[ad_1]
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The losses got here in speedy succession, leaving the lads’s event with no extra No. 1 seeds.
Alabama, seemingly on a roll with a convention title and a pair of comfy N.C.A.A. wins, crumpled to San Diego State, 71-64. Minutes later, the event misplaced its remaining No. 1 when Houston, which was making an attempt to succeed in the Closing 4 in its residence metropolis, misplaced to Miami.
It was the primary time beneath the event’s present format that no groups seeded No. 1 had reached the spherical of 8, after Purdue and Kansas, final 12 months’s champion, exited within the first weekend.
Alabama headed to the spherical of 16 with two different huge threats in its area eradicated — second-seeded Arizona and third-seeded Baylor.
However on Friday night time, the Crimson Tide discovered themselves bothered by San Diego State’s bodily play and gradual tempo, and wasted a 9-point lead within the second half. Alabama’s star freshman, ahead Brandon Miller, couldn’t rescue his crew as he had commonly accomplished this season, ending with 9 factors on 3-of-19 taking pictures and 6 turnovers.
Miller missed 9 of 10 3-pointers — together with one with 37 seconds left and Alabama trailing, 68-64. After a San Diego State free throw, Nathan Mensah blocked Jahvon Quinerly’s layup try — Mensah’s fifth block of the sport — to all however seal it.
The Aztecs have been lifted by Darrion Trammell, a 5-foot-10 switch from Seattle College who poured in 21 factors, equaling a season excessive. — Billy Witz
No. 1 seed Houston fell to fifth-seeded Miami.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kelvin Sampson, the coach of the Houston males’s basketball crew, has been surprisingly blunt this month about his crew’s deficiencies. By no means thoughts the Cougars’ No. 1 seed, Sampson stated this week. By no means thoughts their 33-3 report. The season has typically been a battle, he stated, and success within the nationwide event was removed from assured.
Sampson’s phrases proved painfully prescient on Friday night time, as Houston fell, 89-75, to Miami in a unexpectedly one-sided spherical of 16 matchup in Kansas Metropolis.
Miami, a No. 5 seed, performed crisply and confidently as underdogs, benefiting from a scintillating taking pictures efficiency from star level guard Nijel Pack, who completed the sport with 26 factors.
With the win, the Hurricanes, who shot 51.7 % from the sector as a crew, superior to the regional finals for the second straight 12 months. They have been blown out in that spherical final 12 months by Kansas, the eventual nationwide champions.
Miami appeared sharp from the tip-off, going up 42-36 after a tough fought first half that featured seven lead adjustments. Pack and taking pictures guard Isaiah Wong (20 factors) saved poking holes within the vaunted Houston protection, slashing their method into house, wriggling free for open seems alongside the 3-point line.
Pack, particularly, bounced by the sport in a seemingly unshakable groove. The purpose guard, who transferred to Miami final 12 months after two seasons with Kansas State, shot 8 of 12 from the sector, together with 7 of 10 from 3-point vary.
“We’re simply completely satisfied to have him,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga stated earlier than the sport about Pack. “He’s a unbelievable shooter, however he’s additionally working very onerous defensively, and he’s sharing the ball along with his teammates because the quarterback of our crew.”
Miami scored 5 fast factors after the break, forcing Sampson to take a timeout, and primarily by no means appeared again, stretching their lead with relative ease. Houston shot simply 37.5 % from the sector, the gamers’ droopy physique language reflecting their night time of struggles.
With the loss, the Cougars’ dream of taking part within the Closing 4 of their residence metropolis got here to a sudden finish. Sampson had been requested this week how significant, how thrilling, such a flip of occasions could be. He refused to entertain the notion. He knew too properly how precarious, how fleeting, success may very well be. — Andrew Keh
Iowa overcame a halftime deficit to advance.
SEATTLE — Within the first couple of minutes of the ladies’s round-of-16 matchup between Iowa and Colorado, it will have been simple to assume the sport was being performed at Carver-Hawkeye Area in Iowa Metropolis. The Hawkeyes led early, and a crowd of followers in yellow-and-black jerseys erupted after every shot.
That they had motive to really feel at residence, as second-seeded Iowa outlasted the Buffaloes, 87-77, to earn a spot within the spherical of 8. The Hawkeyes will face Louisville on Sunday.
But it surely was not a straightforward win.
Colorado saved issues shut early, and within the second quarter, the Buffaloes gave the impression to be taking management. Their aggressive play held Iowa in examine, and Frida Formann’s 19 first-half factors helped Colorado go into halftime with a 1-point lead, 40-39.
But the query from the start appeared to be how a lot Colorado may decelerate Caitlin Clark, one in all faculty basketball’s most feared stars due to her taking pictures. Not fairly sufficient, it turned out.
