventually took its toll.

John Holland scored a game-high 23 points for Boston University (1-4).

Big 10

George Mason 69, Indiana 66

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Cam Long scored 18 points and hit a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left to lift George Mason over Indiana for seventh place in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Mike Morrison added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Patriots (3-2), who trailed 31-30 after a first half in which neither team led by more than five points.

Maurice Creek scored 15 points and Verdel Jones III added 13 for the Hoosiers (2-3), who took the biggest lead of the game at 36-30 just 55 seconds into the second half. Indiana freshman Christian Watford added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Penn State 59, Davidson 57

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Jeff Brooks scored 12 points and Penn State (2-2) held off Davidson in the third round of the Charleston Classic.

Davidson had a chance to tie the game, but Brendan McKillop missed a jump shot from the lane and time expired in the ensuing scramble for the rebound. Jake Cohen led Davidson (0-4) with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Northwestern 69, Tennessee State 62

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Michael Thompson scored 13 of his career-high 31 points in the final 5 minutes 4 seconds as Northwestern rallied with a 16-1 run.

Northwestern (2-1) trailed 61-53 before Thompson took over. He made a free throw and two 3-pointers and, after Tennessee State's Josh Sain made one of three free throws, Thompson hit two more foul shots to tie it at 62-all.

Freshman Alex Marcotullio then made a 3-pointer to put Northwestern ahead and Thompson capped the rally with two free throws and a layup.

Sain scored 14 points and Wil Peters added 13 for Tennessee State (0-3), which is 1-7 all-time against Big Ten teams.

MAC

New Mexico 85, Miami of Ohio 60

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Roman Martinez scored 15 points and set the tone for his New Mexico teammates with all-out hustle, leading the Lobos in the finale of the Basketball Travelers World Vision Classic. Martinez had scoring assistance from Chad Adams, who had a career-high 13 points. A.J. Hardeman added 12 for the Lobos (5-0) and Darington Hobson had 11.

Nick Winbush led the RedHawks (1-4) with 25 points and Rodney Haddix contributed 10.

Kent State 63, Rochester, Mich. 44

KENT -- Rodriquez Sherman scored 15 points to lead Kent State. Mike McKee and Anthony Simpson added 12 points each as the Golden Flashes (4-1) pulled away in the second half of the final game of the Hispanic College Fund Classic.

Simpson had 10 rebounds for Kent State, which outrebounded the Rochester 47-22. Adrian Schaffer II led the Warriors with 15 points and Michael Graham added 10.

Akron 69, Howard 52

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Nikola Cvetinovic and Chris McKnight scored 13 points apiece to lead a balanced attack for Akron. Anthony Hitchens and Brett McClanahan each added 10 points for the Zips (2-2), who led by as many as 29 before resting most of their starters at the Glenn Wilkes Classic.

Calvin Thompson scored 13 points to lead Howard (0-5).

Missouri St. 75, E. Michigan 61

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Caleb Patterson and Nafis Ricks scored 13 points each to lead Missouri State in the final game of the Hispanic College Fund Challenge. Kyle Weems and Will Creekmore finished with 11 points and Adam Leonard added 10 for Missouri State (4-0).

Brandon Bowdry had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Eastern Michigan (2-2). Jay Higgins had 12 points and Harris added 10.

College Women

No. 3 Ohio State 93, Okla. St. 72

COLUMBUS -- Jantel Lavender scored 26 points, Brittany Johnson had a career-high 23 and Samantha Prahalis added 22 to lead No. 3 Ohio State to the Preseason WNIT win.

Tayler Hill chipped in with 11 points for the Buckeyes (5-0), who have scored at least 88 points in every game so far.

Andrea Riley had 27 points, Tegan Cunningham 19 and Lindsey Keller 11 for the Cowgirls (3-1), who were playing their fourth straight opponent who won at least 20 games and made it into the NCAA field a year ago.

