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 73-64 on Thursday 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.
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 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.
(5) MARYLAND 76, TEMPLE 69: Anthony Cowan Jr. scored five of his career-high 30 points in the final 3 minutes, helping the Terrapins (6-0) overcome a slow start against the Owls (4-1) in the opening game of the Orlando Invitational at Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Eric Ayala had 13 points and Jalen Smith finished with 12 points and nine rebounds for the Terrapins.
Alani Moore II led Temple with 22 points. J.P. Moorman II had 14 points and nine rebounds.
(8) GONZAGA 73, OREGON 72: Drew Timme hit a free throw with 20.6 seconds left in overtime and the Bulldogs (8-0) survived Payton Pritchard’s shot for the win to beat the Ducks (6-1) in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals at Paradise Island, Bahamas.
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. 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 with 17 points.
(16) MEMPHIS 83, NORTH CAROLINA STATE 78: Boogie Ellis scored 21 points to help the Tigers (6-1) top the Wolfpack (5-2) in the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn, New York.
Precious Achiuwa added 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Tyler Harris had 14 for Memphis.
Markell Johnson led North Carolina State with 22 points. Jericole Hellems added 17 and DJ Funderburk had 14.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
(1) OREGON 89, OKLAHOMA STATE 72: Ruthy Hebard had 30 points and 18 rebounds and the Ducks (5-0) survived a second-half challenge from the Cowgirls (5-1) in the Paradise Jam at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Sabrina Ionescu added 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Minyon Moore had 14 points and six assists, and Erin Boley finished with 12 points. The Ducks led by as many as 29 points in the second half.
Ahead 47-27 at the half, Oregon increased its lead to 61-31 on Ionescu’s 3-pointer with 6:28 left in the third quarter. But the Cowgirls closed the quarter with a 19-8 run to pull to 69-50.
Oklahoma State cut it to 86-72 on Bryn Gerlich’s 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but Moore capped off Oregon’s scoring with a three-point play with 2 seconds left.
Natasha Mack had 26 points and 13 rebounds for Oklahoma State. Vivian Gray added 17.
(2) BAYLOR 89, WASHINGTON STATE 66: NaLyssa Smith scored 18 points and the Bears (6-0) pulled ahead early and cruised past the Cougars (4-1) at the Paradise Jam tournament at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Queen Egbo added 16 points, DiDi Richards had 14 and Te’a Cooper 10 for the Bears. The defending national champions led by double digits in the first 3 minutes and cruised to their 35th consecutive victory.
Chanelle Molina scored 25 points and Borislava Hristova had 15 for the Cougars.
(8) LOUISVILLE 76, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 67: Jazmine Jones scored 24 points and the Cardinals (6-0) held off the Lady Mavericks (4-1) in the Paradise Jam at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Dana Evans added 19 points and Elizabeth Balogun had 12 for the Cardinals.
Claire Chastain led the Lady Mavericks with 22 points, and Marie Benson had 16.
(10) MISSISSIPPI STATE 83, SAN FRANCISCO 38: Jordan Danberry had 17 points and four rebounds and the Bulldogs (7-0) beat the Dons (2-4) in the Greater Victoria Invitational in British Columbia.
Andra Espinoza-Hunte added 12 points for Mississippi State, and Chloe Bibby had 10.
Lucie Hoskova led San Francisco (2-4) with 14 points.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 61, (21) SOUTH FLORIDA 50: Myah Selland scored 17 points, Paiton Burckhard had 16 points and nine rebounds and the Jackrabbits (4-2) beat the Bulls (5-2) in the Cancun Challenge.
Selland scored all 10 points in the Jackrabbits’ 10-2 game-opening run, including two 3-pointers. Kallie Theisen added 10 points for South Dakota State.
Bethy Mununga had 15 points, 12 rebounds and three steals for South Florida.
Copy the Story Link
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
