National Semifinals: For the second consecutive season, No. 1 Florida dominated No. 2 UCLA in a Final Four game. Seeking to avenge last season’s loss in the championship game, the Bruins failed to muster a balanced offense, leading to the Gators’ 76-66 victory. With the win, Florida moves into the championship game with an opportunity to become the first team to repeat as national champs since Duke did it in the early 1990s.
Junior Corey Brewer shut down junior Aaron Afflalo, the Bruins’ best offensive weapon, while also leading Florida with 19 points. He was 4-of-5 from three-point range. Senior guard Lee Humphrey helped Florida storm out of halftime by hitting back-to-back three-pointers. Florida extended its lead to 19 before allowing UCLA to crawl back to a respectable margin in the closing minutes. Sophomore Josh Shipp led the Bruins with 18 points. Junior Al Horford was sensational for Florida in the post, grabbing 17 rebounds and helping the Gators to a 42-25 advantage in that category.
No. 1 Ohio State will play Florida in the championship game after the Buckeyes dispatched No. 2 Georgetown 67-60. The Buckeyes got a big game from freshman Michael Conley Jr., who had 15 points and made up for freshman Greg Oden’s absence. Oden played only 20 minutes because he picked up two fouls in the first three minutes of the game. Despite watching Oden sit on the bench, the Hoyas could not take advantage. Junior Roy Hibbert had a great game with 19 points, but he also was limited by foul trouble. Although the Hoyas shot better than the Buckeyes did from the field, they committed 14 turnovers, fueling several Ohio State runs. And despite their size advantage, the Hoyas allowed Ohio State to grab 16 offensive rebounds. All those extra opportunities helped Ohio State remain on top for most of the game.
In only 20 minutes of action, Oden finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. The numbers favored Hibbert in the battle of the big men, but in terms of effectiveness, Oden and the Buckeyes clearly won. Ohio State’s defense also stymied junior Jeff Green, who attempted only five shots in the game and finished with nine points. Junior Jonathan Wallace had a strong game for Georgetown with 19 points. He hit several three-pointers to help keep the Hoyas close until the final minutes. [4/01/07]
