Tigers provide respite for Haith

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

— Frank Haith seemed fairly calm for a coach under fire, and one who shed his sport coat and tie while willing his team forward.

No. 22 Missouri’s second half surge no doubt had a lot to do with it.

During a dismal first half, Haith said he “almost bust a blood vessel.” After the Tigers rallied from 13 points down in the second half and held off South Carolina 71-65 on Tuesday, the coach said he was relieved that a lengthy NCAA investigation implicating Haith in recruiting violations at Miami was apparently about to end.

“Obviously, I can’t say a whole lot about what’s going on because contrary to what’s been reported, there’s been no letter written to Frank Haith and my attorneys have not received a letter of any allegations,” Haith said. “So until that happens, then I [can’t] respond.

“As of right now there’s nothing our way, but I do feel and know that we’re getting close to the end, and that’s what’s exciting to me.”

CBSSports.com said Monday that Haith would face an “unethical conduct” charge because of inconsistencies the NCAA found in his account of the recruiting of DeQuan Jones, plus would be charged with “failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance.”

Earnest Ross and Jabari Brown hit key three-pointers in the final 1:11 for Missouri, which was just 5 for 27 from long range overall. Ross played 37 minutes wearing a brace to protect ongoing back issues and a day earlier Haith hadn’t been certain he’d play.

“It was pretty much a mental thing,” Ross said. “Our trainer got me right yesterday and today and I just did a lot of treatment, and did my thing.”

Haith did his thing, too, blocking out the rumors and coaching up a storm with a team coming off a 31-point loss at Florida and minus top player Laurence Bowers plus guard Keion Bell. The tie came off at halftime and the jacket came off early in the second half.

“I almost took everything off,” Haith joked. “I’ve had a couple of those where you feel like you’re going to bust a blood vessel. That was one of my top ones.”

Ross had a career-best 21 points and Brown had 17 for Missouri (14-4, 3-2 SEC), which is 11-0 at home this season and has won 12 consecutive at the Mizzou Arena since losing to Kansas State and Coach Frank Martin, now in his first year at South Carolina, on Feb. 21, 2012.

Brown had eight points in a 20-2 run that gave Missouri a five-point lead with just under 12 minutes to go. Alex Oriakhi was 10 for 10 at the free-throw line and fouled out in the final minute with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Tigers, who won despite 33 percent overall shooting.

Brenton Williams had 16points with four three-pointers for South Carolina (11-7, 1-4), which has lost four conference games by a combined 18 points and faced its first ranked opponent of the season. RJ Shawson added 10 points for the Gamecocks, who shot 37 percent.

ALABAMA 59, KENTUCKY 55

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Nick Jacobs scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and streaking Alabama beat Kentucky for the Crimson Tide’s fifth victory in in six games.

The Tide (12-6, 4-1 SEC) held Kentucky (12-6, 3-2) to a season-low scoring total, 22 points below its average.

Levi Randolph and Trevor Releford each hit two free throws in the final 13 seconds to secure the victory for Alabama, which had lost seven of the past eight meetings.

Releford had 13 points and Randolph added 11 for the Tide. Jacobs came in averaging 5.8 points a game.

Kyle Wiltjer led Kentucky - which had won four of five games - with 14 points and seven rebounds.

NO. 3 KANSAS 59, NO. 11 KANSAS STATE 55

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Travis Releford scored 12 points and No. 3 Kansas held off No. 11 Kansas State down the stretch to take sole possession of first place in the Big 12.

Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey added 11 points each for the Jayhawks (17-1, 5-0 Big 12), who pushed their nationleading winning streak to 16 games and ended the Wildcats’ 12-game home winning streak.

Shane Southwell, who scored a career-high 19 points, got Kansas State (15-3, 4-1) within 56-53 with a layup with 38.2 seconds left. Naadir Tharpe made two free throw to restore a fivepoint lead.

VILLANOVA 73, NO. 5 LOUISVILLE 64

PHILADELPHIA - Achraf Yacoubou hit the tiebreaking three-pointer late in the second half to help Villanova upset No. 5 Louisville.

The Wildcats (12-7, 3-3 Big East) led by as many as 10 points in the first half and rallied late in the second to send the Cardinals to their second consecutive loss. Louisville (16-3, 4-2) had an 11-game winning streak end in a 70-68 loss to Syracuse on Saturday.

Ryan Arcidiacono scored 15 points, and JayVaughn Pinkston and Mouphtaou Yarou each scored 11 for Villanova.

Peyton Siva had 15 points and 13 assists for the Cardinals and Wayne Blackshear scored 17 points. The Cardinals, a 71 percent free throw shooting team, was12 of 24 from the line and shot 40 percent from the field.

NO. 13 MICHIGAN STATE 49, WISCONSIN 47

MADISON, Wis. - Keith Appling scored 19 points and Branden Dawson added 18 for No. 13 Michigan State.

Mike Bruesewitz led Wisconsin (13-6, 4-2 Big Ten) with 10 points.

Both teams went more than four minutes without scoring down the stretch. Dawson broke the drought, hitting 1 of 2 from the free-throw line to put the Spartans (17-3, 6-1) up 48-44 with just over two minutes left.

Ryan Evans’ three-pointer from the wing with 17 seconds left pulled Wisconsin within 48-47.

Michigan State freshman Gary Harris was fouled and hit front end of a 1-and-1 but rimmed out the second, leaving Michigan State up 49-47.

Wisconsin’s George Marshall, who missed practice Monday because he was sick, was fouled with 3.5 seconds left. He missed the first free throw and intentionally tried to miss the second but he didn’t draw iron, giving the ball to the Spartans.

NO. 14 OHIO STATE 72, IOWA 63

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Deshaun Thomas, who missed part of the second half with a cut above his eye, scored 16 points as No. 14 Ohio State built a big lead and then held on.

Thomas, the Big Ten’s leading scorer at 21 points per game, sat out about three minutes while an open cut over his right eye was bandaged.

The Buckeyes (14-4, 4-2 Big Ten) led by 24 points with under 13 minutes left but watched as Iowa cut the lead to four with 1:30 remaining.

Aaron White had 13 points for Iowa (13-6, 2-4).

Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith Jr. both had 12 points and Evan Ravenel added 11 for Ohio State.

WAKE FOREST 86, NO. 18 N.C. STATE 84

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Freshman Devin Thomas had a season-high 25 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks as Wake Forest upset No. 18 North Carolina State.

Travis McKie added 16 points for the Demon Deacons (10-8, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), including two free throws with 3.4 seconds left that helped Wake Forest hold on down the stretch.

N.C. State led by 16 points in the first half and 12 at halftime only to see the Demon Deacons rally and push ahead to their own 10-point lead.

Rodney Purvis scored 18 points to lead the Wolfpack (15-4, 4-2), who fell to 1-2 since upsetting top-ranked Duke on Jan 12.

Sports, Pages 19 on 01/23/2013