After Slow Start, St. John’s Defeats Providence

Bill Wennington scored 18 points and Chris Mullin added 16 as St. John’s, playing its first game in 33 years as the nation’s top-ranked team, pulled away from stubborn Providence for a 77-60 Big East Conference victory Wednesday night at Providence, R.I.

The Redmen (16-1, 8-0), won their 11th consecutive game by erasing a 22-20 deficit to take a 33-28 halftime lead. They stretched it to 63-47 with 5:06 left on a 10-point run that broke open the game for good.

Walter Berry added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Redmen. Harold Starks scored 16 points for the Friars (9-12, 2-6).

Clemson 52, North Carolina 50--Junior forward Chris Michael hit an 18-foot jumper with three seconds remaining and the Tigers (11-7, 3-5) surprised the Tar Heels (4-5, 5-3) in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Clemson, S.C.

SMU 85, Houston 78--Olympian Jon Koncak had 27 points and 21 rebounds at Dallas as the fourth-ranked Mustangs (17-2, 7-1) beat the defending Southwest Conference champion Cougars (13-6, 5-3) for the first time in seven games.

Purdue 54, Illinois 34--James Bullock scored 18 points and the Boilermakers (14-5, 5-4) shattered a six-game winning streak of the Illini (17-5, 6-3) in a Big Ten game at West Lafayette, Ind.

North Carolina State 61, Georgia Tech 53--Lorenzo Charles scored 23 points and the Wolfpack (12-6, 4-3) broke the Yellow Jackets’ (15-3, 4-3) five-game winning streak in an ACC game at Atlanta.

Duke 76, Wake Forest 70--David Henderson hit four free throws in the final minute of overtime at Greensboro, N.C., and the Blue Devils (15-3, 5-3) avenged an earlier ACC defeat to the Demon Deacons (12-6, 3-3).

Florida 72, Mississippi State 57--Freshman Vernon Maxwell scored 23 points and the Gators (13-4, 6-3) knocked off the first-place Bulldogs (10-8, 6-3) in a Southeastern Conference game at Gainesville, Fla.

Tulsa 67, Drake 66--Steve Harris poured in 32 points, including 15 of the last 21 for the Golden Hurricane (17-2, 8-0), who held off the Bulldogs (10-9, 2-6) for a Missouri Valley Conference victory at Des Moines, Iowa.

Maryland 71, Virginia 58--Adrian Branch scored 30 points and the Terrapins (17-5, 4-1) pulled away from the Cavaliers (10-10, 1-7) for an ACC victory at College Park, Md.

Auburn 86, Vanderbilt 80--Chuck Person poured in 29 points at Nashville, Tenn., and the Tigers (12-6, 4-5) handed the Commodores (8-10, 1-8) their eighth straight defeat in an SEC game.

Kansas 75, Kansas State 57--Freshman Danny Manning collected 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Jayhawks (16-4, 4-1) routed the Wildcats (10-8, 1-4) in a Big Eight game at Manhattan, Kan.

Arkansas 64, Baylor 57--Charles Balentine made four free throws in overtime to lift the Razorbacks (14-7, 5-3) to a Southwest Conference victory over the Bears (8-10, 1-7) at Waco, Tex.

Alabama 54, Mississippi 47--Buck Johnson scored 15 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Crimson Tide (14-5, 6-4) scored an SEC victory over the Rebels (7-11, 1-9) at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Boston College 82, Northeastern 75--Freshman Skip Barry scored 16 points in 15 minutes and the Eagles (15-4) withstood sophomore Reggie Lewis’ 28 points and 10 rebounds to turn back the Huskies (10-8) at Boston.

Tennessee 80, Georgia 79--Michael Brooks made two free throws with four seconds left in the second overtime at Athens, Ga., to clinch a Southeastern Conference victory for the Volunteers (13-5, 6-3) over the Bulldogs (13-5, 5-4).

Virginia Tech 81, Louisville 61--Perry Young scored 21 points on the inside and Dell Curry added 19 from the outside as the Hokies (14-4, 5-1) routed the Cardinals (10-9, 2-4) in a Metro Conference game at Louisville.