SPOKANE, Wash. - Those kids from Harvard are getting a passing grade when it comes to the first game of the NCAA tournament.
INTERACTIVE
Ask New Mexico last year. Ask Cincinnati now.
“I’ve heard this before, where there really aren’t upsets anymore,” Harvard Coach Tommy Amaker said. “There may be some surprises, but I just think when you’re looking at seeds and if you’re playing this time of year, you’re probably a pretty good basketball team.”
Siyani Chambers scored 11 points, including five consecutive in the final 2 minutes, and 12th-seeded Harvard won its second NCAA tournament game in history, upsetting Cincinnati 61-57 on Thursday.
Wesley Saunders led the Crimson (27-4) with 12 points as Harvard proved last year’s upset of New Mexico as a 14 seed was no fluke. The Crimson became the first Ivy League school with NCAA tournament victories in consecutive years since Princeton in 1983-84. They will play Michigan State in the third round.
Harvard never trailed after the opening moments. They played with confidence and scrap against the fifth-seeded Bearcats, who shared the American Athletic Conference regular season title. Sean Kilpatrick led Cincinnati (27-7) with 18 points, but the Bearcats failed to win a tournament game for the second consecutive year.
There was a reason Harvard was a popular pick on bracket sheets around the country. Even President Barack Obama was on Harvard to take out the Bearcats.
“Getting a victory in this kind of environment and this kind of setting is very exciting,” Chambers said. “You can never describe it, no matter how many times you do it.”
But don’t call it an upset. At least not in the eyes of Cincinnati Coach Mick Cronin or Amaker. Last year’s victory over New Mexico was the time for celebration. This victory - as evidenced by the subdued locker room - was expected by the Crimson.
“In my mind, today’s game was anything but an upset,” Cronin said. “They’ve got a great team. Tough draw for us. In my opinion, they’re one of the best teams we played all year.”
“We definitely want to make a statement that we can compete at the national level,” Steve Moundou-Missi said. “I think we showed up today and we did a good job. Now we get to move on.” MICHIGAN ST. 93, DELAWARE 78
Adreian Payne scored a career-high 41 points to get Michigan State off to a solid start in the NCAA tournament with a victory over Delaware.
Payne, a 6-foot-10 senior, scored 12 consecutive points in the first half to help the fourth-seeded Spartans (27-8) to an 18-point lead.
He set an NCAA tournament record by making all 17 of his free throws and broke the program’s tournament scoring record, set previously by Greg Kelser in 1979.
Devon Saddler had 21 points and Davon Usher added 20 for the 13th-seeded Blue Hens (25-10).
Travis Trice scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half for the Spartans, who became a trendy pick after winning the Big Ten tournament last week. President Barack Obama has them to win it all.
CONNECTICUT 89, SAINT JOSEPH’S 81, OT
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Shabazz Napier shook off a miss at the second-half buzzer to score nine of his 24 points in overtime and lead seventh-seeded Connecticut to a victory over Saint Joseph’s.
DeAndre Daniels scored 18 while freshman center Amida Brimah forced overtime by completing a three-point play in the final minute for UConn (27-8). The Huskies won their first tournament game under coach Kevin Ollie, who took over two years ago after Jim Calhoun stepped down due to health issues.
With the game tied at 70 entering overtime, Daniels opened the scoring by completed a three-point play with 3:47 left during a 5-minute period the Huskies never trailed.
Langston Galloway scored 25 points for Saint Joseph’s (24-10). The Hawks wore down because of a lack of depth, and then lost their top forward Halil Kanacevic, who fouled out early into overtime.
VILLANOVA 73, MILWAUKEE 53
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Darrun Hilliard scored 16 points, JayVaughn Pinkston added 13 and Villanova beat Milwaukee.
The Wildcats (29-4), the No. 2 seed in the East Region, will play seventh-seeded Connecticut (27-8) on Saturday.
No. 15 seed Milwaukee (21-14), the surprise champion of the Horizon League, made it a game all the way, leading much of the first half before fading late.
Villanova was eager to get back on the court after being upset last week by Seton Hall in the Big East tournament, but the effect of that loss seemed to linger.
A 12-point run spanning halftime gave the Wildcats a nine-point lead early in the second half and they held on. Hilliard’s long three-pointer from the top of the key with 8:10 left gave them a 53-42 lead, and the Panthers couldn’t recover.
Sports, Pages 22 on 03/21/2014