Coverage & TV lineup,
TOURNAMENT WINNERS AND LOSERS SATURDAY:
■ SOUTH REGION Baylor 62 Villanova 51
No. 1-seeded Baylor, the top 3-point shooting team in NCAA Division I, made just 3 of 19, yet still managed to defeat Villanova behind 16 points from Adam Flagler. Davion Mitchell added 14. The Bears (25-2) won this one with defense, holding the Wildcats to just 10 points over the final 11 minutes of the game. Jermaine Samuuels led Villanova (18-7) with 16 points. Baylor used a 14-2 run midway through the second half to erase a sixpoint deficit and build its own six-point lead. All the points in the run were scored in the paint.
Arkansas 72 Oral Roberts 70
Davonte Davis hit a short jumper with 2.9 seconds left, and Arkansas (25-6) advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in 26 years. The Razorbacks trailed by as many as 12 points against the No.15-seeded Golden Eagles in the second half before rallying. Still, the game wasn’t decided until a 3-point attempt by Max Admas of Oral Roberts from the right wing just missed at the buzzer. Abmas finished with 25 points. Jalen Tate led Arkansas with 22 points. Oral Roberts, looking to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight, finished 18-11.
■ MIDWEST REGION Oregon State 65 Loyola (Chicago) 58
Ethan Thompson scored 20 points, including two clinching free throws with 35 seconds left, to help Oregon State become only the second No. 12 seed to reach the Elite Eight. It will also be the Beavers first appearance in a regional final since 1982. Warith Alatishe added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Beavers (20-12), who were picked to finish last in the Pacific-12 Conference. All-America forward Cameron Krutwig had 14 points and Lucas Williamson 13 for Loyola, which finished 26-4.
Syracuse Houston late
Syracuse played in its 10th Sweet 16 game in the 2000s. Only Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan Sate and North Carolina had made more. But you’ll note that none of those schools was around this weekend. In its previous nine trips, the Orange was 4-5. Houston entered the late game at Hinkle Fieldhouse looking for its first trip to the Elite Eight since 1984 — a team that was built around future Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, who averaged a double-double (16.8 ppg, 13.5 rpg).
■ SUNDAY’S TV LINEUP