Nowell lifts K-State to epic win
Tennessee sent packing by FAU; Gonzaga, Connecticut advance
Markquis Nowell broke the NCAA tournament record for assists in a game with 19, his last two on spectacular passes in the final minute of overtime, and Kansas State beat Michigan State, 98-93, on Thursday night in a Sweet 16 thriller at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Playing in his hometown and fighting through a secondhalf ankle injury, Nowell found Keyontae Johnson for a reverse alley-oop with 58 seconds left in OT to give the Wildcats (26-9) the lead for good in this back-and-forth East Region semifinal. He then threw an inbound pass to Ismael Massoud, who knocked down a jumper with 15 seconds left for a 96-93 lead.
With Michigan State needing a 3 to tie, Nowell stole the ball from the Spartans’ Tyson Walker and drove for a clinching layup at the buzzer. The 5foot-8, Harlem-raised Nowell finished with 20 points and five steals in a signature performance at basketball’s most famous arena.
Johnson scored 22 points for the Wildcats. A.J. Hoggard led Michigan State (21-13) with 25 points.
Nowell turned his ankle early in the second half, was helped off the court and had it taped. Michigan State took the lead with him sidelined, and when he returned, he pushed off the ankle to bank in a 3pointer that beat the shot clock and tied the game at 55all.
Other East Region game
Florida Atlantic 62, Tennessee 55: Trailing for most of the game but staying close, the ninth-seeded Owls took control midway through the second half of consecutive 3-pointers by Michael Forrest in the East Region semifinal at Madison Square Garden. The fourthseeded Vols watched FAU surge to a 10-point lead with 5:50 to play and coast home for the victory. FAU (34-3), the upstart from Conference USA, advanced to Saturday’s region final against Kansas State.
West Region
Connecticut 88, Arkansas 65: Jordan Hawkins scored 24 points for Connecticut moved the Huskies one step closer to the Final Four with a rout of Arkansas in a Sweet 16 matchup at Las Vegas. UConn played like a team capable of winning its fifth NCAA tournament title and first since 2014. The Huskies have outscored their three March Madness opponents by 62 points. Adama Sanogo scored 18 points, Alex Karaban had 11 and Nahiem Alleyene 10 for UConn (28-8).
Gonzaga 79, UCLA 65: The third-seeded Bulldogs mounted their biggest winning rally of the season, erasing a 13-point Bruins lead with a dominant second half in their region semifinals at Las Vegas, but it wasn’t easy. Second-seeded UCLA (31-6) went on a 14-3 run and took a one-point lead on Amari Bailey’s 3-poinetr with 13 seconds to play. But Gonzaga (315) answered with a long 3pointer by Julian Strawther to settle the issue.