By JIM O'CONNELL
Associated Press
GLENDALE, Arizona (AP) — Kansas guard Frank Mason III and Gonzaga coach Mark Few have won The Associated Press player and coach of the year awards, the news cooperative announced Thursday at the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona.
Mason led Kansas to its 13th consecutive Big 12 title. He received 37 votes Thursday from the same 65-member media panel that selects the weekly AP Top 25.
Few has taken the Zags to the NCAA Tournament in all 18 of his seasons there. He was a runaway winner Thursday receiving 31 votes from the panel.
Mason, a senior point guard, averaged 20.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 48.7 percent from 3-point range.
Josh Hart of Villanova was second in player of the year voting with 16 votes. Caleb Swanigan of Purdue had nine and Lonzo Ball of UCLA had three.
Mason is the first Kansas player to win the award. He is the first Big 12 player to win it since Blake Griffin of Oklahoma in 2009.
Sean Miller of Arizona received eight votes for the coach award while Chris Collins of Northwestern had seven and SMU's Tim Jankovich got six.
Gonzaga is the only head coaching job Few has had and he has compiled a 502-112 record. The Zags have reached the West Coast Conference Tournament final in all of Few's seasons.
He is the first WCC coach to win the award since Bob Gaillard of San Francisco in 1977.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Monday, March 27, 2017
Maye hits late jumper to lift North Carolina to Final Four
By TERESA M. WALKER
Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Roy Williams went all "Gone With the Wind" when a player asked about his North Carolina Tar Heels making the last shot Sunday to edge Kentucky to the Final Four.
And the coincidence that the Tar Heels have been on the other end of similar shots recently, like in the 2016 national championship and a wild December game against the Wildcats.
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a ...," Williams said with a smile, quoting Clark Gable's famed line as Rhett Butler. "I didn't care what he was talking about."
Luke Maye hit a jumper with 0.3 seconds left and top-seeded North Carolina held off Kentucky 75-73 to earn the Tar Heels' second straight trip to the Final Four, winning a showdown of college basketball's elite in the South Regional.
The national semifinal will be the 20th for North Carolina, where the Tar Heels (31-7) will play Midwest champ Oregon on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.
North Carolina took control with 12 straight points over the final 5 minutes, a run similar to what it used a week ago to beat Arkansas. The Tar Heels finished this game with a 16-9 run. Kentucky's freshmen De'Aaron Fox hit a 3 and Malik Monk quickly added two more, one with 7.2 seconds left and defenders in his face to tie the game at 73.
"I probably should have called time out," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "It entered my mind, but they got that son of a B in so quick, I couldn't get to anybody to do it. I needed to stop that right there."
Theo Pinson drove enough toward the basket to pick off Maye's defender, then passed back to Maye. The sophomore from Huntersville, North Carolina, knocked it down for the win with his feet on the 3-point line.
"I just kind of stepped back, and he gave me the ball and I just shot it, and luckily it went in," Maye said. "It was a great feeling."
Maye finished with a career-high 17 points off the bench for North Carolina. Justin Jackson scored 19 points, and Joel Berry II added 11 on a sprained left ankle.
The Wildcats had one last chance, but Derek Willis' inbounds pass went out of bounds on the far end.
Kentucky (32-6) will miss out on the Final Four for the second straight year. Willis and sophomore Isaac Humphries left the court with towels over their heads, and Fox was the last to leave.
The Wildcats had hoped their talented freshmen would carry them. Bam Adebayo and Fox each had 13 points, and Monk, the Southeastern Conference player of the year, finished with 12. Fox and Adebayo wept side by side in the locker room.
"That shot is just playing back and forth in my head," Fox said. "It's going to be difficult to get over."
Never before had the NCAA Tournament pitted powerhouse programs that have so dominated March. This South final featured Kentucky with the most tournament wins all-time with 124 and North Carolina just behind with 120 (now 121).
This was just the fourth time these blue bloods have met in a regional final. The result was much the same as the others, with North Carolina now 3-1 against Kentucky as the Tar Heels avenged a 103-100 loss on Dec. 17 in Las Vegas.
Kentucky led for less than 4 minutes in a game North Carolina had a big edge on the boards (44-34) and inside, where the Tar Heels outscored the Wildcats 34-26.
Officials didn't help the flow of this game calling fouls left and right, though Kentucky took the brunt with its star trio of freshmen all picking up two fouls each in the half. Fox played only 8 minutes of the first half after picking up his second foul with 12:23 left. Adebayo easily was the most frustrated as he missed all five shots in the half with Kennedy Meeks swatting away one of his dunk attempts.
North Carolina led by as much as 9 a couple times before both teams went into shooting slumps. The Tar Heels led 38-33 at halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Kentucky: Nobody has played in more Elite Eights than the Wildcats with this their 33rd overall and sixth under Calipari. Kentucky now is 4-2 with Calipari in regional finals. Fox and Monk combined for 71 points in the December win over North Carolina led by Monk's 47. This time, they combined for 25.
North Carolina: Memphis and the South Regional have been very good to the Tar Heels. This is the second straight time the Tar Heels have been the region's top seed and advanced to the Final Four through Memphis, and now they can only hope to replicate their success of 2009 when they won the program's fifth national title. Williams improved to 9-4 in regional finals overall and 5-3 at North Carolina.
BERRY'S ANKLES
Williams said Berry aggravated the right ankle he sprained in the opening weekend of the tournament in practice Saturday. Berry then rolled his left ankle in the opening 5 minutes. The junior guard played 33 minutes.
UP NEXT
North Carolina plays Oregon in the national semifinal. Kentucky prepares for another batch of freshmen heading to the NBA.
South Carolina headed to Final Four, beats Florida 77-70
By JIM O'CONNELL
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) South Carolina added a missing piece to its rich basketball history.
The school of Frank McGuire, Kevin Joyce, Brian Winters, Mike Dunleavy and Alex English is going to the Final Four for the first time.
Add the names Sindarius Thornwell and Frank Martin to the top of the list.
Thornwell's 26 points and the Gamecocks' swarming zone defense meant a 77-70 victory over Florida on Sunday and a berth in the Final Four.
Martin, he of the booming voice and terrifying faces, led the seventh-seeded Gamecocks to the biggest victory in school history and now they will face Gonzaga, the No. 1 seed from the West Regional, in the Final Four on Saturday at Glendale, Arizona.
"Anyone that's in sports dreams of moments like this," said Martin, who was doused with water and dancing as soon as he entered the locker room. "It's not something that you start dreaming it the year you win 25 games. You dream it every single day."
The game was as close as expected until the final minute. There were 14 lead changes and 10 ties. The last lead change came on two free throws by Thornwell with 2:24 left that made it 65-63. Fourth-seeded Florida managed just three field goals over the final 3:55.
Thornwell, the regional MVP, followed the deciding free throws with a nice assist to Maik Kotsar for a 4-point lead. It seemed Thornwell, who scored eight straight points for the Gamecocks, was always where he needed to be including making a steal with 40 seconds left that turned into a 73-68 lead.
"Plays needed to be made down the stretch and I stepped up and made plays," Thornwell said.
Teammate Duane Notice knew Thornwell would come through.
"He's capable of doing anything on both sides of the basketball. So it doesn't surprise me," he said. "His senior leadership just kicked in. He don't want us to lose. He don't want our season to end."
"Thornwell was just being Thornwell," Florida coach Mike White said of the SEC player of the year as voted by coaches. "He's one of the best players in the country."
PJ Dozier added 17 points for the Gamecocks, Chris Silva had 13 and Kotsar 12.
Justin Leon had 18 points for the Gators who managed a 40-33 halftime lead on 7-for-12 shooting from 3-point range. But that was it. Florida was 0 for 14 from beyond the arc in the second half, a lot like the 0-for-17 effort the Gators had in their first meeting with South Carolina this season.
"We still got our open looks, but they just, I guess they just went farther than what they were in the first half," Leon said.
South Carolina, which forced Florida into 16 turnovers, finished 23 for 31 from the free throw line, including a 9-for-10 effort from Thornwell.
It was the third straight game the Gamecocks were trailing at the half and went on to win.
"We felt like we was doing the right things. We felt like everything was going good for us, it was just the ball wasn't falling in, and we just needed a couple more stops," Thornwell said. "So going into halftime we always just buckled in and locked in on what we needed to do to win and took it one possession at a time."
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: This had been South Carolina's deepest run in the NCAA Tournament. ... The Gamecocks beat No. 2 seed Duke and No. 3 Baylor on the way to the Elite Eight. ... Until this tournament the Gamecocks hadn't won an NCAA Tournament game since 1973.
Florida: This was Florida's first NCAA Tournament game against a Southeastern Conference opponent. ... The Gators entered the game with an all-time 44-24 record against the Gamecocks, including 1-2 under White. ... The Gators were trying for their sixth Final Four appearance and that includes the titles in 2006 and 2007.
FAMOUS FANS
Among those in attendance at Madison Square Garden were Hall of Famer Rick Barry, whose son Canyon plays for Florida, Paul McCartney and Darius Rucker.
UP NEXT
South Carolina will meet Gonzaga in the Final Four on Saturday.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Elites meet in South final between Kentucky, North Carolina
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- After avenging a December loss to UCLA on Friday night in the South Regional semifinals at FedEx Forum, Kentucky tries to keep North Carolina from evening the score with a Final Four berth on the line.
Two of the sport's bluebloods meet Sunday in a rematch of perhaps the game of the regular season, a 103-100 Wildcats win on Dec. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Freshman guard Malik Monk wowed the sellout crowd of more than 19,000 with 47 points on 28 shots, canning eight 3-pointers.
Can Monk possibly improve on that epic effort?
"They will play me even tighter," he said, "so (De'Aaron) Fox will have his way. Or anyone else will have their way."
Fox sure had his way in Kentucky's 86-75 elimination of UCLA on Friday night, pumping in a career-high 39 points on just 20 shots as he continually attacked the bucket. Monk perked up after a slow start to add 21 points, setting up a matchup of the region's top two seeds.
North Carolina (30-7) disposed of Butler 92-80 in Friday night's opener, leading by double figures for the final 24 minutes and getting a combined 50 points from Joel Berry and Justin Jackson.
Berry appeared to be over an ankle injury that hampered him in the Tar Heels' previous game against Arkansas, tallying 26 points, while the smooth Jackson worked the Bulldogs over for 24 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Jackson had a great matchup early, going against the 6-3 Kethan Savage, who tried hard but simply wasn't able to keep Jackson from getting whatever shot he wanted.
"I saw they had a smaller defender on me and my teammates were finding me," Jackson said. "They were setting screens and they were just kind of late off those screens. I just kind of felt like I was moving freely, and my teammates were finding me. It was just up to me to step up and knock in the shots."
Jackson also enjoyed a huge game against Kentucky, firing in 34 points on 17 shots from the field. Berry added 23 points and three other teammates hit for double figures as North Carolina shot 53.3 percent from the field while committing only nine turnovers.
But it wasn't nearly enough to outdo Monk and Fox. Lost in Monk's display of shotmaking was Fox's 24 points and 10 assists, which helped the Wildcats notch the most entertaining of their 31 wins this season.
"We didn't play very well on the defensive end and Malik lit us up for 47," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said of that game.
North Carolina has exerted itself with more consistency without the ball during the NCAA Tournament, holding Arkansas scoreless down the stretch in a 72-65 second-round win and limiting Butler to 43 percent shooting from the floor on Friday night while controlling the boards 38-26.
Kentucky also won in part because of defense Friday night, holding UCLA 15 points below its season average and forcing 13 turnovers from a team that had only nine in its first two NCAA Tournament games.
"The key to that was basically try to get a hand up and don't break down defensively," guard Dominique Hawkins said.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- After avenging a December loss to UCLA on Friday night in the South Regional semifinals at FedEx Forum, Kentucky tries to keep North Carolina from evening the score with a Final Four berth on the line.
Two of the sport's bluebloods meet Sunday in a rematch of perhaps the game of the regular season, a 103-100 Wildcats win on Dec. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Freshman guard Malik Monk wowed the sellout crowd of more than 19,000 with 47 points on 28 shots, canning eight 3-pointers.
Can Monk possibly improve on that epic effort?
"They will play me even tighter," he said, "so (De'Aaron) Fox will have his way. Or anyone else will have their way."
Fox sure had his way in Kentucky's 86-75 elimination of UCLA on Friday night, pumping in a career-high 39 points on just 20 shots as he continually attacked the bucket. Monk perked up after a slow start to add 21 points, setting up a matchup of the region's top two seeds.
North Carolina (30-7) disposed of Butler 92-80 in Friday night's opener, leading by double figures for the final 24 minutes and getting a combined 50 points from Joel Berry and Justin Jackson.
