World Courant
Joel Scott scored a season-high 23 factors and had 11 rebounds as Colorado State received an NCAA Match sport for the primary time in 11 years, eliminating Virginia 67-42 within the First 4 on Tuesday night time.
Nique Clifford added 17 factors and 10 rebounds for the Rams (25-10), who advance to face seventh-seeded Texas on Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I will inform you what, it is exhausting to think about issues going any higher for us tonight,” Colorado State coach Niko Medved stated. “Only a nice efficiency, actually, on each ends of the ground, from the opening tip.”
WAGNER HOLDS ON FOR FIRST EVER MARCH VICTORY AFTER HOWARD MISSED LATE GAME-BINDING FREE THROWS
Reece Beekman had 15 factors on 4-for-16 taking pictures for Virginia, which has not received an NCAA Match sport since profitable the nationwide title in 2019. That stretch consists of two first-round losses as a No. 4 seed.
The Cavaliers’ ugly efficiency led to extra debate about whether or not they need to have made the event discipline. Though Virginia completed third within the Atlantic Coast Convention, it had simply two Quad 1 wins and struggled offensively all season.
“It is a powerful event to qualify for, and also you need to play your finest going into it,” stated Virginia coach Tony Bennett, whose five hundredth profession sport on the faculty was one of many low factors of his 15 nice seasons. . “And naturally we did not do this.”
Virginia guard Reece Beekman, heart proper, shoots towards Colorado State’s Joe Palmer (20) in the course of the first half of a First 4 faculty basketball sport within the NCAA event in Dayton, Ohio, on March 19, 2024. (AP Picture/Jeff Dean)
Colorado State dominated the boards and the Cavaliers could not sustain, taking pictures 25% for the sport. The Rams shot 55%, outrebounded the Cavaliers 43-24 and scored 36 factors within the paint.
“(We) took away their strengths that they’re actually good at,” Clifford stated. “After which we did not let it get us out of our sport plan. We caught to what we had been doing and simply felt assured.”
Virginia completed with the second-fewest factors of any ACC staff within the NCAA Match, trailing solely Bennett’s 2017 Cavaliers squad, which misplaced 65-39 to Florida within the second spherical.
Virginia shot terribly from the beginning, whereas Colorado State constructed a 27-14 lead on the break.
The Cavaliers hit 5 of 29 pictures – 17% – within the first half, however did not get a basket within the ultimate 9:20. Beekman was 1 of 9, whereas Scott had 10 factors for the Rams on the break.
“Clearly we weren’t taking pictures, they usually additionally used a variety of the clock to get their good pictures,” Beekman stated. “So we busted our butts. I really feel like they had been by no means rushed in the course of the sport. Give them credit score for that.”
The Rams scored the primary eight factors of the second half earlier than Virginia acquired one other basket.
OVERWASHED
The spotlight for Virginia was a 4-2 lead on the 3:23 mark of the primary half. Issues went fairly downhill from there. Colorado State constructed on its halftime lead with one other surge. The Cavaliers pulled inside 15 factors with about 10 minutes left, however a 3-pointer by Patrick Cartier on the Rams’ subsequent possession helped them draw back once more.
Isaac McKneely completed 2 of 13 from the sphere for the Cavaliers, and Jacob Groves was 1 of 8. Their baskets had been the Cavs’ solely three-pointers, whereas Virginia went 3 of 17 from past the arc.
“They missed some attractiveness, however I additionally thought we did a very good job of difficult shooters,” Medved stated. “I assumed we did a great job of shutting the blokes down and making it tough.”
Medved made his second NCAA Match look in six seasons with the Rams. Virginia has been to March Insanity 10 occasions in Bennett’s 15 years.
“That is an unbelievable program that I’ve an unbelievable quantity of respect for,” Medved stated. “And so I did not see this coming this fashion in any respect tonight.”
FEAST, THEN Famine
Virginia’s final NCAA Match victory was 85-77 in additional time over Texas Tech within the 2019 nationwide title sport. Since then, the Cavaliers have misplaced within the first spherical to 13 seeds Ohio (2021) and Furman (final yr).
The yr earlier than the nationwide title, Virginia was a No. 1 seed however was shocked by Sixteenth-seeded Maryland-Baltimore County.
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Scott, a graduate switch who performed 4 years at Black Hills State in South Dakota, had his finest sport at Colorado State. He averaged 12.9 factors per sport in the course of the season.
“Truthfully, I believe it was simply extra having fun with the second. We’re on an enormous stage. A extremely cool expertise,” Scott stated. “Not everybody will get to do that. And so it is extra simply having fun with the second, having enjoyable with it.”
NEXT ONE
Colorado State performs Texas on Thursday at 6:50 PM EDT.
Within the First 4 of March Insanity, Colorado State beats Virginia 67-42
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