A&M gets its way, wins on refs' double reverse

Andy Leatherman's layup at the buzzer was ruled good, no good andthen good again, giving Texas A&M a controversial 88-86 victory overTexas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. The game was delayed 39 minutes whenthe Aggies refused to play an overtime.

Official Charles Range originally ruled that Leatherman's basketwas good, setting off a storm of protest from Texas Tech coach JamesDickey and his players. The three game officials consulted a TVreplay and then reversed the call, leaving the teams tied at the endof regulation.

This time it was A&M coach Melvin Watkins who protested, keepinghis team in its dressing room and refusing to play the extra period.

Thirty-nine minutes later, the call was reversed again, restoringthe basket and the Texas A&M victory.

"(Range) said, `Melvin, the basket is good,' " Watkins said. "Atthat point, I told my team to go to the locker room and go. What elsedid we have to wait around for?"

Range said he never told Watkins the game was over. Watkinsadmitted officials at one point seemed hesitant about how to rule thegame's final shot, but he was confident his team won.

"It's a victory," he said. "The officials say it's a victory."

Texas Tech (9-4, 0-2 Big 12) said it would file a report to theBig 12.

"We'll just wait and see what happens with the appeals process,"Dickey said. "We believe there should have been an overtime, andthere was not an overtime."

The last time A&M (5-9, 1-2) won a game at Lubbock was 1994, whena last-second basket triggered a brawl.

UCLA 71, No. 13 North Carolina 68: Ryan Bailey got zero for stylepoints, but a perfect 10 for results.

Bailey banked in two free throws with 14.9 seconds left as theBruins (10-4) beat the Tar Heels (11-6) in Chapel Hill, N.C.

UCLA won a close one after losing two one-point games this season.North Carolina lost its second nonconference home game of the season,the first time that has happened since the mid-1940s. North Carolinaalso lost to Michigan State 86-76 on Dec. 1.

No. 15 Texas 79, No. 16 Oklahoma 66: Gabe Muoneke scored 30points, including 20 in the second half, as the Longhorns (11-4, 3-0Big 12) beat the Sooners (14-2, 2-1) in Austin, Texas.

Muoneke was 12-of-14 from the field and 6-of-9 from the line forTexas, which took advantage of the physical game by going 28-of-34from the line.

Georgia Tech 69, No. 18 Maryland 68: Shaun Fein scored 17 pointsfor Georgia Tech, including two critical free throws with 53 secondsremaining, and the Terrapins couldn't get off a shot at the end asthe Yellow Jackets (8-7, 1-2 ACC) prevailed in Atlanta.

Juan Dixon scored a career-high 31 points and blocked a shot byFein with about 15 seconds left. Maryland (11-5, 0-3) got the ballback to Dixon, who drove in the lane but had the ball knocked away asthe clock ran out.

St. Bonaventure 57, No. 23 Temple 56: J.R. Bremer's three-pointerwith 2.8 seconds left gave the Bonnies (12-2, 4-0 Atlantic 10) thevictory over the Owls (9-4, 3-1) in Olean, N.Y.

St. Bonaventure didn't lead in the second half until Bremer madethe game-winning basket.

Vanderbilt 65, No. 24 LSU 62: James Strong scored a career-high 22points, and the Commodores (12-1, 3-1) defeated their third rankedopponent in 10 days with a victory over the Tigers (13-1, 1-3) inNashville, Tenn.

Marquette 66, No. 25 Louisville 64: Jon Harris hit a layup with20.1 seconds left in overtime, and the Golden Eagles (10-5, 3-1Conference USA) defeated their second ranked opponent in four dayswith a victory over the reeling Cardinals (10-5, 2-2) in Milwaukee.

Texas-Pan American 79, Oral Roberts 62: Texas-Pan American (7-9)ended its NCAA-record 64-game road losing streak by beating OralRoberts in Tulsa, Okla. WOMEN

No. 6 Notre Dame 71, Syracuse 56: Niele Ivey scored a season-high22 points and had eight assists, leading the Fighting Irish (13-2, 4-0 Big East) to their 16th consecutive home victory.