Berry appeared to be over an ankle injury that hampered him in the Tar Heels' previous game against Arkansas, tallying 26 points, while the smooth Jackson worked the Bulldogs over for 24 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Jackson had a great matchup early, going against the 6-3 Kethan Savage, who tried hard but simply wasn't able to keep Jackson from getting whatever shot he wanted.
"I saw they had a smaller defender on me and my teammates were finding me," Jackson said. "They were setting screens and they were just kind of late off those screens. I just kind of felt like I was moving freely, and my teammates were finding me. It was just up to me to step up and knock in the shots."
Jackson also enjoyed a huge game against Kentucky, firing in 34 points on 17 shots from the field. Berry added 23 points and three other teammates hit for double figures as North Carolina shot 53.3 percent from the field while committing only nine turnovers.
But it wasn't nearly enough to outdo Monk and Fox. Lost in Monk's display of shotmaking was Fox's 24 points and 10 assists, which helped the Wildcats notch the most entertaining of their 31 wins this season.
"We didn't play very well on the defensive end and Malik lit us up for 47," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said of that game.
North Carolina has exerted itself with more consistency without the ball during the NCAA Tournament, holding Arkansas scoreless down the stretch in a 72-65 second-round win and limiting Butler to 43 percent shooting from the floor on Friday night while controlling the boards 38-26.
Kentucky also won in part because of defense Friday night, holding UCLA 15 points below its season average and forcing 13 turnovers from a team that had only nine in its first two NCAA Tournament games.
"The key to that was basically try to get a hand up and don't break down defensively," guard Dominique Hawkins said.
SEC rivals Florida, South Carolina battle in East final
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NEW YORK -- After his team knocked off Baylor in the first game of the East Regional semifinals on Friday, South Carolina coach Frank Martin was extremely complimentary of his Southeastern Conference rivals.
"I want to credit the teams in our league in the SEC for preparing us for the kind of games that you have to play at this time of year," Martin said. "Those coaches, those players that we fought against every single day got these guys prepared to harden, to understand how hard and how disciplined you have to play to have a chance to win at this time of year."
On Sunday, his seventh-seeded Gamecocks (25-10) will face one of them for the third time this season when they meet fourth-seeded Florida (27-8) at Madison Square Garden with a trip to the Final Four on the line. It's the first time since Kentucky and LSU in 1986 that two SEC teams will meet in a regional final.
The Gamecocks advanced with a strong defensive performance in a 70-50 victory over the Bears. The Gators won an 84-83 overtime thriller over Wisconsin on a 3-point buzzer-beater from Chris Chiozza.
Florida and South Carolina split its two regular-season meetings, with the Gamecocks taking a 57-53 decision on Jan. 18 in Columbia and the Gators paying them back with an 81-66 win on Feb. 21 in Gainesville.
South Carolina went 12-6 in the conference. Florida was 14-4.
Many predicted the East Regional final would be a Duke-Villanova classic; in their place will be two schools from a conference mostly known for high-caliber football.
"As a Florida Gator, sitting here as a proud Gator, it is a football conference," admitted Florida coach Mike White. "And it's a basketball conference, and it's a gymnastics conference, and a softball conference, and no one is more aware of that than the Florida Gators. There's excellence throughout the conference in every sport. Men's and women's.
"But SEC basketball, do we have some momentum? Yeah, I think so. I do. And I know that there's been some negativity toward the SEC potentially underachieving over these last couple years. Within our conference, we know the potential and I think that our conference has, is full of good coaches, tremendous talent, a lot of young talent, recruiting classes continue to get stronger and stronger and we have three (Kentucky, South Carolina and Florida) in the Elite 8.
"And who knows, I mean, I think the SEC's going to be better next year, I really do. With the guys that are coming back, and again the young talent that will continue to grow within our league."
South Carolina advances to its first Elite Eight in program history after making it to the Sweet 16 for the first time. Martin's squad is a defensive force. It limited Baylor to just 30 percent shooting, forcing 16 turnovers and holding the Bears to a season-tying-low 22 first-half points.
"We pride ourselves on our defense," said South Carolina's Sindarius Thornwell, the SEC Player of the Year. "We know that's our bread and butter and we know we have a good defense and we go out and guard. We know it's a 40-minute game, and we know teams are going to make runs, but we can't take our foot off the pedal, we got to keep the pressure on and keep guarding."
NEW YORK -- After his team knocked off Baylor in the first game of the East Regional semifinals on Friday, South Carolina coach Frank Martin was extremely complimentary of his Southeastern Conference rivals.
"I want to credit the teams in our league in the SEC for preparing us for the kind of games that you have to play at this time of year," Martin said. "Those coaches, those players that we fought against every single day got these guys prepared to harden, to understand how hard and how disciplined you have to play to have a chance to win at this time of year."
On Sunday, his seventh-seeded Gamecocks (25-10) will face one of them for the third time this season when they meet fourth-seeded Florida (27-8) at Madison Square Garden with a trip to the Final Four on the line. It's the first time since Kentucky and LSU in 1986 that two SEC teams will meet in a regional final.
The Gamecocks advanced with a strong defensive performance in a 70-50 victory over the Bears. The Gators won an 84-83 overtime thriller over Wisconsin on a 3-point buzzer-beater from Chris Chiozza.
Florida and South Carolina split its two regular-season meetings, with the Gamecocks taking a 57-53 decision on Jan. 18 in Columbia and the Gators paying them back with an 81-66 win on Feb. 21 in Gainesville.
South Carolina went 12-6 in the conference. Florida was 14-4.
Many predicted the East Regional final would be a Duke-Villanova classic; in their place will be two schools from a conference mostly known for high-caliber football.
"As a Florida Gator, sitting here as a proud Gator, it is a football conference," admitted Florida coach Mike White. "And it's a basketball conference, and it's a gymnastics conference, and a softball conference, and no one is more aware of that than the Florida Gators. There's excellence throughout the conference in every sport. Men's and women's.
"But SEC basketball, do we have some momentum? Yeah, I think so. I do. And I know that there's been some negativity toward the SEC potentially underachieving over these last couple years. Within our conference, we know the potential and I think that our conference has, is full of good coaches, tremendous talent, a lot of young talent, recruiting classes continue to get stronger and stronger and we have three (Kentucky, South Carolina and Florida) in the Elite 8.
"And who knows, I mean, I think the SEC's going to be better next year, I really do. With the guys that are coming back, and again the young talent that will continue to grow within our league."
South Carolina advances to its first Elite Eight in program history after making it to the Sweet 16 for the first time. Martin's squad is a defensive force. It limited Baylor to just 30 percent shooting, forcing 16 turnovers and holding the Bears to a season-tying-low 22 first-half points.
"We pride ourselves on our defense," said South Carolina's Sindarius Thornwell, the SEC Player of the Year. "We know that's our bread and butter and we know we have a good defense and we go out and guard. We know it's a 40-minute game, and we know teams are going to make runs, but we can't take our foot off the pedal, we got to keep the pressure on and keep guarding."
Oregon beats Kansas 74-60 to punch Final Four ticket
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Oregon lost one of its best players to an injury just before the NCAA Tournament, had to survive two nail-biters to reach the Midwest Regional finals, and then faced a top-seeded Kansas team that had romped to the brink of the Final Four.
Of course, the Ducks would rise to the occasion.
With swagger and verve and downright prolific shooting, the plucky team that everybody wanted to count out rolled to a 74-60 victory over the Jayhawks on Saturday night, earning the Ducks their first trip to the national semifinals in nearly 80 years.
"You feel so good for so many people," said Ducks coach Dana Altman, who is headed to his first Final Four after 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament. "It's a team effort. You feel good for a lot of people."
Indeed, a whole lot of people had a hand in it.
Tyler Dorsey hit six 3s and poured in 27 points, Dillon Brooks added 17 and Jordan Bell finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks in a virtuoso performance for the Ducks (33-5), who seized the lead with 16 minutes left in the first half and never trailed the rest of the way.
Now, they'll face the winner of Sunday's game between North Carolina and Kentucky in the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona. It will be their first trip since 1939, when the Tall Firs won it all.
Player of the year candidate Frank Mason III had 21 points in his final game for the Jayhawks (31-5), but the offensive fireworks and steady poise that had carried them to a 13th straight Big 12 title fizzled just 40 minutes from campus on a night where very little went right.
Star freshman Josh Jackson was mired in early foul trouble. Sharpshooting guard Devonte Graham never got on track. And the swagger the Jayhawks showed in humiliating Purdue in the Sweet 16 simply evaporated for a team that rolled to the Elite Eight by an average margin of 30 points.
"I'm disappointed for them more than I am for me," said Kansas coach Bill Self, who fell to 2-7 in Elite Eight game, including four defeats as a No. 1 seed. "But the one thing that happened today, and it's hard to admit, the best team did win today."
The Ducks knew everything was stacked against them, but the point was only driven home when their bus passed the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City on the way to the arena. Thousands of fans in red and blue were rallying hours before the tipoff, turning it into a de facto road game.
But the torrid shooting of Brooks, Ennis and Dorsey quickly deflated the sold-out Sprint Center, and sent a warning shot to the Jayhawks that they were in for a fight.
"You've got to give them credit," Graham said. "They hit some big shots."
Foul trouble sent Jackson to the bench for much of the first half, allowing the Ducks carve to out a comfortable lead. Then Dorsey finished the half with back-to-back 3s, including a deep bank shot at the buzzer, as the Ducks pranced to their locker room relishing in a 44-33 advantage.
"When you play hard throughout the whole game," Brooks said, "you catch some breaks."
The Ducks kept dancing in the second half, beating the Jayhawks at their own game: Getting into transition, passing up good shots for better ones and knocking down 3-pointers.
The Ducks' lead swelled to 55-37 when Brooks drilled another shot from the perimeter, and frustration began to creep into the Kansas bench. It was only compounded every time Jackson or Graham tossed up a shot that clanked hollowly off the iron, the Jayhawks' sense of desperation slowly growing.
Jackson didn't score until midway through the second half, and said later he'd "never been in such a tough position." Graham was 0 for 7 from the field, missing all six of his 3s.
The Jayhawks eventually began to whittle into their deficit, doing most of the work at the free-throw line. But the Ducks kept answering just enough to keep the crowd from giving Kansas anything extra.
When Svi Mykhailiuk scored to make it 64-55, Ennis answered with a driving basket. When Mykhailiuk buried a 3 from the corner to make it 66-60 with 2:49 left, Dorsey answered at the other end with another 3-pointer as the shot-clock expired to give Oregon some breathing room.
A few minutes later, the Ducks were cutting down the nets to end a satisfying trip to Kansas City.
"The seven years we've been at Oregon, we've had great guys to work with," Altman said, "but I also feel good for all the other players, the ex-players, who have built Oregon basketball. Like we said, 1939 is a long drought, but we owe all the ex-players."
BILL'S BUMMING
The Jayhawks lost in the Elite Eight for the second straight year, while Self also lost for the seventh time as a No. 1 seed. That trails only Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams, who have nine losses apiece, for most in NCAA Tournament history.
BIG PICTURE
Oregon wound up shooting 51 percent from the field and hit 11 of 25 from beyond the arc, taking advantage of a porous defense that never matched the standard set by previous Kansas teams.
Kansas may look a whole lot different next season. Mason and big man Landen Lucas will graduate, and Jackson is likely to turn pro, though he said afterward he hasn't thought about it. Graham and Mykhailiuk may also consider declaring for the NBA draft.
UP NEXT
The Ducks are headed to the desert to play for a spot in the national championship.
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Oregon lost one of its best players to an injury just before the NCAA Tournament, had to survive two nail-biters to reach the Midwest Regional finals, and then faced a top-seeded Kansas team that had romped to the brink of the Final Four.
Of course, the Ducks would rise to the occasion.
With swagger and verve and downright prolific shooting, the plucky team that everybody wanted to count out rolled to a 74-60 victory over the Jayhawks on Saturday night, earning the Ducks their first trip to the national semifinals in nearly 80 years.
"You feel so good for so many people," said Ducks coach Dana Altman, who is headed to his first Final Four after 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament. "It's a team effort. You feel good for a lot of people."
Indeed, a whole lot of people had a hand in it.
Tyler Dorsey hit six 3s and poured in 27 points, Dillon Brooks added 17 and Jordan Bell finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks in a virtuoso performance for the Ducks (33-5), who seized the lead with 16 minutes left in the first half and never trailed the rest of the way.
Now, they'll face the winner of Sunday's game between North Carolina and Kentucky in the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona. It will be their first trip since 1939, when the Tall Firs won it all.
Player of the year candidate Frank Mason III had 21 points in his final game for the Jayhawks (31-5), but the offensive fireworks and steady poise that had carried them to a 13th straight Big 12 title fizzled just 40 minutes from campus on a night where very little went right.
