Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

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Monday 26 March 2018

Hello, Newman:
Kansas knocks out Duke 85-81 in OT for Final Four bid

By Luke Meredith featured 18 lead changes
Associated Press and 11 ties.
OMAHA, Neb. — Malik But Newman drilled his fifth
Newman and top-seeded and final 3 from the corner
Kansas got past their Elite to make it 81-78 with 1:49
Eight road block on Sun- left. Newman followed with
day, knocking off second- four straight free throws,
seeded Duke 85-81 in over- and the Jayhawks defense
time in a thrilling Midwest stiffened enough to knock
Region finale that clinched the favored Blue Devils out
the Jayhawks’ first trip to of the tournament.
the Final Four since 2012. Trevon Duval scored 20
Newman scored all 13 of points for Duke. Freshman
the Jayhawks’ points in star and future lottery pick
overtime and finished with Marvin Bagley added 16
a career-high 32 to lead points and 10 rebounds in
Kansas (31-7). what could have been his
The Jayhawks will face fel- final game for Duke (29-8),
low top seed Villanova in which fell shy its first Final
San Antonio on Saturday Four trip since winning the
after snapping a two- national title in 2015.
game losing skid in the re- Grayson Allen had 12 points
gional finals. for the Blue Devils, but the
This was college basket- senior’s 10-foot bank shot
ball at its best — two blue at the regulation buzzer
bloods trading blows for 45 went in and then out of the Kansas' Malik Newman (14) is fouled on his way to the basket by Duke's Wendell Carter Jr (34) dur-
minutes in what was argu- rim before spinning away ing overtime of a regional final game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Sunday,
ably the best game of the to force overtime. March 25, 2018, in Omaha, Neb.
tournament so far, one that q (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Villanova returns to Final

Four beating Texas 71-59

By JIMMY GOLEN estly, they believe they're
BOSTON (AP) — With all of good. That's why they're in
the underdogs and upsets that position. That's (also)
that have upended the why we're in that posi-
NCAA tournament, no one tion," Brunson said. "We're
has managed to come a good team, and we be-
close to Villanova. lieve we can keep getting
The 2016 national cham- better."
pions are headed back to The Wildcats (34-4) will play
the Final Four, thanks to a the winner of the Midwest
fourth straight double-digit final between top-seeded
victory in a month of March Kansas and No. 2 seed
where they've played ev- Duke. Sunday's winners will
ery bit like the No. 1 seed join 11th-seeded Loyola-
they earned. Chicago and its telegenic
"This tournament's a crazy nun, along with No. 3 Mich-
tournament. Anybody can igan in the national semifi-
beat anybody," guard nals on Saturday in San An-
Jalen Brunson said after the tonio.
Wildcats beat Texas Tech Sister Jean, get ready for
71-59 in a cold-shooting Father Rob.
East regional champion- "I very much look forward
ship on Sunday to send Vil- to meeting Sister Jean,"
lanova back to the Final said the Rev. Rob Hagan,
Four for the second time in the priest on the Villano-
three years. va bench. "I was 12 years
"The underdog mentally, of Catholic School and
they may have it. But, hon- taught by the nuns.q