The Elite 8 is ready after Friday’s four-game slate that noticed buzzer-beaters, cold-blooded jumpers, spotlight reel performs and a Nationwide Participant of the 12 months-worthy efficiency from Johni Broome.
Right here’s every little thing it’s good to know earlier than tickets to San Antonio get punched later immediately.
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No. 2 Michigan State defeated No. 6 Ole Miss
With 5 minutes to go in a one-point recreation, Coen Carr raised the State Farm Enviornment roof.
After Ole Miss grabbed a defensive rebound and tried to hustle down the court docket, Jeremy Fears Jr. stole Sean Pedulla’s outlet move, seemingly saving a transition bucket on the opposite finish of the court docket.
Fears leapt within the air, intercepted the move, and rapidly threw it to Carr. Carr took two dribbles and a step contained in the free-throw line earlier than withdrawing, cocking again a vicious left-handed tomahawk slam that despatched the world right into a frenzy.
The Spartans rode the momentum from Carr’s dunk to shut out a tightly contested 73-70 recreation over the Rebels, punching their ticket to the Elite 8.
Freshman phenom Jase Richardson led the Spartans with 20 factors on an environment friendly 6-8 capturing night time. In Carr’s first begin of the season, he completed with 15 factors. Jaden Akins, the group’s main scorer, completed with 13 factors.
Pedulla led the Rebels with 24 factors. Matthew Murrell added 13 factors and Malik Dia completed with 11 factors.
The Rebels, regardless of being two-possession underdogs, hung shut with the Spartans for almost all of the sport. They constructed a 10-point lead with 4 minutes remaining within the first half, however squandered the chance to trip the momentum into the half after the Spartans rattled off a 12-4 run to enter halftime down two.
Within the second half, each groups battled, forcing eight ties all through the ultimate body. After Carr’s electrical dunk, the Spartans took the lead after Akins drained robust working jumper.
Michigan State later sealed the sport after changing six consecutive free throws after the Rebels began deliberately fouling, sustaining a slim two-possession lead.
With the win, Tom Izzo added an eleventh Elite 8 journey to his legendary resume, and can look to achieve his ninth Closing 4 when the Spartans face the top-seeded Auburn Tigers.
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No. 2 Tennessee defeated No. 3 Kentucky
Tennessee routed Kentucky 78-65 to achieve their second-consecutive Elite 8.
SLAM cowl star Zakai Zeigler led the Vols with a double-double, ending with 18 factors and 10 assists. Fellow cowl star Chaz Lanier adopted swimsuit with 17 factors and Jordan Gainey added 16 factors off the bench.
Lamont Butler led the Wildcats with 18 factors on an environment friendly 7-10 capturing night time. Amari Williams added 14 factors and Otega Oweh completed with 13 factors.
The Vols dominated early, outscoring Kentucky 43-28 within the first half and holding the lead for almost the whole recreation. Felix Okpara’s layup on the 17:22 mark within the first half gave Tennessee a 4-3 lead that they by no means appeared again on. Kentucky was solely out in entrance for 32 seconds within the recreation.
Tennessee posted an environment friendly scoring night time, capturing 50.9% from the ground, however struggling from deep. They solely cashed in 5 of their 19 makes an attempt from past the arc. Nevertheless, bodily play within the paint drew fouls, creating 20 free throw makes an attempt—which they transformed 15 of.
Kentucky shot 49% from the sector and 40% from deep however had been unable to dig themselves out of the first-half gap.
The Vols will now face the top-seeded Houston Cougars to try to attain their first Closing 4 in program historical past.
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No. 1 Auburn defeated No. 5 Michigan
With Michigan holding a nine-point lead within the second half, Auburn went to their spark plug off the bench for immediate offense.
SLAM cowl star Tahaad Pettiford delivered.
Pettiford instantly cashed a deep triple to chop the deficit to 6. He then drove exhausting into the paint and threw a bullet move to Denver Jones as he was falling out of bounds. Jones buried the nook three to chop the result in three.
After Johni Broome made a tricky put up shot off glass, Auburn had an opportunity to take the lead. Broome went up for a layup and missed, preventing for the offensive board amidst a sea of gamers.
The ball discovered its method into Pettiford’s fingers, the place he blew previous Rubin Jones and swished a go-ahead stepback jumper.
The freshman continued his second-half tear, blowing previous Vladislav Goldin for a straightforward layup and hitting an and-one fadeaway to cap off a 28-6 Auburn run.
Pettiford’s 20 factors off the bench helped spark a comeback 78-65 Auburn victory over Michigan, incomes the Tigers their third-ever journey to the Elite 8.
Broome posted a double-double, main the Tigers with 22 factors and 16 rebounds. Jones added 20 factors and 4 triples. The Tigers dominated regardless of Miles Kelly and Chad Baker-Mazara combining for under 11 factors.
Danny Wolf led Michigan with 20 factors, whereas Goldin completed with 10 factors and 9 rebounds. Nimari Burnett scored 10 factors and grabbed seven boards. Tre Donaldson struggled towards his former group, ending with 5 factors and 4 turnovers.
Each groups had been inefficient from the sector, capturing underneath 40% and underneath 30% from past the arc.
Each groups stored the sport shut within the first half, with Auburn gaining a one-point benefit on the half after Broome tipped-in his personal miss.
After Michigan opened the second half on a 19-9 run, Auburn rapidly responded with their very own scoring run to tug away late.
Auburn will now face Michigan State with a visit to the Closing 4 on the road.
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No. 1 Houston defeated No. 4 Purdue
With three seconds remaining in a tied recreation, Kelvin Sampson drew up the proper play.
For the whole recreation, Purdue had left a free defender to assist guard the open man on inbound performs, leaving the inbounder open.
So when Braden Smith left Milos Uzan to assist defend L.J. Cryer, Uzan rapidly inbounded the ball to Joseph Tugler simply contained in the free-throw line.
Tugler threw a move proper again to a reducing Uzan, the place he completed a layup on the rim to offer Houston a 62-60 within the closing second.
Ballgame.
Uzan’s game-winner helped lead the Cougars to a 62-60 victory, reaching their third Elite 8 underneath Sampson.
Uzan led the Cougars with 22 factors and drained a season-high six triples. Emanuel Sharp adopted swimsuit with 17 factors. Cryer, Houston’s main scorer, completed with 5 factors on an inefficient 2-13 capturing night time.
Fletcher Loyer led Purdue with 16 factors. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 14 factors and Smith dished out 15 assists.
Each groups battled within the first half, with Purdue coming into halftime with a two-point benefit after Smith made two free throws with zeroes on the clock.
Houston rapidly opened the ultimate body with an 11-1 run, opening up an eight-point lead early. Nevertheless, Purdue battled, preserving the lead inside single digits for the rest of the half.
Down three with underneath a minute remaining, Smith missed a triple with the shot. Kaufman-Renn secured the offensive board to increase the possession, which later was a game-tying triple from Camden Heide within the nook.
On the following possession, Uzan missed a turnaround jumper. Nevertheless, with a sea of gamers preventing for the rebound, the ball fell out of bounds off of Purdue, later organising the game-winning play.
Houston will now play Tennessee for an opportunity to advance to their second Closing 4 underneath Sampson.
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