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News Nuggets, 02.24.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

C-USA roundup: Charlotte gains share of first place

CHARLOTTE — With his team clinging to the lead with 45 seconds to go, Charlotte's do-it-all player had a rare turnover. Mortified, Eddie Basden vowed to make up for it.

He did, grabbing a huge offensive rebound that drew a foul and sent him to the line with 1.8 seconds to play.

Basden made two free throws to help No. 21 Charlotte pull out an 80-77 victory over Memphis on Wednesday night.

``I had just committed a turnover not too long ago,'' Basden said. ``I knew I had to make up for it one way or another. I am always going to fight, and I went after that ball.''

His late-game heroics moved the 49ers (20-4, 11-2 Conference USA) into a tie with Louisville for first place with the victory — their sixth straight.

``This puts us in a wonderful position,'' Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz said. ``It puts us right where we want to be.''

Memphis (16-11, 9-4) dropped two games behind the leaders.

In other C-USA games, East Carolina defeated Southern Mississippi 77-66, Texas Christian beat Tulane 77-63 and UAB topped Saint Louis 64-62.

Combined with Tulane's loss, ECU's win — a day after its coach, Bill Herrion, was notified by school officials he will be replaced at the end of the season — moved the Pirates past the Green Wave into 12th place in the 14-team league and kept them solidly in the mix for one of the dozen spots in the conference tournament Mar. 9-12 in Memphis.

In the Charlotte-Memphis showdown, Basden was a formidable force for the 49ers both offensively and defensively.

Basden, who has earned conference player of the week honors in two of the past three weeks, was 7-of-13 from the field and 10-of-12 from the free throw line. He had seven rebounds and three steals, the latter breaking Charlotte's season record of 77, set by Delano Johnson in 1990-91.

``I wouldn't trade (Eddie) for anybody in the country,'' Lutz said. ``He has always been our hardest worker, he has unbelievable confidence and great energy. I think he is terrific.''

So did Memphis coach John Calipari, who credited Basden with beating the Tigers.

``They came up with every loose ball,'' Calipari said. ``Every loose ball down the stretch they grabbed them, and Eddie Basden got most of them. That's a man right there.''

Curtis Withers finished with 20 points for Charlotte, while Brendan Plavich scored 12 — all on 3-pointers — and Baldwin added 10.

Tough break in practice ends Diener's season

MILWAUKEE — Travis Diener is thinking about the NBA sooner than he expected.

Marquette's star point guard will miss the rest of his senior season after breaking two bones in his left hand at practice Tuesday and undergoing surgery that will sideline him up to six weeks.

Diener was hurt in a non-contact drill at the beginning of practice, leaving him 83 points shy of surpassing George Thompson as Marquette's all-time leading scorer, and 15 assists shy of becoming Conference USA's all-time leader.

Diener, a Cousy Award finalist as the nation's top point guard, will continue to attend practices and games during his recovery as he focuses on the NBA draft in June. He leads Conference USA with averages of 19.7 points and seven assists, and is the only player in the country to lead a major conference in both categories.

``We are going to close a chapter on what has been an outstanding career, but we're nowhere near closing the book on what will continue to be an outstanding career,'' Marquette coach Tom Crean said Wednesday.

Diener said he was disappointed he can't be on the floor to help the Golden Eagles (18-8) make a last-gasp push to make the NCAA tournament. Crean said he would involve Diener in the team's game-planning and preparation.

``It's obviously ending too soon, sooner than I wanted,'' Diener said. ``My goal now is set to help this team win some more games and get into the (NCAA) tournament. Our goals are still the same, with or without me. They're going to play their hearts out.''

Diener said he didn't think he was seriously injured at first because the pain didn't hit him until 20 minutes later. He said he is still coming to terms with his college career being cut short.

``Tomorrow night (at Cincinnati) when I see the guys come out and play and I'm sitting there watching, knowing that I can't ever play for Marquette again, it might hit me then. I'm sure it's going to hit me on Senior Day when I walk out in street clothes,'' he said.

Diener missed three games last month with a foot injury. Since his return, he averaged 18 points and eight assists in leading the Golden Eagles to three wins and a near-upset of then-No. 12 Louisville.

Diener, who helped Marquette reach the Final Four during Dwyane Wade's last season two years ago, finishes his college career with 1,691 points, just shy of the 1,773 Thompson scored from 1967-69. Diener is one of seven players in school history to score 1,000 points and accumulate 400 assists. Marquette went 90-33 during his 3 1/2 seasons.

Diener is part of a family with deep basketball roots. He played for his uncle, Dick, at Goodrich High School in Fond du Lac. He has two sisters who play college ball, one at Lewis (Ill.) University and one at Saint Louis.

And he had a spirited competition with his cousin Drake, a senior at DePaul, against whom he went 6-2 during his time at Marquette. He was 4-0 against Drake's brother, Drew, who attended Saint Louis.

Diener is a candidate for several postseason honors, and Crean said Diener deserved to be named an All-American. Athletic director Bill Cords said Diener was already an All-American in his eyes.

``Travis Diener is what college basketball is all about,'' Cords said, ``He's what Marquette University is all about, and as a competitor and a team player, a student-athlete and a person, he's an All-American in every sense of the word.

``And what he's brought to this program and what he will leave with this program is incredible.''

C-USA standings, scores, schedule & TV

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:21 PM