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Final Four

Michigan Ends Loyola-Chicago NCAA Tournament Run In Final Four

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SAN ANTONIO — Moritz Wagner recorded a double-double and third-seeded Michigan rallied to end the cinderella-run of No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament with a 69-57 victory Saturday night in a Final Four game in San Antonio, TX.

Wagner had 24 points, 15 rebounds and three steals and shot 10 of 16 from the field for the Wolverines (33-7), who erased a 10-point second-half deficit en route to the victory.

“I just tried to go in the game, take what the opponent is giving me, what the game is giving me, stay emotionally solid and don’t get emotionally drunk, and it worked out today,” Wagner said.

Charles Matthews went 7 of 12 from the floor to finish with 17 points, five rebounds and three steals for Michigan, which will take a 14-game winning streak into the national championship game on Monday night at the Alamodome.

It is also the first time since 2013, the Wolverines are making a national championship game appearance, and their second trip under coach Jon Beilein.

Cameron Krutwig paced Loyola with 17 points and six rebounds, but turned the ball over six times in the defeat.

Clayton Custer scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half for the 11th-seeded Ramblers (32-6), who were the fourth 11th-seeded team to make it to the Final Four.

Loyola led 29-22 at halftime, but Michigan shot 57-percent in the second half and outscored the Ramblers 47-28 to seal the contest and await the winner of the second semi-final game between Villanova and Kansas.

The Wolverines are seeking to win their first NCAA Tournament championship title since 1989.

North Carolina v Gonzaga NCAA Title Game Live Stream

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GLENDALE, Ariz., Sporting Alert — The battle for the 2017 NCAA Tournament national championship title between No. 1 seeds North Carolina and Gonzaga will take place at the University of Phoenix Stadium here in Glendale, Arizona, on Monday night.

Tip-off time for this one is set for 9:20 PM ET and CBS will provide live television broadcast.

You can also click this link to watch live online stream coverage of this championship game.

North Carolina secured its place in the national championship after holding off Oregon 77-76 at the Final Four on Saturday night.

After a heartbreaking final shot defeat against Villanova last season, the Tar Heels (32-7) are back in the final again and the ACC regular season champions are hoping for a different outcome this term as they hunt the program’s sixth title.

Nigel Williams-Goss of the Gonzaga Bulldogs
Nigel Williams-Goss of the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the NCAA Tournament 2017

Gonzaga, meanwhile, secured its passage into the championship game with a 77-73 victory over South Carolina at the Final Four.

The Bulldogs (37-1) are in the NCAA Tournament final game for the first time in program history, while head coach Mark Few will be making his first coaching appearance in the national title game.

Nigel Williams-Goss, who led Gonzaga with 23 points, six assists and five rebounds in the win against South Carolina, is averaging 16.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

Justin Jackson of North Carolina
Justin Jackson of North Carolina on the floor

The WCC Player of the Year is averaging a team-best 17.0 points with 7.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game at this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Also averaging in double-digit scoring this season are Przemek Karnowski, Jordan Mathews, Johnathan Williams and Zach Collins.

Justin Jackson, in the meantime, scored 22 points in the win over Oregon and the ACC Player of the Year is averaging a team-leading 18.3 points per contest this season.

Jackson is averaging 20.2 points per game at this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The Tar Heels will also look to Joel Berry II, Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks and Luke Maye to assist Jackson in the scoring department.

North Carolina and Gonzaga are 1-1 in their 1-1 all-time series with the last meeting coming in the 2009 Sweet 16 when the Tar Heels won 98-77.

Meeks, Jackson Guide North Carolina To Win; Advanced To Title Game

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GLENDALE, Ariz. — Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson combined for 47 points to help No. 1 seed North Carolina hold off Oregon 77-76 at the Final Four on Saturday night to advance to the national championship game.

The victory for the Tar Heels (32-7) earned them a place in Monday night’s NCAA Tournament title game against Gonzaga and they will be seeking to win the program’s sixth national crown.

Meeks connected on 11-of-13 shots from the field to match his career high with 25 points and had 13 rebounds with three steals.

He also II, who missed the free throw that Meeks tore away from Jordan Bell to ice the game

while Jackson made four 3-pointers and scored 22 points for the Tar Heels (32-7).

“If it wasn’t for Kennedy Meeks, we wouldn’t have been in the basketball game,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said.

