Sunday, March 17, 2013
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Akron 65, Ohio 46
CLEVELAND
Demetrius Treadwell scored 13 points and top-seeded Akron, its season nearly wrecked by a player suspension, beat Ohio to win the MAC tournament and the league’s automatic spot in the NCAA tournament. One week ago, the Zips (26-6) were in danger of seeing a special season crash when point guard Alex Abreu was arrested on drug trafficking charges. But Akron’s players rallied around coach Keith Dambrot and the Zips, playing in their seventh straight MAC title game, are back in the NCAA brackets for the third time in five years.
BIG EAST CONFERENCE
No. 4 Louisville 78, No. 19 Syracuse 61
NEW YORK
Peyton Siva had 11 points and eight assists to lead Louisville over Syracuse, giving the Cardinals their second straight Big East tournament title. The Cardinals got their third title by overcoming a 16-point deficit in the second half — almost double the previous record in a championship game — and they kept pouring it on once they got the lead, going ahead by as many as 18 points. Second-seeded Louisville (29-5) — along with Georgetown and Marquette the tri-champions of the regular season — won its 10th straight game with its defense, forcing Syracuse into 20 turnovers.
BIG TEN CONFERENCE
No. 22 Wisconsin 68, No. 3 Indiana 56
CHICAGO
Ryan Evans scored 16 points to help Wisconsin upset Indiana in the semifinals. The Badgers allowed only seven points after the top-seeded Hoosiers pulled within one with 9:45 left. They earned their 12th consecutive win against Indiana, tying a record for any school against the powerhouse program, and will play Ohio State in today’s final. Ben Brust added 12 points for Wisconsin (23-10), which has won three straight and six of eight. Sam Dekker scored nine of his 11 points in the second half, including seven in a row during one impressive burst. Christian Watford scored 14 points for Indiana (27-6), and Cody Zeller had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
BIG 12 CONFERENCE
No. 7 Kansas 70, No. 11 Kansas State 54
KANSAS CITY, MO.
Kansas wasn’t about to share this title with Kansas State. Jeff Withey had 17 points and nine rebounds, Perry Ellis and Naadir Tharpe added 12 points each, and the Jayhawks pounded the Wildcats on to win their ninth Big 12 tournament championship. The top-seeded Jayhawks (29-5), who shared the regular-season title with their in-state rival, took a 24-16 lead at halftime and then slowly stretched it in the second half.
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
North Carolina 79, Maryland 76
GREENSBORO, N.C.
Dexter Strickland and Reggie Bullock scored 15 points apiece and North Carolina held on to beat Maryland in tsemifinals. P.J. Hairston scored 13 points despite a heavily wrapped and injured left (non-shooting) hand for the third-seeded Tar Heels (24-9).
No. 9 Miami 81, N.C. State 71
GREENSBORO, N.C.
Durand Scott scored a career-high 32 points to help Miami beat North Carolina State in the semifinals, earning its first trip to the championship game. Shane Larkin added 23 for the top-seeded Hurricanes (26-6), who led the entire way and by 19 points late in the first half. Miami shot 46 percent behind Scott, a senior guard who went 12-for-18 from the field and 5-for-8 from 3-point range.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
Mississippi 64, Vanderbilt 52
NASHVILLE, TENN.
Marshall Henderson scored 23 points as Mississippi beat Vanderbilt in the semifinals, putting the Rebels just one more win away from making sure their NCAA tournament berth is automatic. The third-seeded Rebels (25-8) came here needing wins to sharpen their postseason resume. Now they will play No. 13 Florida in today’s championship game where the winner advances to the NCAA tournament. Reginald Buckner also had 15 points, and Murphy Holloway added 12 for Ole Miss.
No. 13 Florida 61, Alabama 51
NASHVILLE, TENN.
Kenny Boynton scored 11 straight points during a 15-0 second-half run as Florida rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit. The top-seeded Gators (26-6) advanced today’s championship game against either Mississippi. Alabama (21-12), the tournament’s No. 4 seed, will spend today waiting to learn its fate from the NCAA tournament selection committee. Held scoreless for the first 25 minutes of the game, Boynton finished with a game-high 16 points.
ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE
No. 25 VCU 71, Massachusetts 62
NEW YORK
Troy Daniels made six 3-pointers to score 20 points, and VCU advanced to the title game in its first season in the conference. The Rams will face top-seeded Saint Louis today in a matchup of the league’s top two teams during the regular season. The Billikens won 76-62 at home in their one meeting Feb. 19. VCU (26-7) forced 24 turnovers to hold off a pesky Minutemen team that upset Temple in Friday’s quarterfinals. Rob Brandenberg’s 3-pointer as the shot clock expired finally gave the Rams some breathing room.
No. 16 Saint Louis 67, Butler 56
NEW YORK
Dwayne Evans nearly set a career high in points for the second straight game, and Saint Louis’ defense locked down Butler in the second half to reach the Billikens’ first Atlantic 10 title game. Evans had 24 points and 11 rebounds a day after going for 25 and nine in the quarterfinals against Charlotte. Top-seeded Saint Louis beat the Bulldogs for the third time this season.
CONFERENCE USA
No. 20 Memphis 91, Southern Miss 79, 2OT
TULSA, OKLA.
Chris Crawford scored 23 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in double overtime, and Memphis beat Southern Miss to win its seventh Conference USA tournament title in the past eight years. Crawford, the league’s Sixth Man of the Year, connected on a 3-pointer from the left wing to put the top-seeded Tigers (30-4) up 78-76 with 2:44 remaining.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
No. 15 New Mexico 63, UNLV 56
LAS VEGAS
Tony Snell scored 13 straight points for New Mexico during a second-half run, and the Lobos pulled away to beat UNLV and add the Mountain West tournament title to their regular season crown. Snell carried New Mexico (29-5) down the stretch, making three 3-pointers and adding a pair of field goals as the Lobos took over in the last 8 minutes of the game to win the conference title and the rubber game of the series between the teams this season.
Associated Press