College basketball roundup: Steve Alford fired as UCLA coach; Rutgers women upset Maryland

Steve Alford was fired as UCLA basketball coach in his sixth season on Monday, with the Bruins mired in a four-game skid that included losses at home to Belmont and Liberty.

Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said assistant Murry Bartow will serve as interim coach through the end of the season. The Bruins are 7-6 going into their Pac-12 opener on Thursday.

Bartow, who joined Alford's staff this season, has previous head coaching experience. His late father, Gene, had the unenviable task of succeeding John Wooden at UCLA in 1975.

"While I wish we could have had more success, my family and I are so grateful for our time in Westwood," Alford said in a statement. "We wish this program nothing but the best. I sincerely hope that the UCLA community will rally around this team, its players and the coaching staff as Pac-12 play begins."

Alford's final game was a 73-58 loss to Liberty on Saturday, the worst home defeat in his tenure. He called it the most disappointing loss in his 28-year coaching career.

The 54-year-old coach had a 124-63 record in Westwood after taking over the program in March 2013. He won one Pac-12 tournament title but never a regular-season league title, and made four NCAA tournament appearances, including Sweet 16 berths in his first two years.

But the drop-off was swift for a school that owns a record 11 national championships. The Bruins lost to St. Bonaventure in the First Four last season, the first time in school history that UCLA was relegated to a play-in game.

No. 4 Virginia 100, Marshall 64: Kyle Guy scored a career-high 30 points on 10-for-14 shooting (7-for-9 on threes) for the host Cavaliers (12-0). The win was the 300th of Tony Bennett's coaching career.

Hartford 79, Boston College 78 (OT): The visiting Hawks (7-8) beat Boston College (9-3) for the second time in three years despite a career-high 44 points by the Eagles' Ky Bowman. It was the second-highest point total by a Boston College player in the 30-year history of Conte Forum.

Rutgers 73, No. 4 Maryland 65: The Terrapins (12-1, 1-1) lost their first game of the season, falling at home to the Scarlet Knights (9-3, 2-0). Maryland entered the game ranked second in the nation in rebounding margin at plus-17, but Rutgers led 19-8 on the offensive boards and 38-28 overall. The loss was only the Terrapins' fourth at home in Big Ten play since they moved from the ACC before the 2014-15 season.