Wolverines claw their way into second round
INDIANAPOLIS Derrick Walton Jr. stuck to the plan Friday.
He kept running the Michigan Wolverines’ offence against an aggressive Oklahoma State defence and eventually things fell into place. Again.
Walton scored 26 points and had 11 assists as the Wolverines made a school record 16 three-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game, getting past Oklahoma State 92-91 in the first round of the Midwest Regional.
“We haven’t played a team that got up into us in a minute. It’s hard to simulate that in practice,” Walton said. “In the second half, I settled down. I wanted to make the right play consistently.”
Seventh-seeded Michigan needed every point it could muster in a game that ended with a parade to the free-throw line, a buzzerbeating three-pointer and a foe that refused to go away.
The difference: Poise and emotion, the same components that helped Michigan (25-11) overcome last week’s harrowing plane mishap to sweep four games in four days at the Big Ten Tournament.
It looked like Michigan’s momentum was waning early. The Wolverines looked out of sync in the first half. But rather than change the game plan, Walton followed the script, steadied his team and the shots started going in.
While Michigan made only five shots inside the arc in the second half, it went 11 of 15 from threepoint range — drawing increasingly louder roars from the crowd and more bewilderment from first-year Cowboys coach Brad Underwood. Walton wound up 6-for-9 on threes and Zak Irvin made four more in front of his hometown crowd. Irvin finished with 16 points.
For Michigan, there was no victory celebration — only relief after winning the highest-scoring game in this year’s tourney.
The Wolverines have won six in a row and need one more to reach their first Sweet 16 since 2014.
Juwan Evans scored 23 points and Jeffrey Carroll had 19 to lead Oklahoma State (20-13), but the nation’s eighth-highest scoring team just couldn’t keep up with Michigan’s three-point barrage.
MIDWEST REGION
OREGON 93, IONA 77 SACRAMENTO, CALIF. With star big man Chris Boucher cheering in a bulky knee brace from the sidelines, Tyler Dorsey scored 24 points to lead four players in double figures, Canadian Dillon Brooks had 18 points and four assists and No. 3 seed Oregon beat 14th-seeded Iona 93-77 in the first round of the Midwest Regional.
KANSAS 100, UC DAVIS 62
TULSA, OKLA. Frank Mason III scored 22 points and had eight assists as top-seeded Kansas won its opening game of an NCAA Tournament for an 11th straight year with a 100-62 victory over UC Davis. Freshman Josh Jackson added 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting for the Jayhawks (29-5). Five players finished in double figures for Kansas, with Svi Mykhailiuk and Devonte’ Graham adding 16 points each and Landen Lucas 13. Chima Moneke scored 20 points to lead the 16thseeded Aggies.
SOUTH REGION NORTH CAROLINA 103, TEXAS SOUTHERN 64
GREENVILLE, S.C. Justin Jackson broke out of a shooting slump with 21 points to help top-seeded North Carolina roll past Texas Southern 103-64 in the first round of the South Regional. Isaiah Hicks added 17 points and Kennedy Meeks had 13 for the Tar Heels, who are a No. 1 regional seed for an NCAA-record 16th time. Kevin Scott scored 19 points to lead the 16th-seeded Tigers.
EAST REGION
BAYLOR 91, NEW MEXICO STATE 73 TULSA, OKLA. Al Freeman came off the bench to score 21 points and No. 3 seed Baylor defeated No. 14 seed New Mexico State 91-73 in the first round of the NCAA’s East Regional. Jo Lual-Acuil scored 16 points and Johnathan Motley added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears (26-7).
DUKE 87, TROY 65
GREENVILLE, S.C. Grayson Allen had 21 points off five three-pointers, Jayson Tatum had 18 points and 12 rebounds and second-seeded Duke continued its perfect post-season with an 87-65 victory over Troy to start the East Regional. The Blue Devils (29-7) became the first team to win four games on the way to the Atlantic Coast Conference crown last week. They kept up that pace in blowing past the 15th-seeded Trojans (22-15). Jordon Varnado had 18 points to lead Troy.
USC 66, SMU 65
TULSA, OKLA. Elijah Stewart hit a late three-pointer for No. 11 seed Southern California as the Trojans upset sixth-seeded SMU 6665 Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. SMU’s Shake Milton missed a floater at the buzzer. Stewart had 22 points for the Trojans (26-9). Bennie Boatright and Chimezie Metu each added 14 for USC, which advances to play Baylor in the second round of the East Regional Sunday.