Joel Berry II scored 11 points, but went only 2-of-14 from the floor for North Carolina, which shot 36.8 percent (25 of 68) and out assisted Oregon 16-7.

“I just didn’t want to lose another game off a winning shot,” said Berry. “I wish we would have closed it out.”

Tyler Dorsey led the third-seeded Ducks (33-6) with 21 points, while Dylan Ennis added 18 and six rebounds in the defeat.

Jordan Bell grabbed a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds to go with four blocks and Dillon Brooks ended with 10 points and six rebounds for the Pac-12 outfits, who shot 37.9 (22-of-58) in the defeat.

“Jordan felt terrible,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “But I told him, ‘Buddy, you got 16 rebounds. We wouldn’t have been in this position if it hadn’t been for you.'”

Both teams finished the game with 43 rebounds each, but North Carolina had the edge on the offensive side with 17-12 and helped the Tar Heels to get 19 second-chance points.

Monday night NCAA Tournament national championships game will take place at the University of Phoenix Stadium here in Glendale, Arizona.

Game time is set for 9:20 PM ET on CBS and it will also stream live online.

The Tar Heels start as early 1.5 point favourites.

Gonzaga Beats South Carolina; Advances To Title Game

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GLENDALE, Ariz., Sporting Alert — Top-Seeded Gonzaga survived a spirited rally in the second half by No. 7 seed South Carolina to advance to their first-ever NCAA Tournament national championship game.

The Bulldogs held on to beat the Gamecocks 77-73 at Saturday night’s Final Four and will take on the winner of the battle between Oregon and North Carolina in the second semifinal game.

“Just an awesome, awesome basketball game, with just how hard both teams competed,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “It took everything we had to hold them off and come back.”

This year’s national championship game is on Monday night (April 3).

Nigel Williams-Goss scored 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting and pulled down six rebounds and freshman Zach Collins added 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks in 23 minutes for Gonzaga, which led by as many as 14-point in the second half.

“That’s my job is to go in and rim protect,” said Collins. “I had four fouls today. But I thought, you know, getting those blocked shots would help us.”

Senior Przemek Karnowski finished with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists and Jordan Mathews chipped in with 12 points for the Bulldogs (37-1), who shot 48.3 percent (29-60) from the field and 47.4 percent from 3-point range.

“To be playing the last game of the year, that’s crazy cool,” added Few.

P.J. Dozier had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the way for South Carolina, which erased a 14 point deficit by couldn’t complete the task.

Sindarius Thornwell added 15 points and five rebounds, Chris Silva finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks and Duane Notice ended with 10 points for the Gamecocks (26-11).

“They just crowd the paint,” Thornwell said. “They forced me to pass it out on my drives. And just protecting the rim real well.”

Gonzaga, which had to work hard in the second half to hold on for the win, held South Carolina to 37.9 percent (25-of-66) shooting for the game.

“When things got tough we banded together and pulled through,” Williams-Goss said.

“There was no way I was going to come out of the game. This is the last two games of the season. Now we’re 40 minutes from a championship.”

North Carolina, South Carolina Complete 2017 Final Four Slots

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MEMPHIS, Tenn., — Sporting Alert — Top seed North Carolina and surprised package South Carolina both secured passages into the NCAA Tournament Final Four on Sunday.

The two programs joined Gonzaga and Oregon in the tournament’s last four after the Bulldogs and Ducks booked places on Saturday night.

MAYE WINS IT LATE FOR NORH CAROLINA

On Sunday night in the South Regional Final, ACC regular season champion North Carolina defeated Kentucky 75-73 on a dramatic shot from Luke Maye with 0.3 seconds left.

Two late 3-pointers from Malik Monk and one from fellow freshman standout De’Aaron Fox pulled the scores even at 73 with 7.2 seconds left.

However, with the game heading for overtime, Theo Pinson drove towards the basket and then picked out Maye, who hit a jumper with a defender in his face to seal the win for the Tar Heels (31-7), who are heading to back-to-back Final Four and the program’s 20th national semifinal.

Justin Jackson of North Carolina
Justin Jackson of North Carolina on the floor

“I just kind of stepped back, and he gave me the ball and I just shot it, and luckily it went in,” said Maye, who scored a career-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting with two 3-pointers.

“It was a great feeling.”

Justin Jackson, who had an off night shooting the ball, led the way for North Carolina with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Joel Berry finished with 11 points for North Carolina, which went just 3-for-15 from 3-pointers.

