European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 30 stars and stripes tuesday March 20 2007 Mcaa tournament Midwest regional grinding it out Gritty Purdue sets Tempo but Florida still prevails the associated press new Orleans Al Hor Ford flexed his biceps and offered an imposing stare As he posed for to cameras Florida most physical player had reason to show off a bit Hor Ford had 17 Points and nine rebounds and helped the defend ing National champions withstand a game Effort by plucky Purdue in a 7467 Victory sunday in the second round of the Mcaa tournament i guess they Felt like they were going to make Al score one on one teammate Corey Brewer said they made a bad decision ninth seeded Purdue played just about How it wanted against the gators slowing the Tempo re bounding Well despite a smaller lineup and keeping the game close much of the Way the to seeded gators took advantage of their tournament experience they didst panic and made several clutch shots Down the stretch to Advance to the round of 16 Hor Ford had three big buckets in the final minutes and Brewer hit a spinning jumper and then six consecutive free throws to Seal Florida 14th consecutive postseason Victory we knew we had to make plays Down the stretch to win Brewer who had 17 Points and eight rebounds said we get frustrated because they were going to be physical they were physical the whole game we just took it upon our selves and just made plays especially Hor Ford if in in a rhythm and in feel ing comfortable i want to get the Ball and i want to make plays for the team he said the gators trying to be come the first team to repeat As Champion since Duke in 1992 advanced to play fifth seeded but Ler in the Midwest regional Semi finals Friday in St Louis Carl Landry led Purdue 2212 with 18 Points and 10 rebounds David Teague and Chris Kramer added 14 each they just made big plays Teague said they capitalized on a couple of turnovers and a Cou ple of miscues and that is what champions do they step up and make plays Down the stretch that was the difference in the Ball game Florida trailed by five Points in the first half and was Down at half time for the first time in nearly three weeks Taurean Green hit consecutive threes for a 4338 Lead with remaining Lee Humphrey hit a three with about 6 minutes to play that put the gators up by five and Hor Ford and Brewer did the rest Hor Ford had three Low Post baskets in the final 3 minutes and finished 7for9 from the floor his Only two misses were jumpers that rimmed out in the first half Brewer was 8for8 from the free throw line Joakim Noah had nine Points and nine boards the gators were 6for8 from the floor and 14for14 from the free throw line in the final Oregon 75 Winthrop 61 at Spokane Wash Aaron Brooks scored 22 Points As Oregon Smoth ered the frazzled eagles the let seeded eagles who beat notre Dame in the first round lost for the first time in 20 games to end their most Success Ful tournament in seven tries this is the first time since 1995 that no double digit seed has advanced to at least the third round instead the ducks 287 advanced to play univ in the Semi finals of the Midwest regional they made it largely because of llfor23 shooting from three Point Range Tajuan Porter the shortest Man on the floor at 5foot6 scored 14 Points he hit his first four shots of the second half All from Long Range in the games decisive spurt Winthrop missed 16 consecutive three Point shots from the 12minute Mark of the first half until Chris Gaynor made one with left in the game Oregon led 5948 by then Rob Florida Joakim Noah dunks against Purdue in sundays second round Mcaa Midwest regional game Florida beat the boilermakers 7467 Mcaa tournament East regional Vandy Dandy in double of Victory Over Washington state the associated press Sacramento Calif Der Rick Byars released five years of frustration on Washington state in the second half he hit five three pointers blocked a critical shot and repeatedly kept Vander bilt alive in a double overtime thriller the Southeastern conference player of the year want ready to end his career even when time foul trouble and the cougars vaunted defense were lined up against him and Byars made the plays to keep his commodores in the Mcaa tournament spotlight for at least a few More Days Byars scored 27 Points Shan Foster added 20 and Vanderbilt took control in the second Over time beating Washington state 7874 on saturday in a dynamite second round game in the East regional considering the stage this was the Best game Ive played Byars said its something you visualize before the game i saw my self making shots and those shots went in in the second half Alex Gordon scored 12 Points and Center Ted Skuchas