Top-seeded Baylor overcame some frigid outside shooting Saturday to move into the Elite Eight, getting 16 points from Adam Flagler in a 62-51 victory over Villanova and its versatile defense.
The Bears (25-2) came in as the nation’s leading 3-point team, shooting 41.5%, but made only 3 of 19 in this one, unable to find room or get into a comfort zone against fifth-seeded Villanova’s mix of 2-3 zone and man. Davion Mitchell, a 46% shooter from 3 this season, went 0 for 3 in a 14-point night.
Baylor, which started the season 18-0 and won its first-ever Big 12 regular-season title, is one win from the Final Four for the first time since 2012. The Bears will play Arkansas in the South regional final.
This game changed midway through the second half when Baylor all but abandoned what is normally its go-to shot — the 3. The Bears took a six-point lead with a 14-2 run during which not a single point came from outside the arc.
The Bears played some defense, too. Baylor held Villanova to 37.5% shooting in the second half and 0 for 9 from 3.
The Wildcats (18-7) got 16 points from Jermaine Samuels, but only three from Caleb Daniels on 1-for-11 shooting.
ARKANSAS 72, ORAL ROBERTS 70
Davonte Davis hit a short jumper with 2.9 seconds left, and Arkansas beat Oral Roberts to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in 26 years.
The Muss Buss grinded its gears through the first half into the second, bad shots and even worse defense putting third-seeded Arkansas in a 12-point hole against the 15th-seeded Golden Eagles.
Eric Musselman’s Razorbacks (25-6) got their swagger back, turning defensive stops into early offense opportunities and offensive rebounds into points.
It came down to one final shot and Davis made it, sending Arkansas to the Elite Eight for the first time since the Nolan Richardson “40 Minutes of Hell” days.
The let-it-fly Golden Eagles (18-11) let history slip through their grasp. Max Abmas did his best, scoring 25 points. His 3-point attempt at the buzzer bounced off the front of the rim.
MIDWEST
OREGON STATE 65, LOYOLA CHICAGO 58
Ethan Thompson scored 20 points, including a pair of clinching foul shots with 35 seconds left, and No. 12 seed Oregon State kept its dream March going, beating eigth-seeded Loyola Chicago.
Warith Alatishe added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Beavers (20-12), who were picked to finish last in the Pac-12 but ran roughshod through the conference tournament and have kept on winning on college basketball’s biggest stage.
They’re headed for their first Elite Eight since 1982 — one that was later vacated by the NCAA — and will play second-seeded Houston or No. 10 seed Syracuse on Monday night for a spot in the Beavers’ first Final Four since 1963.
Not even the fervent prayers of Sister Jean could help Loyola (26-4) deal with the constantly changing defenses that Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle rolled out. The Ramblers wound up shooting 33% from the field and 5 of 23 from beyond the arc.
All-America forward Cameron Krutwig led Loyola with 14 points. Lucas Williamson and Braden Norris added 10.
HOUSTON 62, SYRACUSE 46
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Quentin Grimes scored 14 points while Houston’s defense locked down on surging Buddy Boeheim, helping the Cougars beat Syracuse 62-46 on Saturday night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Justin Gorham had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the second-seeded Cougars, who pushed through to their first trip to a regional final in 37 years, earning a matchup with Oregon State for the Midwest Region title and a spot in the Final Four.
The Cougars also got a strong all-around effort from DeJon Jarreau, who finished with nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists while leading the defensive effort that kept Boeheim in check — and ultimately derailed the 11th-seeded Orange’s latest postseason push as a double-digit seed.
Houston (27-3) came in holding opponents to a national-low 37.3% shooting, and then harassed Syracuse (18-10) into just 28% (14 for 50), including a 5-for-23 performance from 3-point range.
The focus was making every look difficult for Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim’s son, who had been on an absolute tear through four games in the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA Tournament games to earn the nickname “Buddy Buckets.”
The 6-foot-6 junior had averaged 28.3 points through those games, which included him shooting 60% from the floor and 55.8% from 3-point range.
Things weren’t nearly so easy Saturday.
Jarreau spent much of the night chasing Boeheim, hovering in his shadow on the perimeter, staying right on his hip on drives and swiping at the ball as Boeheim secured catches. Boeheim managed just one first-half basket and finished with 12 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 1 for 9 from 3-point range.
And the Orange couldn’t muster much of anything else, either.
As for Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars, it marks the school’s first trip to a regional final since reaching a second straight NCAA championship game in 1984 with Hakeem Olajuwon and coach Guy Lewis during the famed “Phi Slama Jama” era.
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