Late Games Recap

You really got a treat if you hung around to watch the late games last night, as Wisconsin, Siena, and Cleveland State did not disappoint. Two overtime games, two buzzer beaters, and the first real upset of the tournament.

• Louisville 74, Morehead State 54: MSU hung around for a while, keeping the game close into the second half, but Louisville was just too much. In the second half the Cardinal press took over, and Morehead State seemed to wear down under the pressure. Samardo Samuels led the Cards with 15 points, while T-Will added 13 and 9 boards. It was a valiant effort by the Eagles, who played even for a half with the best team in the country, a team that beat them by 38 back in November. Of note - Kenneth Faried is another guy (along with Ben Woodside) who may have played his way into the NBA Draft. He had 14 points and 11 boards (5 off) against the Cards, and the long, 6'9" forward showed that he played with a ton of energy. More than one NBA Draft website was saying that scouts loved the way Faried played, and Draft Express said that some scouts were comparing him to Louis Admunson of the Suns, formerly of UNLV.
• Siena 74, Ohio State 72 2OT: In what turned into one of the best games of the day, Ronald Moore buried a three at the end of the first OT to force a second extra period, then hit one with 3.9 seconds left in the second frame to win the game for the Saints. Kenny Hasbrouck scored 20 points to lead the Saints, who came back from a 41-30 deficit in regulation. With 56 seconds left, Hasbrouck nailed a three from the corner to cut the lead to one. After earning a stop, Hasbrouck drew a foul going to the rim, and hit 1-2 foul shots to tie the game. Evan Turner, who finished the game with 25 points, 9 boards, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks (all team highs), missed a lay-up that would have won the game in regulation. In the first OT, Siena grabbed an early lead, but a BJ Mullens dunk and two PJ Hill free throws in the final minute set up Moore's game-tying three. The second OT was the most exciting. Tied at 70, Moore drew a phantom foul on Hill, then knocked down 1-2 free throws for a 71-70 lead. After Turner scored at the other end, Edwin Ubiles penetrated and drew three defenders, finding Moore wide open at the top of the key. Moore buried the three, and Turner missed a 15 foot runner that would have forced a third OT.
  
• Arizona 84, Utah 71: The Wildcats used a 10-0 run early, getting Utah's big man Luke Nevill in foul trouble in the process, as they opened up a 14-4 lead and never looked back. Utah would get it down to 64-62 in the second half, but Nic Wise, who scored 21 of his 29 points in the second half, would help to hold off the Utes as he led the Wildcats on a 10-1 run to seal the game. Surprisingly, it was Arizona's defense that won this game. They used a press to force 20 Utah turnovers, 14 of which came in the first half. In the second half, Arizona attacked the rim where Nevill, who was the MWC defensive player of the year, could not defend the basket like he normally does because of his fouls. As a result, Arizona shot a scorching 62% from the field in the second half. Jordan Hill finished with 17 points and 13 boards while Budinger added 20. Tyler Kepkay had 19 to lead Utah.
• Cleveland State 84, Wake Forest 69: Cleveland State controlled this game throughout. They hit three quick threes to start the game 9-0, and eventually opened up a 29-12 lead midway through the first half. Wake would get it down to 55-49 in the second half, but the Vikings would respond with a 11-2 run to push the lead back to 15. Cedric Jackson was sensational, taking over the game for a four minute stretch in the second half. He finished the day with 19 points, 7 boards, 8 assists, and 3 steals. Norris Cole added 22 for the Vikings. The two combined to score all 11 points in the deciding run.
• USC 72, BC 55: The Trojans trailed 34-30 at halftime, but they ran the Eagles out of the gym in the second half. Usually playing at a more moderate pace, the Trojans came into this game healthier than they have been all season long. Taj Gibson was the best player on the floor, as he finished the game with 24 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, and 3 blocks, going 10-10 from the field in the process. Daniel Hackett and Marcus Simmons did a sensational job on BC's star point guard Tyrese Rice, holding him to just nine points, which was a huge reason why BC shot just 24% from the floor in a second half where they managed just 21 points. Dwight Lewis had 20 points, and Demar Derozan added 18 and 9 boards for the Trojans.
• Michigan State 77, Robert Morris 62: RMC hung around for a while, taking a 28-26 lead late in the first half, but that is when MSU turned it on. The Spartans used their superior size and athleticism to run away from RMC, going on a 21-2 run that opened up a 47-30 lead. Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green had 16 points apiece for the Spartans and Goran Suton added 11 points and 17 boards. Finally healthy, MSU looks once again like the team that beat Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma State prior to Big Ten play.
• Xavier 77, Portland State 59: Xavier used a balanced, efficient attack as they rolled past PSU to the second round. The Musketeers shot 54% from the floor (8-19 from deep), committed just 7 turnovers, and had four guys score 13 or 14 points. The difference in this one was the defense the Musketeer's played on the perimeter. Portland State survives on three point shooting, but in this one they didn't hit a three for a 15 minute stretch spanning both halves, which allowed Xavier to pull away.
  
• Wisconsin 61, Florida State 59 OT: Wisconsin was ice cold from the field in the first half, finding themselves down 31-19 at the break after an 11-0 Seminole run. But the Badgers held FSU without a point for the first six minutes of the second half, scoring 13 straight to take a 32-31 lead. After the 'Noles responded with an 11-2 run (9 from Toney Douglas), Wisconsin came back to tie the game at 46, setting up the dramatic finish. After two Douglas free throws gave the Noles a two point lead, Jason Bohannon knocked down a three to give the Badgers the lead. FSU would respond with a bucket on the next possession, and after a stop, Derwin Kitchen turned the ball over trying to call a timeout. Wisconsin capitalized, as Bohannon buried a three from 26 feet as the shot clock expired, giving Wisco a 52-50 lead with under a minute left. But Douglas was able to knock down two free throws to send the game to OT. In the extra frame, Douglas hit another three, putting the Noles up 59-56 with about a minute remaining. Jordan Taylor hit a lay-up to cut it to one, and after a missed Douglas three, Wisconsin had the ball with 14 seconds left anbd a chance to win. Trevon Hughes drove and finished a tough leaner off the glass, drawing a foul, with 2 seconds left. He would make the foul shot, and Wisconsin would advance to face Xavier. Douglas finished with 26 for the Noles, while Bohannon led the Badgers with 16.