Clark scored 13 factors within the first half and completed with 31. She had 11 within the third quarter alone as Iowa took the lead rapidly then constructed it up.
When Clark stole the ball and flew throughout the hardwood for a layup to cap a 13-point run, the gang erupted as if she had secured the win.
Successfully, she had. — Talya Minsberg
Creighton ended Princeton’s Cinderella run.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Princeton’s Matt Allocco, a decided junior guard, caught with Creighton’s sinewy Arthur Kaluma as he drove into the lane. Allocco reduce off Kaluma’s path to the basket, stayed with him on a pivot and acquired a hand up as Kaluma lofted a fadeaway jumper that nestled by the web.
Because it did, Allocco shook his head.
It was removed from resignation, but it surely was an indication that Princeton, which surged into the second weekend of the lads’s N.C.A.A. event with impressed crew basketball that belied its standing as a No. 15 seed, knew what it was up in opposition to on Friday night time in Louisville.
Creighton, with its scintillating ball motion, sharp taking pictures and heady play, is what an Ivy League crew would possibly appear to be with a roster dotted with gamers who will proceed their careers as professionals.
The Bluejays, who navigate the tough and tumble Large East, eased their method into the South Regional remaining on Sunday in opposition to San Diego State by pulling away from Princeton for an 86-75 victory.
The sport can be a rematch of final 12 months’s first-round sport received by Creighton in additional time. It’s going to even be a household affair: Creighton’s Kaluma is the youthful brother of San Diego State guard Adam Seiko, whose 3-pointer put the Aztecs forward to remain of their upset of top-ranked Alabama.
Each groups can be aiming for his or her first look within the Closing 4, and will probably be a distinction of kinds — San Diego State’s grinding protection placing the Creighton offense to the check.
Creighton’s offense flowed to full impact on Friday. The Bluejays labored middle Ryan Kalkbrenner on the inside, with the 7-foot-1 junior scoring 22 factors on 9-of-12 taking pictures. And Baylor Scheierman, a headband-wearing sharpshooter, led the perimeter sport with 21 factors on 8-of-11 taking pictures, together with 5 3-pointers.
Princeton, which trailed by 16 factors within the second half, considerably stymied the Bluejays for a stretch with a 1-3-1 zone. The Tigers closed to 76-69 with 3:38 left, however Kalkbrenner’s layup and dunk, sandwiched round a free throw by Kaluma, saved Princeton at bay. — Billy Witz
Mississippi couldn’t cease Hailey Van Lith and Louisville.
SEATTLE — Mississippi got here swinging into its sport within the spherical of 16 of the ladies’s N.C.A.A. event, lower than every week after upsetting No. 1-seeded Stanford.
The eighth-seeded Rebels took an early lead within the first quarter, but it surely didn’t final. Regardless of a powerful defensive sport, Mississippi was unable to carry off No. 5 seed Louisville, which received, 72-62, to maneuver on to the spherical of 8.
Although each groups performed aggressively and with a way of urgency, Louisville closed the primary half with a 7-point run that proved to be the beginning of the Cardinals’ pulling away. Mykasa Robinson hit a jumper in the beginning of the fourth quarter to push the result in 12, and the Rebels posed little menace from there.
Within the remaining seconds, Hailey Van Lith dribbled the ball in place to expire the clock. The native of Wenatchee, Wash., had scored 21 factors in her residence state, and her crew was headed to the subsequent spherical. “Oh my God,” she mouthed towards her teammates.
The Cardinals will face No. 2 seed Iowa within the round-of-8 sport on Sunday. — Talya Minsberg
Miami withstood a 21-point comeback to beat Villanova.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The round-of-16 sport was slipping away from Miami, as Villanova closed a 21-point hole.
However the ninth-seeded Hurricanes stopped the reversal within the remaining minute, scoring 6 straight factors to beat fourth-seeded Villanova on Friday, 70-65, to advance to its first round-of-8 sport within the ladies’s N.C.A.A. event.
“I can’t consider it,” Miami Coach Katie Meier stated. “I’m not going to behave cool. That is superior.”
Villanova had cruised to the spherical of 16, beating its lower-seeded opponents by a mean of 18 factors. The Wildcats appeared to be constructing for a run behind their star, Maddy Siegrist, the highest scorer in Division I.
However from the start of Friday’s sport, it was clear that this matchup could be a lot completely different from Villanova’s earlier video games.
Miami’s protection smothered Villanova’s ballhandlers, hounding them as quickly as they inbounded the ball. Miami’s pace and physicality made up for a peak drawback and compelled rushed photographs and turnovers, inflicting Villanova’s offense to look confused. By the point Villanova appeared to have figured Miami’s protection out within the second half, it gave the impression to be too late.
