COLLEGE HOOPS \ Saturday’s Ohio games


January 4, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

No. 22 Xavier 84, Virginia 70

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — B.J. Raymond scored 24 points and hit four of No. 22 Xavier’s nine 3-pointers as the Musketeers took a big early lead. The Musketeers (11-2) missed their first nine shots, but trailed only 6-2 when Raymond finally broke the ice with a basket in the lane with 15:14 left. It sparked a 23-2 run, with the last 19 coming in succession, as Xavier cruised to a 23-8 lead midway through the half.

Kent State 68, Hampton 43

HAMPTON, Va. — Tyree Evans scored 21 points for Kent State. The Pirates (6-7) didn’t score for the first 7:17 of the game, falling behind 14-0 before Vincent Simpson hit a 3-pointer with 12:43 to play in the first half. Evans had 15 points in the first half, when Kent State (7-6) shot 56 percent and led by 17 points. The Pirates, who trailed by as many as 29 points with 12 minutes to play, shot 23 percent from the field and 18 percent from 3-point range.

Rhode Island 79, Akron 50

KINGSTON, R.I. — Delroy James and Keith Cothran scored 16 points and added five assists apiece for Rhode Island. Jimmy Baron chipped in with 14 points and four assists to help Rhode Island (10-4) extend its home win streak to 13 against non-conference opponents. Akron (8-5) played tough defense in stretches, but the Rhode Island offense was too explosive, riding an 18-7 first-half run to an 11-point lead at the break. Jimmy Conyers led Akron with eight points and 10 rebounds. Nate Linhart, Darryl Roberts and Brett McKnight added seven points apiece.

Bowling Green 65, Fordham 59

BOWLING GREEN — Nate Miller came off the bench to score 17 points to lead Bowling Green back from a halftime deficit.

Ohio 85, Bucknell 67

ATHENS — Jerome Tillman scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead Ohio. Steven Coleman added 17 points, Justin Orr had 10 and Michael Allen chipped in with nine assists for the Bobcats (7-6), who had season highs in points, rebounds (41), assists (21), 3-point field goals (10) and field goals (31).

Associated Press