Star freshman Josh Jackson was mired in early foul trouble. Sharpshooting guard Devonte Graham never got on track. And the swagger the Jayhawks showed in humiliating Purdue in the Sweet 16 simply evaporated for a team that rolled to the Elite Eight by an average margin of 30 points.
"I'm disappointed for them more than I am for me," said Kansas coach Bill Self, who fell to 2-7 in Elite Eight game, including four defeats as a No. 1 seed. "But the one thing that happened today, and it's hard to admit, the best team did win today."
The Ducks knew everything was stacked against them, but the point was only driven home when their bus passed the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City on the way to the arena. Thousands of fans in red and blue were rallying hours before the tipoff, turning it into a de facto road game.
But the torrid shooting of Brooks, Ennis and Dorsey quickly deflated the sold-out Sprint Center, and sent a warning shot to the Jayhawks that they were in for a fight.
"You've got to give them credit," Graham said. "They hit some big shots."
Foul trouble sent Jackson to the bench for much of the first half, allowing the Ducks carve to out a comfortable lead. Then Dorsey finished the half with back-to-back 3s, including a deep bank shot at the buzzer, as the Ducks pranced to their locker room relishing in a 44-33 advantage.
"When you play hard throughout the whole game," Brooks said, "you catch some breaks."
The Ducks kept dancing in the second half, beating the Jayhawks at their own game: Getting into transition, passing up good shots for better ones and knocking down 3-pointers.
The Ducks' lead swelled to 55-37 when Brooks drilled another shot from the perimeter, and frustration began to creep into the Kansas bench. It was only compounded every time Jackson or Graham tossed up a shot that clanked hollowly off the iron, the Jayhawks' sense of desperation slowly growing.
Jackson didn't score until midway through the second half, and said later he'd "never been in such a tough position." Graham was 0 for 7 from the field, missing all six of his 3s.
The Jayhawks eventually began to whittle into their deficit, doing most of the work at the free-throw line. But the Ducks kept answering just enough to keep the crowd from giving Kansas anything extra.
When Svi Mykhailiuk scored to make it 64-55, Ennis answered with a driving basket. When Mykhailiuk buried a 3 from the corner to make it 66-60 with 2:49 left, Dorsey answered at the other end with another 3-pointer as the shot-clock expired to give Oregon some breathing room.
A few minutes later, the Ducks were cutting down the nets to end a satisfying trip to Kansas City.
"The seven years we've been at Oregon, we've had great guys to work with," Altman said, "but I also feel good for all the other players, the ex-players, who have built Oregon basketball. Like we said, 1939 is a long drought, but we owe all the ex-players."
BILL'S BUMMING
The Jayhawks lost in the Elite Eight for the second straight year, while Self also lost for the seventh time as a No. 1 seed. That trails only Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams, who have nine losses apiece, for most in NCAA Tournament history.
BIG PICTURE
Oregon wound up shooting 51 percent from the field and hit 11 of 25 from beyond the arc, taking advantage of a porous defense that never matched the standard set by previous Kansas teams.
Kansas may look a whole lot different next season. Mason and big man Landen Lucas will graduate, and Jackson is likely to turn pro, though he said afterward he hasn't thought about it. Graham and Mykhailiuk may also consider declaring for the NBA draft.
UP NEXT
The Ducks are headed to the desert to play for a spot in the national championship.
Gonzaga beats Xavier 83-59 to reach first Final Four
By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Basketball Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The criticism dogged Gonzaga wherever it went, no matter how much it won.
The Zags run up their record by beating up on teams in a weak conference, then always seemed to come up short as the calendar went deep into March. Few outside of Spokane believed the program Mark Few helped build from scratch belonged in the national powerhouse conversation.
Overrated no more, Gonzaga is finally headed to the Final Four.
The Zags took the pressure of history head on with a performance worthy of their No. 1 seed, rolling to a dominating 83-59 win over Xavier in the West Region final on Saturday that should silence those critics.
"Just an incredible feeling of elation and satisfaction," Few said. "It's been a long, hard journey to get this program here."
Few and the Zags have won the West Coast Conference Tournament 16 times, been regulars in the NCAA Tournament since 1999, reached the Sweet 16 eight times.
The Final Four was the only missing piece to their resume.
The Zags (36-1) claimed their spot in Arizona and history with a superb all-around game, showing off their usual offensive efficiency while flexing the smothering type of defense that had previously been the chink in their armor.
Gonzaga made 12 of 24 shots from 3-point range after struggling the first three NCAA Tournament games. The Zags were No. 1 in defensive efficiency during the regular season and shut down the underdog and 11th-seeded Musketeers (24-14) to become the first WCC team to reach the Final Four in 60 years.
Nigel Williams-Goss scored 23 points while orchestrating Gonzaga's efficient offense after struggling against West Virginia. Johnathan Williams added 19 points and center Przemek Karnowski, who was still recovering from back surgery a year ago, created open perimeter looks with his deft passing out of the post.
Now the Zags are headed to the desert, where they'll play the winner between South Carolina and Florida in next week's Final Four.
"The Final Four doesn't validate or discredit a season. It's not an end-all, be-all," Williams said. "Gonzaga has been a great program and we're just happy to keep carrying the torch."
The Musketeers brought their turn-the-page jar of ashes to the NCAA Tournament, where they burned through a string of upsets to reach their third Elite Eight and first since 2008.
Their bid for the program's first Final Four ran into a buzz saw.
Xavier played well offensively early to hang with the Zags, giving super fan Bill Murray and the rest of their supporters a glimmer of hope. Once Gonzaga got rolling, the Musketeers had no answer.
"They're really good. Sometimes you just lose to a better team," Xavier coach Chris Mack said. "They've proven it all year long."
The Zags struggled to find an offensive rhythm against West Virginia in the regional semifinals- who doesn't? - but had it flowing against Xavier.
After hitting 29 percent of its 3-point shots its first three NCAA games, Gonzaga found the range against Xavier, hitting 8 of 13 from the arc in the first half, mostly against the Musketeers' zone or on kick-outs from Karnowski .
Xavier had a good offensive start, only to hit a dry spell as Gonzaga stretched to lead to 49-39 by halftime.
Halftime did little to slow the Zags, who pushed the lead to 59-42 on 3-pointers by Williams-Goss and Jordan Mathews. Gonzaga kept the machine rolling in the second half, continuing to make shots while its defense prevented the Musketeers from making any kind of run.
"They were just locked in," said Xavier's Trevon Bluiett, who had 10 points. "They were a discipline type of team and we just didn't execute well enough."
BIG PICTURE
Xavier should have a good foundation next season from its Elite Eight, losing only senior guard Malcolm Bernard from its starting lineup.
Gonzaga played like a No. 1 seed and can erase all those overrated calls now that it is finally in the Final Four.
WEST IS WON
Gonzaga is the first WCC team since San Francisco in 1957 to reach the Final Four and first from the West since UCLA did it three straight years from 2006-08.
WILD SEQUENCE
The first half ended with a strange sequence that started with Gonzaga accidentally knocking the ball into its own basket while fighting for a rebound. RaShid Gaston was credited with the basket after the ball bounced off the floor and the backboard into the basket.
Williams-Goss then hit a floater in the lane and J.P. Macura followed with an 80-foot shot that banked in, but was ruled too late after an officials' review.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga faces the winner between South Carolina and Florida in the Final Four next Saturday.
AP Basketball Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The criticism dogged Gonzaga wherever it went, no matter how much it won.
The Zags run up their record by beating up on teams in a weak conference, then always seemed to come up short as the calendar went deep into March. Few outside of Spokane believed the program Mark Few helped build from scratch belonged in the national powerhouse conversation.
Overrated no more, Gonzaga is finally headed to the Final Four.
The Zags took the pressure of history head on with a performance worthy of their No. 1 seed, rolling to a dominating 83-59 win over Xavier in the West Region final on Saturday that should silence those critics.
"Just an incredible feeling of elation and satisfaction," Few said. "It's been a long, hard journey to get this program here."
Few and the Zags have won the West Coast Conference Tournament 16 times, been regulars in the NCAA Tournament since 1999, reached the Sweet 16 eight times.
The Final Four was the only missing piece to their resume.
The Zags (36-1) claimed their spot in Arizona and history with a superb all-around game, showing off their usual offensive efficiency while flexing the smothering type of defense that had previously been the chink in their armor.
Gonzaga made 12 of 24 shots from 3-point range after struggling the first three NCAA Tournament games. The Zags were No. 1 in defensive efficiency during the regular season and shut down the underdog and 11th-seeded Musketeers (24-14) to become the first WCC team to reach the Final Four in 60 years.
Nigel Williams-Goss scored 23 points while orchestrating Gonzaga's efficient offense after struggling against West Virginia. Johnathan Williams added 19 points and center Przemek Karnowski, who was still recovering from back surgery a year ago, created open perimeter looks with his deft passing out of the post.
Now the Zags are headed to the desert, where they'll play the winner between South Carolina and Florida in next week's Final Four.
"The Final Four doesn't validate or discredit a season. It's not an end-all, be-all," Williams said. "Gonzaga has been a great program and we're just happy to keep carrying the torch."
The Musketeers brought their turn-the-page jar of ashes to the NCAA Tournament, where they burned through a string of upsets to reach their third Elite Eight and first since 2008.
Their bid for the program's first Final Four ran into a buzz saw.
Xavier played well offensively early to hang with the Zags, giving super fan Bill Murray and the rest of their supporters a glimmer of hope. Once Gonzaga got rolling, the Musketeers had no answer.
"They're really good. Sometimes you just lose to a better team," Xavier coach Chris Mack said. "They've proven it all year long."
The Zags struggled to find an offensive rhythm against West Virginia in the regional semifinals- who doesn't? - but had it flowing against Xavier.
After hitting 29 percent of its 3-point shots its first three NCAA games, Gonzaga found the range against Xavier, hitting 8 of 13 from the arc in the first half, mostly against the Musketeers' zone or on kick-outs from Karnowski .
Xavier had a good offensive start, only to hit a dry spell as Gonzaga stretched to lead to 49-39 by halftime.
Halftime did little to slow the Zags, who pushed the lead to 59-42 on 3-pointers by Williams-Goss and Jordan Mathews. Gonzaga kept the machine rolling in the second half, continuing to make shots while its defense prevented the Musketeers from making any kind of run.
"They were just locked in," said Xavier's Trevon Bluiett, who had 10 points. "They were a discipline type of team and we just didn't execute well enough."
BIG PICTURE
Xavier should have a good foundation next season from its Elite Eight, losing only senior guard Malcolm Bernard from its starting lineup.
Gonzaga played like a No. 1 seed and can erase all those overrated calls now that it is finally in the Final Four.
WEST IS WON
Gonzaga is the first WCC team since San Francisco in 1957 to reach the Final Four and first from the West since UCLA did it three straight years from 2006-08.
WILD SEQUENCE
The first half ended with a strange sequence that started with Gonzaga accidentally knocking the ball into its own basket while fighting for a rebound. RaShid Gaston was credited with the basket after the ball bounced off the floor and the backboard into the basket.
Williams-Goss then hit a floater in the lane and J.P. Macura followed with an 80-foot shot that banked in, but was ruled too late after an officials' review.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga faces the winner between South Carolina and Florida in the Final Four next Saturday.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Home fans will boost Kansas in battle with Oregon
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- En route to the Elite Eight, Kansas won its three NCAA Tournament games by an average of 30 points, averaging 96 points in that span.
Slowing down the top-seeded Jayhawks will be the task for third-seeded Oregon in the Midwest Regional final Saturday (8:49 p.m. EDT) at Sprint Center. To make it a little more of a challenge, the Ducks must do it in a hostile environment.
Sprint Center is less than an hour's drive from Lawrence, Kan., the home of the Jayhawks, so the arena will be filled with Kansas fans.
"We look forward to the challenge. It's an opportunity to play," Oregon coach Dana Altman said before Kansas easily dispatched Purdue 98-66. "Kansas is Kansas. Obviously look out there. There is a little green section and a dark blue section. Royal blue filled everything else. It will be a tough ballgame because it's a road game."
Kansas' players know the advantage of having most of the 18,000-plus fans behind them.
"Playing here in K.C. is great," Kansas guard Devonte' Graham said. "The crowd (is) behind us and they give us so much momentum and energy throughout the game. It's just great to be here."
Oregon is a good matchup for Kansas because of similar styles. Kansas relies on four guards in their starting lineup, while Oregon plays small with the loss of 6-10 forward Chris Boucher to injury late in the season.
"(I have a) ton of respect (for Oregon)," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "(They're) unbelievably athletic. They're like us, they're going to play small a lot of the time because they will play Dillon (Brooks) at the 4 like we play Josh and then play the best defender in the Pac-12, Defensive Player of the Year around the middle, kind of like we do Landen (Lucas). So I think it will be two teams that at least match up with each other pretty well."
