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.
Showing posts with label Baylor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baylor. Show all posts
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Friday, March 17, 2017
Freeman scores 21 as Baylor tops New Mexico State
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — After two years of surprise early NCAA Tournament exits, Baylor finally broke through.
Al Freeman came off the bench to score 21 points, and the third-seeded Bears defeated No. 14 seed New Mexico State 91-73 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA's East Regional.
Reserve forward Terry Maston scored 19 points, Jo Lual-Acuil scored 16 and Johnathan Motley added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Baylor (26-7), which suffered upset losses to Georgia State and Yale in the first round the previous two years. The Bears advanced to play Southern California on Sunday.
Motley said the previous losses served as motivation.
"No one wants to leave the tournament early," he said. "Our ultimate goal was to come in and just win it, so we want to just take every game for what it is and make sure we come in and just play our hardest, play desperate, because after this, you lose, you go home. So we knew one team was going home today, and we made sure it wasn't us."
Ian Baker and Braxton Huggins each scored 19 points for New Mexico State (28-6). In the end, Baylor's athletic ability, length and depth were too much for the Aggies to handle. Baylor blocked seven shots .
"We beat a lot of teams this year that we weren't supposed to beat, we beat a lot of teams that were flat-out better than us," New Mexico State coach Paul Weir said. "We were trying to do it against one more team tonight, and we were trying to do that with what I think we showed for 20 minutes, which is a team that just plays really hard, a team that plays together."
It looked like Baylor might be headed for another disappointing early exit. Huggins hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give New Mexico State a 40-38 lead at the half. The Aggies made 6 of 14 3-pointers before the break to counter Baylor's 55 percent shooting.
Baylor took control for good with a 14-3 run early in the second half that gave the Bears a 58-47 lead and forced a New Mexico State timeout. The Bears held the Aggies to 37 percent shooting after the break.
"We know the tournament is about making runs," Motley said. "They made their run, and it was our job to come back and make our own run. So we went in at halftime and made some adjustments, made sure we carried out those adjustments, and good things happen when you follow the game plan."
____
BIG PICTURE:
New Mexico State: The Aggies gave the Bears all they could handle for a half. The Western Athletic Conference tournament champions led early in the second half and gave Baylor's normally stout defense fits. The Aggies had a 20-game win streak earlier in the season and remained proud of what they accomplished this season.
"It sucks the way it ends," Weir said. "I wish we had a different ending to all this, but I think whenever we sit back and look back on the season and look as the successes that we had, we're all going to look on this team really fondly one day and have memories for a long, long time."
Baylor: The Bears got a much-needed win after a shaky finish to the season and re-established its defensive dominance in the second half. The Bears looked like the team that started the season 20-1 and was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
SHARP SHOOTING
Baylor shot 57 percent from the field in the game, and was better than 50 percent in both halves. The Bears also shot 50 percent from 3-point range (4 for 8) and made 17 of 19 free throws.
BENCH SCORING
Baylor's bench outscored New Mexico State's 42-16. The Bears' reserves made 16 of 25 shots.
"All year long, our depth has been a real strength," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Al (Freeman) and T.J. (Terry Maston) had monster games, and that's what the beauty of having depth is."
UP NEXT
New Mexico State: Season is over.
Baylor: Will play USC on Sunday in the second round.
Al Freeman came off the bench to score 21 points, and the third-seeded Bears defeated No. 14 seed New Mexico State 91-73 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA's East Regional.
Reserve forward Terry Maston scored 19 points, Jo Lual-Acuil scored 16 and Johnathan Motley added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Baylor (26-7), which suffered upset losses to Georgia State and Yale in the first round the previous two years. The Bears advanced to play Southern California on Sunday.
Motley said the previous losses served as motivation.
"No one wants to leave the tournament early," he said. "Our ultimate goal was to come in and just win it, so we want to just take every game for what it is and make sure we come in and just play our hardest, play desperate, because after this, you lose, you go home. So we knew one team was going home today, and we made sure it wasn't us."
