Seminoles roll past Bulldogs

WEST: FLORIDA STATE 75, GONZAGA 60

LOS ANGELES» Florida State’s upset run in the NCAA Tournament has stretched all the way to the brink of the Final Four.

Terance Mann scored 18 points and the ninth-seeded Seminoles advanced to the Elite Eight for just the third time in school history with a 75-60 victory over fourth-seeded Gonzaga on Thursday night in the West Region semifinals.

C.J. Walker and Braian Angola added nine points for the Seminoles (23-11), who knocked out a third straight higher-seeded opponent in a surprising run out West for a team that went only 9-9 in ACC play and lost its conference tournament opener.

Coolly maintaining a lead down the stretch at the Staples Center, Florida State ended Gonzaga’s 16game winning streak and halted the pursuit of a second straight Final Four berth for last year’s tournament finalist.

“It’s not any time to start celebrating right now,” Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. “These guys are working hard. We’ve worked hard all year. Not very many people think we have a chance to be where we are.”

Hamilton’s best postseason run in his 16 years at Florida State is extended to Saturday, when the Seminoles will face third-seeded Michigan for a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio. The Wolverines advanced with a 99-72 rout of Texas A&M.

Florida State followed up its stunning comeback against top-seeded Xavier last weekend with a steady, dominant second half against Gonzaga. The Seminoles jumped to a 13-point lead early in the second half and never let their margin dip below four, with Mann providing the biggest baskets along the way.

Rui Hachimura scored 16 points and Zach Norvell Jr. added 14 for the Bulldogs (32-5), who hadn’t lost since Jan. 18. Already playing without injured forward Killian Tillie, the Bulldogs struggled when forwards Johnathan Williams and Hachimura got into early foul trouble.

After a season of running away from West Coast Conference opponents, Gonzaga played from behind for much of the night at the Staples Center, even trailing at halftime for only the sixth time all season.