Spokane, Wash. – So much for the little guys. The
ones from Winthrop, at least.
Aaron Brooks scored 22 points and third-seeded Oregon smothered the
frazzled Eagles 75-61 Sunday to eliminate the last remaining
double-digit seed from the NCAA tournament.
The 11th-seeded Eagles (29-5), who upset Notre Dame in the first
round, lost for the first time in 20 games to end their most
successful tournament in seven tries.
So where has the madness gone? This is the first time since 1995
that no double-digit seeds have advanced to at least the third
round.
Instead, the Ducks (28-7) advanced to play UNLV in the semifinals
of the Midwest Regional. They made it largely because of their
11-for-23 shooting from 3-point range that was almost as hot as
the fluorescent yellow uniforms they wore.
Tajuan Porter, the shortest man on the floor at 5-foot-6, scored 14
points. He hit his first four shots of the second half, all from
long range, in the games decisive spurt. The win sent Oregon into
the round of 16 for the first time since 2002.
Oregon’s relentless speed on defense controlled the game. A frenzy
of reaching, probing Ducks greeted every Winthrop pass near the
basket. Even the Eagles deep shots were contested, if not rushed
against an expiring shot clock.
Winthrop missed 16 consecutive 3-point shots from the 12-minute
mark of the first half until Chris Gaynor made one with 7:37 left in
the game. Oregon led 59-48 by then.
The Ducks took a 48-35 lead 4 1/2 minutes into the second half when
Porter made his third consecutive 3-pointer of the half. When Brooks
made yet two more 3s to go 5-for-7 from deep Oregon lead 57-42
with nine minutes left.
The Ducks, who have won more games than any Oregon team since the
1944-45 squad won 30, led by as many as 18 in the second half.
Torrell Martin led Winthrop with 15 points and a career-high 12
rebounds in his final game for the Eagles, champions of the
unheralded Big South Conference. But Martin made just 6 of 18 shots,
including just 2-for-11 from 3-point range.
Winthrop’s Craig Bradshaw, who had 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting
in Friday, had just one shot over the games first 23 minutes.
While Winthrop was missing all those consecutive 3-point tries, the
6-foot-10 dynamo from New Zealand turned to his guards during a dead
ball and implored “Go inside!” But when the Eagles did, Oregon
smothered Bradshaw with smaller Maarty Leunen on his hip and Malik
Hairston, who scored 13 points, racing over to meet Bradshaw’s next
move.
Oregon trailed for all but one possession of a frantic first half,
until Brooks was left alone following an offensive rebound to make
an easy 3-pointer. That put the Ducks up 29-27 with three minutes
left in the half. They almost made it more, but Winthrop reserve
DeAndre Adams stole the ball from Porter and made a runner in the
lane just before time expired.
Winthrop’s only field goal over the last 5 1/2 minutes of the half
kept it within 33-29 at halftime and restored the Eagles’ hope
until Porter ended it.
