Vassallo Scores 27 Points To Lead Virginia Tech in NIT

A.D. Vassallo made 11 of 14 field goal attempts and scored 27 points in 25 minutes last night as sharpshooting Virginia Tech made easy work of visiting Morgan State, 94-62, in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

The Hokies (20-13) showed no letdown after feeling snubbed by the NCAA tournament. They led 40-25 at halftime and shot better than 65 percent for the game.

Morgan State (22-11), guaranteed a spot in the NIT as a regular season conference champion knocked out of its league tournament, trailed 21-18 before the Hokies went on a 19-7 run to close the first half. Vassallo had nine points in the burst. . . .

The University of Connecticut said it self-reported a secondary violation of NCAA rules involving the recruiting of Maya Moore. The violation occurred in 2005.

¿ COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Terrelle Pryor, the highly touted western Pennsylvania prep quarterback, announced that he will play for Ohio State.

The 6-foot-6, two-sport star -- flanked by his parents, two younger siblings and some of his coaches -- made the announcement in the auditorium at Jeannette Senior High School, where Pryor had one of the greatest prep careers in state history.

¿ OLYMPICS: France's foreign minister backtracked from comments suggesting he is open to a boycott of the Beijing Olympics' Opening Ceremonies, saying that some economic decisions must be made "at the expense of human rights." . . . Swedish Olympic heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft will drop her signature event and compete in the long jump and triple jump in Beijing. . . . Light welterweight Javier Molina earned a berth in Beijing on Tuesday night at the Americas qualifier in Trinidad.

¿ SOCCER: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to give Manchester United a 2-0 victory over Bolton and a three-point lead atop the Premier League.

¿ FOOTBALL: Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Cedrick Wilson was charged with assaulting his estranged girlfriend at a suburban Pittsburgh restaurant last night. In January, Wilson and the same woman, Lindsey Paulat, were involved in a fight at Wilson's home that ended with her holding police at bay for several hours.

-- From News Services and Staff Reports