Times wires
Friday, March 4, 2011
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Laura Broomfield had 15 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 19 North Carolina beat No. 14 Florida State 78-65 in the ACC quarterfinals Friday.
North Carolina had lost four straight entering the tournament but has won two to reach today's semis against No. 10 Miami. Meanwhile, this marks the second straight season FSU (23-7) lost its first game after earning a bye.
Down 17 in the second half, the Seminoles got five points from Cierra Bravard and two 3-pointers from Courtney Ward during a 17-4 run that pulled them within 58-57 with 9:28 left.
But Ward's second 3, with 10:50 left, was FSU's last field goal. It missed its final 18 shots.
"I don't think we really attacked the basket or got the ball inside as much as we should have," said Bravard, who had 20 points and 12 rebounds. "And we got outplayed."
More ACC: No. 10 Miami pulled away to beat N.C. State 93-85. After losing all but one point of a 19-point lead, it went on a 15-6 run. … Jasmine Thomas capped first-half runs of 12-0 and 18-3 with baskets to help No. 8 Duke beat Wake Forest 79-50. Duke faces Georgia Tech, which upset No. 13 Maryland 70-64. Sasha Goodlett scored eight of her 18 during an 18-5 second-half run for the Yellow Jackets.
SEC: Gators fade
NASHVILLE — Glory Johnson scored a career-high 25 to help lead No. 4 Tennessee past Florida 92-75 in the SEC quarterfinals. The Gators (18-14) trailed just 38-36 at halftime, but Johnson scored the second half's first six over 1:25.
"I told the team in the locker room there were a lot of things we could have done better, but there's no way we could have fought any harder than we did," Florida coach Amanda Butler said. "However, we didn't come here to put up a good fight."
More SEC: Georgia scored the game's first seven points and did not trail in beating South Carolina 66-34. … A'dia Mathies' three-point play with 38.8 seconds left lifted No. 16 Kentucky past LSU 60-58. The Wildcats face the winner of Friday's late game between Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
Big East: USF falls
HARTFORD, Conn. — Playing without top scorer Andrea Smith for all but 58 seconds, USF lost to Pittsburgh 63-60 in the first round of the Big East tournament. Smith, a second-team All-Big East selection, injured her knee. Results of Friday's MRI exam were not available.
Down 15 in the second half, the Bulls (12-19) rallied to take the lead with 49 seconds left on Leondra Doomes-Stephens' free throw. Pitt, which faces No. 20 Marquette today, retook the lead on a three-point play by Chelsea Cole with 28 seconds left.
More Big East: Syracuse used a 20-5 run bridging the halves to rout Seton Hall 74-44. It faces No. 17 Georgetown. … West Virginia held Cincinnati scoreless for the first 6:40 of the second half in a 66-41 win. Up next is St. John's. … Freshman Devon Kane made the go-ahead layup with a minute left as Villanova beat Providence 52-50 in overtime. Next is Louisville.
No. 11 Mich. St. 56, N'western 25: The Spartans forced 23 turnovers in the Big Ten quarterfinals in Indianapolis. The Wildcats made just 10 of 46 shots and 0 of 16 3-pointers but fell shy of the Division I record for points. That's 11 by Tennessee State in an 82-11 loss to Georgia Tech on Dec. 30.
No. 21 Marist 61, St. Peter's 33: Erica Allenspach scored all 16 of her points in the first half, including consecutive 3-pointers that started a 10-0 run, as the Red Foxes won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference quarterfinal in Bridgeport, Conn.
Ohio St. 71, No. 24 Iowa 61: Brittany Johnson made seven 3s and scored 17 of her 23 in the second half for the Buckeyes in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
Tampa: Senior Gianna Messina made her third consecutive All-Sunshine State Conference first team. Teammate Lindsey Watson was named freshman of the year.
. Fast facts
Sunshine State Conference
All games at Florida Tech in Melbourne.
Women
Today's semis: Tampa vs. Florida Tech, noon; Eckerd vs. Florida Southern, 2:30
Sunday's final: 1, BHSN
Men
Today's semis: Eckerd vs. Florida Southern, 5; Tampa vs. Rollins, 7:30
Sunday's final: 3:30, BHSN