Kansas is led by national player of the year candidate Frank Mason III. He was averaging 20.8 points per game coming into the NCAA Tournament. He scored 26 points against Purdue. He can drive to the basket, shoot from the outside (he was 4-of-5 from 3-point range against the Boilermakers and shoots 47.2 percent on the season), and he loves to pass, averaging 5.2 assists per game.
Oregon's go-to player is Brooks, who leads the Ducks with 16.4 points per game. He can bring the ball up court, though he plays the power-forward position for the Ducks with the absence of Boucher.
Altman and Oregon are back in the Elite Eight for the second straight year. They lost to Big 12 opponent Oklahoma with a spot in last year's Final Four. If they accomplish their goal Saturday, it will be the Ducks' first Final Four since the very first NCAA Tournament in 1939, when the Ducks won their only title.
"It's just an unbelievable feeling," Altman said. "I owe these guys (his players) so much, for putting us in this position. As a coach, you always dream of playing in the Final Four and winning a national title. I feel really fortunate to have really good players who have put us in that position."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- En route to the Elite Eight, Kansas won its three NCAA Tournament games by an average of 30 points, averaging 96 points in that span.
Slowing down the top-seeded Jayhawks will be the task for third-seeded Oregon in the Midwest Regional final Saturday (8:49 p.m. EDT) at Sprint Center. To make it a little more of a challenge, the Ducks must do it in a hostile environment.
Sprint Center is less than an hour's drive from Lawrence, Kan., the home of the Jayhawks, so the arena will be filled with Kansas fans.
"We look forward to the challenge. It's an opportunity to play," Oregon coach Dana Altman said before Kansas easily dispatched Purdue 98-66. "Kansas is Kansas. Obviously look out there. There is a little green section and a dark blue section. Royal blue filled everything else. It will be a tough ballgame because it's a road game."
Kansas' players know the advantage of having most of the 18,000-plus fans behind them.
"Playing here in K.C. is great," Kansas guard Devonte' Graham said. "The crowd (is) behind us and they give us so much momentum and energy throughout the game. It's just great to be here."
Oregon is a good matchup for Kansas because of similar styles. Kansas relies on four guards in their starting lineup, while Oregon plays small with the loss of 6-10 forward Chris Boucher to injury late in the season.
"(I have a) ton of respect (for Oregon)," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "(They're) unbelievably athletic. They're like us, they're going to play small a lot of the time because they will play Dillon (Brooks) at the 4 like we play Josh and then play the best defender in the Pac-12, Defensive Player of the Year around the middle, kind of like we do Landen (Lucas). So I think it will be two teams that at least match up with each other pretty well."
Kansas is led by national player of the year candidate Frank Mason III. He was averaging 20.8 points per game coming into the NCAA Tournament. He scored 26 points against Purdue. He can drive to the basket, shoot from the outside (he was 4-of-5 from 3-point range against the Boilermakers and shoots 47.2 percent on the season), and he loves to pass, averaging 5.2 assists per game.
Oregon's go-to player is Brooks, who leads the Ducks with 16.4 points per game. He can bring the ball up court, though he plays the power-forward position for the Ducks with the absence of Boucher.
Altman and Oregon are back in the Elite Eight for the second straight year. They lost to Big 12 opponent Oklahoma with a spot in last year's Final Four. If they accomplish their goal Saturday, it will be the Ducks' first Final Four since the very first NCAA Tournament in 1939, when the Ducks won their only title.
"It's just an unbelievable feeling," Altman said. "I owe these guys (his players) so much, for putting us in this position. As a coach, you always dream of playing in the Final Four and winning a national title. I feel really fortunate to have really good players who have put us in that position."
Gonzaga, Xavier both aim for first Final Four
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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- One team will make history in the NCAA Tournament's West Regional final Saturday.
Either top-seed Gonzaga or 11th-seeded Xavier will make its first Final Four.
A one-time Cinderella, Gonzaga (35-1) ranked among the top tier of title contenders all season, as the Bulldogs were No. 1 in the AP poll for nearly two months while winning their first 29 games. They are big, quick, deep and talented.
Arguably a 2017 Cinderella, Xavier (24-13) went through a six-game losing streak after star point guard Edmond Sumner sustained a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 29, with only two of the losses to ranked teams. The Musketeers, however, regained their stride.
Xavier, the lowest seed remaining in the NCAA field, advanced through the West by handling No. 6 seed Maryland, No. 3 seed Florida State and No. 2 seed Arizona.
"Losing Ed was tough because he was a key part to our team," said guard Trevon Bluiett, who scored 25 points and had an assist on the winning basket when Xavier beat Arizona 73-71 Thursday.
"You know, I feel like the 'click' was always there. We just had to learn how to play a full 40 minutes."
Musketeers forward J.P. Macura had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists against the Wildcats.
"We're all tough guys," Macura said. "We stuck together, and we're not really backing down from anybody. If you have that mentality, you can beat an awful lot of teams."
Gonzaga, whose only loss came to BYU on Feb. 25, got a go-ahead 3-pointer from Jordan Mathews in the final minute to beat West Virginia 61-58 in the West's other Sweet 16 match.
The Bulldogs' 7-foot, 300-pound center, Przemek Karnowski, will be the biggest man on the floor Saturday and will be the toughest matchup for smaller Xavier. Both he and athletic 6-9 forward Johnathan Williams had 13 points against West Virginia.
Point guard Nigel Williams-Goss leads Gonzaga with a 16.7 scoring average, one of four players in double figures. He was held to 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting and committed five turnovers against West Virginia.
"Karnowski is a problem inside," said Arizona coach Sean Miller, whose team lost to Gonzaga 69-62 on Dec. 3. "He can do it rebounding. He can do it in the post. He can do it by passing. And Gonzaga is very underrated defensively."
The Bulldogs held the Mountaineers to 26.7 percent shooting (16 of 60).
Gonzaga, long removed from being a college-basketball upstart, is playing in its 19th consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have made only two other appearances in the Elite Eight, losing to eventual champion Connecticut in 1999 and falling to eventual champion Duke in 2015.
"All year we've been banking on our defense, our defense, our defense," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "We're 40 minutes away from a Final Four, which was something we set our sights on at the start of the year."
Xavier has made two previous Elite Eight appearances, the last coming in 2008, when Miller was the head coach and Chris Mack was one of his assistants. The Musketeers lost to a UCLA team led by Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- One team will make history in the NCAA Tournament's West Regional final Saturday.
Either top-seed Gonzaga or 11th-seeded Xavier will make its first Final Four.
A one-time Cinderella, Gonzaga (35-1) ranked among the top tier of title contenders all season, as the Bulldogs were No. 1 in the AP poll for nearly two months while winning their first 29 games. They are big, quick, deep and talented.
Arguably a 2017 Cinderella, Xavier (24-13) went through a six-game losing streak after star point guard Edmond Sumner sustained a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 29, with only two of the losses to ranked teams. The Musketeers, however, regained their stride.
Xavier, the lowest seed remaining in the NCAA field, advanced through the West by handling No. 6 seed Maryland, No. 3 seed Florida State and No. 2 seed Arizona.
"Losing Ed was tough because he was a key part to our team," said guard Trevon Bluiett, who scored 25 points and had an assist on the winning basket when Xavier beat Arizona 73-71 Thursday.
"You know, I feel like the 'click' was always there. We just had to learn how to play a full 40 minutes."
Musketeers forward J.P. Macura had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists against the Wildcats.
"We're all tough guys," Macura said. "We stuck together, and we're not really backing down from anybody. If you have that mentality, you can beat an awful lot of teams."
Gonzaga, whose only loss came to BYU on Feb. 25, got a go-ahead 3-pointer from Jordan Mathews in the final minute to beat West Virginia 61-58 in the West's other Sweet 16 match.
The Bulldogs' 7-foot, 300-pound center, Przemek Karnowski, will be the biggest man on the floor Saturday and will be the toughest matchup for smaller Xavier. Both he and athletic 6-9 forward Johnathan Williams had 13 points against West Virginia.
Point guard Nigel Williams-Goss leads Gonzaga with a 16.7 scoring average, one of four players in double figures. He was held to 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting and committed five turnovers against West Virginia.
"Karnowski is a problem inside," said Arizona coach Sean Miller, whose team lost to Gonzaga 69-62 on Dec. 3. "He can do it rebounding. He can do it in the post. He can do it by passing. And Gonzaga is very underrated defensively."
The Bulldogs held the Mountaineers to 26.7 percent shooting (16 of 60).
Gonzaga, long removed from being a college-basketball upstart, is playing in its 19th consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have made only two other appearances in the Elite Eight, losing to eventual champion Connecticut in 1999 and falling to eventual champion Duke in 2015.
"All year we've been banking on our defense, our defense, our defense," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "We're 40 minutes away from a Final Four, which was something we set our sights on at the start of the year."
Xavier has made two previous Elite Eight appearances, the last coming in 2008, when Miller was the head coach and Chris Mack was one of his assistants. The Musketeers lost to a UCLA team led by Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook.
Elite! Chiozza hits 3 at OT buzzer, Gators beat Wisconsin
By RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) – With 4 seconds left in overtime, Chris Chiozza took off with the ball, hoping to get to the hoop or find an open man. Instead, the Florida point guard stopped short right at the 3-point line and let fly with a shot that will go down in Gators' history.
Chiozza's 3-pointer swished in at the buzzer in to send Florida to the East Regional final with an 84-83 victory over Wisconsin on Friday night in the most dramatic game of this NCAA Tournament.
"This is something for the rest of his life that he'll be remembered by," Florida coach Mike White. '"He made an unbelievable play."
The fourth-seeded Gators will play South Carolina on Sunday in an all-Southeastern Conference matchup for a spot in the Final Four.
Nigel Hayes had given the Badgers (27-10) a 2-point lead with 4 seconds left on two free throws. With no timeouts, the Gators inbounded to Chiozza and he took care of the rest for Florida (27-8), setting off a Swamp-like celebration at Madison Square Garden.
"I was going to pass, but I was really going to the rim. But they did a good job of bumping me and slowing me down, and that was the shot I had so I had to have that one," Chiozza said.
Hayes ended up chasing and that is no way to play defense.
"I need to do a better job of making him change directions. He's extremely quick with the ball and he was able to put it in one hand and kind of outrun me," Hayes said.
Wisconsin's Zak Showalter was set to be the star before Chiozza took it away. Showalter, a senior, forced overtime with a leaping 3-pointer off one leg with 2.1 seconds left in regulation - pointing to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the crowd - as the Badgers wiped out a 12-point, second-half deficit in the last 4:15.
Florida is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014, and for the first time under White - the former Mississippi guard who was on the losing end of one of the most famous game-winning shots in NCAA history.
White and the Rebels were upset by Valparaiso on Bryce Drew's buzzer-beater in 1998. Does this one make up for that?
"Hell yeah," said White, the second-year coach who replaced Billy Donovan. "With an emphasis on the hell. Yeah. Absolutely. What a neat game to be a part of, especially when you're on the winning end."
KeVaughn Allen earned the respect of Rodgers for carrying Florida most of the way. Allen broke out of a slump with a career-high 35 points.
Eighth-seeded Wisconsin built a five-point lead in overtime, but with star guard Bronson Koenig hobbled by a leg issue the Badgers couldn't close out Florida.
After Wisconsin's Khalil Iverson hit the front of the rim on a breakaway dunk that Florida's Canyon Barry got a piece of, Chiozza drove for a layup that tied it at 81 with 24 seconds left.
The Badgers put it in Hayes' hands on their final possession. The senior who scored the winning bucket in Wisconsin's upset of defending champion Villanova, used a spin move to draw a foul.
Hayes had 22 in his last game for Wisconsin.
Making their fourth straight Sweet 16 appearance, it looked as if the experienced Badgers had once again found a way to survive and advance.
Chiozza then earned himself a spot in the "One Shining Moment" montage.
BIG PICTURE
Wisconsin: The end of an era for the Badgers. Seniors Hayes, Koenig, Showalter and Vitto Brown go out having been part of four straight Sweet 16 appearances.
"This is a tough way for them to go out," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. "And how they battled back, came from 12 down, it's kind of a microcosm of how they have navigated through the program. They have fought back at adverse times and tonight was a great testament to their Will and never give up attitude."
All-Big Ten selection Ethan Happ will return as the focal point for the Badgers next season, but there will be bigger roles for players such as Khalil Iverson, D'Mitrik Trice and Brevin Pritzl.
Florida: The SEC only got five of its 14 teams into the NCAA Tournament, but it will have three in the final eight for the first time since 1986 (Kentucky plays in the South Regional final against North Carolina on Sunday) and at least one in the Final Four. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was at the Garden, enjoying the S-E-C! chants. Sankey brought two ties with him to the arena. He had garnet for South Carolina in game one and then changed to blue and orange for Florida in the nightcap.
