LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It was a reasonable question: With the cloud hanging over the Alabama basketball team from a deadly shooting earlier this season, Coach Nate Oats was asked, had he and his players been able to enjoy their run to the second weekend of the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament.
“Yeah, we’re having a blast,” Oats said of his team, which had garnered the top seed in the tournament. “We’re winning games. We know who we are. We’ve got a great group of guys that lean on each other, that have come close.”
After rolling to a pair of comfortable victories in the N.C.A.A. tournament, which followed a romp to the Southeastern Conference title, the Crimson Tide finally experienced slings and arrows on the court — and they crumpled under the duress, losing to San Diego State, 71-64, in a South regional semifinal.
It was the third consecutive season Alabama had exited the tournament as a heavy favorite. The Crimson Tide were beaten the past two seasons by 11 seeds, U.C.L.A. and Notre Dame, but this loss — to the fifth-seeded Aztecs — carried with it a greater shock.
After two No. 1 seeds, Purdue and last year’s champion Kansas, exited in the first weekend, Alabama headed here with two other threats in the region eliminated — second-seeded Arizona and third-seeded Baylor.
But on Thursday night, Alabama found itself bothered by San Diego State’s physical play and slow pace, and wasted a 9-point lead in the second half. Alabama’s star freshman, forward Brandon Miller, couldn’t rescue his team, finishing with 9 points on 3-of-19 shooting and six turnovers.
Miller missed eight of nine 3-pointers — including one with 34.1 seconds left and Alabama trailing, 68-64. After a San Diego State free throw, Nathan Mensah blocked Jahvon Quinerly’s layup attempt — the fourth on the Alabama point guard in the second half and Mensah’s eighth of the game — to all but seal it. — Billy Witz
Miami withstood a 21-point comeback to beat Villanova.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The round-of-16 game was slipping away from Miami, as Villanova closed a 21-point gap.
But the ninth-seeded Hurricanes stopped the reversal in the final minute, scoring 6 straight points to beat fourth-seeded Villanova on Friday, 70-65, to advance to its first round-of-8 game in the women’s N.C.A.A. tournament.
“I can’t believe it,” Miami Coach Katie Meier said. “I’m not going to act cool. This is awesome.”
Villanova had cruised to the round of 16, beating its lower-seeded opponents by an average of 18 points. The Wildcats seemed to be building for a run behind their star, Maddy Siegrist, the top scorer in Division I.
But from the beginning of Friday’s game, it was clear that this matchup would be much different from Villanova’s earlier games.
Miami’s defense smothered Villanova’s ballhandlers, hounding them as soon as they inbounded the ball. Miami’s speed and physicality made up for a height disadvantage and forced rushed shots and turnovers, causing Villanova’s offense to look confused. By the time Villanova seemed to have figured Miami’s defense out in the second half, it appeared to be too late.
But Siegrist, who scored a game-high 31 points, led a furious rally in the third and fourth quarters as Miami tightened up, seemingly fearful of spiraling. Still, the Hurricanes held close even though they blew their lead.
Siegrist, who could leave college early to declare for the W.N.B.A. draft, tearfully said after the game that her future was uncertain.
“I’ve got to talk to my parents and stuff,” Siegrist said. “But I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to be here. Like so many good people, and it’s really about the people, take the basketball part out of it, the memories and people I will cherish forever.”
Miami had faced a much more difficult path to the round of 16 than Villanova, with close games and a win over Indiana, a No. 1 seed, on its home floor.
Miami will play Louisiana State on Sunday. — Kris Rhim
Utah slowed Angel Reese but couldn’t stop L.S.U.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Louisiana State’s star forward Angel Reese headed toward the sideline with her face in her palms after fouling out with just over four seconds left, her team holding a 1-point lead. Utah forward Jenna Johnson went to the free-throw line, the L.S.U.-leaning crowd chanted loudly, and she missed both.
No. 3-seeded L.S.U. got two more free throws and a critical final stop to eke past No. 2 seed Utah, 66-63, to advance to the round of 8 for the first time since 2008.
Utah seemed focused on taking away Reese, and the Utes did slow her down a bit, holding her to 17 points.
But that strategy freed up opportunities for forward LaDazhia Williams, who scored 24 on 11-of-14 shooting, often celebrating when her buckets went in.
“They’re not a one-trick pony, as they say,” Utah coach Lynne Roberts said. “They got a lot of good players.”
Williams scored 7 points in the second quarter, after Reese picked up her second foul and left the game. Utah had looked like it might be pulling away, but Williams kept L.S.U. close. “I felt like I needed to step up as a senior,” said Williams, who called the game the best of her career.
L.S.U. had been a regular contender in the early 2000s, making five straight Final Fours. But the program had seen a decline until Kim Mulkey arrived from Baylor ahead of last season. Mulkey, a three-time national champion, added transfers, like Reese, and immediately made the Tigers relevant again.
Mulkey has worried that their fast start might create outsize expectations in Baton Rouge. “Might be feeding that monster too quickly, but it sure beats the heck out of losing,” she said.
L.S.U. will play Miami on Sunday. — Kris Rhim
The New York Times
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