Berry, who sprained his ankle during the game and also hurt the other one during practice on Saturday, was 0-for-5 from long-range.

The Tar Heels ended the contest with a 16-9 run to setup the win.

Edrice Adebayo led Kentucky with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Fox added 13 points for the Wildcats (32-6), who trailed 38-33 at halftime.

Monk and Isaac Humphries each scored 12 points and Dominique Hawkins finished with 10 points for the second-seeded Kentucky, which missed out on the Final Four for the second straight year.

“That shot is just playing back and forth in my head,” Fox said. “It’s going to be difficult to get over.”

Kentucky coach John Calipari added: “I probably should have called time out.

“It entered my mind, but they got that son of a B in so quick, I couldn’t get to anybody to do it. I needed to stop that right there.”

The win for North Carolina sees coach Roy Williams heading to the Final Four for the fifth time in 14 seasons with the Tar Heels, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Overall, Williams, who improved to 9-4 in regional finals overall and 5-3 at North Carolina, will be making his ninth NCAA Final Four appearance after going four times during his 15 seasons as head coach with the Kansas Jayhawks.

North Carolina will now play Oregon for a place in the national championships game, while Kentucky is preparing for yet another one-and-done breakup, as several of its freshmen are heading to the NBA draft.

NO. 7 SOUTH CAROLINA 77, NO. 4 FLORIDA 70

In the earlier Elite Eight game on Sunday afternoon, March Madness surprised package South Carolina continued its thrilling run at the NCAA Tournament after beating Florida 77-70 in the East Regional Final.

Senior guard Sindarius Thornwell scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the final seven minutes to lead the way for the seventh-seeded Gamecocks (26-10), who beat No. 2 seed Duke and No. 3 Baylor on the way to the Elite Eight.

Duane Notice of South Carolina
Duane Notice of South Carolina during the 2017 NCAA Tournament

Thornwell also grabbed seven rebounds and picked up a pair of steals in the win, as South Carolina are heading to the Final Four for the first time at Glendale, Arizona.

“Plays needed to be made down the stretch and I stepped up and made plays,” Thornwell said.

PJ Dozier added 17 points and Chris Silva had 13 points and nine rebounds and Maik Kotsar scored 12 points for South Carolina, which shot 49.1 percent and outrebounded Florida 31-24.

Justin Leon had 18 points and six rebounds for the Gators (27-9), while KeVaughn Allen added 13 points and Kasey Hill finished with 11 points, five rebounds and three steals for Florida, which led 40-33 at halftime, but was outscored 44-30 in the second half.

“Thornwell was just being Thornwell,” Florida coach Mike White said. “He’s one of the best players in the country.”

Meanwhile, South Carolina will meet top seed Gonzaga in the Final Four on Saturday.

Duke Beats Michigan State, Moves Into Championship Game

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NCAA Final Four
Duke Blue Devils beat Michigan State Spartans in NCAA Final Four. Linked Photo.

INDIANAPOLIS (Sporting Alert) — Duke shook off a slow start against Michigan State in their Final Four clash to book a place into the national championship game with an 81-61 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday.

Justise Winslow scored 19 points after going 5-for-7 from the floor — nine rebounds and two steals and Jahlil Okafor added 18 points on 7-for-11 from the field — six rebounds, two steals and two blocks for the top-seeded Blue Devils (34-4).

Senior guard Quinn Cook played impressively as well, after going 6-for-12 from the field for 17 points, as Duke won five straight.

The Blue Devils, who rallied from an early 14-6 deficit to dominate the Final Four contest, are making their first NCAA championship game since 2010 when they defeated Butler 61-59.

It will be their 11th trip to the national championships.

“We beat a heck of a team, a championship team, championship program in Tom’s (Izzo) program,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

“Our guys knew how difficult a game it was going to be. After the first four minutes, we found out it was going to be more difficult than we even thought. Our kids for the next 36 minutes, they played lights-out basketball.

“The defense was terrific. We drove the ball with such strength. I actually think our offense gave our defense a push in how hard we were taking it to the basket. Our bench, all eight guys, played really well tonight.

“Yeah, the last 36 minutes, we played great basketball. That’s the best we’ve played in a tournament, and we’ve played really well in the tournament,” added Krzyzewski.

Denzel Valentine led the way for Michigan State with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds.

The junior guard who hit three of his team’s four 3-pointers inside the opening two-and-a-half minutes, was 5-for-9 from long-range, while shooting 7-for-11 from the floor overall.

