The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
ZAGS ZIG INTO ELITE 8
Top-seeded Gonzaga able to hold off West Virginia to advance
Gonzaga guard Jordan Mathews, top left, drives to the basket against West Virginia during the first half of an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal game Thursday in San Jose, Calif. Gonzaga won 61-58.
Jordan Mathews hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute to play and top-seeded Gonzaga survived a rough shooting night for both teams to beat No. 4 seed West Virginia 6158 Thursday night to advance to the West Regional final in San Jose, California.
On a night that featured 51 fouls and only 34 made baskets, Mathews delivered the big shot that sent the Bulldogs (35-1) to their third Elite Eight in school history.
It didn’t come easily. West Virginia (29-8) had three shots to tie the game but Tarik Phillip missed a shot from the lane and Jevon Carter missed two 3-pointers after Silas Melson made one foul shot. The Mountaineers rebound both misses but couldn’t get another shot off before the buzzer.
Despite shooting 26.7 percent for the game, West Virginia stayed close and took a 58-55 lead on a 3-pointer by Carter with 1:47 to play. Nigel Williams-Goss answered with two free throws.
After Daxter Miles Jr. missed two fouls shots and Nathan Adrian was blocked by Josh Perkins on the putback, Williams-Goss found Mathews in the corner for the open 3-pointer that proved the game-winner.
Mathews, Przemek Karnowski and Johnathan Williams all had 13 points to lead the Bulldogs.
Carter led the Mountaineers with 21 points.
The game was tied at 30 after a first half that was far from an aesthetic masterpiece with 27 fouls and just 16 baskets. The teams combined for 29 percent shooting, including 2 for 16 from 3-point range.
The Bulldogs created some space early in the second when Mathews hit 3s on consecutive trips and added a free throw for a four-point play on the second to make it 41-34. But the Mountaineers fought back and the game stayed tight until the end.
Midwest region
OREGON 69, MICHIGAN 68 >> At Kansas City, Missouri, Tyler Dorsey scored 20 points and made the go-ahead layup with 1:08 left, and thirdseeded Oregon ended No. 7 Michigan’s dramatic postseason run in a Midwest Regional semifinal.
Dorsey, the man the Ducks call “Mr. March,” had his sixth straight game scoring 20 or more points.
The Wolverines (27-11) had one more chance to extend their run after Dylan Ennis missed a free throw with 15 seconds left. But Derrick Walton, who had carried the Wolverines the last three weeks, was off with his long jumper just before the buzzer.
Jordan Bell had a double-double for the Ducks (32-5), with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Pac-12 player of the year Dillon Brooks added 12 points and Dylan Ennis had 10.
Walton led the Wolverines with 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Zak Irvin had 14 of his 19 points in the second half and DJ Wilson had 12 points.
Oregon plays Kansas or Purdue on Saturday in the regional final.
The Ducks are going to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row, and they made it without big man Chris Boucher, who went out in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals with a season-ending knee injury.
Oregon still had plenty of inside game without Boucher, outscoring the Wolverines 34-16 in the pain and outrebounding them 36-31.
Its biggest play in the post came after Walton had made a jumper to give Michigan a 68-65 lead. Ennis got fouled and went to the line for a one-and-one. He missed, and Bell swooped in for the offensive rebound and put it in to make it a one-point game.
After Walton missed a layup, Dorsey gave the Ducks the lead.
Ennis missed another free throw with 15 seconds left, giving Michigan one more chance. Oregon had fouls to give but failed to get a hand on anyone, allowing Walton to put up one more shot.