Ducks are moving on
Dorsey helps Oregon end run by Michigan
KANSAS CITY, MO. - Tyler Dorsey’s teammates call him “Mr. March.” Yeah, that fits. Dorsey scored 20 points and made the go-ahead layup with 1:08 left, and third-seeded Oregon held on to end No. 7 Michigan’s dramatic postseason run with a 69-68 victory in a Midwest Regional semifinal on Thursday night.
“We lean on him right now,” 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, for sure. He’s
scored 20 or more points in six straight games, a stretch that has seen Pac-12 player of the year Dillon Brooks struggle with his shot.
Oregon didn’t have the win secured until Derrick Walton Jr., 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 straight year.
For the Wolverines (26-12), it was the end of a wild ride.
“The kids fought their hearts out this whole season,” Michigan coach John Beilein said, “but particularly this last six weeks to be more than a story. It was a great team. They were becoming a great team before the story. We weren’t sharp as we would have liked to have been today, but you have to credit Oregon with that.”
Jordan Bell had a double-double for the Ducks, with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Brooks added 12 points and Ennis had 10.
Walton led the Wolverines with 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Zak Irvin had 14 of his 19 points in the second half and DJ Wilson had 12 points.
Kansas 98, Purdue 66: Player of the year front-runner Frank Mason III poured in 26 points and the top-seeded Jayhawks (31-4) turned on the jets in the second half in a blowout of the No. 4 seed Boilermakers (27-7) in the other semifinal.
Devonte Graham also had 26 points and Josh Jackson had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Jayhawks, who led by 7 at halftime before their up-and-down pace wore down the Boilermakers.
Kansas used two big runs, including an 11-0 charge highlighted by Lagerald Vicks’ 360-degree dunk, to coast into a matchup with Oregon on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four.
Caleb Swanigan had 18 points and seven boards for the Boilermakers.