UP NEXT
Florida: The Gators split two regular-season games with South Carolina.
AP College Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) – With 4 seconds left in overtime, Chris Chiozza took off with the ball, hoping to get to the hoop or find an open man. Instead, the Florida point guard stopped short right at the 3-point line and let fly with a shot that will go down in Gators' history.
Chiozza's 3-pointer swished in at the buzzer in to send Florida to the East Regional final with an 84-83 victory over Wisconsin on Friday night in the most dramatic game of this NCAA Tournament.
"This is something for the rest of his life that he'll be remembered by," Florida coach Mike White. '"He made an unbelievable play."
The fourth-seeded Gators will play South Carolina on Sunday in an all-Southeastern Conference matchup for a spot in the Final Four.
Nigel Hayes had given the Badgers (27-10) a 2-point lead with 4 seconds left on two free throws. With no timeouts, the Gators inbounded to Chiozza and he took care of the rest for Florida (27-8), setting off a Swamp-like celebration at Madison Square Garden.
"I was going to pass, but I was really going to the rim. But they did a good job of bumping me and slowing me down, and that was the shot I had so I had to have that one," Chiozza said.
Hayes ended up chasing and that is no way to play defense.
"I need to do a better job of making him change directions. He's extremely quick with the ball and he was able to put it in one hand and kind of outrun me," Hayes said.
Wisconsin's Zak Showalter was set to be the star before Chiozza took it away. Showalter, a senior, forced overtime with a leaping 3-pointer off one leg with 2.1 seconds left in regulation - pointing to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the crowd - as the Badgers wiped out a 12-point, second-half deficit in the last 4:15.
Florida is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014, and for the first time under White - the former Mississippi guard who was on the losing end of one of the most famous game-winning shots in NCAA history.
White and the Rebels were upset by Valparaiso on Bryce Drew's buzzer-beater in 1998. Does this one make up for that?
"Hell yeah," said White, the second-year coach who replaced Billy Donovan. "With an emphasis on the hell. Yeah. Absolutely. What a neat game to be a part of, especially when you're on the winning end."
KeVaughn Allen earned the respect of Rodgers for carrying Florida most of the way. Allen broke out of a slump with a career-high 35 points.
Eighth-seeded Wisconsin built a five-point lead in overtime, but with star guard Bronson Koenig hobbled by a leg issue the Badgers couldn't close out Florida.
After Wisconsin's Khalil Iverson hit the front of the rim on a breakaway dunk that Florida's Canyon Barry got a piece of, Chiozza drove for a layup that tied it at 81 with 24 seconds left.
The Badgers put it in Hayes' hands on their final possession. The senior who scored the winning bucket in Wisconsin's upset of defending champion Villanova, used a spin move to draw a foul.
Hayes had 22 in his last game for Wisconsin.
Making their fourth straight Sweet 16 appearance, it looked as if the experienced Badgers had once again found a way to survive and advance.
Chiozza then earned himself a spot in the "One Shining Moment" montage.
BIG PICTURE
Wisconsin: The end of an era for the Badgers. Seniors Hayes, Koenig, Showalter and Vitto Brown go out having been part of four straight Sweet 16 appearances.
"This is a tough way for them to go out," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. "And how they battled back, came from 12 down, it's kind of a microcosm of how they have navigated through the program. They have fought back at adverse times and tonight was a great testament to their Will and never give up attitude."
All-Big Ten selection Ethan Happ will return as the focal point for the Badgers next season, but there will be bigger roles for players such as Khalil Iverson, D'Mitrik Trice and Brevin Pritzl.
Florida: The SEC only got five of its 14 teams into the NCAA Tournament, but it will have three in the final eight for the first time since 1986 (Kentucky plays in the South Regional final against North Carolina on Sunday) and at least one in the Final Four. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was at the Garden, enjoying the S-E-C! chants. Sankey brought two ties with him to the arena. He had garnet for South Carolina in game one and then changed to blue and orange for Florida in the nightcap.
UP NEXT
Florida: The Gators split two regular-season games with South Carolina.
Elite 8-bound: Kentucky beats UCLA 86-75 in South semifinal
By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – De'Aaron Fox credits some sticky Kentucky defense for the Wildcats' latest berth in a regional final.
Coach John Calipari begs to differ.
He points at Fox, the freshman guard who outplayed UCLA phenom Lonzo Ball with one of the best scoring nights in Kentucky's vaunted NCAA Tournament history.
Fox scored a career-high 39 points as Kentucky beat UCLA 86-75 Friday night in a showdown between two of college basketball's goliaths for a spot in the South Regional final.
"All I did at halftime was say: `Guys. Are you watching this game?' and they said yeah,'" Calipari said. "I said; `Ok good. You know we are playing through De'Aaron Fox. The rest of you take a back seat and play off of him.'"
Fox not only turned in the best NCAA scoring performance since Tayshaun Prince had 41 against Tulsa in 2002, it was the best by a freshman in tournament history.
"I scored like the first 8 points of the game, and after that I was like you know it's going to be a good night for me," Fox said.
The only No. 2 seed to advance to the Elite Eight, the Wildcats (32-5) won their 14th straight game. Now the NCAA's winningest program will play another of basketball's titans Sunday in top-seeded North Carolina, a 92-80 winner over Butler earlier Friday, with a trip to yet another Final Four on the line.
The third-seeded Bruins (31-5) still have the most national titles. Yet they leave their third Sweet 16 under coach Steve Alford short of the Elite Eight.
"We just got beat by a very good team that played very, very well tonight," Alford said.
Fans lustily booed Calipari in his first game in Memphis since leaving in April 2009 for the Wildcats . Calipari's latest crop of talented freshmen put Kentucky into a regional final for the sixth time in seven years.
Malik Monk scored 21 points for Kentucky, and Dominique Hawkins added 11.
This was the fourth time these powerhouses have met in the past three seasons, and UCLA upset then-No. 1 Kentucky in Rupp Arena with a 97-92 win on Dec. 3.
Fox didn't play his best in that game, taking 20 shots to get 20 points. That wasn't a problem with Kentucky fans making the FedExForum as comfortable as Lexington. Fox scored the first eight points for Kentucky and was all over the court forcing turnovers or diving to the floor to force a jump ball.
He outplayed Ball, who finished with 10 points on 4 of 10 shooting before announcing he had played his final game for UCLA. Ball handed out eight assists but also had four turnovers.
Freshman TJ Leaf and Isaac Hamilton each had 17 points for UCLA.
Kentucky shut down the nation's top scoring team, holding UCLA well below its average of 90.2 points a game and just a point off its season-low.
"We really picked it up defensively," Fox said. "That's why we won. Not because of our scoring. That team averages like 90 points a game, and we held them to ... 15 less than their average."
Maybe it was nerves or so many freshmen, but Kentucky led 36-33 at halftime after a first half that wasn't close to the fast-paced pace expected.
By the second half, the Wildcats at least were running up and down the court.
Monk also started scoring. The Southeastern Conference player of the year had only seven points in the first half. He hit four of his first five shots, including a pair of 3s, within the first five minutes of the second. He scored off the fast break, and his second 3 with 15:52 gave Kentucky a 50-44 lead.
Thomas Welsh hit a short jumper, then Bryce Alford hit a 3 to pull UCLA within 50-49. That was as close as the Bruins would get as Kentucky pushed its lead to as much as 14 in the final couple minutes.
BIG PICTURE
UCLA: Six different Bruins averaged in double figures during the season, and four got there. But Welsh fouled out with 5:58 left. The Bruins turned the ball over 13 times, and Kentucky outscored UCLA 14-2 off the mistakes.
Kentucky: Wildcats won despite not getting much from another freshman, Bam Adebayo. The 6-foot-10 forward had been averaging a double-double during Kentucky's winning streak, but he finally scored his lone bucket off a dunk with 3:17 left.
WHERE FOX RANKS
Dan Issel's 44 points against Notre Dame in the 1970 Sweet 16 still reigns supreme in Kentucky's record books. Prince is tied for second with Jack Givens who scored 41 against Duke in the 1978 finals. Then there's Fox who was 13 of 20 overall and hit 13 of 15 at the free throw line. Both his 13 field goals and 13 made free throws were career-highs. He missed his lone 3-point attempt. Fox also handed out four assists and had two steals with only one turnover.
NOT BACK HOME AGAIN TO INDIANA
Asked again about Indiana's coaching opening, Alford insisted he is staying at UCLA and loves Los Angeles. The former Indiana star ticked off how both sons have graduated from UCLA, he has the No. 2 recruiting class coming in and a new practice facility opening soon.
"I'm very, very happy where I'm at, and hopefully that'll continue," Alford said.
UP NEXT
Playing top-seeded North Carolina in the regional final Sunday.
AP Sports Writer
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – De'Aaron Fox credits some sticky Kentucky defense for the Wildcats' latest berth in a regional final.
Coach John Calipari begs to differ.
He points at Fox, the freshman guard who outplayed UCLA phenom Lonzo Ball with one of the best scoring nights in Kentucky's vaunted NCAA Tournament history.
Fox scored a career-high 39 points as Kentucky beat UCLA 86-75 Friday night in a showdown between two of college basketball's goliaths for a spot in the South Regional final.
"All I did at halftime was say: `Guys. Are you watching this game?' and they said yeah,'" Calipari said. "I said; `Ok good. You know we are playing through De'Aaron Fox. The rest of you take a back seat and play off of him.'"
Fox not only turned in the best NCAA scoring performance since Tayshaun Prince had 41 against Tulsa in 2002, it was the best by a freshman in tournament history.
"I scored like the first 8 points of the game, and after that I was like you know it's going to be a good night for me," Fox said.
The only No. 2 seed to advance to the Elite Eight, the Wildcats (32-5) won their 14th straight game. Now the NCAA's winningest program will play another of basketball's titans Sunday in top-seeded North Carolina, a 92-80 winner over Butler earlier Friday, with a trip to yet another Final Four on the line.
The third-seeded Bruins (31-5) still have the most national titles. Yet they leave their third Sweet 16 under coach Steve Alford short of the Elite Eight.
"We just got beat by a very good team that played very, very well tonight," Alford said.
Fans lustily booed Calipari in his first game in Memphis since leaving in April 2009 for the Wildcats . Calipari's latest crop of talented freshmen put Kentucky into a regional final for the sixth time in seven years.
Malik Monk scored 21 points for Kentucky, and Dominique Hawkins added 11.
This was the fourth time these powerhouses have met in the past three seasons, and UCLA upset then-No. 1 Kentucky in Rupp Arena with a 97-92 win on Dec. 3.
Fox didn't play his best in that game, taking 20 shots to get 20 points. That wasn't a problem with Kentucky fans making the FedExForum as comfortable as Lexington. Fox scored the first eight points for Kentucky and was all over the court forcing turnovers or diving to the floor to force a jump ball.
He outplayed Ball, who finished with 10 points on 4 of 10 shooting before announcing he had played his final game for UCLA. Ball handed out eight assists but also had four turnovers.
Freshman TJ Leaf and Isaac Hamilton each had 17 points for UCLA.
Kentucky shut down the nation's top scoring team, holding UCLA well below its average of 90.2 points a game and just a point off its season-low.
"We really picked it up defensively," Fox said. "That's why we won. Not because of our scoring. That team averages like 90 points a game, and we held them to ... 15 less than their average."
Maybe it was nerves or so many freshmen, but Kentucky led 36-33 at halftime after a first half that wasn't close to the fast-paced pace expected.
By the second half, the Wildcats at least were running up and down the court.
Monk also started scoring. The Southeastern Conference player of the year had only seven points in the first half. He hit four of his first five shots, including a pair of 3s, within the first five minutes of the second. He scored off the fast break, and his second 3 with 15:52 gave Kentucky a 50-44 lead.
Thomas Welsh hit a short jumper, then Bryce Alford hit a 3 to pull UCLA within 50-49. That was as close as the Bruins would get as Kentucky pushed its lead to as much as 14 in the final couple minutes.
BIG PICTURE
UCLA: Six different Bruins averaged in double figures during the season, and four got there. But Welsh fouled out with 5:58 left. The Bruins turned the ball over 13 times, and Kentucky outscored UCLA 14-2 off the mistakes.
Kentucky: Wildcats won despite not getting much from another freshman, Bam Adebayo. The 6-foot-10 forward had been averaging a double-double during Kentucky's winning streak, but he finally scored his lone bucket off a dunk with 3:17 left.
WHERE FOX RANKS
Dan Issel's 44 points against Notre Dame in the 1970 Sweet 16 still reigns supreme in Kentucky's record books. Prince is tied for second with Jack Givens who scored 41 against Duke in the 1978 finals. Then there's Fox who was 13 of 20 overall and hit 13 of 15 at the free throw line. Both his 13 field goals and 13 made free throws were career-highs. He missed his lone 3-point attempt. Fox also handed out four assists and had two steals with only one turnover.
