Florida State eliminates Zags
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 ninth-seeded Florida State 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 semifinal in Los Angeles.
C. J. Walker and Braian Angola added nine points for Florida State (23-11), which knocked out a third straight higher-seeded opponent in a surprising run out West for a team that went 9-9 in ACC play and lost its conference tournament opener.
Coolly maintaining a lead down the stretch at Staples Center, Florida State ended Gonzaga’s 16-gamewinning 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. Florida State jumped to a 13-point lead early in the second half and never let their margin dip below four, with Mann providing the biggest buckets along the way.
Rui Hachimura scored 16 points, and Zach Norvell Jr. added 14 for the Zags (32-5), who hadn’t lost since Jan. 18. Already playing without injured forward Killian Tillie, the Zags struggled when forwards Johnathan Williams and Hachimura got into early foul trouble. Tillie apparently has an injured hip, although the Zags had kept it quiet.
After a season of running away from West Coast Conference opponents, Gonzaga played frombehind for much of the night at Staples Center, even trailing at halftime for only the sixth time all season.
The Zags fell behind by 13 early in the second half while Florida State defended the perimeter well and moved the ball fluidly. Florida State was even more dominant than usual around the rim, and Mann led a parade of scorers from all spots.
SOUTH REGION
KANSAS STATE61, KENTUCKY 58 » Barry Brown’s tiebreaking layup with 19 seconds remaining was the difference for Kansas State in a South Region semifinal in Atlanta. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the final buzzer for Kentucky (26-11). Kansas State (25-11) overcame the loss of top scorer Xavier Sneed, who had 22 points before fouling out with 1:14 remaining. It’s a No. 9 vs. No. 11 in the Elite Eight for the first time in tournament history with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Sneed, who had nine points in the first half, was unstoppable in the second half. He scored 13 points in the first 11:30 of the second half before he was called for his fourth foul with 8:24 remaining.
When Sneed took a seat on the bench, Kansas State lost its momentum. It led 5244when Sneed collected his fourth foul and led only 5655 when he returned with 2:13 remaining, with Kentucky fans chanting “Go Big Blue” to encourage the comeback.
WEST REGION
MICHIGAN 99, TEXAS A&M 72 » The Wolverines shot 62 percent from the floor and routed the Aggies in the West Region semifinals to reach the Elite Eight for the third time in six years. Next up the Wolverines will face No. 9 Florida State in the region final. The Wolverines (31-7) dominated from start to finish at Staples Center, hitting 14 3-pointers 10 in the first half and extending their winning streak to 12 games.
Muhammad- Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored 24 points, Moe Wagner added 21 points, and Charles Matthews had 18 points as thirdseeded Michigan had five players in double figures. The Wolverines were good in the first half and even better in the second. The rout was on by halftime with Michigan leading 52-28 after shooting 57 percent from the floor. In the second half, the Wolverines improved to 68 percent from the floor.
The Aggies (22-13) never made a run, going long stretch es without a basket in the first half while Michigan was scoring on nearly every trip down the floor. Tyler Davis led the seventh-seeded Aggies with 24 points.