Nowell breaks NCAA assist record, KSU beats MSU in OT

Markquis Nowell broke the NCAA Tournament record for assists in a game with 19, his last two on spectacular passes in the final minute of overtime, and Kansas State beat Michigan State 9893 on Thursday night in a Sweet 16 thriller at Madison Square Garden.

Playing in his hometown and fighting through a second-half ankle injury, Nowell found Keyontae Johnson for a reverse alley-oop with 58 seconds left in OT to give the Wildcats (26-9) the lead for good in this backand-forth East Region semifinal. He then threw an inbound pass to Ismael Massoud, who knocked down a jumper with 15 seconds left for a 96-93 lead.

With Michigan State needing a 3 to tie, Nowell stole the ball from the Spartans' Tyson Walker and drove for a clinching layup at the buzzer. The 5-foot-8, Harlem-raised Nowell finished with 20 points and five steals in a signature performance at basketball's most famous arena.

Johnson scored 22 points for the Wildcats. A.J. Hoggard led Michigan State (21-13) with 25 points.

UCONN 88, ARKANSAS 65 >> Jordan Hawkins scored 24 points for UConn and the Huskies are one step away from the Final Four after a rout of Arkansas 5 in a West Region Sweet 16 matchup.

The fourth-seeded Huskies (28-8) will play the winner of UCLA or Gonzaga in an Elite Eight game Saturday in Las Vegas. Arkansas' season ended at 22-14.

UConn played like a

team capable of winning its fifth NCAA Tournament title and first since 2014. The Huskies have outscored their three March Madness opponents by 62 points.

They won their first two games by outscoring Iona and Saint Mary's by a combined 86-49 in the second half. UConn surged early against Arkansas with a 14-point run and took a 4629 lead into halftime.

The Huskies never trailed

and led by as many as 29 points when they went up 62-33. Arkansas answered with a 10-point run in just 27 seconds, but the outcome was never in doubt.

Marin Catholic grad Joey Calcaterra scored five points for UConn against Arkansas.

GONZAGA 79, UCLA 76 >> Gonzaga advanced to the Elite with a win over UCLA. See marinij.com/ sports for story.

ADAM HUNGER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell reacts after a play in the second half of a Sweet 16 game against Michigan State in the East Regional of the NCAA tournament at Madison Square Garden on Thursday in New York. He had 19assists.