Ian Baker and Braxton Huggins each scored 19 points for New Mexico State (28-6). In the end, Baylor's athletic ability, length and depth were too much for the Aggies to handle. Baylor blocked seven shots .
"We beat a lot of teams this year that we weren't supposed to beat, we beat a lot of teams that were flat-out better than us," New Mexico State coach Paul Weir said. "We were trying to do it against one more team tonight, and we were trying to do that with what I think we showed for 20 minutes, which is a team that just plays really hard, a team that plays together."
It looked like Baylor might be headed for another disappointing early exit. Huggins hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give New Mexico State a 40-38 lead at the half. The Aggies made 6 of 14 3-pointers before the break to counter Baylor's 55 percent shooting.
Baylor took control for good with a 14-3 run early in the second half that gave the Bears a 58-47 lead and forced a New Mexico State timeout. The Bears held the Aggies to 37 percent shooting after the break.
"We know the tournament is about making runs," Motley said. "They made their run, and it was our job to come back and make our own run. So we went in at halftime and made some adjustments, made sure we carried out those adjustments, and good things happen when you follow the game plan."
____
BIG PICTURE:
New Mexico State: The Aggies gave the Bears all they could handle for a half. The Western Athletic Conference tournament champions led early in the second half and gave Baylor's normally stout defense fits. The Aggies had a 20-game win streak earlier in the season and remained proud of what they accomplished this season.
"It sucks the way it ends," Weir said. "I wish we had a different ending to all this, but I think whenever we sit back and look back on the season and look as the successes that we had, we're all going to look on this team really fondly one day and have memories for a long, long time."
Baylor: The Bears got a much-needed win after a shaky finish to the season and re-established its defensive dominance in the second half. The Bears looked like the team that started the season 20-1 and was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
SHARP SHOOTING
Baylor shot 57 percent from the field in the game, and was better than 50 percent in both halves. The Bears also shot 50 percent from 3-point range (4 for 8) and made 17 of 19 free throws.
BENCH SCORING
Baylor's bench outscored New Mexico State's 42-16. The Bears' reserves made 16 of 25 shots.
"All year long, our depth has been a real strength," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Al (Freeman) and T.J. (Terry Maston) had monster games, and that's what the beauty of having depth is."
UP NEXT
New Mexico State: Season is over.
Baylor: Will play USC on Sunday in the second round.
New Mexico St.-Baylor Preview
Stats, LLC
Anyone scouring the 2017 version of the NCAA Tournament bracket looking for the next huge first-round upset will likely take a close look at the middle of the East Region.
No. 3 seed Baylor faces No. 14 seed New Mexico State at 12:40 a.m. ET on Friday at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. The game sticks out as a potential shocker because the Bears (25-7) are a textbook example of a team that seems to have peaked too early.
Baylor defeated then-top-10-ranked Oregon, Louisville and Xavier along with then-No. 24 Michigan State in nonconference play in November and early December.
The Bears reached 15-0 by defeating Oklahoma State on Jan. 7 and they were rewarded with the No. 1 ranking the following week.
But since then, Baylor is just 10-7 and has fallen from the top of the polls to a No. 3 seed in the tournament. Most recently, Kansas State ejected the Bears from the Big 12 Tournament in the quarterfinals.
But Baylor coach Scott Drew doesn’t think his team has fallen off the map. Rather, he’s intrigued by another shot at the NCAA Tournament.
“I know with us, the way we lost to K-State, I’m sure people will think we’re a team that’s vulnerable,” Drew said. “And, you know what, everybody’s vulnerable. Everybody’s 40 minutes from going home. You’ve got great coaches, great players, it’s the best time of the year. And we’re excited to be a part of it and hopefully do what we need to do to be able to survive and advance.”
Baylor is in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season and the seventh time since 2008, all under Drew.
The Bears advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2014, but No. 14-seeded Georgia State ousted them in the first round in 2015 and No. 12-seeded Yale did the same in 2016.
New Mexico State (28-5) will attempt to continue Baylor’s trend of quick exits.
The Aggies are starved for an NCAA Tournament win after having been here five out of the last six seasons without a victory.
