Ethan Thompson scored 20 points, including a pair of false shots with 35 seconds left, and Oregon State’s 12-seed seed kept its dream in March going with a 65-58 victory over Loyola Chicago in the eighth seed in a contest. Sweet 16 of the NCAA on Saturday.
Warith Alatishe added 10 points and 11 rebounds to the beavers (20-12), who were selected for a final finish in the Pac-12 but ran rough through the conference tournament and have continued to improve. winning the biggest platform in college basketball.
They are heading for their first Elite Eight since 1982 – one that was left vacant by the NCAA – and will play second seed Houston or No. 10 Syracuse on Monday night for a place in the Beavers’ first Final since 1963 .
Even Sister Jean’s strong prayers couldn’t help Loyola (26-4) deal with the ever-changing defenses that Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle put in place. The Ramblers, who played with such compassion and were so perfect in crossing Illinois with high seed, fired up 33% from the field and 5 out of 23 from outside the arc.
Cameron Krutwig led America in Loyola’s lead with 14 points. Lucas Williamson and Braden Norris added 10 apiece, although they both lost three points in the final minutes while Loyola tried to come back.
It was the first meeting between the teams since December 31, 1927, when Loyola won 31-19 in Chicago – and Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the Ramblers’ beloved 101-year-old chaplain, was still a schoolgirl.
For most of Saturday, it looked like 31 points was enough.
Oregon State turned it twice before firing a shot, it went nearly six and a half minutes before it made its first field goal and at one point was 1 of 8 with four turns. The Ramblers, who did not take advantage of their defense, then went on to miss 11 consecutive hits as Oregon State moved in between a face – to – face defense and a zone.
The beavers shutting out Loyola last 5:48 to lead at half-time 24-16, the first half of the lowest competition that got the lowest number. Krutwig was 3 of 5 from the field; the rest of the Ramblers were 1 of 18.
You would have sworn that the beavers would defend the country’s No. 1 scoring defense, not the other way around.
Oregon State picked up Warith Alatishe’s buzzer-beating bucket to end the first half by getting a few shots to go in the second. Thomson did most of the damage, hitting an early jumper, hitting the clock with another fadeaway jumper, then grabbing a Hail Mary heave to make the case on a full court press and give the beavers a 37-24 lead with 12 minutes to go.
At the same time, the Ramblers were hitting everything but the bottom of the bucket.
Williamson scored three points on backhand trips down the floor. Tate Hall shook a couple of free goals when that was about the same place they were scoring. Krutwig even had a baby hook half way down and back out.
Even when the blows didn’t fall, Loyola continued to play defense, which kept the game close. And when Braden Norris beat three and Aher Uguak plunged into an ally-oop with 2:43 to go, the Ramblers had cut their deficit to 49-44 and the crowd was partisan. sitting mostly in Bankers Life Fieldhouse rafters celebrating.
Kennedy hit three points to get the Ramblers inside 51-47, then another shot to get inside 53-49, but the Beavers kept looking for answers. Lucas took one-on-three, Alatishe took another from the deceptive line, and that was enough to keep the Pac-12’s dream competition going into the Elite Eight.
No. 1 Baylor 61, No. 5 Villanova 51
Baylor with top seed over some frigid outside fired Saturday to move into the Elite Eight, getting 16 points from Adam Flagler in a 62-51 victory over Villanova and the amoeba-like defense.
The Bears (25-2) came in as the nation’s top three-point team, shooting 41.5%, but only made it 3 out of 19 in this one, unable to find a place or get in. your comfort zone against 2 Villanova seed mix of 2 -3 zone and man. Davion Mitchell, a 46% shooter from three this season, went 0 for 3 in a 14-point night.
Baylor, who started the season 18-0 and won his first regular-season Big 12 title, has one win from the Four for the first time since 2012. The Bears winner will play Saturday night’s game between Arkansas and Oral Roberts.
This game changed half way through the second half when Baylor gave it all up but abandoned as usual shooting all three. The Bears led six points with a 14-2 run when not a single point came from outside the arc.
The Bears played some defense as well.
Always annoying Villanova’s shooters who carved out a place in the first half, Baylor Villanova held on to 37.5% firing in the second and 0 for 9 out of 3. Jay Wright’s team scored 10 points over the 11 last minutes. During one piece of the decisive run, Baylor stopped five straight turns on Nova’s possession. Baylor had four of five hits closed in the second half.
The Wildcats got 16 points from Jermaine Samuels, but just three from Caleb Daniels on a 1-for-11 shooting.