COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Indiana Runs Home Winning Streak to 50

Indiana failed to make a field goal for the final 7:20 and had to overcome a record-setting effort by Michigan State’s Shawn Respert to extend the nation’s longest home winning streak to 50 games Wednesday night.

Respert set a Big Ten record for three-point baskets with nine and matched the Assembly Hall record for points by an Indiana opponent with 40, but Indiana made its free throws to hold off the 11th-ranked Spartans, 89-82, at Bloomington, Ind.

Respert’s long-range shots sparked a Michigan State comeback after the Spartans fell behind by 21 points in the second half.

“It would have been a lot sweeter any time with a win,” said Respert, who made 13 of 21 shots. “I would have traded all those points to come up with a key win.”

Respert tied the Assembly Hall record set by Michigan State’s Terry Furlow in 1976.

“I’m not sure we’ve had a better scorer play in here against us than Respert,” Indiana Coach Bob Knight said. “Respert is excellent without the ball, the kid works like hell, works to get open.”

Indiana, 10-5 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, held a 75-60 lead after a basket by Brian Evans with 7:20 to play. Michigan State (9-2, 2-1) cut its deficit to 81-77 on Respert’s eighth three-point basket.

No. 2 Connecticut 85, Pittsburgh 76--Ray Allen scored all but eight of his 27 points in the second half to help the Huskies (11-0, 4-0) rally from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Panthers (4-8, 0-4) in a Big East Conference game at Pittsburgh.

The Huskies, the only unbeaten Division I team, fell victim to Pitt’s turnover-producing full-court pressure and three-point shooting and trailed, 40-15, with 4:42 to play in the first half.

Connecticut turned up the defensive pressure and reeled off a 10-0 run to cut its deficit to 15 and a 9-0 run early in the second half that made the score 55-50.

No. 4 North Carolina 86, No. 22 Georgia Tech 75--Jerry Stackhouse scored 23 points and the Tar Heels (11-1, 2-1) used a 14-0 run late in the first half to stay in front of the Yellow Jackets (9-5, 1-2) in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Chapel Hill, N.C.

North Carolina had lost three in a row to Georgia Tech, all while ranked No. 1, but led this time by as many as 19 points.

No. Arkansas 79, Mississippi State 74--Scotty Thurman intercepted a pass and made a hanging eight-foot jumper with 38 seconds to play, helping the Razorbacks (13-2, 2-1) hold off the Bulldogs (8-3, 2-1) in a Southeastern Conference game at Fayetteville, Ark.

No. 14 Wake Forest 74, No. 16 Duke 64--Randolph Childress scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half to lead the Deamon Deacons (9-1, 2-1) over the Blue Devils (9-5, 0-3) in an ACC game at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Duke has lost three games in a row for the first time since 1989 and is winless after three ACC games for the first time since the 1981-82 season.

Virginia 61, No. 18 Clemson 37--The Cavaliers (9-3, 3-0) harassed the Tigers (10-1, 1-1) into their second-worst shooting performance of all time in an ACC game at Charlottesville, Va.

Clemson, held to its lowest point total since a 34-33 loss to North Carolina on March 5, 1970, made only 24% of its shots. Last season, the Tigers made 23.8% in a 52-44 loss at Charlottesville.

Michigan 83, No. 19 Iowa 82--Ray Jackson’s dunk off a pass from Jimmy King with 11 seconds to play in the second overtime gave the Wolverines (8-6, 2-1) the Big Ten victory over the Hawkeyes (11-4, 1-2) at Ann Arbor, Mich.

No. 23 Iowa State 79, St. Louis 66--Loren Meyer scored 29 points to lead the Cyclones (12-2) over the Billikens (9-2) at Ames, Iowa.

OTHER GAMES

Kevin Norris scored 21 points to help Miami (6-5, 1-3) to an 82-79 victory over St. John’s (8-3, 2-2) at New York, giving the Hurricanes their first victory in 30 Big East road games. . . . Michael Finley scored 23 points to help Wisconsin (7-5, 1-2) to an 81-59 Big Ten victory over Ohio State (4-8, 0-2) at Columbus, Ohio, ending the Badgers’ 14-game losing streak in St. John Arena. . . . Eric Franson had 16 points and 15 rebounds for Utah State (9-2, 3-0) in a 75-56 Big West Conference victory over UC Santa Barbara (7-4, 2-2) at Logan, Utah.