Travis Trice added 16 points and five assists and Branden Dawson had 12 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks in the defeat for the Spartans (27-12).

“We got beat,” Izzo said. “Unfortunately I thought Duke played awfully well, but I thought it wasn’t one of our better games. I think they deserve some credit.

“Yet I feel bad because I didn’t think people got to see the team that has won 12 out of the last 15 games.

“Give Duke credit and give our seniors credit for getting us to a place that most people didn’t think we’d get to.”

As a team, Duke shot 26-for-50 for 52-percent from the field, while Michigan State went 22-for-55 for 42-percent from the floor.

The ACC giants out rebounded their Big Ten rivals 36-33, while Krzyzewski’s team also committed fewer turnovers, at 8, compared to the 14 by Izzo’s ball club.

Watch Final Four Live Stream, Scores, Video & Highlights

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INDIANAPOLIS (Sporting Alert) — Duke take on Michigan State and Kentucky face-off with Wisconsin in the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in Indianapolis on Saturday and fans can watch the action live online and on TV.

Watch NCAA Final Four Live Stream | And Scores And Video Highlights

No. 1 Duke (33-4) head into Saturday’s game trying to reach Monday’s championships game as they seek their fifth national title.

Expected to lead the way again for the Blue Devils are Player-of-The-Year Candidate Jahlil Okafor, fellow freshmen Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow, as well as senior guard Quinn Cook.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski believes his team, which has won four games in a row, is peaking at the right time and he is confident about their chances going up against the Spartans, who they defeated 81-71 when the two side met in November.

Jones says the feeling heading into Final Four has been a lot different from what they’ve seen during the season and he’s bracing for something special.

“It’s just special. You can just feel it in the air now, how important it is, what it means to be here,” Jones said.

“Just look out and see how many seats are out there. On Saturday night, those seats are all going to be filled. It’s a special feeling.”

The seventh-seeded Michigan State (27-11) defeated Louisville 76-70 in their Elite-8 contest last Sunday and coach Tom Izzo, like Krzyzewski, is backing his troop to hand the ACC giants a defeat and move into Monday’s title game.

The Spartans have also won four games in a row and eight of the last nine coming into this matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Michigan State is hunting its third title, having won in 1979 and 2000.

Meanwhile, top overall seed Kentucky (38-0) will battle with fellow No. 1 seed Wisconsin (35-3), who many are backing to give the Wildcats a lot of problems.

Final Four Teams All Set: NCAA Elite 8 Men’s Basketball Scores

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HOUSTON, Texas (SportingAlert) — Duke and Michigan State joined Kentucky and Wisconsin in the NCAA Final Four after securing victories in their respective Elite Eight games on Sunday evening.

At the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, four starters scored in double figures to guide the Blue Devils (33-4) to a 66-52 win over Gonzaga, a result that saw coach Mike Krzyzewski sealing his 12th trip to the Final Four.

Justise Winslow and Matt Jones each scored 16 points for Duke, with the latter connecting on 4-for-7 from three points range and picked up three steals in the win for the ACC powerhouses.

Freshman point guard Tyus Jones added 15 points and six assists and senior Quinn Cook finished with 10 points and five rebounds for the No. 1 seeded Blue Devils, who won four in a row and 16 of the last 17 contests.

Jahlil Okafor was held to nine points, while pulling down eight boards for Duke.

As a team, Duke shot 84.2 percent from the free throw line on 16-for-19, while the second seeded Gonzaga only made nine trips to the charity line.

Krzyzewski’s men were also significantly better at handling the ball as they had just three turnovers all game, compared to Gonzaga’s 13.

Kyle Wiltjer led the Bulldogs with 16 points and five rebounds, with Byron Wesley adding 10 points and five boards in the defeat.

Duke, the South Regional champion, now moves on to face Michigan State in the Final Four.

The No. 7 seeded Spartans continued their good tournament run with an overtime 76-70 win over No. 4 seed Louisville at Carrier Dome in New York, to lift the East Regional title.

“I’d like to tell you that I thought five different times this year that we were good enough to get to a Final Four, but I’d be lying to you,” said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.

“But I think the burning desire to be in this Final Four, and they didn’t want to be a group that didn’t make it. I think it was more of the battle cry all year long.”

Travis Trice scored a game high 17 points to lead the way for the Big Ten outfits, who secured their fourth win a row.