A&M gets its way, wins on refs' double reverse

Andy Leatherman's layup at the buzzer was ruled good, no good andthen good again, giving Texas A&M a controversial 88-86 victory overTexas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. The game was delayed 39 minutes whenthe Aggies refused to play an overtime.

Official Charles Range originally ruled that Leatherman's basketwas good, setting off a storm of protest from Texas Tech coach JamesDickey and his players. The three game officials consulted a TVreplay and then reversed the call, leaving the teams tied at the endof regulation.

This time it was A&M coach Melvin Watkins who protested, keepinghis team in its dressing room and refusing to play the extra period.

Thirty-nine minutes later, the call was reversed again, restoringthe basket and the Texas A&M victory.

"(Range) said, `Melvin, the basket is good,' " Watkins said. "Atthat point, I told my team to go to the locker room and go. What elsedid we have to wait around for?"

Range said he never told Watkins the game was over. Watkinsadmitted officials at one point seemed hesitant about how to rule thegame's final shot, but he was confident his team won.

"It's a victory," he said. "The officials say it's a victory."

Texas Tech (9-4, 0-2 Big 12) said it would file a report to theBig 12.

"We'll just wait and see what happens with the appeals process,"Dickey said. "We believe there should have been an overtime, andthere was not an overtime."

The last time A&M (5-9, 1-2) won a game at Lubbock was 1994, whena last-second basket triggered a brawl.

UCLA 71, No. 13 North Carolina 68: Ryan Bailey got zero for stylepoints, but a perfect 10 for results.

Bailey banked in two free throws with 14.9 seconds left as theBruins (10-4) beat the Tar Heels (11-6) in Chapel Hill, N.C.

UCLA won a close one after losing two one-point games this season.North Carolina lost its second nonconference home game of the season,the first time that has happened since the mid-1940s. North Carolinaalso lost to Michigan State 86-76 on Dec. 1.

No. 15 Texas 79, No. 16 Oklahoma 66: Gabe Muoneke scored 30points, including 20 in the second half, as the Longhorns (11-4, 3-0Big 12) beat the Sooners (14-2, 2-1) in Austin, Texas.

Muoneke was 12-of-14 from the field and 6-of-9 from the line forTexas, which took advantage of the physical game by going 28-of-34from the line.

Georgia Tech 69, No. 18 Maryland 68: Shaun Fein scored 17 pointsfor Georgia Tech, including two critical free throws with 53 secondsremaining, and the Terrapins couldn't get off a shot at the end asthe Yellow Jackets (8-7, 1-2 ACC) prevailed in Atlanta.

Juan Dixon scored a career-high 31 points and blocked a shot byFein with about 15 seconds left. Maryland (11-5, 0-3) got the ballback to Dixon, who drove in the lane but had the ball knocked away asthe clock ran out.

St. Bonaventure 57, No. 23 Temple 56: J.R. Bremer's three-pointerwith 2.8 seconds left gave the Bonnies (12-2, 4-0 Atlantic 10) thevictory over the Owls (9-4, 3-1) in Olean, N.Y.

St. Bonaventure didn't lead in the second half until Bremer madethe game-winning basket.

Vanderbilt 65, No. 24 LSU 62: James Strong scored a career-high 22points, and the Commodores (12-1, 3-1) defeated their third rankedopponent in 10 days with a victory over the Tigers (13-1, 1-3) inNashville, Tenn.

Marquette 66, No. 25 Louisville 64: Jon Harris hit a layup with20.1 seconds left in overtime, and the Golden Eagles (10-5, 3-1Conference USA) defeated their second ranked opponent in four dayswith a victory over the reeling Cardinals (10-5, 2-2) in Milwaukee.

Texas-Pan American 79, Oral Roberts 62: Texas-Pan American (7-9)ended its NCAA-record 64-game road losing streak by beating OralRoberts in Tulsa, Okla. WOMEN

No. 6 Notre Dame 71, Syracuse 56: Niele Ivey scored a season-high22 points and had eight assists, leading the Fighting Irish (13-2, 4-0 Big East) to their 16th consecutive home victory.