College basketball gameday capsules: area games
Georgia Tech (12-16, 3-13) at Clemson (15-12, 7-8)
Noon, Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, S.C.(WBTV)
The Tigers try to break out of their worst slump this season when they host the Yellow Jackets. Clemson, currently holding the ninth seed for the upcoming ACC tournament, has lost two straight and four of its past five games. Georgia Tech has also lost two straight and four of its past five, but beat the Tigers 63-52 on Feb. 16. Bill Kiser
N.C. State (17-11, 8-7) at Boston College (9-18, 1-14)
Noon, Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, Mass. (FSCR)
The ACC’s last-place Eagles have gotten at least 30 points from junior guard Olivier Hanlan four times in the past six games, including 39 against Pitt on Tuesday, but lost all six of those games. N.C. State’s defense will likely focus on Hanlan and make someone else in the BC lineup beat them. Joe Giglio
Presbyterian (10-20, 6-11) at Winthrop (16-12, 11-6)
1 p.m., Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill
The Eagles close out their Big South regular-season schedule when they host the Blue Hose. Winthrop, tied with Radford for fourth in the league standings, beat Presbyterian 57-56 on Jan. 8. The Eagles lost to Campbell 65-50 on Thursday, snapping a three-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Blue Hose ended a three-game losing streak Thursday by upsetting Coastal Carolina 80-69. B.K.
No. 15 North Carolina (17-5, 7-2) at Miami (18-10, 8-7)
2 p.m., BankUnited Center, Coral Gables (CBS)
The Tar Heels have lost five of their past seven games, and they’ll attempt to rebound from a humbling 58-46 loss against N.C. State on Tuesday. This is a difficult matchup for UNC. Miami has a deep guard rotation, all capable of breaking down a defense with penetration. Miami hasn’t been great defensively but plays at a tempo that usually keeps opposing teams from lighting up the scoreboard. Andrew Carter
Louisiana-Monroe (19-9, 13-4) at Appalachian State (9-17, 6-11)
3:30 p.m., Holmes Center, Boone
The Mountaineers, mired in their longest losing streak this season, host the Sun Belt co-leading Warhawks. Appalachian State has lost five straight and seven of its past eight games, and is just 1 1/2 games ahead of Troy, sitting in last place in the league standings. Meanwhile, La.-Monroe is tied with Georgia Southern atop the league standings, and has beat the Mountaineers 68-58 on Feb. 14. B.K.
Queens (15-12, 12-9) at Anderson (14-13, 10-11)
4 p.m., Abney Athletic Center, Anderson, S.C.
The Royals wrap up their South Atlantic Conference regular-season schedule, facing the Trojans with a chance to take the No. 3 seed in next week’s tournament. Queens snapped a four-game losing streak Wednesday by beating Catawba, and is tied for third in the league standings with Wingate and Carson-Newman. Anderson has won three straight, but lost to the Royals 80-65 on Jan. 24. B.K.
Gardner-Webb (18-12, 10-7) at Radford (20-10, 11-6)
4 p.m., Dedmon Center, Radford, Va.
The Bulldogs, in contention for a high seed in next week’s Big South tournament, face the Highlanders in their regular-season finale. Gardner-Webb has won two straight, and sits a game behind Radford and Winthrop in the league standings. The Highlanders have been in a slump of late, losing two of their past three games, and lost to the Bulldogs 88-85 in double OT on Jan. 8. B.K.
Mississippi State (12-16, 5-10) at South Carolina (13-14, 4-11)
6 p.m., Colonial Life Arena, Columbia (SEC)
The Gamecocks have a good chance to get a rare SEC win and move up the league standings when they host the Bulldogs. South Carolina, which has lost two straight and four of its past five games, is a game behind Mississippi State in the league standings. The Bulldogs have slumped as of late, losing three straight and five of their past six. B.K.
George Washington (18-10, 8-7) at Davidson (20-6, 11-4)
7 p.m., Belk Arena
The Wildcats beat the Colonials 65-63 on Feb. 18 in Washington, rallying from an eight-point halftime deficit. Davidson has won six straight games in the Atlantic 10. George Washington snapped a four-game losing streak in a 69-46 victory Wednesday against St. Bonaventure. Forward Patricio Garrino (12.6 ppg) leads the Colonials. A decision on whether Davidson guard Jordan Watkins (shoulder) will play will be made after shoot-around Saturday. David Scott
No. 4 Duke (25-3, 12-3) vs. Syracuse (18-10, 9-6)
7:05 p.m., Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham (ESPN)
It has been four weeks since Mike Krzyzewski surprised everyone by kicking Rasheed Sulaimon off the ACC’s second team in the standings. In the month Sulaimon has been gone, Duke has gone 8-0, with three wins over top 15 teams. The Orange, too, have gotten better since suffering a major loss – the hope of postseason play, gone when the school decided to self-impose a postseason ban amid an NCAA investigation. Laura Keeley
Charlotte (12-16, 5-10) at Rice (10-17, 7-8)
8 p.m., Tudor Fieldhouse, Houston
The 49ers started their two-game Texas road trip with an 81-65 loss at North Texas on Thursday. The Owls beat the 49ers 73-68 in overtime in Charlotte in January. Rice has played well against Conference USA’s better teams, with victories against Old Dominion on Thursday, as well as Alabama-Birmingham and Western Kentucky. Senior forward Seth Gearhart’s 15.3 points per game leads the Owls. D.S.
This story was originally published February 27, 2015 at 6:07 PM with the headline "College basketball gameday capsules: area games."