The Week (jan. 15-21)

"Notre Dame players keep their hands up like they are praying, but they are really beating you to death with their bodies," said South Carolina Coach Frank McGuire after losing 82-73 at South Bend. The No. 1-ranked Irish, who began the week leading the country in field-goal shooting with a .564 percentage, hit 60% against the Gamecocks. In two other home wins, the Irish shot 56% while clobbering Lafayette 91-66 and 62% while beating San Francisco 88-69. Another reason Notre Dame handled the Dons with ease was that USF's Bill Cartwright was held to nine points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Tracy Jackson, who has never started for Notre Dame, continued to fill his Supersub role by coming in to score 49 points in three games.

After busting in front in both of its games and frittering away much of its advantage each time, Ohio State earned victories that left it 6-0 in the Big Ten. Minnesota fought back from a 13-point deficit at Columbus, only to have Buckeye Jim Smith snap a 70-all tie with a three-point play. In that 83-80 Ohio State win, Kelvin Ransey had 20 points and seven assists. Herb Williams 19 points and 13 rebounds and Smith 17 points and 13 rebounds. At Michigan, the Buckeyes had an 11-point lead trimmed to five with 10 minutes to go. But then Ransey, who finished with 25 points, and Williams came through with baskets and the Buckeyes won 78-69.

Two games behind Ohio State were Illinois, Michigan State and Iowa. Wisconsin gave the visiting Illini all they could handle before succumbing 81-74. Sophomore Larry Petty, who was booed by Badger fans last season when he was a rather inept 275-pounder, received a standing ovation this time. With his weight down to 240, Petty hit on nine of 10 shots, scored 25 points and hauled in 12 rebounds. But Petty was not enough for the Badgers, whose bench was outscored 39-4 by the Illinois reserves. Purdue, though, had the ingredients to stop the Illini—24 points from Joe Barry Carroll and lots of stalling. The Boilermakers held the ball for the final 5:30 of the first half and the last 6:30 of the second as they won 69-57 at Illinois.

Iowa triumphed 56-46 at Purdue and then lost 83-72 in overtime at Michigan State. Pulling the Spartans through were Earvin Johnson, who had 25 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and Mike Brkovich, a reserve guard from Canada, whose two free throws sent the game into overtime and who sank two more foul shots in the extra period to put State ahead for good. Michigan State earlier decked Indiana 82-58 as Johnson put in 22 points and Brkovich came off the bench to get 16. Thirty-one points by Kevin McHale enabled Minnesota to subdue Wisconsin 82-72.

For much of the time during its two games, Vanderbilt looked like a goner. But the Commodores wound up a loner, all by themselves at the top of the SEC with a 5-1 record. At Alabama, Vanderbilt, which had trailed 25-15, was ahead 57-48 with six minutes left. Then the Tide roared back, sending the game into overtime when Reggie King tipped in a missed shot with four seconds to go. Vandy went on to win 75-73 on a last-second shot by Charles Davis, who wound up with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Mike Rhodes led the Commodores with 25 points. At home, where Vanderbilt once trailed Georgia 38-16, the Commodores went ahead 75-74 on a free throw by Davis with 39 seconds remaining. But Georgia regained the lead 14 seconds later on Ron Webb's field goal. On his team's final possession, Guard Tommy Springer of Vandy cashed in on a three-point play that gave the Commodores a 78-76 win. Rhodes again led the scoring, this time with 24 points.

Tied for second at 5-2 were Alabama, which won 83-76 at Auburn as King scored 23 points, and Louisiana State, twice a winner. The largest crowd ever to see a college game in Louisiana—14,568—was at Baton Rouge as the Tigers beat Auburn 94-82. LSU's unorthodox Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside combination produced 52 points. Al Green, who is 6'2", operated inside as usual and scored 27 points, while 6'9" DeWayne Scales worked from long range and had 25. At Mississippi, the Tigers played without Scales and Greg Cook, who were sidelined for disciplinary reasons, and without their ace, Durand Macklin, who has been hurt most of the season. John Stroud of the Rebels, the SEC's top scorer, with a 24.8 average, poured in 33 points and had nine rebounds. And Ole Miss outrebounded the Tigers 37-28. Nevertheless, LSU won 70-69 in overtime when freshman Gus Rudolph sank both ends of a one-and-one foul try after time had expired.

Fourth-place Tennessee won 66-55 at Kentucky, while Mississippi State split a pair of two-point verdicts. The Bulldogs nipped Kentucky 63-61 on Ray White's jumper with five seconds left. Playing in Florida's infamous Alligator Alley, State lost 77-75 as Malcolm Cesare scored 21 points.

Marquette turned back Long Beach State 99-80 as substitute Jim Dudley ignited a Warrior spurt that built their lead from one point to 10. In a span of three minutes and 10 seconds, Dudley scored six points, grabbed two rebounds and stole the ball twice. Bernard Toone of Marquette did his thing, too, sinking 12 of 20 shots—some 25-and 30-foot zingers—and finishing with 26 points. Marquette then knocked off Xavier of Ohio 67-50.

Dayton upended visiting DePaul 68-64 in overtime, Jim Paxson scoring 28 points.

First place in the Ohio Valley belonged to Eastern Kentucky, which beat Murray State 73-69 and Tennessee Tech 112-84. By defeating Miami 63-54 and Western Michigan 80-72, Toledo ran its Mid-American Conference record to 6-0.