NOT BACK HOME AGAIN TO INDIANA
Asked again about Indiana's coaching opening, Alford insisted he is staying at UCLA and loves Los Angeles. The former Indiana star ticked off how both sons have graduated from UCLA, he has the No. 2 recruiting class coming in and a new practice facility opening soon.
"I'm very, very happy where I'm at, and hopefully that'll continue," Alford said.
UP NEXT
Playing top-seeded North Carolina in the regional final Sunday.
South Carolina beats Baylor 70-50 to advance to Elite Eight
By JIM O'CONNELL
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) – Apparently South Carolina is getting the hang of winning NCAA Tournament games.
The Gamecocks, who hadn't won a tournament game since 1973, got their third this year. One more and it's on to the Final Four.
"It's a great win for the program," Gamecocks guard Duane Notice said. "It's a good feeling when we continue to make history and I think once we get a taste of it, we kind of get addicted and want to continue doing it."
Sindarius Thornwell scored 24 points and seventh-seeded South Carolina cruised past third-seeded Baylor 70-50 on Friday night in the East Regional semifinals, the Bears' worst NCAA Tournament loss.
The Gamecocks (25-10) were in control from the middle of the first half on, mixing defenses and hustling all over the Madison Square Garden court to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time.
"We have been real good defensively all year, we were on point definitely today," Gamecocks coach Frank Martin said.
South Carolina will meet Florida, which beat Wisconsin 84-83 in overtime, on Sunday with that trip to the Final Four at stake. It will be an all-Southeastern Conference matchup with the teams having split two regular-season meetings.
DJ Dozier and Chris Silva had 12 points each and Notice added 11 for the Gamecocks.
Johnathan Motley had 18 points, 12 in the second half, for Baylor (27-8), which just couldn't get any offense going. The Bears, who were ranked No. 1 for one week this season, missed 11 of their first 13 shots from the field and it didn't get a whole lot better the entire game. They finished 17 for 56 from the field (30.4 percent), including 3 for 13 from 3-point range.
Thornwell made defending Motley sound easy.
"We stayed aggressive and made his catches hard and we knew that he likes to score in the paint and let his catches be extended outside, that way he got to take more than one dribble to score; he can't just turn and shoot over the top of you," Thornwell said.
Motley said the defense was "extremely tough."
"That's what they game-planned for. And they did a great job of executing their game plan. We couldn't, really couldn't buy a basket."
South Carolina opened the second half on a 12-6 run to get the lead to 49-28. The largest lead was 63-41.
Baylor was able to close to 11 points but that was as tight as the game would get.
The Gamecocks went on a 16-0 run that lasted 7:44 in the first half. They turned a 15-15 tie into a 31-15 lead with 2:50 left in the first half. The Bears went 0 for 10 from the field and committed four turnovers in the run. South Carolina's biggest lead of the half was 37-20 on a 3 by Notice with 29 seconds to play. It was 37-22 at halftime.
The Bears shot just 25 percent from the field in the first half (8 of 32) and committed seven turnovers.
"What they do is a great job of making it difficult and then basketball's such a game of momentum and after you get off to a bad start, sometimes it's hard to get in a rhythm or hard to get in a flow," Baylor coach Scott Drew said.
Martin is glad the rest of the country is getting to see the Gamecocks and their intense defense.
"It's beautiful to us. Which is what matters," he said. "I'm sure there's people don't like it. That's their prerogative."
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: The Gamecocks came into the NCAA Tournament having lost five of seven. ... The Gamecocks' previous largest margin of victory in the NCAA Tournament was 78-70 over Texas Tech in the first round in 1973.
Baylor: The Bears came into the NCAA Tournament having lost four of seven. ... This is the Bears' fourth straight tournament appearance. They were trying for their third Elite Eight appearance. They lost to Duke in the round of eight in 2010 and to Kentucky in 2012. ... Baylor was 9-1 against the Southeastern Conference since 2012-13. ... Baylor's previous worst loss in the NCAA Tournament was 69-52 to Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 in 2014. ... The 22 points matched Baylor's low for a half this season.
UP NEXT
South Carolina will face Florida in an all-Southeastern Conference Elite Eight game on Sunday.
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) – Apparently South Carolina is getting the hang of winning NCAA Tournament games.
The Gamecocks, who hadn't won a tournament game since 1973, got their third this year. One more and it's on to the Final Four.
"It's a great win for the program," Gamecocks guard Duane Notice said. "It's a good feeling when we continue to make history and I think once we get a taste of it, we kind of get addicted and want to continue doing it."
Sindarius Thornwell scored 24 points and seventh-seeded South Carolina cruised past third-seeded Baylor 70-50 on Friday night in the East Regional semifinals, the Bears' worst NCAA Tournament loss.
The Gamecocks (25-10) were in control from the middle of the first half on, mixing defenses and hustling all over the Madison Square Garden court to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time.
"We have been real good defensively all year, we were on point definitely today," Gamecocks coach Frank Martin said.
South Carolina will meet Florida, which beat Wisconsin 84-83 in overtime, on Sunday with that trip to the Final Four at stake. It will be an all-Southeastern Conference matchup with the teams having split two regular-season meetings.
DJ Dozier and Chris Silva had 12 points each and Notice added 11 for the Gamecocks.
Johnathan Motley had 18 points, 12 in the second half, for Baylor (27-8), which just couldn't get any offense going. The Bears, who were ranked No. 1 for one week this season, missed 11 of their first 13 shots from the field and it didn't get a whole lot better the entire game. They finished 17 for 56 from the field (30.4 percent), including 3 for 13 from 3-point range.
Thornwell made defending Motley sound easy.
"We stayed aggressive and made his catches hard and we knew that he likes to score in the paint and let his catches be extended outside, that way he got to take more than one dribble to score; he can't just turn and shoot over the top of you," Thornwell said.
Motley said the defense was "extremely tough."
"That's what they game-planned for. And they did a great job of executing their game plan. We couldn't, really couldn't buy a basket."
South Carolina opened the second half on a 12-6 run to get the lead to 49-28. The largest lead was 63-41.
Baylor was able to close to 11 points but that was as tight as the game would get.
The Gamecocks went on a 16-0 run that lasted 7:44 in the first half. They turned a 15-15 tie into a 31-15 lead with 2:50 left in the first half. The Bears went 0 for 10 from the field and committed four turnovers in the run. South Carolina's biggest lead of the half was 37-20 on a 3 by Notice with 29 seconds to play. It was 37-22 at halftime.
The Bears shot just 25 percent from the field in the first half (8 of 32) and committed seven turnovers.
"What they do is a great job of making it difficult and then basketball's such a game of momentum and after you get off to a bad start, sometimes it's hard to get in a rhythm or hard to get in a flow," Baylor coach Scott Drew said.
Martin is glad the rest of the country is getting to see the Gamecocks and their intense defense.
"It's beautiful to us. Which is what matters," he said. "I'm sure there's people don't like it. That's their prerogative."
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: The Gamecocks came into the NCAA Tournament having lost five of seven. ... The Gamecocks' previous largest margin of victory in the NCAA Tournament was 78-70 over Texas Tech in the first round in 1973.
Baylor: The Bears came into the NCAA Tournament having lost four of seven. ... This is the Bears' fourth straight tournament appearance. They were trying for their third Elite Eight appearance. They lost to Duke in the round of eight in 2010 and to Kentucky in 2012. ... Baylor was 9-1 against the Southeastern Conference since 2012-13. ... Baylor's previous worst loss in the NCAA Tournament was 69-52 to Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 in 2014. ... The 22 points matched Baylor's low for a half this season.
UP NEXT
South Carolina will face Florida in an all-Southeastern Conference Elite Eight game on Sunday.
Berry scores 26 points and Carolina defeats Butler 92-80
By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – North Carolina expects strong offensive performances from junior leaders Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II, but Luke Maye provided an unexpected bonus.
Berry scored 26 points, Jackson had 24, but it was the first career double-double from Maye - 16 points and 12 rebounds - that helped set the tone early and send the top-seeded Tar Heels to a 92-80 victory over Butler in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
"He has the ability to shoot the ball. He has the ability to rebound the ball," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said of the sophomore forward and former walk-on. "But the reason Luke is going to be successful is what he's got in his brain and in his heart."
Carolina, which reached the Elite Eight for the 27th time, will face the winner of Friday's second South Regional between UCLA and Kentucky.
Maye's early jolt off the bench helped Carolina (30-7) build a first-half lead to as many as 20 as the Tar Heels benefitted from accuracy, connecting on 54.4 percent of their shots while Butler was at 43.5 percent.
"We knew we were going to have to make some perimeter shots to give ourselves a chance," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. "They were going to give us some clean looks, and we were going to have to make them. We just didn't."
Andrew Chrabascz led the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (25-9) with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Kelan Martin finished with 16 points for Butler, which struggled shooting early and did not recover.
"We let them get into a rhythm, especially in the beginning," Chrabascz said. "When you let a team like that feel good about themselves, it's tough to get them out of that with how many talented guys they have on their team. And also they answered every run that we had."
The Tar Heels broke out of the gate early, building a double-digit lead and really weren't threatened after halftime, although Butler did get within 10 at one point. Carolina, which let Arkansas claw back before defeating the Razorbacks 72-65 last weekend, weren't going to let that happen again.
"We got by with very little room against Arkansas," Jackson said. "We knew it was a game of runs. Butler is a good team, and they keep on coming at you. For us, we tried to stay focused and stay poised."
North Carolina used early accurate shooting to build a 16-point lead as the Tar Heels connected on 13 of their first 18 shots, including missing only one of seven from outside the arc.
While Butler managed to whittle the deficit to single digits on a couple of occasions before halftime, North Carolina would simply answer with another rally, helping the Tar Heels carry a 52-36 lead into the break.
The Tar Heels lead would stretch the lead back to 20 near the 12-minute mark of the second half, but Butler didn't exactly allow North Carolina to coast home.
A 13-4 Bulldog run made a dent in the advantage as Martin had seven in the stretch with Avery Woodson connecting on a 3-pointer. Martin closed out the run with another 3-pointer to pull Butler within 71-60.
But while the Bulldogs would cut the Carolina advantage to 10 points 2 minutes later, they would get no closer the rest of the way.
BIG PICTURE
Butler: The Bulldogs had not trailed in the tournament until Carolina's Isaiah Hicks scored the game's opening basket. The two previous times Butler defeated a No. 1 seed, the Bulldogs went all the way to the national championship game.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels have reached the Elite Eight 27 times, including eight times since 2000. Maye's 16 points were a career-high. "I got a couple of shots to fall in and felt pretty confident they kept going in," Maye said.
JENKINS ATTENDS: Kris Jenkins, who made the 3-pointer to defeat the Tar Heels in last year's national championship game, was seated near the Carolina bench. Jenkins was cheering on his brother, senior guard Nate Britt. "Me, him and Nate are in a group chat together. We always laugh and stuff. He's pretty close to most of us. I mean, he's here supporting his brother, and we're kind of like his brothers, too," forward Kennedy Meeks said.
PENCE CANCELS: Vice President Mike Pence, who once was expected to attend Friday's game, cancelled Friday because of the action in Washington surrounding health care. Pence has ties to Butler, not only as the former governor of Indianapolis, but also because his wife, Karen, attended the school.
UP NEXT: North Carolina plays the winner of the region's second game on Friday between No. 2 seed Kentucky and the third-seed UCLA.
Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – North Carolina expects strong offensive performances from junior leaders Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II, but Luke Maye provided an unexpected bonus.
Berry scored 26 points, Jackson had 24, but it was the first career double-double from Maye - 16 points and 12 rebounds - that helped set the tone early and send the top-seeded Tar Heels to a 92-80 victory over Butler in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
"He has the ability to shoot the ball. He has the ability to rebound the ball," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said of the sophomore forward and former walk-on. "But the reason Luke is going to be successful is what he's got in his brain and in his heart."
Carolina, which reached the Elite Eight for the 27th time, will face the winner of Friday's second South Regional between UCLA and Kentucky.
Maye's early jolt off the bench helped Carolina (30-7) build a first-half lead to as many as 20 as the Tar Heels benefitted from accuracy, connecting on 54.4 percent of their shots while Butler was at 43.5 percent.
"We knew we were going to have to make some perimeter shots to give ourselves a chance," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. "They were going to give us some clean looks, and we were going to have to make them. We just didn't."
Andrew Chrabascz led the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (25-9) with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Kelan Martin finished with 16 points for Butler, which struggled shooting early and did not recover.
"We let them get into a rhythm, especially in the beginning," Chrabascz said. "When you let a team like that feel good about themselves, it's tough to get them out of that with how many talented guys they have on their team. And also they answered every run that we had."
