East Region – First Round: Sophomore point guard Ty Lawson proved he is healthy and ready to lead No. 1 North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament after providing 21 points, four assists and no turnovers in the Tar Heels’ 113-74 blowout against No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s. The Tar Heels shot better than 60 percent from the field and had five players in double figures as North Carolina’s offense was no match for the Mountaineers. Junior forward Tyler Hansbrough also had 21 points for North Carolina, while senior guard Chris Vann led Mount St. Mary’s with 16 points.
No. 2 Tennessee had its hands full with No. 15 American for 38 minutes before pulling away at the end to win 72-57. The Eagles hung with the Volunteers by outrebounding them 37-25 and hitting nine three-pointers. The prolific Tennessee shooters hit only six three-pointers, which helped American remain competitive until late in the second half. Senior guard JaJuan Smith led the Volunteers with 19 points, and junior guard Garrison Carr led all scorers by putting up 26 points for the Eagles. Tennessee has Butler up next.
No. 3 Louisville had no troubles getting past No. 14 Boise State 79-61 to move into the second round against Oklahoma. Sophomore swingman Earl Clark led the Cardinals with 15 points and seven rebounds. Louisville shot better than 55.8 percent from the field, including 50 percent from three-point range.
After battling to a tie midway through the first half, No. 6 Oklahoma went on a 25-6 run spanning halftime to pull away from No. 11 Saint Joseph’s. The Sooners’ senior guard David Godbold scored 25 points to lead Oklahoma. Senior forward Pat Calathes struggled against Oklahoma’s defense, shooting 2-of-11 from the field for only six points. The Sooners were hot on offense, shooting 57.1 percent from the field to help survive a late rally by Saint Joseph’s.
No. 7 Butler rained three-pointers on No. 10 South Alabama in a crushing 81-61 win. The Bulldogs hit 15 three-pointers, led by senior forward Pete Campbell’s eight long shots. Campbell finished with 26 points to lead Butler, which built a double-digit lead midway through the first half after the Jaguars kept it close during the first 10 minutes. Senior guard Daon Merritt led South Alabama with 14 points, but he was the only Jaguar to score in double figures.
No. 9 Arkansas mercifully brought No. 8 Indiana’s controversy-laden season to end with an 86-72 win. Senior swingman Sonny Weems was on fire for the Razorbacks, shooting 12-of-14 for 31 points. He also hit three three-pointers and grabbed five rebounds. Indiana’s defense was porous as the defensive-minded Razorbacks shot 54.2 percent from the field. The Hoosiers’ freshman point guard Eric Gordon struggled, going 3-of-15 for only eight points and one assist to three turnovers. Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson resigned in February amid NCAA violations for improper recruiting practices. [3/21/08]
