URI tops VCU for Atlantic 10 title
Jared Terrell finished with 20 points and E.C. Matthews added 19, including a decisive runner with 55 seconds to go as Rhode Island earned a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1999 with a 70-63 victory over Virginia Commonwealth in the Atlantic 10 title game yesterday in Pittsburgh.
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The third-seeded Rams (24-9) never trailed and withstood a serious late push by second-seeded VCU (26-8) to capture their first conference tournament title since Lamar Odom led them to the A-10 crown 18 years ago. It’s the ninth time in Rhode Island history the program is going to the NCAAs.
JeQuan Lewis led VCU with 15 points. VCU shot just 31 percent (21-of-67) from the field and forced just six Rhode Island turnovers.
Big Ten
Michigan 71, Wisconsin 56 — The Wolverines completed a magical run to their first Big Ten tourney title, using a swarming defense and accurate shooting to beat the No. 24 Badgers for their fourth victory in four days.
Eighth-seeded Michigan (24-11) began its journey with a scary skid off the airport runway in Michigan and ended it by overwhelming second-seeded Wisconsin, which had won three straight — including the regular-season finale against Minnesota — by a total of 55 points.
Between the aborted flight and their final unexpected victory, the Wolverines beat Illinois, eliminated top-seed Purdue and sent home No. 4 seed Minnesota.
Derrick Walton Jr. scored 22 points, D.J. Wilson added 17 and Zak Irvin had 15 for Michigan, which had lost 17 of its previous 20 games against Wisconsin (25-9). The Wolverines shot 56 percent and were 10for-23 from beyond the arc.
American Athletic
SMU 71, Cincinnati 56 — Sterling Brown scored 18 points to help send the No. 12 Mustangs streaking into the NCAA tournament with a win over the No. 15 Bearcats in the AAC championship game in Hartford.
Tournament MVP Simi Ojeleye added 14 points, Jarrey Foster had 13 and Ben Moore scored 12 for Mustangs (30-4), who won their 16th straight game and second AAC title in three years. The Mustangs took the championship in 2015, but missed last year’s postseason under NCAA sanctions.
Jarron Cumberland had 14 points to lead Cincinnati (29-5), which has not won a conference title since capturing the Conference USA crown in 2004.
Southeastern
Kentucky 82, Arkansas 65 — De’Aaron Fox scored 18 points, and the No. 8 Wildcats (29-5) won their third straight SEC Tournament championship by beating the Razorbacks (25-9) in Nashville, Tenn.
Kentucky added its 30th tournament title all-time to its 48 regularseason championships in convincing fashion.
Ivy
Princeton 71, Yale 59 — Myles Stephens had a career-high 23 points and eight rebounds and the Tigers (23-6) won the inaugural Ivy League Tournament in Philadelphia, dropping the Bulldogs (18-11) to clinch its first berth in the NCAA tournament since 2011.
Sun Belt
Troy 59, Texas St. 53 — In New Orleans, Jordon Varnado had 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Trojans (22-14) dropped the Bobcats (2013) to earn the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2003.