Buckeyes bounced by second-seeded Arizona

Buckeyes bounced by second-seeded Arizona

Associated Press

PORTLAND, ORE.

If D’Angelo Russell really has played his last collegiate game, it’s not the way Ohio State wanted to send him out.

The standout freshman struggled to find his shot, scoring just nine points as the 10th-seeded Buckeyes lost 73-58 to second-seeded Arizona in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

“Unfortunately, it was kind of one of those days for him,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said.

The Buckeyes gave the Wildcats all they could handle in the first half, even with Russell — a likely NBA lottery pick — in a shooting funk.

Sam Thompson had 18 points and Shannon Scott scored 10 for Ohio State, which led by six points early on but never could match Arizona’s size. The Wildcats won the rebounding battle 43-26, packing the paint and using their length to reel in Russell.

Russell made just 3 of 19 shots after going for 28 points in Ohio State’s overtime win over VCU in its tournament opener. He added seven rebounds and six assists — including a dazzling, cross-court, no-look pass during a fast break — in what was probably his last game for Ohio State.

Russell wore a bandage to cover the five stitches he received above his left eye after taking an elbow in Thursday’s contest. And he spent the final minutes on the bench listening to Arizona’s fans chant “U-of-A!”

“I would say they played great D on a few of them, but a lot of them were great shots. I just missed,” Russell said.

Russell declined to say whether he will declare for the NBA draft, as most expect him to do. He said his poor shooting performance will have no impact on his decision, either.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an individual factor, missing shots or feeling like, ‘Oh, I lost to Arizona, I’ve got to get back at ‘em,”’ he said. “I don’t see anything like that.”

Arizona’s Gabe York made five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points, and T.J. McConnell turned in a terrific all-around performance.

McConnell had 19 points, six assists, six rebounds and five steals to help the Wildcats (33-3) overcome a sluggish start. The senior’s steady hand created all kinds of space for York and other shooters to bust the Buckeyes’ zone defense, which they rarely used during the regular season but broke out for the tournament.

“They got the ball to the middle a lot in the second half and Gabe York played a heck of a half,” Scott said. “That kills a zone.”

The Pac-12 champion Wildcats went ahead by 15 points with 6:34 remaining before holding off Ohio State (24-11), which eliminated Arizona in the regional semifinals two years ago. Next up for the Wildcats is sixth-seeded Xavier in the West Regional semifinals Thursday in Los Angeles.

It was sweet redemption for Arizona and coach Sean Miller, who lost on a last-second shot to Ohio State in 2013. And it was the first time in three tries that Miller beat Matta, a close friend and former colleague who also handed Miller’s Xavier team a last-second defeat in the 2007 tournament.

“This is probably, without a doubt, maybe his best team,” Matta said.

In other games Saturday:

N.C. State 71, Villanova 68

PITTSBURGH

Villanova went from a top seed to No. 1-and-done.

N.C. State is back in the Sweet 16, attacking one of the top teams in the nation for 40 minutes and stunning Villanova. The Wolfpack went wild as the final horn sounded and danced around the court in celebration.

No, it wasn’t quite Jim Valvano’s mad dash after the Wolfpack won the 1983 national championship. But the Wolfpack (22-13) have designs on their own big March run. They will move on to Syracuse, New York to play the winner of the Louisville-Northern Iowa game.

N.C. State guards Cat Barber and Desmond Lee shared a long embrace after buzzer. Barber pounded his chest and said, “all heart!”

Lacey led them with 17 points and Barber had 13, each coming with big buckets to hold off a late Villanova charge. The Wildcats saw a 16-game winning streak end and have not reached the second weekend since 2009.

Xavier 75, Georgia State 67

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.

Jalen Reynolds and Myles Davis came off the bench for a combined 38 points as sixth-seeded Xavier end the biggest feel-good story of the NCAA Tournament.

The Musketeers (23-13) advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third time in six years under coach Chris Mack. They’ll face No. 2 seed Arizona — a 73-58 winner over Ohio State — in the West Regional semifinals in Los Angeles.

No. 14 seed Georgia State (25-10), whose injured coach Ron Hunter worked the sideline in a rolling chair, upset No. 3 seed Baylor Thursday. Hunter, who tore his Achilles tendon celebrating his team winning the Sun Belt Conference title, and his son and star player, RJ, became the darlings of the tournament.

No. 1 Kentucky 64, Cincinnati 51

LOUISVILLE, Ky.

Aaron Harrison scored 13 points, Trey Lyles added 11 with 11 rebounds and top-ranked Kentucky outworked eighth-seeded Cincinnati to remain undefeated and reach the Sweet 16 for the second straight season.

Despite the Wildcats’ sixth straight double-digit win, they faced their toughest test in a while and didn’t seem totally in control until the final minutes. Kentucky certainly expected a battle from the physical, pesky Bearcats and worked hard for every shot and rebound in an intense contest.

But the Wildcats (36-0) succeeded by making life difficult on both ends for Cincinnati, holding the Bearcats to 32 percent shooting including just 24 percent in the second half. Kentucky blocked six shots after halftime and came up with several key rebounds.

The Wildcats move on to face the Maryland-West Virginia winner in the Midwest Regional on Thursday in Cleveland.

Troy Caupain had 13 points for Cincinnati (23-11).

UCLA 92, UAB 75

LOUISVILLE, Ky.

Tony Parker led five Bruins in double figures with a career-high 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as 11th-seeded UCLA beat 14th-seeded UAB to advance to its second straight Sweet 16.

The Bruins (22-13), the team many thought shouldn’t had even been in the field of 68, have won six of their last seven games in earning their first consecutive Sweet 16 berths since reaching the Final Four three straight seasons between 2006 and 2008. They will play either Gonzaga or Iowa on Friday in the South Regional semifinal in Houston.

UCLA improved No. 11 seeds to a perfect 5-0 against 14 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and the Bruins didn’t need any questionable calls to win the program’s second game as a double-digit seed.

The Blazers (20-16) missed out on their first regional semifinal since 2004.

Utah 75, Georgetown 64

PORTLAND, Ore.

Utah is headed back to the Sweet 16 for the first time in a decade.

Brandon Taylor scored 14 points and Delon Wright added 12 and the fifth-seeded Utes beat No. 4 Georgetown.

The Utes (26-8) will travel to Houston to play the winner of today’s game in Charlotte, North Carolina, between top-seeded Duke (30-4) and No. 8 San Diego State (27-8).

North Carolina 87, Arkansas 78

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.

Marcus Paige scored 22 points, including 20 in the second half, and North Carolina beat Arkansas and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in three years.

Paige missed seven of eight shots in the first half, including all three from 3-point range, and was pretty much a non-factor as the Tar Heels let the Razorbacks keep things close.

But the junior guard took over in the second half, scoring 13 of his team’s 17 points during a 5-minute stretch that helped North Carolina build a double-digit lead.