Michigan Uncorks Glee In Champaign

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Michigan's Wolverines had just won another Big Ten basketball game. But the locker room celebration resembled the one after their national championship victory 10 months ago.

``If you could have been in the locker room after the game it was great, like winning the national

championship again,'' said Sean Higgins after seventh-ranked Michigan beat No. 6 Illinois 74-70 last night.

Higgins, a 6-9 junior, scored the winning basket in the Wolverines' 83-81 win over the Fightin' Illinois in the NCAA semifinal.

Michigan had lost 10 in a row at Champaign since 1979.

Stephen Bardo had a career-high 20 points for Illinois, who hit season lows in points (70), field goals (51 percent), free-throw accuracy (60 percent) and free throws made (9).

Michigan Coach Steve Fisher was tired of his team going 0 for the 1980s here and having to say, ``Wait 'til next time.''

``Finally, this was next time,'' Fisher said.

-- AT CONNECTICUT 70, NO. 6 SYRACUSE 59 - Chris Smith and Tate George each scored 17 points as Connecticut (4-2, 14-3), winning its fourth straight Big East game, led Syracuse (3-2, 12-2) almost the entire way.

-- NO. 9 UNLV 84, AT FRESNO ST. 75 - Larry Johnson's 28 points led Nevada-Las Vegas (5-1, 11-3) over Fresno State (1-4, 6-8) in the Big West Conference.

-- AT NO. 20 XAVIER 110, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 52 - Tyrone Hill scored 12 points in the opening 10 minutes as Xavier of Ohio (12-1) beat District of Columbia (9-10) for its 12th straight win and most lopsided victory in school history.

-- AT NO. 17 LA SALLE 89, CANISIUS 77 - Lionel Simmons scored 27 points and La Salle (2-0, 11-1) pulled away in the second half to beat Canisius (0-6, 2-12).

Notes

-- California center Brian Hendrick, a 6-8 freshman who totaled 36 points and 24 rebounds in road victories over Washington State and Washington, was named Pacific-10 Conference player of the week.

Women's games

-- AT NO. 5 GEORGIA 112, S. UTAH 46 - Stacey Ford led eight double-figure scorers with 17 points as Georgia (14-1) defeated Southern Utah State.

-- AT NO. 16 LOUSIANA ST. 83, LAMAR 73 - April Delley scored 23 points to lead Louisiana State (11-2).

-- AT NO. 17 S. CAROLINA 65, LOUISVILLE 52 - Marsha Williams' 11 rebounds and 11 points led South Carolina (3-0, 9-3) in the Metro Conference over Louisville (2-2, 10-4).

-- S. ILLINOIS 62, AT NO. 18 TENNESSEE TECH 60 - Allison Smith made both ends of a one-and-one with 11 seconds left to give Southern Illinois (9-7) the upset.

-- AT NO. 19 HAWAII 73, FULLERTON ST. 61 - The Lady Rainbows, rebounding from dual weekend loses to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, improved to 12-2.

-- AT NO. 21 PENN STATE 92, RHODE ISLAND 51 - Tanya Garner and Susan Robinson scored 21 points each to lead Penn State (5-0, 11-2) to an Atlantic 10 victory over Rhode Island (1-12).

Notes

-- A former University of Maine player, Victoria Watras, is suing former coach Peter Gavett, claiming he assaulted her and attempted to force her to have sexual relations with him.

-- Second-place Seattle Pacific meets Western Washington, NAIA District 1 leader, tonight at 7:30 at Brougham Pavilion in a game featuring a clash of dominant centers. Western (10-0, 16-1) is led by 6-foot-3 junior center Cim Hanson who averages 16.1 points and 9.1 rebounds. SPU (9-1, 10-2) counters with 6-2 senior Caroline Pfeil, the district's top shot blocker with more than five blocks a game.