LSU and Oklahoma State took control of the race to the BCS championship game — but don’t count out Alabama yet.

The day after the Tigers and Cowboys stayed unbeaten with their most difficult victories of the season, they also took the top two spots in the BCS standings.

First-place LSU beat Alabama 9-6 in overtime Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala., right about the time second-place Oklahoma State held off Kansas State 52-45 in Stillwater, Okla.

The Crimson Tide only slipped one spot to third.

If the Tigers (9-0) and Cowboys (9-0) remain unbeaten, they should meet in New Orleans on Jan. 9.

If either slip up, Alabama or fourth-place Stanford are in position to reach the title game as long as they keep winning.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

BERKELEY 69, SMCC 64: The Knights hit a key 3-point shot and made their free throws down the stretch to nip Southern Maine Community College (2-2) in the second day of the USCAA Tip-Off Classic at South Portland.

Anderson Santana led SMCC with 14 points and nine rebounds. Emmanuel Donalson added 13 points, and junior guard Dan Foster helped out with 10.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

PROVIDENCE 7, MAINE 4: The Friars (3-6-3, 2-2-1 Hockey East) scored five straight goals in the second and third periods to defeat the Black Bears (6-5-1, 2-3-1) at Providence, R.I.

Jennifer More, Tori Pasquariello, Chloe Tinkler and Myriam Croussette scored for UMaine.

VOLLEYBALL

BOWDOIN 3, MIDDLEBURY 0: The Polar Bears won their first NESCAC championship, defeating visiting Middlebury, 25-21, 25-22, 25-17.

Bowdoin (26-2) will make its first appearance in the NCAA tournament with an automatic bid for winning the conference.

Kristin Hanczor had 12 kills to lead the Polar Bears, and Ellie Brennan added nine.

NOTES

After weeks of speculation, Missouri and the Southeastern Conference made it official.

First the SEC released a statement welcoming Missouri as its newest member. Later there was a campus pep rally in Columbia, replete with a new SEC banner, the school’s marching band and exploding confetti.