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Home \| Back Johnson sparks 7th-rated Purdue E-mail Story \| Print Story \| Comments \| * AP Wire November 23, 2009 St. THOMAS, Virgin Islands (AP) -- After trailing by nine in the first half, Purdue got a big run to start the second half and ended St. Joseph's hopes of an upset. JaJuan Johnson had 18 points and 10 rebounds and the seventh -ranked Boilermakers used a 23-3 run after halftime to pull away and beat St. Joseph's 85-60 on Sunday night in the Paradise Jam. "When we fell behind it was a good opportunity for us to show some poise and keep fighting," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "The key was our defense; (Chris) Kramer caused havoc and made it hard for them to get into their offense." The Hawks missed nine of their first 10 shots in the second half and committed seven turnovers during the Boilermakers' surge. "It's a game of skill, and we didn't show skill in any part of our game," Hawks coach Phil Martelli said. "With their aggressive style, they exposed our flaws." Ryne Smith added 16 points while E'Twaun Moore and Mark Wohlford each scored 11 for the Boilermakers (3-0), who rallied to take a 31-30 lead at halftime. "On the offensive end, we were getting a lot better looks and we moved the ball," said Painter, whose team had 21 assists. "We kept attacking and we were patient when the shot wasn't there." The Boilermakers play No. 10 Tennessee in the championship game on Monday night. The Vols beat DePaul 57-53 earlier Sunday. "Tennessee has the ability to beat you in a lot of different ways," Painter said. "They have a lot of weapons." Garrett Williamson led St. Joseph's (3-1) with 12 points. The Hawks will play DePaul in the consolation game. Top 25 Michigan St. 90, Valpo 60 EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Chris Allen scored 22 points, Kalin Lucas added 15 and Michigan State routed Valparaiso 90-60 to move coach Tom Izzo into a tie with Jud Heathcote for most career wins with the Spartans. Both coaches have won 340 games at Michigan State. The timing was especially fitting with Heathcote set to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday. The game was a regional matchup in the Legends Classic. The Spartans (4-0) head to Atlantic City, N.J., for a game Friday against Florida in the tournament semifinals. Brandon Wood had 24 points to lead Valparaiso (1-3). No. 5 Villanova 79, Mississippi 67 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Scottie Reynolds scored 21 points, Corey Stokes added 18 and Villanova beat Mississippi to win the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Antonio Pena added 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Wildcats (5-0), who did nothing to diminish their status as favorites in the Big East during their trip to the Caribbean. Villanova used an 8-0 run in the opening minutes Sunday night and led 27-23 at halftime, holding the Rebels (4-1) to only 29.6 percent shooting from the field. Chris Warren led Mississippi with a game-high 24 points. No. 10 Tennessee 57, DePaul 53 ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- Tyler Smith made two free throws with 13.7 seconds left, and the Vols held on to reach the title game of the Paradise Jam. DePaul closed to 55-53 on Mac Koshwal's layup with 44.5 seconds left, but the Vols (4-0) ran off nearly 30 seconds before Jeremiah Kelly finally fouled Smith. He made both ends of the 1-and-1 and finished with 14 points. Koshwal and Will Walker each had 14 points for DePaul (2-1). Eric Wallace added 10. Kansas State 83, No. 18 Dayton 75 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Jacob Pullen scored 26 points and Denis Clemente added 21 to lead Kansas State to third place in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The scrappy Wildcats (4-1) built an early lead and had enough to hang on at the finish to beat the Flyers, who defeated No. 21 Georgia Tech in the first round of the tournament. Kansas State led by as many as 10 in the first half and had a 35-28 edge at the break. Chris Johnson led the Flyers (2-2) with 16 points and six rebounds. No. 20 Louisville 90, Morgan State 81 LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Samardo Samuels had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Preston Knowles added 13 points and the Cardinals struggled to put away the Bears at Freedom Hall. The Cardinals (3-0) held on behind solid free-throw shooting. Louisville made 33 of 41 from the line, while Morgan State (3-1) went just 18 of 24. DeWayne Jackson led the defending MEAC champions with 21 points, and Kevin Thompson had 16 points and 15 rebounds. No. 21 