Last-second shot by unlikely shooter lifts No. 3 Kansas by Wisconsin in OT
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Bobby Pettiford Jr. made a twisting reverse layup off a loose rebound with 0.2 seconds left in overtime to give No. 3 Kansas a 69-68 win over Wisconsin in a Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal Thursday.
Pettiford’s layup marked his lone points of the game, capping a thriller that saw the Badgers (4-1) rally from 15 down early in the second half.
“I had kind of a good angle but, I mean, kind of a little bit of luck and skill at the same time,” Pettiford said. “So I just kind of hoped it went in.”
Jalen Wilson had 29 points and 14 rebounds for the reigning national champion Jayhawks (6-0), and Kevin Mccullar Jr. added 18 points — including a 3-pointer that forced overtime — and nine rebounds.
Tyler Wahl led Wisconsin with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He scored 14 points after intermission, including a spinning drive against a falling Wilson for a layup and a 68-67 Badgers lead with 21 seconds left in overtime.
The Badgers shot 48 percent in the second half. Wahl scored all the points in a 9-0 run, capped by a banked-in runner over Kansas guard Gradey Dick that put Wisconsin up 61-60 with 49.4 seconds to go in regulation.
Connor Essegian hit two free throws to make it 63-60 before Mccullar buried a 3 from the left wing with 11.8 seconds left to tie it and force overtime.
“We had nothing going (in the second half), and they had outplayed us totally,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “Obviously, we make two plays at the end of regulation and the end of overtime that basically gave us the win. We were not the best team today.”
Said Wisconsin coach Greg Gard: “We’re not into moral victories, but this group showed me a lot today. And we also learned we have a lot of things we can continue to get better at.”
■ No. 1 North Carolina 89, Portland 81: At Portland, Ore., Pete Nance scored 28 points and Caleb Love 23 for the Tar Heels (5-0), who overcame a four-point deficit in the final seven minutes with a 14-3 run. Moses Wood had 21 points for the Pilots (4-3), who hit one field goal in the final four minutes. Armando Bacot had 11 points and 13 rebounds for UNC.
■ No. 8 Duke 54, Oregon State 51: At Portland, Ore., Kyle Filipowski had 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Blue Devils (5-1), who overcame a four-point deficit with a 10-2 run and didn’t trail in the final eight minutes. Jordan Pope had 14 points and five rebounds for the Beavers (3-2), who were outrebounded 43-28.
■ No. 18 Alabama 81, No. 12 Michigan State 70: At Portland, Ore., Brandon Miller had 24 points and nine rebounds while leading four double-figure scorers for the Crimson Tide (5-0). Tyson Walker had 21 points for the Spartans (3-2), who trailed 42-37 at halftime.
■ No. 20 Connecuticut 83, Oregon 59: At Portland, Ore., Tristen Newton had 23 points and six assists for the Huskies (6-0), who shot 47.6 percent while hitting 17 of 37 3-point tries. The Ducks (2-3) trailed 39-28 at halftime and totaled 17 turnovers.
■ No. 22 Tennessee 73, Southern California 66, OT: At Paradise Island, Bahamas, Julian Phillips had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Volunteers (4-1), who missed 15 of 18 3-point tries but hit 22 of 26 free throws. Boogie Ellis scored 21 points for the Trojans (4-2), who didn’t lead over the final 1:45.
■ No. 24 Purdue 80, West Virginia 68: At Portland, Ore., Zach Edey had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Boilermakers (4-0), who shot 51.1 percent. The Mountaineers (4-1), who trailed 43-32 at halftime, missed 17 of 22 3-point tries.