opened the second of with his first four Points of the game for sixth seed de Vanderbilt which is headed to the round of 16 for the first time since 2004 and just the fourth time in 20 seasons Byars and Foster the similar swing men who led the commo Dores surprising surge this sea son embraced at mid court after Washington states last gasp Byars transferred to Vanderbilt in 2004 after two years at Virginia then spent last summer obsessively working out in an Effort to elevate his game to the level it reached against the cougars we played Good defense on him but what can you do when Hes making shots like that Washington states Derrick Low asked Low scored 20 Points for the third seeded cougars whose remarkable turnaround season ended in a game filled with outstanding defense and Gutsy shots but Rookie coach Tony Bennetts team get one last break that was one of the Best col lege basketball games Ive Ever been involved in Vandy coach Kevin Stallings said and As Happy As i am for our team my heart goes out to Tony Bennett and the Washington state play ers because neither team de served to lose that game Byars was voted the secs top player by the leagues coaches but want Well known outside the deep South until this weekend he hit four three pointers in the second half and one More in the first overtime then kept the commodores alive with a stun Ning Block late in the first of it was just his fourth blocked shot of the season and he did it with his left hand no less while play ing with four fouls since the final 3 minutes of regulation fittingly for teams that reached this Point with defense a blocked shot figured in the final moments of regulation and the first overtime Ivory Clark rejected Byars Layup attempt from be Hind with 25 seconds left in the second half but teammate Daven Harmeling then missed a three Pointer at the Buzzer after lows three with 19 seconds left tied the first overtime 6969 Taylor Rochestie stole Vanderbilt inbound pass and drove the length of the court Byars came from behind to swat the guards Layup attempt North Carolina 81 Michigan state 67 at Winston Salem no the mask protecting his Bro Ken nose kept sliding around frustrating Tyler Hansbrough As he tussle in the paint with Michi Gan states physical defenders it was like a Little Bee flying around your face that you try to slap away he said and it wont go away so North Carolinas big Man tossed the mask then helped the tar heels dispose of the deter mined spartans he finished with 33 Points and nine rebounds As Carolina held off Michigan state giving the East regional top seed a record 27th trip to the Mcaa tournaments round of 16 a Carolina player haunt scored so Many Points since Al Woods 39 against Ralph Samp son and Virginia in the 1981 final four North Carolina 306 needed every one to outlast ninth seed de Michigan state and continue its Long running Mcaa Success in its Home state the tar heels Are 211 in Mcaa games in the state the tar heels had to withstand Drew Neitzelt three Point shoot ing barrage had to scrap on the boards with one of the nations top rebounding teams and had to stay composed As the spartans 2312 pushed ahead Midway through the second half Neitzel finished with 26 Points and six three pointers in 38 Gritty minutes but North Carolina eventually wore Down the spartans in the final minutes any time you play a team that so athletic getting up and Down the court it takes a lot out of you especially with the foul trouble and Lack of depth we had said Neitzel who went 9for27 from the Field and 6for17 from three Point Range Georgetown 62 Boston col 155 at Winston Salem no in the heart of Atlantic coast con Ference country Georgetown and Boston College got together for some old fashioned bruising big East basketball with 7foot2 Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green clogging the Middle the hoyas took another step to Ward their return to the top of col lege basketball at the expense of a former conference rival with most the North Carolina crowd rooting for the eagles who bolted the big East for the acc two years ago the hoyas pulled away late by dominating the in Side Hibbert scored 15 of his 17 Points in the second half and added 12 rebounds and leading scorer Green overcame a poor shooting night to convert two three Point plays in the final two minutes As coach John Thompson Iii and the hoyas 286 advanced to the round of 16 for the second straight year Tyrese Rice scored 22 Points and Jared Dudley added 19 Points and eight rebounds for the seventh seeded eagles who blew an eight Point Lead and were eliminated from the Mcaa tournament by a big East school for the second straight year last year Villanova did the trick 6059 in overtime
