Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 71

wwwstar-telegramcom Sunday March 19 2006 I 3CC MARCH MADNESS GONZAGA 90 INDIANA 80 Zags no one-man show OAKLAND REGION FIRST ROUND SECOND ROUND REGIONAL SEMIFINALS 8 Arkansas 55 Thursday Bucknell 9 Bucknell 59 5 Pittsburgh 79 Pittsburgh 12 Kent State 64 I March 17 11 10 a today KTVTCh 11 n'man BREAKDOWN Why Gonzaga won: In addi- tion to its role players coming through the Bulldogs had a 32-2 edge in free throws made Why Indiana lost: The Hoosiers hit 13 of 36 3 pointers but had six more turnovers than the Bulldogs Notable: Gonzaga's Adam Morrison 1 scored 14 points half of his I season average and his sec- ond lowest total of the sea- son IU coach Mike Davis who last month announced his resignation effective at the end of the season leaves with a 115 79 seven-year record he was 7 4 in the NCAA Tournament Up next: Gonzaga vs UCLA Thursday time TBA Oakland Calif I No 5 Gonzaga 90 Indiana 80 INDIANA (19 12) nliff 3019 vaden 7 15 20 Ihngsvc th 6 1 0 0 12 Sir tkland 6 9 0 0 18 Ca owa 6 12 0 0 1 Wilmont 3 9 0 3 6 Sjhr 2 2 2 A i 0 0 0 Pine 0 10 0 0 Monroe jO Tula 31 69 80 GONZAGA (29 3) Mo jn 5 17 4 7 14 Mallon 4 7 sr but lu 0 20 Altidor Cespedes 0 i 0 0 3 Ra A 2 7 0 10 Parqo 4 5 6 10 Kr ght 4 5 3 4 11 Pc derqraft 1 1 5 6 7 Hevtvelt (J 1 0 0 ji 61 41 90 19 38 31 3-powt ind ana 16 36 (Sir Hard 6 9 Widen 6 Rati ff 3 7 Cal loway 1 2 Mli asAO th 0 1 Allen 0 1 Imont 0 Gor aga 11 (Pargo 11 Ra vio 1 4 Mallon 0 1 Alt dor 1 Pa ta 0 1 Morrison 0 3) Fouled out-P I ff Indiana 38 (call wy 9 1 41 Mai on 10) In 1 irq 1 CjI'ov ay li 6n aga Ra 0 3) Total fouls- nd in 29 Gon aqa 14 A-15 122 4 Kansas 73 Bradley REGIONAL FINALS 13 Bradley 77 Will play Atlanta region winner 6 Indiana 87 Saturday March 25 Indiana 80 11 Diego St 83 a IB 3 Gonzaga 79 14 Xavier 75 With Adam Morrison kept in check his unheralded teammates help secure a berth in the Sweet 16 By EDDIE PELLS THF ASSOCIATED PRESS SALT LAKE CITY a lot more to Gonzaga than Adam Morrison Good thing for the Zags because they needed the whole package to get past Indiana and its collection of 3-point shooters The Zags proved much more than a one-man show Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament defeating the Hoosiers 90-80 and making coach Mike resignation official despite getting only 14 points from their scraggly haired superstar With Indiana defenders taking turns draping themselves over Morrison JP Batista had 20 points and nine rebounds Erroll Knight had 11 points and Sean Mallon had a career game with 15 points and 10 rebounds commit so many resources to stopping Adam that we try to play off Gonzaga coach Mark Few said you really watched us you can see that done a nice job of it and the group has done a nice job of The victory got the third-seeded Bulldogs (29-3) out of the first weekend of the tournament for the first time since 2001 Davis meanwhile will head back and start cleaning out his office despite a super effort from the sixth-seeded Hoosiers (19-12) first thought was I was just proud of the Davis said be sad for me You should be happy for me because I had a great opportunity to coach one of the greatest schools in college Next up for Gonzaga is a game against UCLA which 7 Marquette 85 Alabama 59 10 Alabama 90 UCLA IB 2 UCLA 78 UCLA 62 15 Belmont 44 March 16 GETTY IMAGESJONATHAN FERREY Roderick Wilmont (10) and the Hoosiers limited Adam Morrison to 14 points just the sixth game this season he has failed to score 20 seconds later on Indiana center Marco Killingsworth that changed this game The technical right after a personal foul gave Killingsworth four fouls and put him on the bench turning strategy into a 3-or-noth-ing game The Hoosiers hit a bunch 13 to be exact in the second half and kept the game in reach for most of it Robert Vaden went 6-for-13 from behind the line Marshall Strickland went 6-for-9 and AJ Ratliff went 3-for-7 All but 10 of 49 points in the second half came from there and for a brief moment it means another chance for Morrison to show the best player in the country not JJ Redick Morrison certainly have it all going in this one He shot 5-for-17 and scored less than 20 points for just the sixth time