Milos Uzan dropped in a game-winning layup and No. 1 Houston grabbed the final Elite Eight spot in a 62-60 thriller over No. 4 Purdue in the late-night Midwest Region semifinal on Friday in Indianapolis.
With the game tied at 60, Houston began its final possession with 2.8 seconds left and the ball out of bounds to the right of the basket. Uzan inbounded to Joseph Tugler in the lane and stepped in to catch a return pass and lay it in with the clock reading 0.9.
Braden Smith caught Purdue’s subsequent inbounds pass, moving from left to right on the Boilermakers’ side of halfcourt, but a final heave fell short. Houston won despite blowing a 10-point lead in the last eight minutes.
Uzan had 22 points and six assists for the Cougars (33-4), and Emanuel Sharp scored 17 points. Houston will play second-seeded Tennessee on Sunday afternoon in the regional final. Fletcher Loyer paced the Boilermakers (24-12) with 16 points.
No. 2 Tennessee 78, No. 3. Kentucky 65
Zakai Zeigler and the Volunteers booked a spot in the Elite Eight with a win over the Wildcats in the Midwest Region in Indianapolis, avenging a pair of regular-season losses to their Southeastern Conference rivals.
Chaz Lanier scored 17 points and Jordan Gainey added 16 for Tennessee (30-7), which will face No. 1 Houston on Sunday with a Final Four berth on the line.
Lamont Butler led Kentucky (24-12) with 18 points and hit four of the Wildcats’ six 3-pointers.
South Region
No. 1 Auburn 78, No. 5 Michigan 65
Johni Broome recorded a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Tigers past the Wolverines in the regional semifinal in Atlanta.
Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford added 20 points apiece for Auburn (31-5), which rallied from a nine-point, second-half deficit en route to the program’s third Elite Eight. The Tigers will face No. 2 seed Michigan State on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four.
Danny Wolf scored 20 points to lead Michigan (27-10), while Vladislav Goldin chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds and Nimari Burnett also had 10 points, paired with seven boards.
No. 2 Michigan State 73, No. 6 Ole Miss 70
Freshman Jase Richardson scored a team-high 20 points to lead the Spartans to a win over the Rebels in the other semifinal in Atlanta.
Coen Carr added 15 points and Jaden Akins scored 13 for Michigan State (30-6), which is headed to the program’s 15th Elite Eight. The Spartans rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit and earned the right to face top-overall seed Auburn on Sunday for a chance to reach the Final Four.
Sean Pedulla scored 24 points to lead Ole Miss (24-12), and Matthew Murrell added 13. Malik Dia chipped in with 11 points for the Rebels, who were playing in just their second Sweet 16.
–Field Level Media
