San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Cardwell slams Auburn into final
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dylan Cardwell scored his only points on consecutive dunks in the final minutes as No. 12 Auburn held off ninth-seeded Mississippi State 73-66 on Saturday to reach the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game.
With the SEC’s top three seeds losing their openers Friday for the first time in this tournament since 1983, that left a wideopen path for Auburn (26-7) to win the event for the first time since 2019. The Tigers are in the title game for the fifth time in program history.
They will play the winner of Saturday’s game between Texas A&M and Florida on Sunday as they try to win Auburn’s third title.
Chad Baker-Mazara led five Tigers in double figures with 14 points. Denver Jones and Jaylin Williams each added 13. Johni Broome and Tre Donaldson had 10 apiece.
Josh Hubbard scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half, trying to rally Mississippi State (21-13). The Bulldogs go home shy of the championship game continuing a drought that started after their last berth in 2010.
BIG TEN
Max Klesmit made a runner in the lane with 4.8 seconds to play in overtime and Wisconsin beat top-seed Purdue 76-75 in Minneapolis for a spot in the conference
championship game.
Klesmit’s clutch shot followed his teammate Chucky Hepburn’s in regulation, when Hepburn made a layup as time expired to force OT.
Hepburn finished with 22 points. AJ Storr had 20 points and Klesmit had 12 points, five assists and five rebounds for fifth-seeded Wisconsin (22-12), which will play the winner of Saturday’s game between Nebraska and Illinois in Sunday’s final.
Zach Edey led No. 3 Purdue (29-4) with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Edey surpassed Rick Mount’s school record of 2,323 career points (19671970) and finished the game with 2,339 career points.
AMERICA EAST
Shamir Bogues scored 15 points and TJ Long added 14 and top-seeded Vermont beat No. 2 seed UMass Lowell 66-61 in Burlington, Vt., to clinch its third straight conference title and secure a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Vermont (28-6) now has won six of the last eight AEC championships in the one-bid league. The Catamounts now have won nine consecutive
AEC postseason tournament contests.
The Riverhawks (22-10) were searching for their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid in 11 seasons at the Division I level.
ATLANTIC 10
Max Shulga scored 25 points, including a pair of late free throws in the final minute that helped VCU beat Saint Joseph’s 66-60 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to earn a trip to the tournament’s championship game.
The Rams (22-12) will try to claim their third Atlantic 10 tournament championship on Sunday when the face the winner of Saturday’s late game between St. Bonaventure and Duquesne.
Erik Reynolds II led the Hawks (21-13) with 18 points, and Rasheer Fleming added eight points and 12 rebounds.
MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC
Jordan Hairston scored 18 points and Bryce Harris and Seth Towns each scored 16 points and Howard beat Delaware State 70-67 in Norfolk, Va., to claim the tournament championship and secure an NCAA bid.
Hairston made two free throws with six seconds left for a 70-66 lead. Off the inbounds, Delaware State’s Deywilk Tavarez dribbled at a full sprint up the floor and with 2.2 seconds launched a 3point attempt and was fouled by Jelani Williams.
Tavarez made the first foul shot, missed the second, and his attempt to deliberately miss the third for a desperation rebound and 3-point heave attempt failed when his shot attempt ricocheted off the backboard and failed to touch the rim.
Howard inbounded to end the game.