Sweet as it gets
Oregon squeaks by Michigan; Kansas, Gonzaga move on.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyler Dorsey’s teammates call him “Mr. March.” It fits. Dorsey scored 20 points and made the go- ahead layup with 1: 08 left, and No. 3 seed Oregon held on to end No. 7 Michigan’s postseason run with a 69- 68 victory in a Midwest Regional semifinal Thursday night.
“We lean on him right n ow,” the Ducks’ Dylan Ennis said. “He’s playing his best basketball, and it’s coming at the right time.”
Dorsey’s recent surge has been timely. He’s scored 20 or more points in six consecutive games, a stretch that has seen Pac- 12 player of the year Dillon Brooks struggle with his shot.
Oregon didn’t have the victory secured until Derrick Walton, who had carried the Wolverines the last three weeks, was off with his long jumper just before the buzzer.
For the Ducks ( 32- 5), it’s on to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year.
It was the end of the road for the Wolverines ( 26- 12).
also needed someone to make a key shot and Mathews delivered the three- pointer that made it 60- 58.
“We had never come across that throughout the season. It wasn’t frustration. It was more like, I don’t know, confusion, trying to figure it out,” Mathews said of the shooting woes. “But just staying the course and just rallying around our guys and just thinking about the defensive end, helped my offense in the end.”
West Virginia ( 29- 8) had three shots to tie the game, but Tarik Phillip missed a shot from the lane and Jevon Carter missed two three- pointers after Silas Melson made one foul shot. The Mountaineers rebounded both misses but couldn’t get another shot off in the final 13 seconds.
“To know you were so close and you gave everything you had and to come up sort, it hurts,” said Carter, who had a game- high 21 points.
Despite shooting 26.7 percent for the game, West Virginia stayed close and took a 58- 55 lead on a three- pointer by Carter with 1: 47 to play. But the Mountaineers didn’t score again and went down to a crushing loss.
Nigel Williams- Goss answered with two free throws. After Daxter Miles Jr. missed two foul shots and Nathan Adrian was blocked by Josh Perkins on the putback, Williams- Goss found Mathews in the corner for the open three- pointer that proved the game- winner.
“You tell me another team in the country who can shoot 26 percent from the field against a No. 1 seed, 21 percent from three and still could have, should have, won the game,” Coach Bob Huggins said.
Mathews, Przemek Karnowski and Johnathan Williams all had 13 points to lead the Bulldogs.
The Mountaineers could get nothing going offensively most of the night but a pair of three- pointers by Carter in the second half helped them fight back from an eight- point deficit to briefly take the lead in the second half. The rest of the team made just 10 baskets.
The Bulldogs struggled to get into their offense throughout the game. When they managed to beat the Mountaineers’ relentless press, they couldn’t capitalize in the halfcourt. WCC Player of the Year Williams- Goss was held to 10 points on 2- for- 10 shooting with 5 turnovers.
Gonzaga has made it to its third regional final to go along with eight Sweet 16 trips and 19 consecutive tournament appearances. All that’s missing is a trip to the Final Four.
“I don’t know that I have a monkey on my back. I certainly don’t wake up with one or walk around with one,” Few said. “I don’t think these guys think I have one. I don’t think my wife thinks I have one or anybody in my family, close friends. Fishing buddies never talk about it. So those are the only people that really matter to me.”