CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Zion Williamson had the go-ahead tip-in on his own miss with 30.3 seconds left and fifth-ranked Duke held off third-ranked North Carolina 74-73 on Friday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference semifinals.
Williamson had 31 points and 11 rebounds and the Blue Devils (28-5) survived a fight with their fierce rival in a classic that went down to the final play. Ultimately Duke hung on, but needed a final stop. After RJ Barrett missed two free throws with 12.4 seconds left, UNC pushed downcourt for Coby White to get a contested long jumper.
The shot rattled around the rim and out as Nassir Little crashed the glass for a desperate tip attempt, sending Duke’s bench into celebration and leaving a disappointed White crouching at midcourt.
Cameron Johnson had 23 points for the Tar Heels (27-6). They shot 40 percent and led by four in the final three minutes but couldn’t hold on.
Duke will face Florida State in the title game.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – David Nichols scored 14 points and Florida State knocked off Virginia to advance to Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
Phil Cofer had 11 points and 7-foot-3 center Christ Koumadje added nine points and nine rebounds for the Seminoles (27-6).
De’Andre Hunter had 13 points for Virginia (29-3). The Cavaliers had their nine-game winning streak snapped with their first loss to a team other than Duke.
Florida State was in control from the start. The Seminoles built a 35-31 at halftime behind the inside play of Koumadje, who had seven points and nine rebounds in the first half.
Florida State broke it open midway through the second half with a 13-1 run led by Nichols, a graduate transfer who scored on a drive, a low post move, and a turnaround jumper during the stretch.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tyler Herro scored 20 points and Kentucky started its bid for a fifth consecutive Southeastern Conference Tournament title, beating Alabama in the quarterfinals.
The Wildcats (27-5) improved to 17-2 against Alabama in the tournament, and got a measure of revenge for opening SEC play with a 77-75 road loss to the Crimson Tide back on Jan. 5. Kentucky will play No. 8 Tennessee in the semifinals.
Tevin Mack scored 22 points for Alabama (18-15).
CHICAGO – Cassius Winston scored 18 points, Foster Loyer provided a lift off the bench with a career-high 14 points and Michigan State gave Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo his 600th career victory, beating Ohio State in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
Seeking a sixth conference tournament title, the Spartans (26-6) pulled away in the second half for their third victory over the Buckeyes (19-14) this season. They will face No. 19 Wisconsin in the semifinals Saturday.
Izzo improved to 600-231 in 24 seasons.
Winston, the Big Ten Player of the Year, also had seven rebounds and five assists.
Keyshawn Woods scored 16 points for Ohio State.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Admiral Schofield scored 20 points and Tennessee beat Mississippi State the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals.
Kyle Alexander and Grant Williams each scored 16 points for Tennessee (28-4). Jordan Bone had 14 points and nine assists with only one turnover, and Jordan Bowden added 10 points.
Aric Holman scored 20 points, and Quinndary Weatherspoon had 17 for Mississippi State (23-10).
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Andrew Nembhard hit a 3-pointer with a second left and Florida overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half to upset LSU in the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals.
Eighth-seeded Florida (19-14) will play No. 22 Auburn in the semifinals Saturday.
LSU (26-6) had won five consecutive games without coach Will Wade, who remains suspended indefinitely despite asking Thursday to rejoin the Tigers for the postseason. LSU quickly squashed that idea with a statement noting Wade will remain suspended until he speaks to school officials about the reports of an FBI wiretap that led to his suspension, noting Wade has yet to “deny any wrongdoing to us or publicly.”
The regular-season champion Tigers did have freshman Javonte Smart back after saying before tipoff the guard has fully cooperated in a “joint inquiry” with the school and the NCAA.
Nembhard had 20 points. Naz Reid led LSU with 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Smart had 13 points.
CHICAGO – Zavier Simpson sparked Michigan’s balanced attack with 10 points on perfect shooting and 11 assists, and the Wolverines picked apart Iowa in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
Michigan made 10 3-pointers, bouncing back nicely from Saturday’s disappointing loss to rival Michigan State. Ignas Brazdeikis had 15 points, and Jon Teske had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Seeking their third consecutive Big Ten Tournament title, the third-seeded Wolverines (27-5) advanced to the semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. They will go for their third win against Minnesota this season when they face the surprising Gophers on Saturday.
Luke Garza and Tyler Cook each scored 14 points for Iowa (22-11).
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Corey Davis Jr. scored 22 points and Houston routed UConn in the American Athletic quarterfinals.
Galen Robinson Jr. had 16 points, missing only one of his eight shots, and Nate Hinton added 15 points. The top-seeded Cougars (30-2) will face Memphis in the semifinals.
