Florida Atlantic beats K-State, makes Final Four as 9 seed

NEW YORK (AP) — Alijah Martin, Vladislav Goldin and ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic turned the primary and lowest-seeded group to succeed in this 12 months’s Ultimate 4 because the Owls withstood one other large sport by Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell to beat the Wildcats 79-76 on Saturday evening.

FAU (35-3), making simply its second look within the NCAA Match, received the East Area at Madison Sq. Backyard and can head to Houston to play the winner of Sunday’s South Area last between Creighton and San Diego State.

The Owls from Convention USA have been the winningest group in Division I this season however had by no means received an NCAA Match sport earlier than ripping off 4 straight, all by single digits, to turn into the primary No. 9 seed to succeed in the Ultimate 4 since Wichita State in 2013.

Martin scored 17 factors, together with an enormous 3 down the stretch, the 7-foot-1 Goldin had 14 factors and 13 rebounds, and Michael Forrest made 4 clutch free throws within the last 20 seconds for the Owls.

Nowell, the 5-foot-8 native New Yorker, was unbelievable once more at Madison Sq. Backyard, with 30 factors, 12 assists and 5 steals, coming off a Candy 16 sport during which he set the NCAA Match report with 19 assists.

Nae’Qwan Tomlin was the one different participant in double figures for Kansas State (26-10) with 14 factors. Keyontae Johnson, the Wildcats’ main scorer, fouled out with 9 factors.

WEST REGION

UCONN 82, GONZAGA 54

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jordan Hawkins scored 20 factors and UConn overwhelmed its fourth straight NCAA Match opponent, incomes its first journey to the Ultimate 4 in 9 years.

The Huskies (29-8) have felt proper at dwelling of their first prolonged March Insanity run since successful the 2014 nationwide championship. UConn managed Gonzaga at each ends, constructing a 23-point lead early within the second half to waltz into the ultimate part of the bracket.

The Bulldogs (31-6) didn’t have the second-half magic that they had in a last-second win over UCLA within the Elite Eight.

Gonzaga allowed UConn to go on a late run to steer by seven at halftime and fell fully aside after All-American Drew Timme went to the bench together with his fourth foul early within the second half. Timme had 12 factors and 10 rebounds. The Zags shot 33% from the sector and went 2 for 20 from 3.

Alex Karaban scored 12 factors and Adama Sanogo had 10 factors and 10 rebounds for UConn, which is able to play both Miami or Texas within the nationwide semifinals.

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