SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2018 MARINIJ.COM | SPORTS C | 5 COLLEGE BASKETBALL 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 » Kyle Guy, idence in the Big East Tour- tle game. ment semifinals. Devon Hall 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 steal 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 Center 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 Gary Clark 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. Ty Jerome 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 Jalen Brunson 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 » Jordan Bone 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 » Mikal Bridges 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- COLLEGE BASKETBALL “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 rebound 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) free throw, 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.