Atlanta Region – First Round: No. 9 UNC-Wilmington looked to be in the driver’s seat when they held a 64-46 lead with over 11 minutes left. But No. 8 George Washington came back by scoring the next 19 points, then scored the last seven points of the game in overtime to overcome a four-point deficit in an 88-85 win over the Seahawks. Maureece Rice had 20 points and Omar Williams had 16 points and nine rebounds to lead five players in double figures for the Colonials. T.J. Carter led the Seahawks with a game-high 25 points and John Goldsberry had 14 points and nine assists.
In the late game in Greensboro, top-seeded Duke overcame a slow start to defeat No. 16 Southern 70-54. The Blue Devils rode J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams to the victory, as the duo accounted for 58 points, all but 12 of the Blue Devils’ total. Williams had 29 points and 18 rebounds, along with four blocked shots. Not to be outdone, Redick matched with 29 points of his own, including five treys. Josh McRoberts had 8 of the teams remaining 12 points. For Southern, the Jaguars gave it a go, leading twice in the first half and trailing by three with fifteen minutes remaining. Chris Alexander had 19 points for the Jaguars.
No. 4 LSU ended No. 13 Iona’s upset bid with an 80-64 victory in which the Tigers looked like a different team in the second half. The Gaels contained Glen “Big Baby” Davis in the first half, holding him to five points and leading 37-32 at the break. But LSU shot better than 60 percent in the second half, and Davis finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks as the Tigers cruised in the second half.
Syracuse’s Big East hot streak ended abruptly Thursday night, as Texas A&M defeated the Orange 66-58 to win their first NCAA Tournament game since 1980. In the annual 12-5 upset, the Aggies rode Acie Law’s own hot streak over the final three minutes, where he scored 12 of his 23 points, and also finished with seven rebounds and five assists. Resurgent Syracuse senior Gerry McNamara, who led the Orange to the Big East Championship less than a week ago, was held to two points, and was 0-for-6 from the field. Terrence Roberts led the Orange with 16 points, and helped close an 11-point A&M lead down to four points, but then it was Law’s turn. Law scored ten consecutive points, and finished 8-for-8 on free throws. [3/16/06]
