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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014
PAGE 9
NCAA
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Kentucky to Final Four after Michigan defeat
ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANAPOLIS — Aaron Harrison made a 3-pointer from NBA range with 2.3 seconds left Sunday to lift Kentucky and its freshmen to a 75-72 win over Michigan and a trip to the Final Four.
After Harrison's teammate Julius Randle, inadvertently tipped in the tying shot on Michigan's previous possession, the eighth-seeded Wildcats got the ball to the 6-foot-6 guard, whose twin brother, Andrew, is another of the five freshmen in Kentucky's starting lineup.
Standing a good three feet behind the arc, Harrison elevated over Caris LeVert and took a bit of contact on the arm from the Michigan guard as he shot. No matter. The shot rattled in, and for the second straight game in the Midwest Regional, Harrison had the goahead points in a tense game for the Wildcats (28-10).
In this one, he scored all 12 of his points off four 3-pointers over the last 8:05.
since another well-known group, the Fab Five of Michigan, did it in 1992.
"I'm gonna see everyone in Dallas this year," coach John Callipari said, with his version of a Texas twang, as he addressed the crowd before the nets came down.
"I hit a couple before that, so coach said to get the shot we were looking for," Harrison said. "They put it in my hands and I wanted to deliver for them out there."
Nik Stauskas missed a half-court heave at the buzzer for second-seeded Michigan (28-9), and moments later, Harrison was under a dog pile — or make that a puppy pile. This is the first all-freshman starting lineup to make the Final Four
"They put it in my hands and I wanted to deliver for them out there."
Stauskas finished with 24
AARON HARRISON Freshman guard
The Wildcats will play Wisconsin next Saturday outside of Big D.
points for the Wolverines, who finished a win shy of their second straight Final Four.
Randle had 16 points and 11 rebounds for his 24th double-double and was named the region's most outstanding player.
But he was just one of the freshmen stars for the Wildcats Sunday.
While Harrison was being completely shut down early, it was unheralded Marcus Lee keeping the Wildcats in the game.
Lee, one of the six McDonald's All-American freshmen on Calipari's roster, had scored a total of nine points since the beginning of January. But he
got minutes that would have normally gone to the injured Willie Cauley-Stein, and finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Eight of those points came on put-back dunks that were part of Kentucky's 18 offensive rebounds.
Harrison's first 3 gave Kentucky a 58-55 lead and was part of an 11-0 run that put the Wolverines in catch-up mode, behind 62-55 with 6:30 left.
They fought back, and during a nine-possession stretch of sublime basketball that covered more than four minutes, each team scored every time they got the ball.
The first stop in the sequence gave the Wolverines the ball with about a minute left, trailing 72-70.
Stauskas missed a layup and a 3-pointer and Derrick Walton then missed an open 3. But the fourth attempt went in with 31 seconds left and got credited to Jordan Morgan on a scramble under the basket, though it was Randle's hand that tipped the ball in.
Calipari called a timeout. Michigan burned a foul. And the endgame started with 10 seconds left. The ball went to Harrison and it was clear he was going to take the shot. He spotted up from about 25 feet, and after he hit, he walked backward calmly before being hugged by Randle and Dakari Johnson.
Moments later, Kentucky was celebrating, preparing for the program's 16th trip to college basketball's biggest stage.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kentucky's Aaron Harrison (2) is congratulated by teammates Julius Randle and Dakari Johnson after making a 3-pointer in the final seconds of an NCAA Midwest Regional final college basketball tournament game against Michigan Sunday in Indianapolis. Kentucky won 75-72 to advance to the Final Four.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, left, drives past Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke (3) in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City on Sunday.
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant had 31 points and nine assists to help the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Utah Jazz 116-96 on Sunday afternoon.
NBA
Durant scored at least 25 points for the 38th consecutive game, the longest streak since Michael Jordan did it in 40 straight games for the Chicago Bulls during the 1986-87 season.
Durant leads Thunder to success over Jazz
It matched the fewest points the Thunder have allowed in any quarter this season and was the lowest for the Jazz in a first quarter this season. Utah missed the NBA low for an opening quarter this season by making a basket with 19.5 seconds left.
Russell Westbrook scored 19 points, Serge Ibaka had 17 points and Caron Butler added 15 for the Thunder, who have won six of seven. Oklahoma City shot 55 percent from the field and made 11 of 18 3-pointers and 23 of 26 free
Durant was fouled on a 3-pointer with 4:02 left in the third quarter and was awarded three free throws. He scored his 24th point on the first one, and the crowd started buzzing before the second one. He also made the third to give the Thunder an 84-56 lead.
throws.
Enes Kanter had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Richard Jefferson scored 17 points and Gordon Hayward added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Jazz, who have lost four in a row.
Utah trailed 11-0 before Jefferson finally scored with 7:34 left in the first quarter. Oklahoma City led 26-9 at the end of the quarter.
Oklahoma City led 59-40 at halftime, and it might have been a larger lead if Jefferson hadn't dropped in 15 points in the first half, well above his season average of 10.2 points per game. Durant scored 18 points in the first half on 6-for-8 shooting and helped the Thunder shoot 57 percent before the break.
Hayward's first basket came with 3.21 left in the first half. Even
with his 3-point play, the Jazz still trailed 49-30.
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