SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2018 MARINIJ.COM | SPORTS C | 5

COLLEGE ROUNDUP No. 1 Virginia wins ACC title over No. 12 UNC The Associated Press 3-pointers in overtime to lift tory over West Virginia in over Arkansas in the South- Villanova to a win over Prov- the Big 12 Tournament ti- eastern Conference Tourna- NEW YORK >> , idence in the Big East Tour- tle game. ment semifinals. and No. 1 Vir- nament championship game. De Sousa had 16 points The win is the sixth ginia completed one of the The Wildcats (30-4) won on 8 of 8 shooting while straight and 13th in the most successful seasons in their second straight Big East grabbing 10 rebounds, and last 15 games for the sec- the storied history of At- Tournament and third in Malik Newman added 20 ond-seeded Volunteers lantic Coast Conference four years (losing in the 2016 points to cap a phenom- (25-7), who will try to win basketball, beating No. 12 final). They put the bow on a enal tournament, lifting their first SEC Tournament North Carolina 71-63 in the fantastic season that should the Jayhawks (27-7) to their championship in almost 40 tournament championship have them earn a No. 1 seed 11th tournament title and a years when they face Ken- game Saturday night to fin- in the NCAA Tournament. likely No. 1 seed when the tucky on Sunday. ish 20-1 against league com- Villanova had rolled to a NCAA Tournament bracket Bone scored 17 of his petition. pair of dominant victories is revealed Sunday. points in the first half, hit- The top-seeded Cava- in the tourney and held off a It was the second time in ting 7 of 7 from the field and liers (31-2) set a school re- pesky Providence team that three years they’ve beaten all three of his 3-point at- cord for victories and won played its third straight over- West Virginia (24-10) in the tempts. The sophomore fin- the ACC Tournament for time game. title game. ished 8 of 11 from the field the second time in five sea- The fifth-seeded Friars JULIE JACOBSON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NO. 21 HOUSTON 77, NO. 11 and hit the three 3-pointers sons under coach Tony Ben- (21-13) rallied in the second Virginia guard Kyle Guy (5) saves the ball from going out WICHITA STATE 74 >> Rob — part of an 11-of-17 shoot- nett, and third time overall. half from yet another double- of bounds as North Carolina guard Joel Berry II (2) looks Gray had a key and ing effort from behind the With plenty of their fans digit hole and seemed set to on during the championship game of the Atlantic Coast scored 33 points, including arc for Tennessee. packing Barclays pull off one more upset and Conference tournament Saturday in New York. two free throws with 5 sec- NO. 25 RHODE ISLAND 90, in Brooklyn, the Cavaliers earn the automatic NCAA onds remaining, as Hous- SAINT JOSEPH’S 87 >> An- beat sixth-seeded North berth. Providence erased overtime game. squandered a 13-point lead. ton held off Wichita State in dre Berry scored 18 points, Carolina (25-10) for the sec- a 17-point hole in the sec- NO. 8 CINCINNATI 70, MEM- Kyvon Davenport had 12 an American Athletic Con- Fatts Russell made two cru- ond time this season and ond half to beat top-seeded PHIS 60 >> Jarron Cumber- points and 11 rebounds for ference Tournament semi- cial 3-pointers in the final six snapped a seven-game los- Xavier to reach the final. land scored 18 points and Memphis (21-13), which is final. minutes and Rhode Island ing streak to the Tar Heels With one stunning rally on had 17 points hoping for an invitation to Corey Davis Jr. scored rallied past Saint Joseph’s in in ACC Tournament play. its resume, Providence nearly and 12 rebounds to rally the NIT tournament. 