Some notes and general thoughts from the games played on the second day of the NCAA Tournament, including an unsung hero, a coach who’s back to normal, a senior persevering in a victory, and a feast or famine team exiting the tournament.
Month: March 2009
Dayton: Flyers’ Defense Shuts Down West Virginia
No. 11 Dayton won an ugly slugfest against No. 6 Virginia 68-60 to pull one of the few upsets in the NCAA Tournament so far. The Flyers held West Virginia to 37 percent shooting and constantly frustrated the Mountaineers’ ball handlers with tight pressure.
Pittsburgh: Blair Powers Panthers Past Buccaneers
Sophomore forward DeJuan Blair was unstoppable for Pittsburgh, which needed his dominating inside presence to cover up for poor ball control in the Panthers’ 72-62 win against No. 16 East Tennessee State. Pittsburgh committed 18 turnovers, which allowed the Buccaneers to hang around for most of the game. Pitt did not stretch the lead to double digits until the final seconds of the game.
Arizona State: Sun Devils Win Despite Harden’s Struggles
No. 6 Arizona State found alternative scoring options with sophomore guard James Harden struggling, and the Sun Devils beat No. 11 Temple 66-57. The Owls’ Dionte Christmas out-dueled his acclaimed counterpart, scoring 29 points to Harden’s nine.
Missouri: Tigers Pull Away From Big Red
No. 3 Missouri worked its way past No. 14 Cornell 78-59 to move into the second round. The Tigers didn’t use any long run to blow open the game, they simply played consistent pressure defense that held the Big Red to 37 percent shooting. Senior forward Leo Lyons had a strong game for Missouri with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Oklahoma State: Eaton Delivers Win for Cowboys
Senior guard Byron Eaton charged through the lane and delivered an off-balance layup — and drew a foul — to give No. 8 Oklahoma State a 77-75 win against No. 9 Tennessee. Neither team led by more than three points in the final eight minutes in one of the most tightly contested games of the NCAA Tournament so far.
Marquette: Golden Eagles Survive Utah State
After jumping out to a 23-9 lead, No. 6 Marquette looked ready to cruise to victory against No. 11 Utah State. But the Aggies answered with a 19-6 run to cut the lead to one, and neither team led by more than five the rest of the way in the Golden Eagles’ 58-57 win.
Syracuse: Defense Guides Orange Past Lumberjacks
No. 3 Syracuse squashed No. 14 Stephen F. Austin 59-44 by holding the Lumberjacks to 25 percent shooting from the field. Stephen F. Austin tried to rally from a double-digit deficit by launching three-pointers but had little success, making only 2-of-21.
Kansas: Jayhawks Deny Upset-Minded Bison
No. 3 Kansas’ seasoned veterans, Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, helped a young Jayhawks team get past No. 14 North Dakota State 84-74. Senior guard Ben Woodside nearly willed the Bison to a huge first-round upset, scoring 37 points on 13-of-23 shooting.
No. 13 Akron Scares No. 4 Gonzaga in South Region
Akron was in control for a lot of the game against Gonzaga, and for good reason. But the Bulldogs got their sense of urgency and came alive, and ended the Zips’ season in Portland.