this season He was frustrated much as he was in the first round against Xavier and it boiled over early in the second half when he started jawing with Roderick Wilmont who was harassing him all game long Morrison and Wilmont each got technical fouls though it was another 22 looked as if plan to trade 3-for-2 down the stretch might work It to be though and that was mainly because Indiana stop wide assortment of long lanky guys underneath Mallon matched his career high in rebounds Batista easily won the matchup against Killingsworth (12 points) Knight played a more extended role and had a couple of sweet plays an underhanded scoop of an offensive rebound for a basket and a jam on an alley-oop that made it 79-69 with 1:44 remaining AROUND THE RIM GAME BALLS Erroll Knight and Jeremy Pargo Gonzaga: The reserve guards a senior and a freshman combine for 21 points seven rebounds four assists and no turnovers in 42 minutes in a 90-80 victory over Indiana Jordan Farmer UCLA: The sophomore guard hits 5 of 10 3-pomters scores 18 points and adds three assists in a 62-59 victory over Alabama Earl Calloway Indiana: The junior guard falls one rebound short of a triple-double finishing with 13 points and 10 assists with no turnovers in a 90-80 loss to Gonzaga GAINING MOMENTUM Gonzaga: Even with a subpar game from star Adam Morrison the third-seeded Bulldogs (29-3) advance past the first weekend of the tournament for the first time since 2001 LOSING STEAM UCLA: The second-seeded Bruins (29-6) extended their winning streak to nine games but not before struggling against a lOth-seeded scholarship players and got zero UCLA 62 ALABAMA 59 UCLA holds on when Alabama misfires at end Statistics don't tell the story as the Bruins reach a regional semifinal for the first time in four seasons THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPAUL SANCYA Jim Les guided Bradley into the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a point guard in 1986 and as the Braves' coach this season Alabama team that had just seven points from its bench Deja vu Jim Les was starting point guard in 1986 the last time the Braves played in the second rgund of the NCAA Tournament Twenty years later Les finally has the Braves back there again this time as coach To him there's no debate about which feels better "Being a player is more of a personal satisfaction" Les said Saturday "Now it's like being a part of the tradition and history of Bradley basketball and being a part of putting it back on the map Seeing all the people now that hve been affected It's more fun to be a part of that" In the first few hours after the 13th-seeded Braves stunned fourth-seeded Kansas Les said he received congratulatory phone calls from former players alumni even old professors Big problem In Pitt's opening-round victory over Kent State Pitt guard Carl Krauser simply lobbed the ball over the top of the defense to 7-foot 270-pound junior center Aaron Gray who made all six of his shots to score 17 points and also had 13 rebounds He probably won't get his touches as easily today with 7-foot 260-pound sophomore Patrick O'Bryant guarding him And the Braves can bring senior Bradyn Heemskerk (7-1 260) off the bench "If I can't lob it over I'm just going to find another way to get him the ball" Krauser said bluntly "I have to get him the ball" Andy Clay Closing the gap No 1 seeds improved their record over No 16 seeds to a perfect 88-0 But the 2006 NCAA Tournament was the first time that all four No 16 losing margin was less than 20 points Two No 1 seeds won by 16 points the other two won by 13 The total point differential was the second-smallest since 1985 when the field was expanded to 64 teams In 1989 the four No 1 seeds won by a total of 42 points (Oklahoma and Georgetown each one by a single point Illinois won by seven and Arizona won by 34) Wendell Barnbouse This report contains material from wire services THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMARK TERRILL Howland said It supposed to be this tough for UCLA coming off a 34-point win over Belmont in the first round But the Bruins were flustered by zone in the first half and it showed on the aggravated faces of Farmar and Afflalo