19 points for the Cougars the Atlantic 10 Conference Guy, the tournament made it two. Cincinnati to a victory over Cincinnati trailed 42- (26-6), who advanced to Tournament semifinals. MVP, scored 11 of his 16 Kyron Cartwright hit a Memphis in the semifinals 29 at halftime but erased play No. 8 Cincinnati in the The Rams (25-6) are the points in the second half jumper with 1:38 left that of the American Athletic the deficit in the first seven championship game. first No. 1 seed in the Atlan- and Hall added 15 points, tied the game at 58-all and Conference Tournament. minutes of the second half Houston led by as many tic 10 to reach the confer- five rebounds and four as- Alpha Diallo scored on a Kyle Washington added with an active and aggres- as nine points in the ence championship game sists. had 12 driving layup with 40 sec- 11 for the Bearcats (29-4), sive defense. first half before the lead since Saint Louis in 2013. points, six assists and six re- onds left for a 60-58 lead. who advanced to meet the NO. 9 KANSAS 81, NO. 18 WEST changed hands or was tied Jeff Dowtin added 16 bounds for Virginia, which Big East player of the winner of the Wichita State- VIRGINIA 70 >> Devonte Gra- eight times in the final points and 10 assists for will certainly enter the year tied it Houston game in Sunday’s ham piled up 18 points and seven minutes. Rhode Island, Russell NCAA Tournament as the for Villanova with two free final. 13 assists, Silvio De Sousa NO. 13 TENNESSEE 84, AR- scored 14 points and E.C. top overall seed. throws. Jamal Johnson led Mem- came up big in place of KANSAS 66 >> Matthews had 11 of his 14 NO. 2 VILLANOVA 76, PROV- Providence missed a last- phis with 17 points but Udoka Azubuike and Kan- scored 19 points to help points in the second half for IDENCE 66 >> gasp shot at the buzzer and didn’t score in the sec- sas proved its toughness spark a hot-shooting first the defending tournament scored 25 points and hit two played in its third straight ond half, when the Tigers down the stretch for a vic- half for Tennessee in a win champions.

pile atop Kidd ensued. assists) and Castillo (five hind Rajkovic and Jacob- “It felt like a dream,” Kidd rebounds) rounded out the sen, who scored all of the Branson said. “As a child, I thought scoring with four and three team’s 14 points in the pe- FROM PAGE 1 about hitting those shots all points, respectively. riod. Rajkovic collected an the time. Playing varsity, se- “(Rajkovic) was a phe- offensive before 28-28, snapped a three-min- nior year, you have to make nomenal player,” Kidd said. converting a layup that ute scoring drought from those shots. “It was hard to occupy him evened the score to 13- both teams. “Our goal is to get to and occupy their 3-point 13 with 2-1/2 minutes left. Layups by Jacobsen and state. If you had asked me shooters. When he drove to Jacobsen notched a steal Viktor Rajkovic, followed in November if we con- the basket, we didn’t know near midcourt, then fin- by a Valley Christian (16- sidered going to state, I if we should help because if ished a layup on the other 13) , put the Bulls would’ve said no. But I have he kicked it out, they were end, beating the halftime ahead 34-30 with 2:11 to go. so much faith and love in going to stick the 3.” buzzer and giving Branson Warriors reserve D’Von our team that I feel we can Branson, a deadly a 20-18 advantage, its first Lang was subbed in and im- do anything now.” 3-point shooting team, lead of the game. mediately contributed. The The Warriors, a West went just 2 of 24 from be- “Up four with 1:40 left junior stole a Branson in- Catholic Athletic League yond the arc. Jacobsen re- and the ball, you should not bounds pass and raced the team that handily won the corded both triples. The lose,” Honick said. “But we other way for a layup. 