San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Patrick Ewing leads Georgetown back to NCAAS.
Patrick Ewing climbed the ladder — only a few steps needed for the 7-footer — clipped the last string and held the net high.
Georgetown is the Big East champion again, with the greatest Hoya of them all leading the way.
Ewing is taking his team back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 after the eighth-seeded Hoyas completed a surprising run to a Big East crown Saturday night with a stunning 73-48 rout of No. 17 Creighton.
On the 49th anniversary of the day Georgetown hired John Thompson, the late Hall of Fame coach who transformed the program into a national power and one of the most iconic brands in college basketball, the Hoyas won their record eighth Big East Tournament title and first since 2007.
Was it fate? Destiny? Maybe Big John, who died in August at age 78, smiling down on now-coach Ewing and his Hoyas?
“I think so,” Ewing said. Georgetown won with a dominant performance inside New York’smadison Square Garden, reminiscent of Ewing ’s playing days at the school.
The Hoyas (13-12) closed the first half on a 23-2 run that put them up 18 at the break against second-seeded Creighton (20-8). Then they started the second half with a 16-3 spurt. Chudier Bile knocked down a 3-pointer — holding the follow through for a beat — with 14:58 left that made it 52-21.
ACC
Georgia Tech 80, No. 15 Florida State 75: Michael Devoe scored 20 points and Georgia Tech (17-8) shot 52 percent after halftime to beat Florida State (16-6) to win the tournament title for the first time since 1993.
Big 12
No. 13 Texas 91, No. 12 Oklahoma State 86: Matt Coleman scored a careerhigh 30 points, Jericho Simms added a career-best 21 and third-seeded Texas (19-7) beat fifth-seed Oklahoma State (20-8) in Kansas City, Mo., to give the Longhorns their first Big 12 Tournament title.
SEC
No. 6 Alabama 73, Tennessee 68: Herbert Jones had 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, helping topseeded Alabama (23-6) rally for the semifinal win over Tennessee (18-8) in Nashville.
LSU 78, No. 8 Arkansas 71: Cameron Thomas scored 21 points, and third-seeded LSU (18-8) beat second seed Arkansas (22-6) to reach the championship game for the first time since 1993.
Big Ten
No. 3 Illinois 82, No. 5 Iowa 71: Kofi Cockburn scored 18 of his 26 points in the first half, and Illinois (22-6) beat Iowa (21-7) in Indianapolis to advance to the title game.
No. 9 Ohio State 68, No. 4 Michigan 67: Duane Washington Jr. scored 24 points, E.J. Liddell had 18 and Ohio State (21-8) held off Michigan (20-4.
AAC
No. 7 Houston 76, Memphis 74: Justin Gorham scored 15 points, and Houston (23-3) beat Memphis (16-8) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Cincinnati 60, Wichita State 59: Mason Madsen had a team-high 10 points for short-handed Cincinnati (1210), which held on to beat topseeded Wichita State (16-5).
MAAC
Iona 60, Fairfield 59: Rick Pitino’s vagabond coaching career bathed in scandal and success brought him back to the NCAA Tournament. Asante Gist scored 18 points and Pitino took his fifth school to the tournament when Iona (12-5) defeated Fairfield (1017) in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game in Atlantic City, N.J.
MEAC
Norfolk State 71, Morgan State 63: Joe Bryant scored 17 points as Norfolk State (16-7) defeated Morgan State (14-8) in Norfolk, Va., to earn its first NCAA Tournament bid in nine years.
America East
Hartford 64, Umass Lowell 50: Austin Williams scored 20 points with eight rebounds and three steals, and fourth-seeded Hartford (15-8) earned an automatic bid to its first NCAA Tournament.
SWAC
Texas Southern 80, Prairie View 61: Karl Nicholas scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as Texas Southern (16-8) upset top-seeded Prairie View A&M (16-5) in the title game.
Big Sky
Eastern Washington 65, Montana State 55: Jacob Groves had 15 points, and Eastern Washington (16-7) earned its first NCAA bid since 2015 with a win over Montana State (13-10) in Boise, Idaho.
MAC
Ohio 84, Buffalo 69: Jason Preston scored 22 points and Ohio (16-7) dominated from the start against Buffalo (16-8) in Cleveland.
Southland
Abilene Christian 79, Nicholls 45: Reggie Miller had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 2 seed Abilene Christian (23-4) routed top-seeded Nicholls (18-7).
CUSA
North Texas 61, Western Kentucky 57 (OT): Javion Hamlet scored six of his 20 points in overtime, and North Texas (17-9) beat Western Kentucky (20-7).
WAC
Grand Canyon 74, New Mexico State 56: Jovan Blacksher Jr. had 19 points as Grand Canyon (17-6) earned its first bid to the NCAA Tournament with a win over New Mexico State (12-8).
Pac-12
Oregon State 69, Colorado 68: Maurice Calloo scored 15 points off the bench as Oregon State (17-12) beat Colorado (22-8) for its first Pac-12 title.
See scoreboard for list of automatic qualifiers.