The Tar Heels broke out of the gate early, building a double-digit lead and really weren't threatened after halftime, although Butler did get within 10 at one point. Carolina, which let Arkansas claw back before defeating the Razorbacks 72-65 last weekend, weren't going to let that happen again.
"We got by with very little room against Arkansas," Jackson said. "We knew it was a game of runs. Butler is a good team, and they keep on coming at you. For us, we tried to stay focused and stay poised."
North Carolina used early accurate shooting to build a 16-point lead as the Tar Heels connected on 13 of their first 18 shots, including missing only one of seven from outside the arc.
While Butler managed to whittle the deficit to single digits on a couple of occasions before halftime, North Carolina would simply answer with another rally, helping the Tar Heels carry a 52-36 lead into the break.
The Tar Heels lead would stretch the lead back to 20 near the 12-minute mark of the second half, but Butler didn't exactly allow North Carolina to coast home.
A 13-4 Bulldog run made a dent in the advantage as Martin had seven in the stretch with Avery Woodson connecting on a 3-pointer. Martin closed out the run with another 3-pointer to pull Butler within 71-60.
But while the Bulldogs would cut the Carolina advantage to 10 points 2 minutes later, they would get no closer the rest of the way.
BIG PICTURE
Butler: The Bulldogs had not trailed in the tournament until Carolina's Isaiah Hicks scored the game's opening basket. The two previous times Butler defeated a No. 1 seed, the Bulldogs went all the way to the national championship game.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels have reached the Elite Eight 27 times, including eight times since 2000. Maye's 16 points were a career-high. "I got a couple of shots to fall in and felt pretty confident they kept going in," Maye said.
JENKINS ATTENDS: Kris Jenkins, who made the 3-pointer to defeat the Tar Heels in last year's national championship game, was seated near the Carolina bench. Jenkins was cheering on his brother, senior guard Nate Britt. "Me, him and Nate are in a group chat together. We always laugh and stuff. He's pretty close to most of us. I mean, he's here supporting his brother, and we're kind of like his brothers, too," forward Kennedy Meeks said.
PENCE CANCELS: Vice President Mike Pence, who once was expected to attend Friday's game, cancelled Friday because of the action in Washington surrounding health care. Pence has ties to Butler, not only as the former governor of Indianapolis, but also because his wife, Karen, attended the school.
UP NEXT: North Carolina plays the winner of the region's second game on Friday between No. 2 seed Kentucky and the third-seed UCLA.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Xavier knocks off Arizona 73-71 in West Region
By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Basketball Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Not long after losing to Arizona's Sean Miller at the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Xavier coach Chris Mack jokingly said his friend should let him win the next one.
This was no gift between former colleagues.
The Musketeers earned this one and now they're headed to the Elite Eight for the first time in a decade.
Trevon Bluiett kept Xavier close with a big first half and the Musketeers made the clutch plays down the stretch against the West Region's No. 2 seed, upsetting Arizona 73-71 on Thursday night.
"I personally have so much respect for Sean and his staff," Mack said. "I know it's heartbreaking for them because they had a special year, a special season and I know it's tough. But today is a Xavier day."
Xavier (30-13) fought through a string of injuries and a late losing streak to reach the NCAA Tournament, then opened with a pair of upsets. The Musketeers passed their biggest test to date with confident performance against one of college basketball's storied programs.
Bluiett scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half to help Xavier keep up with the athletic Wildcats. The Musketeers tracked Arizona after it tried to pull away in the second half, getting a late basket inside by Sean O'Mara while shutting down one of the nation's best offensive teams down the stretch.
Next up is their first Elite Eight since 2008 and third overall, a showdown with No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Saturday.
"We're all tough guys. We stuck together," said Xavier's J.P Macura, who had 14 points. "We're not really backing down from anyone."
Arizona (32-5) appeared to be in control after Allonzo Trier scored 15 straight points to push the Wildcats' lead to six. Arizona stalled out on offense, though, failing to score over the final 2:52 as Xavier closed with a 9-0 run.
Trier had a final shot, but missed a 3-pointer with 8 seconds left and the Wildcats were unable to track down Malcolm Bernard as he dribbled out the clock .
Trier scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and Dusan Ristic had 17 for Arizona.
"We weren't able to get good looks down the stretch and that's on me," Miller said.
Xavier made an improbable run to its fourth Sweet 16 in eight years under Mack, overcoming a late six-game losing streak and the loss of point guard Edmond Sumner to a torn left ACL.
The Musketeers were the lone double-digit seed left in the bracket after knocking off Maryland and Florida State in the first two rounds, setting up their second Sweet 16 game against Arizona in three years.
Arizona won the previous meeting to reach the Elite Eight, putting Miller one up on Mack.
Arizona led 37-35 at halftime of the rematch despite Bluiett's hot start, after turning 11 offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points.
Xavier made 6 of its 8 first shots to take the second-half lead and Arizona answered with a run of its own, building a 67-61 lead behind Trier's outburst.
With super fan Bill Murray cheering them on - his son is an assistant coach - the Musketeers battled their way back with a 7-0 run, tying the game at 71-all with just under 2 minutes left, setting up the tense finish that left Arizona short.
"We didn't do a good enough job of defending them for the last four minutes of the game," Trier said. "Tough way to go out, especially knowing we had a lot of momentum. Just not an easy end to swallow.
BIG PICTURE
Xavier was one of the hottest teams in the country despite its injuries and has a chance to reach the Final Four for the first time.
Arizona struggled down the stretch in a close game, leaving Miller short in his latest bid to reach the Final Four.
OFF THE MARKKANEN
Lauri Markkanen was Arizona's leading scorer through the first two games of the tournament, but did not have much of an impact against Xavier. He finished with 9 points on 3-of-9 shooting, including 1 for 6 from 3-point range. He did grab eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.
The Finnish forward is expected to leave for the NBA, but said after the game that he has yet to make a decision.
MURRAY IN THE HOUSE
Murray's son, Luke, is an assistant coach under Mack and has become a huge Xavier fan, attending games whenever he gets the chance. Sitting across from Xavier's bench, he was a vocal supporter for the Musketeers and was a big part of the celebration after Xavier clinched it.
UP NEXT
Xavier will face No. 1 seed Gonzaga Saturday in the Elite Eight.
AP Basketball Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Not long after losing to Arizona's Sean Miller at the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Xavier coach Chris Mack jokingly said his friend should let him win the next one.
This was no gift between former colleagues.
The Musketeers earned this one and now they're headed to the Elite Eight for the first time in a decade.
Trevon Bluiett kept Xavier close with a big first half and the Musketeers made the clutch plays down the stretch against the West Region's No. 2 seed, upsetting Arizona 73-71 on Thursday night.
"I personally have so much respect for Sean and his staff," Mack said. "I know it's heartbreaking for them because they had a special year, a special season and I know it's tough. But today is a Xavier day."
Xavier (30-13) fought through a string of injuries and a late losing streak to reach the NCAA Tournament, then opened with a pair of upsets. The Musketeers passed their biggest test to date with confident performance against one of college basketball's storied programs.
Bluiett scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half to help Xavier keep up with the athletic Wildcats. The Musketeers tracked Arizona after it tried to pull away in the second half, getting a late basket inside by Sean O'Mara while shutting down one of the nation's best offensive teams down the stretch.
Next up is their first Elite Eight since 2008 and third overall, a showdown with No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Saturday.
"We're all tough guys. We stuck together," said Xavier's J.P Macura, who had 14 points. "We're not really backing down from anyone."
Arizona (32-5) appeared to be in control after Allonzo Trier scored 15 straight points to push the Wildcats' lead to six. Arizona stalled out on offense, though, failing to score over the final 2:52 as Xavier closed with a 9-0 run.
Trier had a final shot, but missed a 3-pointer with 8 seconds left and the Wildcats were unable to track down Malcolm Bernard as he dribbled out the clock .
Trier scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and Dusan Ristic had 17 for Arizona.
"We weren't able to get good looks down the stretch and that's on me," Miller said.
Xavier made an improbable run to its fourth Sweet 16 in eight years under Mack, overcoming a late six-game losing streak and the loss of point guard Edmond Sumner to a torn left ACL.
The Musketeers were the lone double-digit seed left in the bracket after knocking off Maryland and Florida State in the first two rounds, setting up their second Sweet 16 game against Arizona in three years.
Arizona won the previous meeting to reach the Elite Eight, putting Miller one up on Mack.
Arizona led 37-35 at halftime of the rematch despite Bluiett's hot start, after turning 11 offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points.
Xavier made 6 of its 8 first shots to take the second-half lead and Arizona answered with a run of its own, building a 67-61 lead behind Trier's outburst.
With super fan Bill Murray cheering them on - his son is an assistant coach - the Musketeers battled their way back with a 7-0 run, tying the game at 71-all with just under 2 minutes left, setting up the tense finish that left Arizona short.
"We didn't do a good enough job of defending them for the last four minutes of the game," Trier said. "Tough way to go out, especially knowing we had a lot of momentum. Just not an easy end to swallow.
BIG PICTURE
Xavier was one of the hottest teams in the country despite its injuries and has a chance to reach the Final Four for the first time.
Arizona struggled down the stretch in a close game, leaving Miller short in his latest bid to reach the Final Four.
OFF THE MARKKANEN
Lauri Markkanen was Arizona's leading scorer through the first two games of the tournament, but did not have much of an impact against Xavier. He finished with 9 points on 3-of-9 shooting, including 1 for 6 from 3-point range. He did grab eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.
The Finnish forward is expected to leave for the NBA, but said after the game that he has yet to make a decision.
MURRAY IN THE HOUSE
Murray's son, Luke, is an assistant coach under Mack and has become a huge Xavier fan, attending games whenever he gets the chance. Sitting across from Xavier's bench, he was a vocal supporter for the Musketeers and was a big part of the celebration after Xavier clinched it.
UP NEXT
Xavier will face No. 1 seed Gonzaga Saturday in the Elite Eight.
No. 1 seed Kansas routs Purdue 98-66 to reach Elite Eight
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) It took about 10 minutes for Kansas guards Frank Mason III and Devonte Graham to slow down, gain their composure and get everything under control in their Midwest Regional semifinal.
When that happened, everything promptly sped up for Purdue.
The pace of the game turning in their favor, the high-flying Jayhawks proceeded to wear down the bigger, stronger Boilermakers on Thursday night. And by the time Mason and Graham finished pouring in 26 points apiece, No. 1 seed Kansas had coasted to a 98-66 victory and a spot in the Elite Eight.
"When we started to slow down and play our style of basketball, that's when we started rolling," said Mason, the player of the year front-runner, who also had seven rebounds and seven assists.
The Jayhawks will play No. 3 seed Oregon, which survived a nail-biter earlier in the night, on Saturday night for a spot in their first Final Four since 2012.
Josh Jackson added 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Landen Lucas did a good job of keeping Purdue forwards Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas in check, as the Jayhawks (31-4) turned a seven-point halftime lead into their third consecutive blowout in the NCAA Tournament.
Their beat-down of the Big Ten champs followed easy wins over UC Davis and Michigan State.
"You just cannot let them get in transition like that," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "If they keep getting those types of opportunities and shoot like that, they can't be stopped."
Swanigan still had 18 points and seven boards for the No. 4 seed Boilermakers (27-8), but the 6-foot-9, 250-pound All-America candidate had to work for all of it. The Jayhawks kept collapsing on him in the post, forcing Swanigan to begin taking 3-pointers early in the second half.
It wasn't much longer before the game was out of reach.
"It was one of the best games we've played all year," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "The second half was about as complete as we played. We were pretty good at both ends."
The game shaped up as a contrast of styles: the slick, speedy athleticism that carried the Jayhawks to the Big 12 title against the bruising, post-dominated play of the Boilermakers.
Purdue promptly stunned a sold-out Sprint Center by hoisting up early 3-pointers.
Their underrated guards took advantage of constant double-teams of Swanigan and Haas in the paint, letting loose a barrage of deep shots. By the time Kansas realized the game had started, Painter's team had raced to a 25-18 lead midway through the first half.
The Jayhawks eventually found their footing, and the crowd that showed up a mere 40-minute drive from their campus in Lawrence provided the soundtrack to a 22-7 run to end the half.
Things got so loud inside the downtown arena that Painter, who always maintained Kansas earned the right to the quasi-home game, resorted to scribbling offensive sets on a dry erase board.
"It was unbelievable," Graham said. "They gave us so much momentum and energy."
The roars for Kansas only got louder in the second half.
Ryan Cline's 3-pointer got Purdue within 58-54 with 14:39 to go, and that's when the Jayhawks ripped off a game-defining 11-0 run. Mason started and ended it, but it was Lagerald Vick's acrobatic 360-degree dunk in transition that brought a roar that shook the playing floor.