New Mexico State last won an NCAA Tournament game in 1993 when it defeated Nebraska in the opening round. Since then, the Aggies have lost nine straight on college basketball’s biggest dance floor.
First-year coach Paul Weir thinks this might be the season the Aggies get over the hump in March.
“I feel really good about our team,” Weir said. “We have great balance, we have a great group of kids. They believe in each other, and I feel that we’re there.”
Like Baylor, New Mexico State started fast this season before limping to the regular season’s finish line.
The Aggies were 22-2 after defeating Chicago State on Feb. 24. Then New Mexico State lost to CSU Bakersfield, Grand Canyon and Utah Valley during a four-game stretch.
But the Aggies bounced back in time to win the WAC Tournament, defeating CSU Bakersfield 70-60 in the championship game for the conference’s automatic bid.
College hoops fans looking for an upset will have to overlook the fact that the Aggies haven’t played a top 25 opponent all season and Baylor is coming out of a brutal Big 12 schedule.
But for those drama-seekers, it might come down to this: New Mexico State is hot and Baylor is not.
Anyone scouring the 2017 version of the NCAA Tournament bracket looking for the next huge first-round upset will likely take a close look at the middle of the East Region.
No. 3 seed Baylor faces No. 14 seed New Mexico State at 12:40 a.m. ET on Friday at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. The game sticks out as a potential shocker because the Bears (25-7) are a textbook example of a team that seems to have peaked too early.
Baylor defeated then-top-10-ranked Oregon, Louisville and Xavier along with then-No. 24 Michigan State in nonconference play in November and early December.
The Bears reached 15-0 by defeating Oklahoma State on Jan. 7 and they were rewarded with the No. 1 ranking the following week.
But since then, Baylor is just 10-7 and has fallen from the top of the polls to a No. 3 seed in the tournament. Most recently, Kansas State ejected the Bears from the Big 12 Tournament in the quarterfinals.
But Baylor coach Scott Drew doesn’t think his team has fallen off the map. Rather, he’s intrigued by another shot at the NCAA Tournament.
“I know with us, the way we lost to K-State, I’m sure people will think we’re a team that’s vulnerable,” Drew said. “And, you know what, everybody’s vulnerable. Everybody’s 40 minutes from going home. You’ve got great coaches, great players, it’s the best time of the year. And we’re excited to be a part of it and hopefully do what we need to do to be able to survive and advance.”
Baylor is in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season and the seventh time since 2008, all under Drew.
The Bears advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2014, but No. 14-seeded Georgia State ousted them in the first round in 2015 and No. 12-seeded Yale did the same in 2016.
New Mexico State (28-5) will attempt to continue Baylor’s trend of quick exits.
The Aggies are starved for an NCAA Tournament win after having been here five out of the last six seasons without a victory.
New Mexico State last won an NCAA Tournament game in 1993 when it defeated Nebraska in the opening round. Since then, the Aggies have lost nine straight on college basketball’s biggest dance floor.
First-year coach Paul Weir thinks this might be the season the Aggies get over the hump in March.
“I feel really good about our team,” Weir said. “We have great balance, we have a great group of kids. They believe in each other, and I feel that we’re there.”
Like Baylor, New Mexico State started fast this season before limping to the regular season’s finish line.
The Aggies were 22-2 after defeating Chicago State on Feb. 24. Then New Mexico State lost to CSU Bakersfield, Grand Canyon and Utah Valley during a four-game stretch.
But the Aggies bounced back in time to win the WAC Tournament, defeating CSU Bakersfield 70-60 in the championship game for the conference’s automatic bid.
College hoops fans looking for an upset will have to overlook the fact that the Aggies haven’t played a top 25 opponent all season and Baylor is coming out of a brutal Big 12 schedule.
But for those drama-seekers, it might come down to this: New Mexico State is hot and Baylor is not.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Baylor Hires Matt Rhule as Head Football Coach
WACO, Texas -- Baylor University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades IV announced today the appointment of Matt Rhule as the 27th Baylor Head Football Coach. Rhule comes to Waco after four seasons as the head coach at Temple University, where he led the Owls to consecutive 10-win seasons in 2015 and 2016 and the 2016 American Athletic Conference championship.
