KENTUCKY 80, PURDUE 75
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — From embarrassment to exhilaration. From
early exit to regional champ. From bracket busters to net cutters.
Virginia, the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed a year
ago, survived overtime and Carsen Edwards’ staggering 3-point show Saturday
night to make it to the Final Four for the first time since 1984.
The top-seeded Cavaliers needed a last-ditch buzzer-beater
to send the game in overtime, and then finally contained Edwards in the extra
period to hang on for an 80-75 victory over Purdue in the South Region final.
The Cavaliers (33-3) redeemed themselves from last year’s
loss to UMBC by relying on veterans, sound defense, poise, controlling the ball
and a failure to be rattled even when the Boilermakers had the chance to ice
the game in regulation at the foul line.
Their balance and experience allowed them to overcome a
brilliant performance by Edwards, whose 10 3-pointers were one shy of the NCAA
Tournament record. Edwards finished with 42 points for third-seeded Purdue
(26-10) and none of his teammates scored more than seven each.
Edwards was named the Most Outstanding Player of the South
regional, becoming the first player to win the honor from a losing team since
Stephen Curry in 2008. Fitting, too, since Edwards scored the most points (139)
through four NCAA Tournament game since 2000; Curry had the previous most with
128 points for Davidson.
De’Andre Hunter scored four points in overtime, including
the go-ahead layup with 29 seconds remaining, while Kyle Guy and Kihei Clark
each added two free throws as Virginia finally shook loose from Purdue.
Virginia got a last-gasp jumper from Mamadi Diakite’s as
time expired to force overtime and the Cavaliers got clutch baskets from Ty
Jerome and Hunter, who also had two free throws, before Guy and Clark sealed
the victory.
Guy injured his ankle in the first half and his return was
uncertain. But he came out from the break and hit back-to-back 3s and finished
with 25 points — 21 after halftime — and 10 rebounds. Jerome had 24, Diakite 14
and Hunter 10 as the Cavaliers outlasted the high-scoring Boilermakers.
Edwards had been unstoppable until overtime, and although he
connected on a jumper, he missed a late 3 and committed a turnover that
ultimately led to Clark’s game-sealing foul shots.
The win put Coach Tony Bennett in the Final Four for the
first time in a decade with the Cavaliers. His father, Dick Bennett, coached
Wisconsin to the Final Four in 2000 — beating Purdue in the regional finals.
TEXAS TECH 75, GONZAGA 69
ANAHEIM, Calif. — One player came all the way from Italy.
Another arrived from rural Illinois after a stop in South Dakota. Still another
could’ve gone a lot of places but chose to stay home and see if he could help
Texas Tech make the big time.
It can’t get much bigger than this.
Coach Chris Beard and his group of unheralded grinders
notched a victory for everyone with a chip on their shoulder Saturday, gutting
out a 75-69 win over Gonzaga that’s sending the Red Raiders to the Final Four.
Davide Moretti of Bologna, Italy, made the two most
important 3-pointers of his life to open a sliver of a cushion, then defense
sealed the deal — and wrapped up a trip to college basketball’s biggest stage for
the first time in the 94-year history of the program.
Anyone who has caught even a glimpse of this team’s
nation-leading defense wouldn’t have been surprised. It was typical of the Red
Raiders (30-6) — in this case, an inch-by-inch takedown of the nation’s most
prolific offense, punctuated by Tariq Owens’ major rejection of Rui Hachimura
with 56 seconds left — one of Texas Tech’s seven blocked shots, to go with nine
steals and 16 forced turnovers.
Jarrett Culver, an NBA prospect who chose his hometown college
over several other suitors, led the Red Raiders with 19 points. Matt Mooney,
out of Wauconda, Illinois, and playing as a graduate transfer from South
Dakota, had 17.
But, as usual, the biggest stats came on defense.
Texas Tech held the Bulldogs to 42 percent shooting, some 10
points below their average. This was only the fourth time Gonzaga was held
under 70 this season. In short, the Red Raiders gave the Zags very little room
to breathe.
After falling behind by 7 points late, Gonzaga (33-4)
chipped away and pulled within 71-69 on Zach Norvell Jr.’s putback with 11
seconds left. But
Josh Perkins reached over the end line and tipped the ball
out of Mooney’s hand as he was inbounding, and the refs called a technical.
Moretti (12 points) did the honors — sinking the technical
free throws to ice the game.
He was the player brought to tears earlier this month, when
his family visited from Italy and Beard brought them into the meeting room to
surprise him.
If he thought that was fun, just wait.
Though Gonzaga was the only team to beat Duke and Zion
Williamson at full strength this season, there will be no rematch in the Final
Four. With Clarke (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Hachimura (22 and 6), both of
whom could be possible lottery picks, this might have been Few’s most talented
team — even more talented than the squad that made the national final two
seasons ago.
But programs find talent in lots of different corners, and
Beard has been amassing his share — then coaching it up — since he arrived in
Lubbock three years ago. It’s his 12th stop on a nationwide tour through
community colleges, Division II and assistant’s jobs — most notable among them
the 10 years he spent at Texas Tech working for Bob Knight and then Knight’s
son, Pat.
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