is a perfectionist so everything that go right he wears on his Howland said Ronald Steele scored 21 points for lOth-seeded Alabama (18-13) which rallied after leading scorer Chuck Davis suffered a season-ending knee injury in January were 7-6 lost our best player and today we were a jump shot away from being in the sweet Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said do anything Twice in the final minute the Tide came within one point but UCLA had answers Afflalo got loose and launched a 3-pointer keeping UCLA ahead 60-56 with 34 seconds left Steele ho was fouled and made three free throws with 21 seconds left took the Tide's final shot: a 3-pointer at the top of the key with Afflalo defending him that fell short cut me off on the initial move to the basket but I got free and it felt good when it left my Steele said had a good look at and just make the shot By BETH HARRIS THE ASSOC IATED PRESS SAN DIEGO UCLA clanked free throws down the stretch was outrebounded missed more than half its shots from 3-point range and still won No one was more surprised than coach Ben Howland the stats went against he said have everything go against us and still win a testament to the Jordan Farmar scored 18 points including five 3-pointers Arron Afflalo had 13 points and Ryan Hollins 12 in a 62-59 victory over Alabama on Saturday that sent the Bruins to their first NCAA Tournament regional since 2002 No 2 seed UCLA (29-6) will play third-seeded Gonzaga (29-3) in Oakland trying to get back to the Final Four for the first time since their 1995 national championship "This is nothing new for Howland said standard is set supposed to win every game one at a The Bruins hung on for their ninth consecutive victory despite missing seven of nine free throws down the stretch They were outre-bounded 30-21 and 25 of their 47 shots were from 3-point range got to make our free throws and outboard our opponents if going to win any mofe games in this tour Alabama's Ronald Steele right missed a last-second 3-point shot that left Jordan Farmar and UCLA celebrating their victory GAMES -niKmiaa BREAKDOWN Why UCLA won: Once the Bi urns broke a 38 38 tie and took the lead early in the sec ond half they never trailed I aqain But UCLA made it interesting by missinq seven I ato free throws Arron Aff'alo 3 point basket with 34 seconds left was critical Why Alabama lost: Ronald Steele delivered for the cle ai1 season and he just massed making a wmnina 3 pointer in the final second Notable it A'fiaio hid a'l 13 of his points after ha'ftime No 5 Pittsburgh (25-7) vs No 13 Bradley (21-10) 11:10 am Auburn Hills Mich Ap intriguing matchup Each team has a 7-foot sophomore center who has made the difference for his team Patrick for Bradley and Aaron Gray for Pitt How that individual battle turns out could decide the game The Braves with their first-round upset of Kansas proved they can handle teams from "major" conferences However the Panthers are a tough-minded bunch who appear to match up better with Bradley's quick backcourt Pitt shot 674 percent a school record for any game not just the NCAAs in its first-round victory The winner of this game advances to the Oakland Regional semifinals and will face the winner of today's Memphis-Bucknell game Wendell Barnbouse No 1 Memphis (31-3) vs No 9 Bucknell (27-4) 1:15 pm Dallas The Bison expected to be here playing for their first appearance in the Syveet 16 Tempo will be the key against the fast-paced Tigers Bucknell will run its offense until the right shot becomes available even if that means using all 35 seconds on the shot clock Look for Memphis defenders to tighten up maybe even press to try to force turnovers Jeff Wilson a The Brums opened the qame by hittinq their first five shots including three consecutive 3 pointers by Jordan Farmar Up next: UCLA vs Gonzaga TBA Thursday Oakland No 7 UCLA 62 Alabama 59 ALABAMA (18 13) 0 1 0 0 0 tv i 5 7 Mr i i I not 0 0 1 Mop 11 1 I I 3 7 5 4 15)41 Tims UCLA (296) -1 25 MMhWxu 4 4 bi s55-M a 1 i i VMi 8 1 3 i 2 A i a 9 a 4uSlh Halftime- i 3 point goals-A i a 6 i OIF i uCifi 9 Fa ma an a 9 i i i a Fouled Out- 4 Rebounds-'! ba-r Mend 9 I Mha Awists-4 ahama ft i 4 (i i Total fouls- A ib 1 A i.