European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 30 stars and stripes tuesday March 20 2007  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 Pamm 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 and 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 Durant Only season ended by us Rick Kevin Durant wipes his face As he walks up court during the first half of saturdays game against Southern California Durant scored 30 Points in Texas 8768 loss the associated press Spokane Wash if Kevin Durant decides to leave College after one year it will be without a championship or even a trip into the second week of the Mcaa tournament Southern California made sure of that sunday getting 22 Points from its More sea soned Star Junior Nick Young in an 8768 runaway Over Texas and Durant the fresh Man front runner for National player of the year As he often has this season Durant led everyone with 30 Points and added nine re Bounds for fourth seeded Texas but he didst come close to dominating this East regional game Many times when he got the Ball the of sense ground to a halt for the longhorns who fell behind by 17 Early in the second half and didst make a serious run fifth seeded us 2511 also got 20 Points from Daniel Hackett and 17 Points and 14 rebounds from Taj Gibson like Durant a 6foot9 freshman the trojans won by playing smarter More disciplined basketball and looking much More like a team in doing it a team with a very Good Leader in Young the scrappy swing Man who had every reason to believe hed be a us Alum by the time second year coach Tim floyds re building efforts took shape turns out the talents there now and next week the trojans will make their first trip to the regional semis since 2001 where  play North Carolina in saturday games Vanderbilt 78 Washington St 74 at Sacramento Calif Derrick 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 Vanderbilt 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 Cou Gars 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 overtime Alex Gordon scored 12 Points and Center Ted Skuchas opened the second of with his first four Points of the game for sixth seeded Vanderbilt which is headed to the round of 16 for the first time since 2004 and just the fourth time in 20 seasons Derrick Low scored 20 Points for the third seeded cougars Byars hit four three pointers in the Sec Ond half and one More in the first Over time then kept the commodores alive with a stunning 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 playing with four fouls since the final 3 minutes of regulation North Carolina 81 Michigan state 67 at Winston Salem no the mask protect ing his broken nose kept sliding around frustrating Tyler Hansbrough As he Tus sled in the paint with Michigan 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 determined spartans he finished with 33 Points and nine rebounds As Carolina held off Michigan state giving the East re Ginals 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 Sampson and Virginia in the 1981 final four North Carolina 306 needed every one to outlast ninth seeded Michigan state and continue its Long running Mcaa Suc Cess in its Home state the tar heels Are 211 in Mcaa games in the state the tar heels had to withstand Drew Neitz efs three Point shooting 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 ath Letic 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