SEC Men's Basketball Results - Nov. 24, 2009



VANDERBILT 68, CHAMINADE 41


LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) -- John Jenkins had 14 points and No. 24 Vanderbilt went on a 24-0 run in the second half for a 68-41 victory over tournament-host Chaminade in a consolation-round game at the Maui Invitational on Tuesday. The Commodores led 38-34 with 15 minutes left in the second half before the run put the game out of reach. Chaminade went scoreless for 10:30, a string broken when Shane Hanson made a 3-pointer with 4:30 left to make it 62-37.

Jermaine Beal added 10 points for the Commodores (3-1), who played all 15 players on their roster. None played more than 26 minutes.

In the first 10 minutes of the game, Division II Chaminade outrebounded the Commodores 19-9, but Vanderbilt ended up with a 51-39 advantage.

Vanderbilt shot 29 for 67 from the field (43.3 percent) and held Chaminade to 15-of-63 shooting (23.8 percent).

Hanson finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.


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KENTUCKY 73, CLEVELAND ST 49


CANCUN, Mexico (AP) -- Once John Wall gained his footing, not even a warped court could slow down Kentucky. The heralded freshman found his form in the second half and proved too much to handle in the open floor as the No. 5 Wildcats raced past Cleveland State 73-49 on Tuesday in the Cancun Challenge at the Moon Palace Resort.

Wall scored a team-high 15 points, including 11 after halftime, as he zipped in and out of the Cleveland State defense. The nation's top-rated recruit last year repeatedly found gaps in the defense, drawing trips to the free-throw line or setting up teammates for open looks at the basket.

The game was played in unconventional surroundings, with the resort's main ballroom being converted into a makeshift gymnasium.


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FLORIDA 68, FLORIDA ST 52

By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Kenny Boynton, Erving Walker and Alex Tyus scored 13 points apiece as Florida beat Florida State 68-52 Tuesday night and snapped a three-game losing streak in the series. The Gators opened up a 20-point lead at halftime - playing the kind of defense coach Billy Donovan wanted to see the last two years - and put the game away with another defensive-led spurt in the second half.

Florida (4-0) now gets its toughest challenge of the season when it plays No. 2 Michigan State on Friday in Atlantic City in the Legends Classic.

Derwin Kitchen, a former Florida signee who never played in Gainesville, led the Seminoles (3-1) with 15 points. Chris Singleton added 14.

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Clarke’s Late Heroics Come Up Short


FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Sophomore Rotnei Clarke hit a pair of three-point baskets late but, despite 26 points, Arkansas could not pull out a victory on Tuesday night at Bud Walton Arena, losing to Morgan State, 97-94.

Clarke scored 14 in the opening half and was at 20 heading into the final minute before hitting a pair of three pointers with defenders draped all over him to pull the Razorbacks within one in the final seconds. Reggie Holmes then drained his third and fourth free throws of the final 13 seconds to win the game. Clarke would get a desperation three-point shot off as the buzzer sounded, but it would not fall.

"We need to play better defense," Arkansas head coach John Pelphrey said. "That is where we got hurt, not being able to rebound or defend late."

Scoring in the second half was hard to come by as both teams picked up their defensive intensity. Through the first eight minutes of the period, both teams scored a combined 23 points and the Razorbacks continued to hold the lead, although Morgan State did whittle it down to three, 63-60, at the second media time out. Morgan State would tie the game at 63 on a Joe Davis three-pointer, but the Razorbacks would score the next four points and six of eight to jump back out in front.

The slim lead would dissipate quickly as Morgan State took a 69-68 edge with 8:29 to play on a pair of free throws but Clarke would put Arkansas back on top with a pair from the charity stripe as well. Between 8:29 to play and the end of the game, Arkansas and Morgan State would tie or exchange the lead 15 times. A steal by Nobles at half court and ensuing free throw fired up the Bud Walton Arena crowd for the home stretch, but an undeterred Morgan State squad matched the game at 83 for the ninth tie of the contest.

In the end, Morgan State capitalized on 83-percent free throw shooting and 47-percent three-point shooting to pull out a big non-conference win at Bud Walton Arena. Reggie Holmes was the shooting star for the Bears with 34 points, while Joe Davis scored 18. Kevin Thompson of Morgan State led all rebounders with 14.

For Arkansas, Clarke was joined in the 20-point club by senior Mike Washington who had his best offensive game of the young season with 21 points. Freshmen Marshawn Powell and Julysses Nobles each scored 17 for the Razorbacks.

The two teams traded buckets through the opening minutes of the game. Morgan St. held a 9-7 lead and was out rebounding the Hogs at both ends of the court through the first media timeout. Out of the break, Arkansas found its stride and scored the next six points to take a14-9 lead. The Bears would come back to within one, but another Razorback run, this time 15-5 over 3:21 on the clock gave Arkansas an 11-point lead. The second run was fueled by Clarke who scored nine points on two three-point baskets and a more traditional three-point play with a drive to the bucket and foul.

The Bears were able to cut into the Arkansas lead, taking it down to six, but a quick Razorback outburst saw Nobles bury an open three-point basket and following a steal at the midcourt by the Razorback guards, Powell jammed home a fast break dunk to make it a 13-point Arkansas lead. Morgan State would again get back into the contest before the half with solid three-point shooting to make it a 53-47 game at the break.

For the Razorbacks, this is the second game of the season where two or more players have scored 20 or more points and the third time that four Arkansas players scored in double figures.

The Razorbacks are back at Bud Walton Arena for their second game of the Thanksgiving Holiday week on Friday night when they take on East Tennessee State at Bud Walton Arena at 7 p.m. For more information regarding Razorback men’s basketball or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

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GEORGIA 79, UNC ASHEVILLE 58


ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Ricky McPhee, a walk-on until this year, scored a career-high 20 points to lead Georgia to a 79-58 win over North Carolina-Asheville on Tuesday night.

McPhee hit 8 of 9 field goals, including 4 of 5 3-pointers.

Travis Leslie added 17 points and Trey Thompkins scored 16 for Georgia (2-2). Albert Jackson came off the bench to score 10 for the Bulldogs.

John Williams scored 14 for UNC-Asheville (0-4) and Sean Smith added 12.

UNC-Asheville followed a season-long trend in falling behind fast as Georgia bolted to a 16-2 lead less than 4 minutes into the game.

McPhee had five of his 13 first-half points during the spurt.

Thompkins got seven of his 13 first-half points in the final 4:35 of the half.

The game was a homecoming of sorts for UNC-Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach, who was an assistant under Hugh Durham at Georgia during the 1980s.

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MISSISSIPPI ST 75, TX PAN AMERICAN 50


STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- Jarvis Varnado had 12 points, 15 rebounds and eight blocks to lead Mississippi State to a 75-50 victory over Texas-Pan American on Tuesday night.

Mississippi State (3-1) shot 52.6 percent from the field and hit nine shots from beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs held the Broncs (0-5) to 19-for-65 shooting from the field, and have held their past three opponents to an average of 38.8 percent shooting.

Mississippi State opened on a 16-5 run and led 42-33 at the half. The Bulldogs opened the second half on a 10-1 run and the Broncs trailed 60-39 by the 11-minute mark.

Dee Bost added 13 points with six rebounds and four assists for Mississippi State.

Barry Stewart added 12 points and Ravern Johnson chipped in 11 on 4-of-8 shooting.

Luis Valera and Nick Weiermiller had eight points apiece as no Texas-Pan American player finished in double figures.





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