Two of the state’s NCAA Tournament hopefuls will meet Friday morning in the Battle 4 Atlantis, though not in the round they’d hoped.
Saint Mary’s of California overcame Virginia Tech 77-66 Thursday in the semifinals of the eight-team bracket on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The Hokies’ first loss of the season sent them into the third-place game at 10:30 a.m. Friday against VCU, which fell to Vanderbilt.
The Gaels, 8-0 for the first time in 12 years, shot 52% from the field to Tech’s 31%.
Saint Mary’s led 31-20 at halftime after Tech went 7 of 33 from the field, including 1 of 15 from 3-point range.
The Hokies rallied to get within 40-36 following a 12-3 run, but got no closer. Murauskas made a 3-pointer from the right corner to give Saint Mary’s a 69-59 lead with 1:54 left. The Gaels went 6 of 6 at the free-throw line down the stretch.
Amani Hansberry had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Virginia Tech (6-1). Neoklis Avdalas added 13 points.
Tech was playing without forward Tobi Lawal, who has a foot injury and was in a boot. Coach Mike Young said he doesn’t expect Lawal to play against VCU, for which he played his first two college seasons.
Vanderbilt 89, VCU 74: Duke Miles scored 20 points, Tyler Nickel and Tyler Tanner each had 16, and the Commodores advanced to the championship game. Vanderbilt has started a season 7-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 team began 16-0.
Miles, who scored 28 points in the tournament opener against Western Kentucky, went 4 of 5 from the field and 10 of 11 at the free-throw line. Nickel, a former Virginia Tech and North Carolina player, made four of Vanderbilt’s 11 3-pointers, and Tanner had a team-high five assists. Jalen Washington added 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Nyk Lewis led VCU (4-3) with 16 points. Jadrian Tracey added 15 points and Lazar Djokovic had 12. Djokovic was carried off the court with a leg injury late in the first half but came back for the second half.
ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL
No. 9 Brigham Young 72, Miami 62: Kennard Davis Jr. scored 18 points, Robert Wright III and Khadim Mboup 17 apiece and AJ Dybantsa 16 as the Cougars (5-1) advanced to the ESPN Events Invitational Magic Bracket’s championship game in Kissimmee, Florida. They will take on the Georgetown-Dayton victor for the title after Miami (5-2) plays that game’s loser in the consolation contest.
BYU’s Keba Keita had seven blocks, 10 rebounds and six points.
Malik Reneau scored 14, Shelton Henderson 13 and Tre Donaldson 12 for the Hurricanes, who led 33-29 at the half.
Furman 73, Richmond 72: Freshman guard Alex Wilkins had 26 points and Asa Thomas 20 for the Paladins (4-3), who led almost the entire game and escaped with an Imagination Bracket first-round win over the Spiders (5-1).
Furman will face Illinois State for the title at 3 p.m. after Richmond plays Charlotte for third place at 12:30.
Jaden Daughtry led UR with 12 points and two steals. Mikkel Tyne and Will Johnston scored 10 apiece.
Richmond went on a 10-2 run and had a chance to win, but Mike Walz missed a jumper with about 2 seconds remaining and time expired in the scrum for the rebound.
FORT MYERS TIP-OFF
No. 11 Michigan State 74, No. 16 North Carolina 58: Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 19 points for the Spartans (7-0) against the Tar Heels (6-1) at the Fort Myers Tip-Off in Florida.
Carson Cooper had 14 points, Cam Ward 11 and Jaxson Kohler 10 along with 11 rebounds for his third double-double of season. Caleb Wilson led UNC with 18 points, Henri Veesaar had 13 and Luka Bogavac added 11.
MSU went 5 of 10 on 3-point tries while UNC went 4 of 23.
St. Bonaventure 67, East Carolina 58: Frank Mitchell and Daniel Egbuniwe had 17 points in a triumph by the Bonnies (6-1) over the Pirates (2-5). Mitchell added 12 rebounds.
Joran Riley led ECU with 28 points. Giovanni Emejuru finished with six points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
RADY CHILDREN’S INVITATIONAL
TCU 84, No. 10 Florida 80: Brock Harding made a go-ahead jumper in the key with 48 seconds left and then hit five free throws in the final 13 seconds for TCU in the first game of the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego.
Jace Posey scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the second half and helped the Horned Frogs rally from a 10-point deficit five minutes into the second half. Harding and David Punch scored 19 apiece for TCU (4-2), which will play the Wisconsin- Providence winner for the trophy.
Thomas Haugh and Urban Klavzar scored 20 apiece for the defending national champion Gators (4-2).