Tuesday, March 13, 2012

NCAA Tournament First Four: Hilltoppers, BYU Cougars Prove No Double-Digit Deficit Is Too Big

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament got under way with two games, both played at Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday.


In the opener, T. J. Price's three-point play with 33 seconds left enabled Western Kentucky (16-18), the only school to enter the field of 68 with a losing record, to complete a comeback after having trailed by 16 points with 4:52 remaining, then hang on for a 59-58 win over Mississippi Valley State (21-13).  Derrick Gordon scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Hilltoppers, who will take on South Region top-seeded Kentucky (who happens to be the top overall seed in the tournament) on Thursday at Louisville, Kentucky.  Kevin Burwell scored 20 points for the Delta Devils.


In the nightcap, Noah Hartsock scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half as the BYU Cougars (26-8) pulled off the biggest comeback in NCAA Tournament history, erasing a 25-point first-half deficit and overtook Iona (25-8) 78-72.  Brandon Davies and Damarcus Harrison scored 18 and 12 points respectively for the Cougars, who will face third-seeded Marquette on Thursday at Louisville, Kentucky in the West Region.

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