Jason Verdugo will serve as acting head men's basketball coach for Hamline for the remainder of the season, while continuing in his role as Hamline's athletic director.

Nelson Whitmore, who was coach for the past 5 1/2 seasons, and the university have parted ways, according to a news release from the school.

Verdugo had filled in since the beginning of January after the school announced it had suspended Whitmore indefinitely. The suspension followed a New Year's Eve incident when the basketball team was at a tournament in Spokane, Wash.

Freshman Eugene Lawrence was dismissed from the team, and 14 other players were suspended.

While Whitmore and the university agree he did not violate any NCAA or MIAC policies, there is mutual agreement that his departure is the best course of action to enable the basketball program to move forward and is in the best interest of the university, the players, the program, and coach Whitmore and his family, the news release said.

The search for a permanent coach will begin immediately.

• FORMER POLICE OFFICER SOUGHT IN KILLING: Police in Irvine, Calif., said Wednesday night they are looking for a former Los Angeles police officer suspected in the shootings of a Cal State Fullerton basketball coach and her fiancé. Former LAPD officer and U.S. Navy reservist Christopher Jordan Dorner is a suspect in the killings of Monica Quan, 28, and Keith Lawrence, 27, who were found shot to death in their car at a parking structure Sunday night. Irvine police Chief David L. Maggard said Dorner, who was an LAPD officer until his dismissal in 2009, implicated himself in the killings with a multi-page manifesto he wrote that was obtained by police.

Wednesday's men's highlights

• TCU 62, NO. 5 KANSAS 55: Garlon Green scored 20 points in Fort Worth, Texas, and TCU held on for the Horned Frogs' first Big 12 victory. The Jayhawks (19-3, 7-2 Big 12), coming off a loss against Oklahoma State, have their first losing streak in more than seven years. They had played 264 games in a row, dating to 2006 without consecutive losses. TCU (10-12, 1-8) never trailed in the game.

• NO. 7 ARIZONA 73, STANFORD 66: Mark Lyons scored a season-high 25 points and led a key stretch in the second half, helping hold off the Cardinals. Arizona (20-2, 9-2 Pac-12) stayed close in a back-and-forth second half until Lyons took over. It was their seventh consecutive victory over Stanford.

• NO. 11 LOUISVILLE 68, RUTGERS 48: Wayne Blackshear scored a career-high 19 points and hit a three-pointer to ignite a 23-2 run early in the second half that carried Louisville.

• INDIANA ST. 76, NO. 16 CREIGHTON 57: Jake Odum scored 22 points and R.J. Mahurin added 17 to help the unranked Sycamores pull off a stunningly easy victory over No. 16 Creighton. Indiana State (15-8, 8-4 Missouri Valley Conference) earned the 1,400th victory in school history.

• PROVIDENCE 54, NO. 17 CINCINNATI 50: Kadeem Batts scored 25 points as Providence held on to defeat Cincinnati.

• NO. 24 MARQUETTE 70, SOUTH FLORIDA 47: Todd Mayo and Vander Blue both scored 13 points to lead Marquette past South Florida. Marquette (16-5, 7-2 Big East) led 39-16 at halftime.

NEWS SERVICES