College basketball notebook: Dillard pulls another tournament upset
The Dillard men’s basketball team posted its second postseason upset in as many days Friday, knocking off No. 5 seed Southern-New Orleans 58-54 in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament in Little Rock, Ark.
Dillard (5-20), the No. 8 seed, stunned top-seeded and nationally ranked Xavier 59-56 during Thursday’s quarterfinals, snapping an eight-game skid against its rival.
Tyrone Williams had 26 points and six rebounds in Friday’s victory. In Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. title game, the Bleu Devils face tournament host Philander Smith, a 77-69 victor over Edward Waters on Friday.
St. John’s
LEADING SCORER SUSPENDED FOR SEASON: D’Angelo Harrison, the third-leading scorer in the Big East, was suspended by St. John’s for the rest of the season.
Coach Steve Lavin made the announcement without giving a reason for the suspension, which includes the postseason.
Harrison, a sophomore guard from Missouri City, Texas, averaged 17.8 points. He recently became the 48th player in school history to reach 1,000 points.
The Red Storm (16-11, 8-7) are ninth in the 15-team Big East. The top eight teams receive a bye into the second round of the conference tournament. They play Saturday at Providence.
San Diego
EX-PLAYER SENTENCED FOR FIXING: Former University of San Diego star Brandon Johnson was sentenced to six months in prison for his role in a game-fixing scheme.
San Diego’s all-time scoring and assists leader admitted unsuccessfully soliciting an unidentified player during the 2010-11 season, when he was no longer at the school. He insisted he never manipulated a game in which he played, though prosecutors alleged he sought to influence the outcome of games during his senior year.
New Mexico State
PLAYER INDICTED ON BEATING: New Mexico State senior forward Tyrone Watson was indicted on a felony battery charge accusing him of severely beating a fellow student at a party.
The La Cruces Sun-News reported that a Dona Ana County grand jury indicted the suspended forward Thursday, a day before his suspension from the team was scheduled to end.
Police said Watson assaulted 19-year-old Miguel Rascon, who was treated for facial fractures, a gash requiring 13 stitches and other cuts and bruises after the brawl at a January party. Witnesses said Watson grabbed Rascon and punched him in the face because he was dancing with Watson’s girlfriend.