Jalen Adams led UConn (16-17) with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
CHICAGO – Jordan Murphy scored 27 points, Amir Coffey added 21 points and Minnesota beat Purdue to advance to the Big Ten semifinals.
Murphy drove for a go-ahead three-point play and hit two free throws in the closing minutes, and the Gophers (21-12) beat the Boilermakers (23-9) for the second time in 10 days when Carsen Edwards missed a 3 as time expired.
Murphy finished three points shy of his season high. He also had eight rebounds.
Matt Haarms scored 16 points for Purdue.
LAS VEGAS – Devin Watson had 20 points and five assists and San Diego State held Nevada scoreless for nearly seven minutes late in the Aztecs’ victory in the Mountain West Conference semifinals.
Jalen McDaniels added 12 points and 10 rebounds for San Diego State (21-12). The Aztecs will play the Fresno State-Utah State winner in the championship game Saturday night.
San Diego State also had a home victory over Nevada on Feb. 20.
Cody Martin led the top-seeded Wolf Pack (29-4) with 16 points and six rebounds. Jordan Caroline, averaging 17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds, did not play due to an injury.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Marial Shayok hit back-to-back 3-pointers right in front of his own bench to give Iowa State the lead in the final minute, and the Cyclones held to beat Kansas State in the Big 12 semifinals.
The Cyclones (22-11) trailed 55-52 when Shayok’s first 3-point bounced off the rim, then off the glass and dropped through. Then, after the Wildcats’ Cartier Diarra missed a 3 at the other end, the Cyclones’ senior guard dropped a 3 that gave his team the lead.
Barry Brown’s driving layup got Kansas State (25-8) to 59-57 with 20.3 seconds left, but Nick Weiler-Babb answered with a pair of free throws. Shayok answered by Kansas State’s Xavier Sneed with two of his own, and the Cyclones began to celebrate another trip to the finals. Shayok finished with 21 points, and Weiler-Babb had 12, as Iowa State advanced to play Kansas.
Cartier had 15 points for the Wildcats, who shared the regular-season title with Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were knocked out in the quarterfinals.
The Wildcats once again played without All-Big 12 forward Dean Wade, who sat on the bench with a walking boot on his right foot. It remains unclear whether he’ll be ready for the NCAA Tournament.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dedric Lawson poured in 24 points, Quentin Grimes added 18 before leaving late with cramps and Kansas roared away from West Virginia om the Big 12 semifinals.
Devon Dotson added 13 points and Marcus Garrett had 11 for the third-seeded and reigning champion Jayhawks (25-8). Kansas has advanced to the championship game three of the past four years.
Lamont West led West Virginia (14-20) with 16 points.
CLEVELAND – C.J. Massinburg dropped a spinning layup and made four free throws in the final 32 seconds to help Buffalo advance to the Mid-American Conference title game.
The top-seeded Bulls (30-3) will play Bowling Green semifinal for the MAC’s automatic NCAA bid.
Massinburg, the MAC Player of the Year and Buffalo’s senior leader, scored 21 points, and Davonta Jordan added 16 for the Bulls, the defending champions trying to win the school’s fourth tourney in five years. Massinburg scored Buffalo’s last nine points.
Rob Montgomery scored 17 points for the Chippewas (23-11).
CHICAGO – Nate Reuvers and Khalil Iverson each scored 14 points, D’Mitrik Trice hit a 3-pointer with 58 seconds left and Wisconsin beat pesky Nebraska to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
The Badgers (23-9) won for the sixth time in seven games despite a shaky performance by Ethan Happ. The 6-foot-10 forward had a season-low four points and committed seven of the team’s 17 turnovers.
Glynn Watson Jr. scored 23 points for Nebraska (18-16).
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jared Harper scored 27 points to help Auburn beat South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals.
Auburn (24-9) went 13 of 34 from 3-point range and broke the SEC record for 3-pointer in a season with 368.
Bryce Brown had 19 points, and Samir Doughty added 10. Chris Silva led South Carolina with 27 points and 11 rebounds.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Jarron Cumberland had two late three-point plays and finished with 26 points to help Cincinnati beat SMU in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals.
Justin Jenifer and Tre Scott added 17 points, with Jenifer making all six shots – five from 3-point range – for the second-seeded Bearcats. Cincinnati (26-6) will face Wichita State in the semifinals.
Jimmy Whitt Jr. led the Mustangs (15-17) with a career-high 24 points.
NEW YORK – Phil Booth scored 28 points, Jermaine Samuels hit a trio of critical 3-pointers and Villanova rallied past Xavier in overtime to reach its fifth consecutive Big East championship game.
Trying to become the first school in the 40-year history of the Big East to win three consecutive tournament titles, the top-seeded Wildcats (24-9), will play Seton Hall.
Paul Scruggs scored a career-high 28 points for the Musketeers (18-15).
