NCAA TOURNAMENT
Gonzaga’s Joel Ayayi scores during Sunday’s win over Creighton in the Sweet 16. For more on the NCAA Tournament, see
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 17 points, hitting two big jumpers early in overtime, and East Region No. 11 seed UCLA held on after Alabama’s Alex Reese drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of regulation to beat the second-seeded Crimson Tide 88-78 in a Sweet 16 showdown Sunday night in Indianapolis.
With star guard Johnny Juzang fouled out, Jaquez and David Singleton took control in overtime. Jaquez curled in a jumper to make it 74-68, then drilled a 3-pointer to make it 77-70 moments later. Singleton’s free throws made it 79-70 with under a minute to go, and all UCLA (21-9) had to do was put the game away from the foul line.
After beating Michigan State in overtime just to escape the First Four, the unheralded Bruins are headed to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008. They’ll face top-seeded Michigan on Tuesday night for a spot in the Final Four.
UCLA thought it had the game won in regulation when Cody Riley’s layin made it 63-62 with 14 seconds left, and Herbert Jones — a 75% foul shooter for Alabama — missed both of his attempts with 6 seconds left.
Singleton was fouled and made two free throws for UCLA, pushing the lead to 65-62 with 4 seconds to go. But that still gave the Crimson Tide enough time to find Reese, whose tying 3-pointer splashed just before the buzzer.
Jules Bernard also scored 17 points as the Bruins gave coach Mick Cronin his first trip to a regional semifinal in 18 years as a college head coach.
Jahvon Quinerly scored 20 points and John Petty Jr. had 16 for the Crimson Tide (26-7).
MICHIGAN 76, FLORIDA STATE 58 >> Hunter Dickinson had 14 points and eight rebounds, and the top-seeded Wolveries took the inside route to the Elite Eight, pounding away in the paint for a takedown of the surprisingly helpless fourth-seeded Seminoles.
Franz Wagner had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan, which scored its first 30 points of the second half from close range to lead coach Juwan Howard and Co. to a victory in the only “chalk” meeting between a 1 and 4 seed of the second weekend.
Michigan (23-4) moved to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2018.
Badly off target most of the game, Florida State didn’t eclipse the 20-point mark until M.J. Walker (10 points) hit a jumper with 27 seconds left in the first half.
Other lowlights for the Seminoles:
• 14 turnovers, including 10 in the first half that led to 16 Michigan points.
• No 3-pointers over the first 24 minutes, and only 5 of 20 for the game; four of the makes came from Malik Osborne, who led the Seminoles with 12 points.
• Foul trouble for Walker, Anthony Polite and RaiQuan Gray. Adding to the trouble, Walker, the team’s leading scorer this season, rolled his ankle at the 14-minute mark of the second half. By the time he came back eight minutes later, the Seminoles (18-7) trailed by 19.
• The offense was held under 60 points for the first time this season, and it showed about as much fluidity as coach Leonard Hamilton, who limped around on the sideline in a walking boot; he ruptured his Achilles tendon while stepping off the bus last week.
Much of the credit for the Seminoles’ off game goes to Michigan. The Wolverines have big men in 7-foot-1 Dickinson and 6-9 Wagner, the likes of whom FSU hasn’t faced much.
West Region
GONZAGA 83, CREIGHTON 65>> Drew Timme had 22 points and six rebounds, and the top-seeded Bulldogs did against the Bluejaysn what they’ve done throughout this unblemished season, rolling past fifth-seeded Creighton with versatile offense and efficient defense to advance to the Elite Eight.
Andrew Nembhard added 17 points and eight assists for Gonzaga (29-0), which has won a school-record 33 consecutive games and extended their Division I record to 26 straight double-digit wins.
Gonzaga did it this time on a quiet day for star Jalen Suggs, who finished with nine points. The Bulldogs methodically built a 10-point halftime lead and pushed ahead by 20 on Suggs’ layup with 11:22 left.
Marcus Zegarowski scored 19 points to lead the Bluejays (22-9), who were trying to reach their first Elite Eight since 1941, when only eight teams played in the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga’s fast start forced Creighton to call its first timeout a little more than two minutes into the game and within seven minutes the Zags already led 22-12.
The Bluejays settled down and fought back within 27-25. But Gonzaga answered with five straight points, took a 43-33 halftime lead and spent most of the second half pulling away.
NIT championship
MEMPHIS 77, MISSISSIPPI STATE 64 >> Boogie Ellis scored 23 points and Memphis won the NIT championship game in Frisco, Texas, giving the Tigers (20-8) a title in Penny Hardaway’s third season coaching his alma mater.