Kansas: We’re not in NCAA race anymore
INDIANAPOLIS — Southern California coach Andy Enfield is taking another program back to the Sweet 16.
The only surprise about this one? How handily his Trojans took apart No. 3 seed Kansas.
Isaiah Mobley hit four 3-pointers and scored 17 points, All-American big brother Evan added 10 points and 13 rebounds, and sixth-seeded USC rolled to an 85-51 victory Monday night inside Hinkle Fieldhouse — more than doubling the worst margin of defeat for the Jayhawks in 49 trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Isaiah White added 13 points and Tahj Eaddy 12 for the Trojans (24-7), who kept the Pac-12’s charmed tourney going by reaching their fourth Sweet 16. They’ll face conference rival Oregon next weekend.
Enfield, who took No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast to the second weekend in 2013, had plenty of time to enjoy this one. The Trojans built a 29-21 lead, went on an 11-0 run to finish the first half, then coasted over the final 20 minutes.
GONZAGA 87, OKLAHOMA 71
Mark Few sat down at the microphone, the Gonzaga coach’s hair disheveled after he was doused with water and threw down a celebratory handstand in the locker room.
Even after 32 straight wins dating to last season, the Bulldogs are relishing their triumphs during an NCAA Tournament run that can only conclude in two ways: perfection or disappointment.
“We’ve been celebrating every one of these wins. We celebrated the other night. We celebrated this one. If we’re lucky enough to get another one, we’re going to celebrate like crazy for that one,” Few said. “This tournament needs to be celebrated, man.”
The way Gonzaga is playing, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were more celebrations to come — four of them, to be exact. Drew Timme scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and the top-seeded Bulldogs beat No. 8 seed Oklahoma in the second round.
A No. 1 seed, two No. 2s and two No. 3s have already been eliminated from this tournament. But Gonzaga (28-0) faces higher expectations as it tries to become the first undefeated champion since Indiana 45 years ago. In the 22nd season of his remarkably consistent career, Few is four wins away from his first national title.
“You gotta bring that fire because all it takes is one good game and you can be out,” Timme said.
The Bulldogs easily dispatched Norfolk State in the first round, but the Sooners were the first power conference opponent for Gonzaga since it embarrassed Virginia in late December.
The Zags advanced to their sixth straight Sweet 16 and will next face Creighton in the West Region. Gonzaga has won the past two meetings with Creighton.
“We’re not satisfied with this,” Timme said. “This is not the end goal.”
CREIGHTON 72, OHIO 58
Marcus Zegarowski scored 20 points to help Creighton beat Ohio, securing the program’s first trip to the round of 16 in 47 years.
Damien Jefferson added 15 points for the Bluejays (22-8), the fifth seed in the West Region. They had a cold opening few minutes before the offense — and Zegarowski in particular — got rolling with a strong performance that built a double-digit lead by halftime against an upstart trying to spring a second straight tournament upset.
That lead grew to 21 points in the opening minutes of the second half, and the Bluejays never let the 13th-seeded Bobcats (17-8) get closer than nine from there.
The last time Creighton made it to the regional semifinals, it was 1974 and the tournament field had 25 teams. Now the Bluejays — who survived a close call against UC Santa Barbara in the first round — are advancing to the second weekend, where No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga awaits.
Creighton’s breakthrough comes after a tumultuous few weeks. Coach Greg McDermott received a one-game suspension for making a racially insensitive remark in the locker room to his players after a late-February loss. He apologized multiple times and was reinstated.
Zegarowski
16 from the 3-pointers. finished 7 field with for four