Georgia Tech 85, Boston U 67 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Zachery Peacock scored 22 points, Gani Lawal had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and the Yellow Jackets wrapped up fifth place at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Georgia Tech (3-1) led only 42-40 at the half, but the Terriers' inability to take care of the basketball and stifling defense eventually took its toll. John Holland scored a game-high 23 points for Boston University (1-4). Big 10 George Mason 69, Indiana 66 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Cam Long scored 18 points and hit a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left to lift George Mason over Indiana for seventh place in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Mike Morrison added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Patriots (3-2), who trailed 31-30 after a first half in which neither team led by more than five points. Maurice Creek scored 15 points and Verdel Jones III added 13 for the Hoosiers (2-3), who took the biggest lead of the game at 36-30 just 55 seconds into the second half. Indiana freshman Christian Watford added 10 points and eight rebounds. Penn State 59, Davidson 57 CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Jeff Brooks scored 12 points and Penn State (2-2) held off Davidson in the third round of the Charleston Classic. Davidson had a chance to tie the game, but Brendan McKillop missed a jump shot from the lane and time expired in the ensuing scramble for the rebound. Jake Cohen led Davidson (0-4) with 13 points and nine rebounds. Northwestern 69, Tennessee State 62 EVANSTON, Ill. -- Michael Thompson scored 13 of his career-high 31 points in the final 5 minutes 4 seconds as Northwestern rallied with a 16-1 run. Northwestern (2-1) trailed 61-53 before Thompson took over. He made a free throw and two 3-pointers and, after Tennessee State's Josh Sain made one of three free throws, Thompson hit two more foul shots to tie it at 62-all. Freshman Alex Marcotullio then made a 3-pointer to put Northwestern ahead and Thompson capped the rally with two free throws and a layup. Sain scored 14 points and Wil Peters added 13 for Tennessee State (0-3), which is 1-7 all-time against Big Ten teams. MAC New Mexico 85, Miami of Ohio 60 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Roman Martinez scored 15 points and set the tone for his New Mexico teammates with all-out hustle, leading the Lobos in the finale of the Basketball Travelers World Vision Classic. Martinez had scoring assistance from Chad Adams, who had a career-high 13 points. A.J. Hardeman added 12 for the Lobos (5-0) and Darington Hobson had 11. Nick Winbush led the RedHawks (1-4) with 25 points and Rodney Haddix contributed 10. Kent State 63, Rochester, Mich. 44 KENT -- Rodriquez Sherman scored 15 points to lead Kent State. Mike McKee and Anthony Simpson added 12 points each as the Golden Flashes (4-1) pulled away in the second half of the final game of the Hispanic College Fund Classic. Simpson had 10 rebounds for Kent State, which outrebounded the Rochester 47-22. Adrian Schaffer II led the Warriors with 15 points and Michael Graham added 10. Akron 69, Howard 52 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Nikola Cvetinovic and Chris McKnight scored 13 points apiece to lead a balanced attack for Akron. Anthony Hitchens and Brett McClanahan each added 10 points for the Zips (2-2), who led by as many as 29 before resting most of their starters at the Glenn Wilkes Classic. Calvin Thompson scored 13 points to lead Howard (0-5). Missouri St. 75, E. Michigan 61 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Caleb Patterson and Nafis Ricks scored 13 points each to lead Missouri State in the final game of the Hispanic College Fund Challenge. Kyle Weems and Will Creekmore finished with 11 points and Adam Leonard added 10 for Missouri State (4-0). Brandon Bowdry had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Eastern Michigan (2-2). Jay Higgins had 12 points and Harris added 10. College Women No. 3 Ohio State 93, Okla. St. 72 COLUMBUS -- Jantel Lavender scored 26 points, Brittany Johnson had a career-high 23 and Samantha Prahalis added 22 to lead No. 3 Ohio State to the Preseason WNIT win. Tayler Hill chipped in with 11 points for the Buckeyes (5-0), who have scored at least 88 points in every game so far. Andrea Riley had 27 points, Tegan Cunningham 19 and Lindsey Keller 11 for the Cowgirls (3-1), who were playing their fourth straight opponent who won at least 20 games and made it into the NCAA field a year ago. 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