Denzel Valentine added 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Michigan State (27-11) and Bryn Forbes scored 14 points off the bench, including five in overtime to help with the win, after both teams finished 65-65 at the end of regulation.

Montrezl Harrell paced Louisville with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists, with Terry Rozier added 13 points, eight rebound and four steals in the defeat for the Cardinals, who trailed 40-32 at halftime.

Meanwhile, on Saturday No. 1 overall seed Kentucky battled to a close 68-66 win over third-seed Notre Dame to improved to 38-0 on the season.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored a game-high 25 points and the Wildcats knocked down key free throws late in the stretch for the win.

Zach Auguste led Notre Dame with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Kentucky will face another No. 1 seed Wisconsin in the Final Four after they won the West Regional with an 85-78 positive result over second seed Arizona.

The Final Four will be on Saturday April 4, in Indianapolis.

NCAA Tournament Elite Eight Games
Sunday Results
(7) Michigan St 76, (4) Louisville 70
(1) Duke 66, (2) Gonzaga 52

Saturday Results

(1) Wisconsin 85, (2) Arizona 78
(1) Kentucky 68, (3) Notre Dame 66

Elite Eight Results: NCAA College Men’s Basketball – March 29

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Frank Kaminsky #44 of the Wisconsin Badgers impresses against the Arizona Wildcats. PHOTO Via ESPN

(Sporting Alert) — Scores and results from the NCAA college men’s basketball tournament – Elite Eight- games that took place in March Madness on Saturday, March, 29.

The night saw another No. 1 seed being knocked out of the tournament, after second-seeded Wisconsin secured a 64-63 overtime win over Arizona in the West Regional final.

Frank Kaminsky finished the night with 28 points and 11 rebounds, to lead the Badgers (30-7) to a Final Four place for the first time since 2000.

“We want a national championship now,” a confident Kaminsky said after the game. “We have made it to the opportunity to get there, so why not go get it?”

Meanwhile, in the South Region final, No. 1 overall seed Florida booked their Final Four place, following a 62-52 victory over the 11th-seeded Dayton Flyers (26-11).

The Gators (36-2) were led by Scottie Wilbekin, who scored 23 points in the victory.

Victory pushed Florida to 30 straight win.

“I couldn’t be prouder and happier,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “In a lot of ways, outside the Michigan game, we were close to being in three out of four Final Fours right now, and that says a lot about these guys.

“But I think those experiences maybe helped us be a better team this year than maybe we would have if we’d have gotten to a couple of ones earlier.”

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – Elite Eight – Results

South Region:

(1) Florida 62 (36-2) – (11) Dayton 52 (26-11)

West Region:

(2) Wisconsin 64 (30-7) – (1) Arizona 63 (33-5) OT

Watch Connecticut vs Notre Dame Women’s Final Four Live on WatchESPN

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NEW ORLEANS (Sporting Alert) — After beating Connecticut to the regular season and tournament titles, Notre Dame are buzzing with confidence that they can knock off their conference rivals in the NCAA Women’s Final Four on Sunday.

Watch Connecticut vs Notre Dame Women’s Final Four Live on WatchESPN | Listen Live

The Fighting Irish have defeated the Huskies three times this season and many are backing Muffet McGraw side to collect the sweep on Sunday night.

However, despite feeling confident heading into the game, the Big East champions will not be taking things for granted against the Geno Auriemma coached program which knows how to win.

“I don’t think the past three games matter,” said Skylar Diggins, who leads the team in scoring and assist.

“They are a team that when you play against them, they can get in your head. When you think of UConn basketball, you think of all the championships.”

The last time these two teams met on March 2, Notre Dame came away with a close 61-59 victory, while the next two ended very close as well.

It took a triple overtime effort for the Fighting Irish to beat Connecticut 96-87 in their second meeting during the regular season, while the Jan. 5 meeting finished 73-72 in favor of Notre Dame.

Still, UConn’s coach Auriemma is not worried about the recent good run form of his rivals.

“If we would have won the other three and then lose tomorrow, then winning those other three would mean nothing,” he noted.

“I guess the short answer is: what happened in those other three doesn’t mean anything.

“The only thing that matters now is what happens tomorrow night. That’s it.”

Fifth seed Louisville (28-8) another Big East team and the side that upset Brittney Griner and defending national champion Baylor, and second-seeded California (32-3) from the Pac-12, will contest in the first Final Four kick-off.