BOBCATS-WIZARDS
Jefferson scores 26; Bobcats top Wizards 98-85
WASHINGTON (AP) — Al Jefferson had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Gerald Henderson went 6 for 9 in his return from a calf injury Wednesday night to lead the Charlotte Bobcats to a 98-85 win over the Washington Wizards.
Henderson finished with 13 points, and Kemba Walker’s 16 points included four consecutive free throws during a late fourth-quarter run for the Bobcats, who have won four of five and sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
John Wall scored 23 points to lead the Wizards, but he went scoreless in the fourth and received little help from his teammates. Washington had won eight of its previous 10 and began the day in fifth, one-half game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets.
MEAC-COPPIN ST-HAMPTON
Coppin State defeats Hampton 83-77
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Taariq Cephas scored 24 points off the bench, including hitting 4 of 4 3-pointers, as Coppin State defeated Hampton 83-77 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal game on Wednesday.
The victory over No. 2 seed Hampton (18-12) sends seventh-seeded Coppin State (12-19) to the MEAC semifinal tournament game on Friday.
Dallas Gary added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles. Michael Murray had 15 points with nine rebounds and Sterling Smith scored 14.
Coppin State led 36-30 at the break. Hampton came back in the second to lead by five, 49-44, on a Brian Darden 3 with 14:09 to play. Tied 73-73 with 1:17 remaining, the Eagles went 10-4 to finish with the help of Cephas, Murray and Daquan Brickhouse who combined for 11 of 12 from the line in the final minute.
Du’Vaughn Maxwell scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Pirates.
SEC-SOUTH CAROLINA-AUBURN
Notice, South Carolina drop Auburn, 74-56, in SEC
ATLANTA (AP) — Freshman Duane Notice led South Carolina’s hot 3-point shooting with a career-high 23 points and the Gamecocks beat Auburn 74-56 on Wednesday night in the opening game of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
South Carolina set a season high by making 11 of 15 3-pointers, including four by Notice. Brenton Williams had 16 points with four 3s.
South Carolina (13-19), the No. 13 seed, will play fifth-seeded Arkansas Thursday after winning its first SEC tournament game since 2008.
Chris Denson led Auburn (14-16) with 14 points. The Tigers closed the season by losing seven of 10 games, leading to speculation about the status of fourth-year coach Tony Barbee.
Denson, second in the SEC averaging 19.2 points per game, was held to two points in the first half, when he attempted only two shots.
Auburn, the No. 12 seed, swept two regular-season games with South Carolina as Denson averaged 23.5 points.
AUBURN-BARBEE
Auburn fires Barbee following SEC tournament loss
ATLANTA (AP) — Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs has fired basketball coach Tony Barbee.
Jacobs announced the decision Wednesday night, shortly after the team left the Georgia Dome following Auburn’s 74-56 loss to South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference tournament.
Barbee insisted after the game the Tigers improved by finishing 14-16 overall and 6-12 in the Southeastern Conference. He said after the game he expected to meet with Jacobs when the team returned to Auburn.
Jacobs didn’t wait that long. He said in a statement a change “is best for the program.”
Jacobs says he believes Auburn should compete for basketball championships and said “It’s time for somebody else to have a turn.”
Barbee posted losing records in each of his four seasons.
