CHICAGO — Every part of it paid off for Syracuse. The Orange learned and persevered during a trying season.
CHICAGO — Every part of it paid off for Syracuse. The Orange learned and persevered during a trying season.
When Michael Gbinije and company got in trouble Friday night, they were ready.
Gbinije made a go-ahead layup with 22 seconds left, and Syracuse advanced to its 10th Elite Eight under Boeheim with a 63-60 victory over Gonzaga in the Midwest Regional semifinals.
Tyler Lydon sealed the win with a block on Josh Perkins’ runner in the final seconds. Lydon then grabbed the ball and made two foul shots before Domantas Sabonis’ desperate fling was well off at the buzzer.
“These guys have fought all year, and every game we’ve been behind, we’ve been in some tough situations, and they’ve battled through them all year,” Boeheim said.
Next up is an all-ACC matchup with Virginia on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four. The Orange lost 73-65 to the Cavaliers on Jan. 24, but that was a long time ago.
Syracuse’s rocky season included a nine-game suspension for Boeheim as part of an NCAA investigation that found a history of improper benefits and academic misconduct stretching back years. Then the Orange dropped five of six down the stretch, putting their spot in the NCAA Tournament in jeopardy.
So when 10th-seeded Syracuse trailed Gonzaga 57-48 late in the second half, the Orange were just fine. They turned to their aggressive full-court pressure to shut down the Bulldogs and storm into their first regional final since 2013.
“We just love each other, love the game so I think that’s what’s carrying us,” Lydon said.
Gbinije scored 20 points and Trevor Cooney had 15 for Syracuse (22-13), which shot 36.1 percent from the field, but forced 17 Gonzaga turnovers. Tyler Roberson added nine points and 12 rebounds.
“We knew we deserved to be here and we’re showing it,” Roberson said, “so we just wanna keep it going.”
Kyle Wiltjer had 23 points for No. 11 Gonzaga (28-8), and Sabonis finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds and five blocked shots. The rest of the Bulldogs accounted for just 18 points.
“Too many turnovers, and then just those darned offensive rebounds there at the end,” coach Mark Few said.
Sabonis’ rebound basket gave the Bulldogs a nine-point lead with 6:24 to play, but it was their last field goal of the night. Roberson’s foul shot got Syracuse within one before Gonzaga gave it right back with a 10-second violation. Lydon also had a key block on Sabonis to help keep it a one-point game.
Gbinije drove inside in the final 30 seconds and missed his first attempt before grabbing the rebound and putting it in for a 61-60 lead. Cooney then had a hustle steal on the other end, but stepped out of bounds in a close call that had fans looking for TV monitors all over the arena to see if they agreed.
“It was important that we made a stop at the end because after looking at that picture after the game, it looked like he was not out of bounds, so that would have been a tough way to lose,” Boeheim said. “But I don’t know if they could see that picture or not. I don’t know what happened.”
With the crowd standing, Perkins drove into the lane and Lydon stepped up for the block before grabbing the ball and getting fouled with 1.6 seconds left. The freshman forward swatted six shots in all.
“I thought I had a good look at it. But he blocked it,” Perkins said. “Taller, longer arms. If the opportunity comes, I’m shooting again. Just credit to him.”
No. 1 Viriginia 84,
No. 4 Iowa State 71
Anthony Gill finished with a season-high 23 points, Mike Tobey came off the bench to score 18, and top-seeded Virginia beat Iowa State 84-71 in the Midwest Region semifinals on Friday night.
The Cavaliers (29-7) withstood a second-half push by the fourth-seeded Cyclones (23-12) after grabbing a big lead in the early going and advanced to their first regional final since 1995.
Virginia will face Syracuse on Sunday. A win would send the Cavaliers to their first Final Four since 1984, when coach Tony Bennett was a teenager.
Georges Niang had another big game for Iowa State, finishing with 30 points after scoring 28 against both Iona and Arkansas-Little Rock in the first two rounds. But an up-and-down first season under coach Steve Prohm ended on a disappointing note.
With a chance to go farther than they ever did under predecessor Fred Hoiberg, the Cyclones never could recover from a flat start.
No. 6 Notre Dame 61,
No. 7 Wisconsin 56
Demetrius Jackson stripped the ball and scored the go-ahead layup with 14.7 seconds left and Notre Dame advanced to the brink of its first Final Four in 38 years with a 61-56 win over Wisconsin on Friday night in the East Region semifinal of the NCAA Tournament.
Jackson sealed the win with a pair of free throws to send the Irish (24-11) into a regional final for the second straight season.
Notre Dame lost to Kentucky a year ago. This year, the Irish will get a shot at top-seeded North Carolina on Sunday.
Vitto Brown’s 3-pointer with 26 seconds left put the Badgers (22-13) up 56-53 and kept Wisconsin’s shot at a third straight Final Four alive.
But the Irish shook off a miserable shooting game down the stretch and have their first Final Four since 1978 in sight.
No. 1 North Carolina 101,
No. 5 Indiana 86
Marcus Paige scored 21 points and North Carolina continued its offensive prowess, moving to the Elite Eight for the 20th time since 1975 with a 101-86 victory over Indiana on Friday night in the East Regional.
The top-seeded Tar Heels (31-6) will meet sixth-seeded Notre Dame on Sunday, determining one of two guaranteed Atlantic Coast Conference spots in the Final Four. The Fighting Irish beat Wisconsin 61-56 on Friday.
It will be the same case in the Midwest Regional, where top-seeded Virginia will face 10th-seeded Syracuse, meaning at least half the Final Four will be from the ACC. The conference will also have a team play for the national title.
Brice Johnson had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels, who are in the regional final for the seventh time in coach Roy Williams’ 12 years and for the first time since 2012.
Yogi Ferrell had 25 points to lead Indiana (27-8).