Marquette reaches big east title game
Tyler Kolek and David Joplin each scored 17 points, and No. 6 Marquette moved into the Big East championship game for the first time by holding off No. 11 UConn 70-68 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Playing with three key players on the bench in foul trouble for a large chunk of time down the stretch, the top-seeded Golden Eagles (27-6) opened a four-point lead on a three-pointer by Olivier-Maxence Prosper with 3:39 left and then held on.
UConn had a chance to tie or win in the final 10 seconds, but coach Dan Hurley elected not to call a timeout as his team brought the ball across halfcourt. Jordan Hawkins missed badly on a contested, desperation three at the buzzer.
The Golden Eagles limited the fourthseeded Huskies (25-8) to two points over the final 3:50 and kept them scoreless for the last 2½ minutes, winning for the first time in four semifinal appearances at the Big East tournament since joining the league in 2005.
They next will face Xavier, which routed Creighton 82-60 in the nightcap. Souley Boum scored 23 points and Jack Nunge 17
Kansas 71, Iowa State 58
Jalen Wilson had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Gradey Dick made a couple of crucial baskets during a second-half run for the third-ranked Jayhawks, who reached the Big 12 tournament title game.
Dick finished with 15 points for the topseeded Jayhawks (27-6), who fell behind early in the second half before the defending champs rallied to reach the title game against seventh-ranked Texas, which beat TCU 66-60.
Kansas was once again without Hall of Fame coach Bill Self, who is recovering after a hospital trip Wednesday night for what doctors would only call “a standard procedure.”
Jaren Holmes had 16 points to lead the No. 5 seed Cyclones (19-13).
DUKE 85, MIAMI 78
Kyle Filipowski had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Jeremy Roach hit a huge threepointer at the 1:32 mark and the No. 21 Blue Devils held off the No. 14 Hurricanes in the ACC tournament semifinals.
Roach’s three from the left wing over Isaiah Wong with the shot clock running out gave Duke a 78-71 lead that Miami couldn’t overcome. The fourth-seeded Blue Devils (258) closed out their eighth straight win and earned their 17th trip to the title game in the last 25 tournaments. They’ll face Virginia.
Wong had 22 points to lead the top-seeded Hurricanes (25-7), who lost starting forward
Norchad Omier to an ankle injury just 66 seconds into the game.
Mount Union 102, North Park 85
Marquise Jackson led North Park with 21 points and Adam Bulwa added a career-high 15 off the bench, but the Vikings (24-6) lost to the Purple Raiders (28-2) in a Division III Sweet 16 game in Alliance, Ohio.
Jeffery Mansfield had a game-high 24 points for Mount Union, which significantly outperformed North Park at the free-throw line. The Raiders shot 78.8% (26-for-33) to the Vikings’ 56.7% (17-for-30).
Mount Union will face Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday in the Elite Eight.
coaching news
St. John’s fired coach Mike Anderson after he failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in any of his four seasons. The Red Storm are expected to make Iona’s Rick Pitino their top target. Pitino, the 70-year-old former Kentucky and Louisville coach, has roots in the Big East and grew up on Long Island, not far from the St. John’s campus in Queens.
† Josh Pastner was fired as Georgia Tech’s coach, two seasons after he guided the Yellow Jackets to a surprising ACC tournament title. Pastner was dumped after seven seasons, his fate sealed by a second straight losing season and few signs of progress. ✶