ATLANTA, 25 February 2005 — J.J. Redick scored a team-high 21 points to lead seventh-ranked Duke to a hard-fought win over Georgia Tech, 60-56 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Daniel Ewing chipped in 14 points, while Shelden Williams netted 12 and 10 boards for the Blue Devils (20-4, 10-4 ACC), who snapped a three-game road-losing streak. Lee Melchionni finished with nine points on three key trey’s down the stretch.
Jarrett Jack led the way for Georgia Tech with 20 points and Luke Schenscher tallied 16 in the losing effort. The Yellow Jackets (15-9, 6-7) have now lost four of their last six games. B.J. Elder scored only two points before fouling out. Neither team could find the hoop in the opening moments of the second half, as the Yellow Jackets missed their first 11 attempts from the floor.
In Syracuse, Hakim Warrick poured in a career-high 35 points and Syracuse overcame an ankle injury to Gerry McNamara, as the 15th- ranked Orange snapped a two-game losing streak with an 83-69 victory over St. John’s at the Carrier Dome.
Warrick, who had averaged just 12 points in losses to Pittsburgh and Boston College after scoring a then-career-best 32 against Villanova, made 10-of-15 shots and hit 15-of-19 free throws. He also grabbed 10 rebounds for the Orange (23-5, 10-4 Big East).
In Pittsburgh, Kevin Pittsnogle scored 20 of his team-high 22 points in the second half to help West Virginia upset 18th-ranked Pittsburgh, 70-66, in a wild Big East affair at Petersen Events Center.
Pittsnogle, who was quiet in the first half, ended 6-of-10 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, for West Virginia (17-8, 7-7 Big East), which kept its NCAA Tournament hopes alive with the dramatic victory.
In Champaign, Dee Brown scored 22 points and Roger Powell added 18, as top-ranked Illinois kept its dream of an unbeaten season alive with an easy 84-48 victory over Northwestern at Assembly Hall. Brown and Powell each made 8-of-11 shots from the field, as Illinois (28-0, 14-0 Big Ten) clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title. The Illini shot a blistering 60 percent from the field and will have a nice week-long break before Purdue visits Champaign next Thursday.
Northwestern, meanwhile, missed its first 14 three-point shots and finished just 1-of-17 from distance. Mohamed Hachad scored 15 points and Vedran Vukusic added 14 to lead the Wildcats (13-13, 5-8), who had won two straight and four of their previous five.