35 Central Coast Section D-II poor long-range perfor- found a way. It was turn- seconds later Lang dished championship last week, mance came a day after overs, and the guys know to 6-foot-9 junior Jay Allen- face No. 4 Central Catholic each player — forwards ex- that. Tovar, whose basket tied the (30-2) in Tuesday night’s re- cluded — made 70-75 3s be- “We made a lot of mis- score with 1:10 left on the gional semis. fore leaving Friday’s prac- takes. We’re still young, clock. “Last year, when we lost, tice. and I think our youth Rajkovic’s contested la- it sucked, but it was differ- Valley Christian, which showed a little bit.” yup rimmed out and Valley ent,” Rajkovic said of Bran- connected on 2 of 8 from Branson will enter next Christian took over with son’s 2016-17 squad, which the free-throw line in the season as favorites to re- 45 seconds remaining. The won NCS before reach- fourth quarter, was led by peat as MCAL champions. Warriors’ first shot was off ing the NorCal D-V semis. Kidd, who buried a trio of The Bulls graduate three- the mark, but an offensive “This year, we really, re- 3s, and Allen-Tovar, each year starter Alec Ritch, rebound extended the pos- ally knew we could’ve done of whom poured in nine Castillo, and Oliver Jacobs, session. Valley Christian more.” points. Jaylon Bryant and keeping seven regulars. bled the clock down until Rajkovic led all scorers Cameron Fini chipped in “We worked extremely Alton Julian found Kidd, with 15 points to go along with seven and six points, hard all season to get to his backcourt mate, for the with nine rebounds and respectively, for the War- this point,” Jacobsen said. dagger. a pair of steals. Jacobsen riors, who raced out to a “We definitely know we ISAAC BREKKEN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Branson players at- added 12 points, eight re- 10-2 lead to start the game. could’ve gone further than Arizona’s Rawle Alkins, right, and Southern California’s tempted to call a timeout, bounds, and three steals. The Bulls chipped away we did. It’s going to be a Jordan Usher reach for a loose ball during the first half of but it was to no avail. A dog- Kwentyn Wiggins (three in the second quarter be- long offseason.” the Pac-12 men’s tournament final Saturday in Las Vegas. No. 15 Arizona beats USC to defend Pac-12 title The Trojans also have By John Marshall The Associated Press played without Ben- nie Boatright since Feb. LAS VEGAS >> Deandre Ay- 15, when he suffered a ton had 32 points and 18 season-ending knee in- rebounds in one of the jury, and backup point most dominating perfor- guard Derryck Thornton mances in Pac-12 Tour- missed the semifinals nament history, leading due to an illness. No. 15 Arizona to its sec- In the title game, USC ond straight title with a had success getting into 75-61 victory over South- the lane and with its ern California on Satur- pick-and-roll on offense day night. while giving the Wildcats Ayton put on a show trouble with its zone. along The Strip, bounc- Arizona had success ing back from a nervous getting to the offensive Pac-12 opener with two glass — eight in the first dominating games. half — and by getting the The Bahamian big ball to Ayton, who had man had 32 points and 13 points and eight re- 14 rebounds in a semifi- bounds by halftime. nal win over UCLA and USC led 33-30. knocked the Trojans (23- Ayton continued to 11) around like bowling have his way in the sec- pins in the champion- ond half and USC went ship game. Ayton made down a big man when 14 of 20 shots from the picked floor and all four of his up his fourth foul with free throws to lead Ari- 12 minutes left. zona (27-8) to its ninth Arizona took off from Pac-12 title. there — literally. Nick Rakocevic led Rawle Alkins brought USC with 13 points. the pro-Arizona crowd to Both teams fought a roar with a two-handed through adversity to dunk over Elijah Stewart reach the title game. and Ayton followed with Arizona was twice en- another dunk to make it tangled in a federal in- even louder, putting Ari- vestigation into shady zona up 53-46. recruiting practices. USC Ayton kept dunking was named in the probe and the crowd kept roar- as well, leading to sopho- ing until the confetti ALAN DEP — MARIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL more De’Anthony Melton cannons went off for Ar- Viktor Rajkovic of Branson defends against a shot by Cameron Fini of Valley Christian during their NorCal D-III to be ruled ineligible this izona’s second straight ti- quarterfinal game in Kentfield on Saturday. season. tle.