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.