When Mason knocked down his fourth 3, the lead had grown to 69-54 with 10 minutes left - and it just kept growing. It soon reached 20, then 30, as the Jayhawks began to party.
"It's basically our backyard," Graham said, "and we're just thankful we had the opportunity to play here. We took advantage of it."
STATS AND STREAKS
Kansas is the first team since UConn in 1995 to score at least 90 points each of its first three games. ... The Jayhawks were 15 of 28 from beyond the arc, setting a school record for makes in an NCAA Tournament game. ... Purdue is 1-3 against the Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament. ... Kansas had lost its last three games against teams seeded fourth or better.
WHAT'S NEXT
Asked whether he plans to turn pro, Swanigan replied: "I haven't thought about it." The sophomore went on to say he doesn't have a timetable to make a decision after emerging as a potential first-round NBA draft pick during his breakout season with the Boilermakers.
BIG PICTURE
Purdue got 12 points from P.J. Thompson and 11 from Haas, but it wasn't nearly enough. Vincent Edwards was held to eight points after big games against Vermont and Iowa State, while Carsen Edwards had six points on 1-for-10 shooting. He was 0 for 5 from beyond the arc.
Kansas was so far ahead that Self was able to empty his bench, a rarity for a regional semifinal. That meant his son, Tyler Self, was able to check in for the final couple of minutes, just as chants of "Rock, Chalk!" began to ring out through Sprint Center.
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks play the Ducks on Saturday for a spot in Glendale, Arizona.
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) It took about 10 minutes for Kansas guards Frank Mason III and Devonte Graham to slow down, gain their composure and get everything under control in their Midwest Regional semifinal.
When that happened, everything promptly sped up for Purdue.
The pace of the game turning in their favor, the high-flying Jayhawks proceeded to wear down the bigger, stronger Boilermakers on Thursday night. And by the time Mason and Graham finished pouring in 26 points apiece, No. 1 seed Kansas had coasted to a 98-66 victory and a spot in the Elite Eight.
"When we started to slow down and play our style of basketball, that's when we started rolling," said Mason, the player of the year front-runner, who also had seven rebounds and seven assists.
The Jayhawks will play No. 3 seed Oregon, which survived a nail-biter earlier in the night, on Saturday night for a spot in their first Final Four since 2012.
Josh Jackson added 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Landen Lucas did a good job of keeping Purdue forwards Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas in check, as the Jayhawks (31-4) turned a seven-point halftime lead into their third consecutive blowout in the NCAA Tournament.
Their beat-down of the Big Ten champs followed easy wins over UC Davis and Michigan State.
"You just cannot let them get in transition like that," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "If they keep getting those types of opportunities and shoot like that, they can't be stopped."
Swanigan still had 18 points and seven boards for the No. 4 seed Boilermakers (27-8), but the 6-foot-9, 250-pound All-America candidate had to work for all of it. The Jayhawks kept collapsing on him in the post, forcing Swanigan to begin taking 3-pointers early in the second half.
It wasn't much longer before the game was out of reach.
"It was one of the best games we've played all year," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "The second half was about as complete as we played. We were pretty good at both ends."
The game shaped up as a contrast of styles: the slick, speedy athleticism that carried the Jayhawks to the Big 12 title against the bruising, post-dominated play of the Boilermakers.
Purdue promptly stunned a sold-out Sprint Center by hoisting up early 3-pointers.
Their underrated guards took advantage of constant double-teams of Swanigan and Haas in the paint, letting loose a barrage of deep shots. By the time Kansas realized the game had started, Painter's team had raced to a 25-18 lead midway through the first half.
The Jayhawks eventually found their footing, and the crowd that showed up a mere 40-minute drive from their campus in Lawrence provided the soundtrack to a 22-7 run to end the half.
Things got so loud inside the downtown arena that Painter, who always maintained Kansas earned the right to the quasi-home game, resorted to scribbling offensive sets on a dry erase board.
"It was unbelievable," Graham said. "They gave us so much momentum and energy."
The roars for Kansas only got louder in the second half.
Ryan Cline's 3-pointer got Purdue within 58-54 with 14:39 to go, and that's when the Jayhawks ripped off a game-defining 11-0 run. Mason started and ended it, but it was Lagerald Vick's acrobatic 360-degree dunk in transition that brought a roar that shook the playing floor.
When Mason knocked down his fourth 3, the lead had grown to 69-54 with 10 minutes left - and it just kept growing. It soon reached 20, then 30, as the Jayhawks began to party.
"It's basically our backyard," Graham said, "and we're just thankful we had the opportunity to play here. We took advantage of it."
STATS AND STREAKS
Kansas is the first team since UConn in 1995 to score at least 90 points each of its first three games. ... The Jayhawks were 15 of 28 from beyond the arc, setting a school record for makes in an NCAA Tournament game. ... Purdue is 1-3 against the Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament. ... Kansas had lost its last three games against teams seeded fourth or better.
WHAT'S NEXT
Asked whether he plans to turn pro, Swanigan replied: "I haven't thought about it." The sophomore went on to say he doesn't have a timetable to make a decision after emerging as a potential first-round NBA draft pick during his breakout season with the Boilermakers.
BIG PICTURE
Purdue got 12 points from P.J. Thompson and 11 from Haas, but it wasn't nearly enough. Vincent Edwards was held to eight points after big games against Vermont and Iowa State, while Carsen Edwards had six points on 1-for-10 shooting. He was 0 for 5 from beyond the arc.
Kansas was so far ahead that Self was able to empty his bench, a rarity for a regional semifinal. That meant his son, Tyler Self, was able to check in for the final couple of minutes, just as chants of "Rock, Chalk!" began to ring out through Sprint Center.
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks play the Ducks on Saturday for a spot in Glendale, Arizona.
Top-seeded Gonzaga survives for 61-58 win over West Virginia
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Jevon Carter fired up two potential tying 3-pointers only to see them go off-target and Gonzaga didn't allow West Virginia to get off a third.
A defensive stop was a fitting way for this offensively challenged Sweet 16 matchup to end.
Jordan Mathews hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute to play and top-seeded Gonzaga survived a rough shooting night all around to beat No. 4 seed West Virginia 61-58 Thursday night to advance to the West Regional final.
"All year we've been banking on our defense, our defense, our defense," coach Mark Few said. "Our defense stepped up and got it done there at the end. So we are absolutely elated to continue to be playing. We're 40 minutes away from a Final Four."
The Bulldogs (35-1) needed that defense to make their third Elite Eight in school history on a night that featured 51 fouls and only 34 made baskets. They also needed someone to make a key shot and Mathews delivered with the 3-pointer that made it 60-58.
"We had never come across that throughout the season. It wasn't frustration. It was more like, I don't know, confusion, trying to figure it out," Mathews said of the shooting woes. "But just staying the course and just rallying around our guys and just thinking about the defensive end, helped my offense in the end."
West Virginia (29-8) had three shots to tie the game but Tarik Phillip missed a shot from the lane and Jevon Carter missed two 3-pointers after Silas Melson made one foul shot. The Mountaineers rebounded both misses but couldn't get another shot off in the final 13 seconds.
"To know you were so close and you gave everything you had and to come up sort, it hurts," said Carter, who had a game-high 21 points.
Despite shooting 26.7 percent for the game, West Virginia stayed close and took a 58-55 lead on a 3-pointer by Carter with 1:47 to play. But the Mountaineers didn't score again and went down to a crushing loss.
Nigel Williams-Goss answered with two free throws. After Daxter Miles Jr. missed two fouls shots and Nathan Adrian was blocked by Josh Perkins on the putback, Williams-Goss found Mathews in the corner for the open 3-pointer that proved the game-winner.
"You tell me another team in the country who can shoot 26 percent from the field against a No. 1 seed, 21 percent from 3 and still could have, should have won the game," coach Bob Huggins said. "That says a lot about what kind of guys we have."
Mathews, Przemek Karnowski and Johnathan Williams all had 13 points to lead the Bulldogs.
BIG PICTURE
West Virginia: The Mountaineers could get nothing going offensively most of the night but a pair of 3-pointers by Carter in the second half helped them fight back from an eight-point deficit to briefly take the lead in the second half. The rest of the team made just 10 baskets.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs struggled to get into their offense all game. When they managed to beat the Mountaineers relentless press, they couldn't capitalize in the halfcourt. WCC Player of the Year Williams-Goss was held to 10 points on 2-for-10 shooting with five turnovers.
MONKEY AROUND
Gonzaga as made it to its third regional final to go along with eight Sweet 16 trips and 19 straight tournament appearances. All that's missing is a trip to the Final Four.
"I don't know that I have a monkey on my back. I certainly don't wake up with one or walk around with one," Few said. "I don't think these guys think I have one. I don't think my wife thinks I have one or anybody in my family, close friends. Fishing buddies never talk about it. So those are the only people that really matter to me."
INADVERTENT WHISTLE
Carter's go-ahead shot came after a lengthy replay review that gave West Virginia a second chance. Adrian appeared to go out of bounds under the basket in transition but the officials reviewed the play and determined that there was an inadvertent whistle.
UGLY START
The first half was far from an aesthetic masterpiece with 27 fouls and just 16 baskets. The teams combined for 29 percent shooting, including 2 for 16 from 3-point range as the game went into the break tied at 30.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga plays No. 11 seed Xavier for a spot in the Final Four.
AP Sports Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Jevon Carter fired up two potential tying 3-pointers only to see them go off-target and Gonzaga didn't allow West Virginia to get off a third.
A defensive stop was a fitting way for this offensively challenged Sweet 16 matchup to end.
Jordan Mathews hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute to play and top-seeded Gonzaga survived a rough shooting night all around to beat No. 4 seed West Virginia 61-58 Thursday night to advance to the West Regional final.
"All year we've been banking on our defense, our defense, our defense," coach Mark Few said. "Our defense stepped up and got it done there at the end. So we are absolutely elated to continue to be playing. We're 40 minutes away from a Final Four."
The Bulldogs (35-1) needed that defense to make their third Elite Eight in school history on a night that featured 51 fouls and only 34 made baskets. They also needed someone to make a key shot and Mathews delivered with the 3-pointer that made it 60-58.
"We had never come across that throughout the season. It wasn't frustration. It was more like, I don't know, confusion, trying to figure it out," Mathews said of the shooting woes. "But just staying the course and just rallying around our guys and just thinking about the defensive end, helped my offense in the end."
West Virginia (29-8) had three shots to tie the game but Tarik Phillip missed a shot from the lane and Jevon Carter missed two 3-pointers after Silas Melson made one foul shot. The Mountaineers rebounded both misses but couldn't get another shot off in the final 13 seconds.
"To know you were so close and you gave everything you had and to come up sort, it hurts," said Carter, who had a game-high 21 points.
Despite shooting 26.7 percent for the game, West Virginia stayed close and took a 58-55 lead on a 3-pointer by Carter with 1:47 to play. But the Mountaineers didn't score again and went down to a crushing loss.
Nigel Williams-Goss answered with two free throws. After Daxter Miles Jr. missed two fouls shots and Nathan Adrian was blocked by Josh Perkins on the putback, Williams-Goss found Mathews in the corner for the open 3-pointer that proved the game-winner.
"You tell me another team in the country who can shoot 26 percent from the field against a No. 1 seed, 21 percent from 3 and still could have, should have won the game," coach Bob Huggins said. "That says a lot about what kind of guys we have."
Mathews, Przemek Karnowski and Johnathan Williams all had 13 points to lead the Bulldogs.
BIG PICTURE
West Virginia: The Mountaineers could get nothing going offensively most of the night but a pair of 3-pointers by Carter in the second half helped them fight back from an eight-point deficit to briefly take the lead in the second half. The rest of the team made just 10 baskets.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs struggled to get into their offense all game. When they managed to beat the Mountaineers relentless press, they couldn't capitalize in the halfcourt. WCC Player of the Year Williams-Goss was held to 10 points on 2-for-10 shooting with five turnovers.
MONKEY AROUND
Gonzaga as made it to its third regional final to go along with eight Sweet 16 trips and 19 straight tournament appearances. All that's missing is a trip to the Final Four.
"I don't know that I have a monkey on my back. I certainly don't wake up with one or walk around with one," Few said. "I don't think these guys think I have one. I don't think my wife thinks I have one or anybody in my family, close friends. Fishing buddies never talk about it. So those are the only people that really matter to me."
INADVERTENT WHISTLE
Carter's go-ahead shot came after a lengthy replay review that gave West Virginia a second chance. Adrian appeared to go out of bounds under the basket in transition but the officials reviewed the play and determined that there was an inadvertent whistle.
UGLY START
The first half was far from an aesthetic masterpiece with 27 fouls and just 16 baskets. The teams combined for 29 percent shooting, including 2 for 16 from 3-point range as the game went into the break tied at 30.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga plays No. 11 seed Xavier for a spot in the Final Four.
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