#AmericanHoops Scoreboard
UNC-Wilmington 81, East Carolina 71
Northern Illinois 59, USF 48
SMU 71, Albany 53
UNC-Wilmington 81, East Carolina 71
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) -- Denzel Ingram made six 3-pointers and scored 26 points, C.J. Bryce had 25 points and eight rebounds, and UNC-Wilmington won its eighth straight in an 81-71 victory over East Carolina on Tuesday night.
Deng Riak threw down a dunk to pull ECU within nine points with 6:11 left but Ingram answered with a 3-pointer for a 75-63 lead and the Seahawks led by double figures the rest of the way.
UNC-Wilmington (11-1), which entered averaging 95.3 points during its winning streak, has high expectations this season following an NCAA Tournament appearance.
UNCW used a 13-0 run, as ECU went scoreless for two-plus minutes, to take a 25-10 lead. The Seahawks led by 10 points at halftime behind 11 points apiece from Ingram and Bryce. ECU was just 7 of 29 from the floor (24 percent) in the first half.
B.J. Tyson scored 17 points for East Carolina (7-5), which was coming off a 35-point showing against the College of Charleston.
It was the 64th meeting in the regional rivalry and the 50th sellout (5,200) in Trask Coliseum history.
Northern Illinois 59, USF 48
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Levi Bradley scored 12 points and Northern Illinois beat South Florida 59-48 on Tuesday night for its third straight win.
Bradley was 5 of 12 from the floor. Aaric Armstead and Marshawn Wilson added 11 points apiece for Northern Illinois (7-5).
Michael Bibby and Bo Zeigler each had 10 points to lead South Florida (5-5), which shot just 3 of 13 from long range, 11 of 21 from the free-throw line and had 21 turnovers.
The game was tied at 31-31 early in the second half before the Huskies jumped out to a nine-point lead midway through. South Florida used a 7-2 spurt to pull to 49-45 with about five minutes left and Northern Illinois closed on a 10-3 run. The Bulls missed nine straight field goals and the Huskies made 6 of 8 free throws to end it.
SMU 71, Albany 53
DALLAS (AP) -- Semi Ojeleye had a career-high 28 points and SMU outscored Albany by 15 points in the final 10:29 for a 71-53 win on Tuesday night.
The Mustangs (10-3) took a 63-48 lead with 5:34 left when Shake Milton's 3-pointer capped a 14-2 run. The Great Danes (7-6) replied with a 5-2 burst to get within 12, but SMU closed out its sixth straight win by scoring all six points in the final two minutes, including 4 of 5 free throws.
Sterling Brown added 12 points for SMU and Milton and Jarrey Foster added 10 points each. Ojeleye was 4 of 6 from 3-point range and the Mustangs went 8 for 17 from the arc.
Joe Cremo led Albany with 15 points. The Great Danes had their first lead at 16-15 and led once more at 32-31 just before Ojeleye hit a 3 to give the Mustangs a two-point lead at halftime.