The Morning Dish – Monday, March 21st
Defending Champ Out: Julius Hodge had 17 points including a game-winning three-point play with four seconds remaining to lead No. 10 NC State to a 65-62 win against No. 2 Connecticut. The Huskies had fought back from an 11-point deficit with five minutes to play to tie the score with 15 seconds to go. Marcus Williams had 22 points but missed a game-tying three off the front of the iron at the buzzer. Three other Wolfpack players joined Hodge in double figures including Cameron Bennerman, who had 15 points and three threes. NC State moves on to face No. 6 Wisconsin Friday in Syracuse.
Dream Season Ends: Despite 26 points from T.J. Sorrentine, No. 13 Vermont lost to No. 5 Michigan State 72-61. Paul Davis had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Spartans, but his biggest contribution was holding Vermont’s leading scorer Taylor Coppenrath to 16 points on 5-of-23 shooting. Michigan State’s athleticism was too much for the Catamounts to overcome, especially on the fast break, in which the Spartans had a 19-2 advantage. For Vermont, it’s the last game for coach Tom Brennan, who is retiring after three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and the school’s first ever NCAA tournament win, against No. 4 Syracuse Friday. Michigan State will face No. 1 Duke next Friday in Austin.
Krzyzewski is Tournament’s New King: No. 1 Duke beat No. 9 Mississippi State 63-55 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the eighth straight season. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 66th NCAA tournament game, breaking a tie with Dean Smith for the most all-time. With J.J. Redick struggling for the second straight game, Daniel Ewing paced the Blue Devils with 22 points. Lawrence Roberts led the Bulldogs with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but only one other teammate reached double figures. Duke next plays Friday in Austin against No. 5 Michigan State.
Badgers Crash Cinderella’s Party: No. 6 Wisconsin knocked off tournament darling No. 14 Bucknell 71-62 and will play No. 10 NC State in the Sweet 16 Friday. Bucknell put up a valiant effort, fighting back from a six-point halftime deficit to take the lead on two occasions in the second half. Chris McNaughton led the Bison with 23 points but leading-scorer Kevin Bettencourt was held to three points on 1-of-9 shooting. Mike Wilkinson led the Badgers with 23 points and nine rebounds, and Alando Tucker had 17 points, 15 from the free-throw line.
Cowboys Roll On: Behind a tournament-high 31 points from Ivan McFarlin, No. 2 Oklahoma State beat No. 7 Southern Illinois 85-77. The Salukis led by seven at the break, but Oklahoma State scored 12 straight points to start the second half. Southern Illinois answered with a 6-0 run to take the lead back, but it would be the last lead they would see. McFarlin countered with a couple free throws, and the Cowboys never looked back. The lead climbed to 11 only to be cut to four with just more than two minutes to go. In the final minute, the Cowboys went 8-of-8 from the line to seal the deal. Jamaal Tatum led the Salukis with 22 points and Darren Brooks added 17. JamesOn Curry scored 18 for the Cowboys, who will play No. 3 Arizona in the regional semifinals Thursday.
Cardinals Stand Tall: No. 4 Louisville blitzed No. 5 Georgia Tech 76-54 to move to the Sweet 16 for the first time in eight years. Francisco Garcia led four Cardinals in double figures with 21 points, 18 of which came in the first half. The Yellow Jackets trailed by 15 at the break and cut the lead to nine with just less than 10 minutes to play, but Louisville countered with a 15-2 run. Louisville moves on to Albuquerque to face No. 1 Washington Thursday. With Georgia Tech’s loss and Connecticut’s elimination earlier in the day, neither team from last season’s title game advanced past the first weekend of the tournament this season.
Tar Heels Contain Cyclones: Behind 24 points and 17 rebounds from Sean May, No. 1 North Carolina dominated No. 9 Iowa State 92-65. Marvin Williams matched his first-round game with 20 points and added 15 rebounds, both career-highs. The Cyclone’s six-man rotation was overwhelmed by the talent of North Carolina. Jared Homan had 19 points and 20 rebounds for Iowa State, but his team shot only 35.5 percent. North Carolina faces No. 5 Villanova Thursday in Syracuse.
‘Nova Takes Down Gators: Jason Fraser scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds off the bench to lead No. 5 Villanova to a 76-65 win against No. 4 Florida. In his last game for the Gators, David Lee had 20 points and 10 rebounds but got little offensive help from his teammates. After a 6-of-28 shooting performance against Ohio in the first round, Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson combined to go 5-of-21 for Florida in this game. Randy Foye added 18 points for Villanova, which advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1988.
Wildcat’s Leading Scorer Hopeful for Sweet 16: Villanova was able to defeat Florida despite leading-scorer Curtis Sumpter playing only 10 minutes. Sumpter went to the locker room after injuring his knee in the first half and returned to the bench later in the game but only as a spectator. After the game, Sumpter said he would play against North Carolina Friday, but coach Jay Wright wasn’t so sure, wanting to wait for a medical opinion. Sumpter missed a couple of games earlier in the season with a different knee injury.
Tournament Central: For more coverage on all tournament games, visit Hoopville 2005 Tournament Central .
Tonight’s Menu
• The NIT continues with three second-round games. Saint Joseph’s hosts Holy Cross; Wichita State travels to Vanderbilt; and Western Michigan welcomes TCU.