However Siegrist, who scored a game-high 31 factors, led a livid rally within the third and fourth quarters as Miami tightened up, seemingly terrified of spiraling. Nonetheless, the Hurricanes held shut despite the fact that they blew their lead.
Siegrist, who may depart faculty early to declare for the W.N.B.A. draft, tearfully stated after the sport that her future was unsure.
“I’ve acquired to speak to my dad and mom and stuff,” Siegrist stated. “However I couldn’t be extra grateful for the chance to be right here. Like so many good individuals, and it’s actually concerning the individuals, take the basketball half out of it, the recollections and other people I’ll cherish ceaselessly.”
Miami had confronted a way more tough path to the spherical of 16 than Villanova, with shut video games and a win over Indiana, a No. 1 seed, on its residence ground.
Miami will play Louisiana State on Sunday. — Kris Rhim
Utah slowed Angel Reese however couldn’t cease L.S.U.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Louisiana State’s star ahead Angel Reese headed towards the sideline along with her face in her palms after fouling out with simply over 4 seconds left, her crew holding a 1-point lead. Utah ahead Jenna Johnson went to the free-throw line, the L.S.U.-leaning crowd chanted loudly, and he or she missed each.
No. 3-seeded L.S.U. acquired two extra free throws and a crucial remaining cease to eke previous No. 2 seed Utah, 66-63, to advance to the spherical of 8 for the primary time since 2008.
Utah appeared centered on taking away Reese, and the Utes did gradual her down a bit, holding her to 17 factors.
However that technique freed up alternatives for ahead LaDazhia Williams, who scored 24 on 11-of-14 taking pictures, typically celebrating when her buckets went in.
“They’re not a one-trick pony, as they are saying,” Utah coach Lynne Roberts stated. “They acquired lots of good gamers.”
Williams scored 7 factors within the second quarter, after Reese picked up her second foul and left the sport. Utah had appeared prefer it could be pulling away, however Williams saved L.S.U. shut. “I felt like I wanted to step up as a senior,” stated Williams, who referred to as the sport one of the best of her profession.
L.S.U. had been a daily contender within the early 2000s, making 5 straight Closing Fours. However this system had seen a decline till Kim Mulkey arrived from Baylor forward of final season. Mulkey, a three-time nationwide champion, added transfers, like Reese, and instantly made the Tigers related once more.
Mulkey has frightened that their quick begin would possibly create outsize expectations in Baton Rouge. “May be feeding that monster too rapidly, but it surely certain beats the heck out of dropping,” she stated.
L.S.U. will play Miami on Sunday. — Kris Rhim
Texas, a No. 2, is the best seed left within the males’s event.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Immediately the top-seeded crew within the males’s N.C.A.A. event, Texas is ever nearer to a home-state benefit on the Closing 4.
The Longhorns on Friday simply discarded third-seeded Xavier, which appeared sluggish and disorganized working in opposition to its opponent’s noisy protection and fast-moving offense.
The final No. 2 seed left within the event, Texas led your complete sport en path to an 83-71 victory in its first round-of-16 look since 2008. The win was the Longhorns’ fourth this month in T-Cellular Middle, the place additionally they have been topped the Large 12 Convention event champions.
Texas began 4 transfers, underscoring the transience of contemporary faculty basketball and the rewards for coaches prepared to regulate to annual roster turnover.
There was Marcus Carr, previously of Minnesota and Pittsburgh, who led the crew’s fast-paced offense with 18 factors and 6 assists. Timmy Allen, an athletic wing participant who as soon as starred at Utah, scored 11 factors. And Tyrese Hunter, a former Iowa State guard, led the crew with 19 factors. The crew’s main scorer in its first two event video games, Dylan Disu, previously of Vanderbilt, began the sport however left with a foot harm and returned to the bench in a conspicuous strolling boot.
Xavier was led by the rangy 7-foot graduate pupil Jack Nunge — a switch himself — who had 15 factors and 11 rebounds.
The Musketeers appeared unprepared for Texas’s pace. Early within the second half, Xavier gamers had their palms on their hips, panting whereas making an attempt to maintain up with the Texas guards.
There was provincial delight within the crew’s victory in Kansas Metropolis. Earlier Friday, on the identical courtroom, the varsity’s higher-ranked neighbor, Houston, crashed out of the event because the lone remaining No. 1 seed.
That loss left the Longhorns because the final remaining Texas crew in a event that had been stacked with them. The varsity is working to reclaim the highest place within the state’s newbie basketball hierarchy after two in-state rivals, Houston and Baylor, have surged lately. — Noah Weiland
[ad_2]
Source link