Arizona star to rescue again

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

TULSA, Okla. — Derrick Williams is 2-for-2 in game-saving plays in the NCAA Tournament.

The Arizona sophomore and Pac-10 player of the year made his second in as many games Sunday night, completing a three-point play with 9.6 seconds remaining to lift the Wildcats to a 70-69 win over Texas.

Williams also had the saving block with 2 seconds left in Arizona's opening 77-75 win over Memphis on Friday. He struggled for much of the game Sunday but finished with 17 points.

"I wasn't surprised by the block against Memphis," Williams said. "I am a little surprised by the shot I made (Sunday). I haven't seen the replay yet, but I wasn't looking at the basket. I was looking down so I wouldn't have a hard fall.

"I was surprised it went in, but at the same time I'm glad it went in."

The No. 5 seed Wildcats (29-7) reached the second weekend of play a year after their absence from the tournament ended a 25-year appearance streak.

"I can't tell you how excited we are to be moving on to the Sweet 16," second-year Arizona coach Sean Miller said. "It's one thing to be a part of this tournament, but when you have the experience of advancing, it's second-to-none as a college basketball program, players, coaches."

The win over the No. 4 seed Longhorns didn't come without controversy. Texas (28-8) trailed by as many as 13 in the first half before J'Covan Brown scored 21 of his 23 in the second to get the Longhorns back into it.

Brown made 13 of 13 free throws, bringing his two-game tournament total to 25 of 25. His jumper in the lane with just more than a minute left gave Texas a 69-67 lead, its first since it was up 12-11 early in the game.

The shot appeared as though it would keep the Longhorns in the lead for good after Williams misfired on a go-ahead attempt with 14.5 seconds left. Texas freshman Tristan Thompson blocked the attempt, which Jordan Hamilton corralled before calling a timeout for the Longhorns.

Following the timeout is when the fun began, at least for Arizona. Texas' Cory Joseph struggled to inbound against the swarming Wildcats defense and appeared to call a timeout.

However, referee Richard Cartmell called Joseph for a five-second violation, though replays showed he appeared to make the call before reaching five.

"I had five seconds before the kid turned and signaled a timeout," Cartmell said in a statement. "I had to make a decision whether it was five seconds or a timeout, and I made the decision it was five seconds because I had counted five seconds before he called timeout."

Texas coach Rick Barnes wished replays could have been used to determine if the correct call had been made.

"They have rules in other leagues and even on an out-of-bounds play," Barnes said. "There are certain things that can be corrected. In our game, there's not.

"We've got to be willing to make the rules that are right. Because at the very end, if you truly want the players to determine it, the officials have to be willing, the NCAA has to be willing to say, okay, we're going to get this right."

DUKE 73, MICHIGAN 71: Nolan Smith had 24 points and the top-seeded Blue Devils held their breath as the Wolverines' last shot clanged off the rim, sealing the 900th win of coach Mike Krzyzewski's Hall of Fame career in Charlotte, N.C.

"The 900, it means that we're advancing," Krzyzewski said. "That's the main thing."

Duke (32-4) shot 51 percent, never trailed in the second half and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 12th time in 14 years.

The Blue Devils capped their national championship run last year with a two-point victory over Butler that wasn't settled until Gordon Hayward's halfcourt heave ricocheted off the glass and the iron at the buzzer.

"We told our kids it would be like playing Butler in the national championship: a very similar, tough-minded, really, really good basketball team," Krzyzewski said.

The eighth-seeded Wolverines (21-14), who trailed by 15 with 10:51 left, clawed within one twice in the final 90 seconds before Smith missed a free throw with 8.7 seconds left.

Darius Morris zipped downcourt and put up a runner in the lane with 2 seconds left, but the shot bounced off the back iron, and the rebound went to Smith at the buzzer.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/arizona-star-to-rescue-again/1158687

Roberto Mancini Executive pay and bonuses WikiLeaks Cricket Julian Assange Guantánamo Bay