Rhule will be introduced at a campus celebration on Wednesday at a time and site to be determined.
"We could not be more excited to welcome Matt, Julie and their children to the Baylor Family," said Rhoades. "When we set out on our search for a new leader of our football program, we wanted a coach who shared our values, who had demonstrated success, who showed a true commitment to the overall student-athlete and who we believed could lead Baylor to a national championship. We found all of that and more in Matt and I know that he will be a perfect fit with the Baylor Family."
Rhule served as Head Coach at Temple for four years, compiling a 14-2 conference record in the past two seasons, which included two bowl appearances, two American Athletic Conference East Division titles and the 2016 American Athletic Conference championship. It is the first time in Temple football history that it registered consecutive 10-win seasons and consecutive bowl game appearances. Prior to Temple as the Head Coach, Rhule served as an offensive line coach for the New York Giants in 2012, after coaching six years at Temple, first as the defensive line coach, before switching to quarterbacks and ultimately, to offensive coordinator in 2008. Prior to Temple, Rhule coached at Albright, Buffalo, UCLA and Western Carolina.
"I am truly honored and humbled to join the Baylor Family," said Rhule, "and I can't thank President Garland and Mack Rhoades enough for this incredible opportunity. Baylor is a tremendous institution with a history of football success and I know the passion that so many have for the Bears will help bring the community together to reach even greater heights. I am excited to get started."
Rhule played linebacker from 1994-1997 at Penn State, then earning Academic All-Big Ten recognition in 1997, before graduating with a degree in Political Science from Penn State and a Master's degree in Education Psychology from SUNY-Buffalo. He and his wife, Julie, have three children: Bryant (12), and daughters, Vivienne (3) and Leona (1).
"This is a great day for Baylor University and the beginning of a new chapter in our football program," said Interim President David Garland. "Matt is the absolute right man at the right time to lead us forward and I am confident that his values are our values and that his teams and student-athletes will make us all proud, on and off the field."
- Baylor Football
Rhule will be introduced at a campus celebration on Wednesday at a time and site to be determined.
"We could not be more excited to welcome Matt, Julie and their children to the Baylor Family," said Rhoades. "When we set out on our search for a new leader of our football program, we wanted a coach who shared our values, who had demonstrated success, who showed a true commitment to the overall student-athlete and who we believed could lead Baylor to a national championship. We found all of that and more in Matt and I know that he will be a perfect fit with the Baylor Family."
Rhule served as Head Coach at Temple for four years, compiling a 14-2 conference record in the past two seasons, which included two bowl appearances, two American Athletic Conference East Division titles and the 2016 American Athletic Conference championship. It is the first time in Temple football history that it registered consecutive 10-win seasons and consecutive bowl game appearances. Prior to Temple as the Head Coach, Rhule served as an offensive line coach for the New York Giants in 2012, after coaching six years at Temple, first as the defensive line coach, before switching to quarterbacks and ultimately, to offensive coordinator in 2008. Prior to Temple, Rhule coached at Albright, Buffalo, UCLA and Western Carolina.
"I am truly honored and humbled to join the Baylor Family," said Rhule, "and I can't thank President Garland and Mack Rhoades enough for this incredible opportunity. Baylor is a tremendous institution with a history of football success and I know the passion that so many have for the Bears will help bring the community together to reach even greater heights. I am excited to get started."
Rhule played linebacker from 1994-1997 at Penn State, then earning Academic All-Big Ten recognition in 1997, before graduating with a degree in Political Science from Penn State and a Master's degree in Education Psychology from SUNY-Buffalo. He and his wife, Julie, have three children: Bryant (12), and daughters, Vivienne (3) and Leona (1).
"This is a great day for Baylor University and the beginning of a new chapter in our football program," said Interim President David Garland. "Matt is the absolute right man at the right time to lead us forward and I am confident that his values are our values and that his teams and student-athletes will make us all proud, on and off the field."
- Baylor Football
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