THE GOLD SHEET
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Day Game
Xavier 79 - DEPAUL 73—Now that DePaul has the X-men’s full attention
following back-to-back Blue Demon Big East wins for the first time since 2008,
would favor the well-focused Muskeeters, uplifted by their huge 80-67
comeback victory over Georgetown on Wednesday. Xavier’s marvelous soph
G Semaj Christon is playing as well as any backcourt performer in the Big East,
while physical 6-10, 250-pound C Matt Stainbrook will discourage forays into the
paint area by the Blue Demons. The Musketeers are on an eight-game win
streak SU & vs. the spread. 12-DNP
Night Games
VILLANOVA 85 - Creighton 77—Though CU’s All-American Doug
McDermott is attracting plenty of NBA scouts, might lay small price vs. the
Bluejays, who’re playing in their toughest battle as a visitor to date. Hot
Villanova owns superior offensive balance (six players avg. between 8 & 16
ppg). And the super-quick, ball-thievin’ Wildcats (9.3 spg) should get their
transition game unleashed vs. a CU bunch missing top orchestrator sr. Grant
Gibbs. Watch for ‘Nova’s underappreciated centerpiece 6-7 sr. F JayVaughn
Pinkston (16.1 ppg) to do plenty of business in the paint, while hard-to-guard 6-
6 jr. G Darrun Hilliard (13.9 ppg, nearly two treys pg at 39.7%) does damage
from the perimeter. (at Wells Fargo Ctr.) 12-DNP
VIRGINIA over North Carolina by 3 to 5—12-UVA -2' 61-52, UNC -5 93-81 CABLE TV—ESPN
DREXEL over Delaware by 4 to 6—12-Del +5' 66-64, DEL -2' 73-71 (2OT)
Ohio St. over NEBRASKA by 7 to 10—13-OSU -16' 84-53; 12-OSU -20' 70-44, Osu -11' 63-56, Osu -14 71-50 (CT-neut.)
GEORGETOWN over Marquette by 3 to 5—12-MAR -3 49-48, GTWN -4' 63-55
NORTH CAROLINA ST. over Maryland by 1 to 3—12-MARY -2' 51-50 CABLE TV—ESPNU
KANSAS over Baylor by 8 to 11—12-KAN -10' 61-44, BAY +4 81-58 TV-ESPN