Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011
TUCSON, Ariz. — San Diego State couldn't shoot straight most of the night and turned the ball over at the worst of times.
Then, a final burst of athleticism allowed the Aztecs to survive and play again.
Billy White had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Kawhi Leonard sealed San Diego State's exhausting, 71-64 double-overtime victory against Temple with a steal and a dunk in a third-round NCAA Tournament thriller Saturday.
"We were tired, but we knew that we had to win this game," Aztecs point guard D.J. Gay said after playing all 50 minutes. "We just wanted it a little bit more. We just sucked it up."
White hit the go-ahead jumper and Leonard made two free throws as the second-seeded Aztecs (34-2) finally put away the pesky Owls (26-7).
Ramone Moore scored 17 for No. 7 seed Temple, which was coming off a last-second 66-64 victory over Penn State. San Diego State, never an NCAA Tournament winner before this season, advanced to the West Region semifinals against Connecticut on Thursday in Anaheim, Calif.
Chase Tapley matched his career best with four 3-pointers in five attempts, but it was the soaring ability of coach Steve Fisher's team that finally made the difference.
"We're good. We know we're good," Fisher said, "but you have to have a bit of good fortune. And I said to them after the game, we probably had a little bit of that."
San Diego State had six blocks, four by Malcolm Thomas, none bigger than his rejection of Lavoy Allen's inside attempt in the final minute with the Aztecs clinging to a 67-64 lead. For Thomas, a hometown player with San Diego's skyline tattooed on his biceps, it was an atonement for a crucial turnover moments earlier.
"I made a lot of plays that could have cost us the game," he said. "But you know, being an Aztec, we know we can make it up defensively, or try to make it up defensively. That was the mind-set after the turnover."
Leonard, who struggled offensively much of the game, made two free throws with 30.4 seconds left to put San Diego State ahead 69-64, then stole the ball from Khalif Wyatt in Temple's backcourt, racing uncontested for the slam that sent the Aztecs faithful into one last frenzy.
UCONN 69, CINCINNATI 58: Kemba Walker had 33 points to lead the third-seeded Huskies (27-9) in Washington, and the supposedly powerful Big East finally advanced a team to the Sweet 16.
Walker had 16 points over the final 10 minutes as Connecticut ended the game with a 24-13 run.
Rashad Bishop had 22 points for the sixth-seeded Bearcats (26-8).
Cincinnati become the seventh of the Big East's record 11 NCAA Tournament teams to be eliminated. Another one will exit today when Marquette plays Syracuse in the East Region.
The game marked the first time teams from the same conference have met this early.