Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Oregon State knocks off Baylor to reach Elite Eight
By GARY B. GRAVES
Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Aggres-
sive rebounding and timely baskets
certainly helped sixth-seeded
Oregon State against No. 2 seed
Baylor.
More impres-
sive was the Sweet 16
Beavers’ poise
throughout as
they handed the #6 Oregon St
Lady Bears their
first loss since
November and
earned a second
Elite
Eight
appearance in
#2 Baylor
three seasons.
Marie Gulich
had 26 points,
Kat
Tudor
added 16 and Oregon State shot 58
percent in the second half to upset
Baylor 72-67 on Friday night in
the women’s NCAA Tournament
Lexington Region semifinal. The
Beavers will face Louisville on
Sunday for a spot in the Final Four.
Two years after upsetting
Baylor in the Dallas Region final,
Oregon State (26-7) followed
up with a steady performance to
improve to 4-0 all-time against
Baylor while ending its 30-game
winning streak. The Beavers had
to withstand nine consecutive
points by Alexis Morris that got the
Lady Bears (33-2) to 69-67 with
42 seconds remaining before Katie
McWilliams’ left-corner 3-pointer
30 seconds later provided a five-
point edge.
That pivotal shot typified a night
72
67
AP Photo/James Crisp
Oregon State’s Mikayla Pivec, Marie Gulich and Kat Tudor, from left, celebrate after Oregon State
upset Baylor in an NCAA women’s basketball tournament regional semifinal Friday in Lexington, Ky.
in which OSU stuck with the game
plan and didn’t flinch for the brief
times it trailed.
“When you play a team like
Baylor, part of the tempo issue is
you can’t turn it over,” Beavers
coach Scott Rueck said. “You can’t
hand them possessions by either
a turnover or taking a quick, poor
shot.
“I thought we took a couple
early in the first quarter, but overall
they just know how to win, and
that leads to possessions like that
against a great defense and a great
offense.”
Morris missed two 3s and
Natalie Chou another in the final 10
seconds for Baylor, which shot just
39 percent and was edged 38-37 on
the glass.
Gulich made 10 of 17 from
the field and had nine rebounds
for OSU, which shot 45 percent
in winning for the 10 time in
11 contests. Tudor was 5 of 10
shooting and 4 of 8 from long range
as the Beavers made 9 of 20 from
behind the arc.
Kalani Brown had 19 points
and 10 rebounds for Baylor, which
was outscored in all but the second
quarter in losing for the first time
since falling 68-62 at UCLA in
November.
BIG PICTURE
Oregon State: The Beavers
weren’t intimidated by Baylor’s
winning streak or size, working
around the latter with crisp passing
for good looks and controlling the
boards throughout. Gulich thrived
in both cases, hitting mid-range
shots and the boards. Perimeter
shooting was key in spreading
Baylor’s defense as Tudor and
Corosdale combined for seven
3-pointers on 13 attempts. McWil-
liams’ late 3 was huge.
“It adjusted as the game went
on,” Tudor said of the shooting
strategy.
“Everybody
found
shooters so great today and it just
worked out.”
POSTSEASON ROLL
Gulich’s scoring effort comes
just two games after she posted
29 points in a first-round win over
Western Kentucky, the second-
highest output in an NCAA Tour-
nament game in program history.
Most importantly for the 6-5
German was outperforming Brown
as OSU needed.
“Our scouting report said just
attack her, and that was my plan
today,” Gulich said. “I think I just
used my quickness really well
against her. She’s really tall and
she’s strong, but I think I could get
around her and have the shots over
her. Defensively, my goal was just
to keep her off the block, to take
away the left hand and not make it
easy on her.”
NCAA Men’s Tournament
Celtics rally in fourth to beat Trail Blazers Kansas avoids upset,
By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
defeats Clemson
PORTLAND — Marcus Morris
scored 30 points and the short-handed
Boston
Celtics
beat
the
Trail
NBA
Blazers
105-100
on Friday night
to deal Portland
Boston
its second straight
loss following a
13-game winning
streak.
Terry
Rozier
added 16 points for
Portland
the Celtics, who
are second in the
Eastern Conference
behind Toronto but
have had to deal with recent injuries to
Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown.
Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum
each finished with 26 points for the
Blazers, who are third in the West
behind the Rockets and the Warriors.
The Blazers led by as many as 12
points in the third quarter, but Boston
closed within three points at 83-80 on
Shane Larkin’s pull-up jumper. The
Celtics didn’t pull in front until Morris’
3-pointer made it 85-84 with 6:30 to
go.
McCollum went on a personal
5-0 run with a layup, free throw and
pull-up jumper to give a 91-87 lead
back to the Blazers, but Al Horford
answered with a 3-pointer.
Jayson Tatum’s layup and Morris’
3-pointer gave the Celtics a 101-96
lead with 54.8 seconds to go. Lillard
had a pair of free throws, but Tatum
dunked to make it 103-98.
McCollum’s jumper got Portland
within three at 103-100 with 28
seconds left. After a scramble, Rozier
made two free throws with 3.2 seconds
left. Lillard’s 3-point attempt for Port-
land at the buzzer was off.
Portland was coming off a 115-111
loss to the first-place Rockets, which
snapped the Blazers’ long winning
streak that helped push them up the
standings.
Irving missed his fifth game with
a left knee injury. He is scheduled to
have a minimally invasive procedure
on the knee on Saturday. There is no
Associated Press
105
100
AP Photo/Steve Dykes
Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris drives to the basket in front of
Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic during the second half of an
NBA basketball game in Portland on Friday.
timetable for his return. Irving, who
celebrated his 26th birthday on Friday,
was averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists
and 3.8 rebounds.
He was one of several key sidelined
players for Boston, which is at Port-
land on Friday. He joins Jaylen Brown
(concussion protocol), Marcus Smart
(thumb surgery), Daniel Theis (knee
surgery, out for season) and Gordon
Hayward (ankle surgery rehab). Brown
missed his sixth game.
Portland’s Shabazz Napier was a
late scratch because of a left big toe
injury.
The Blazers went up 33-25 on
McCollum’s 3-pointer in the first half,
but Morris’ layup pulled Boston even
at 42. Maurice Harkless dunked to put
the Blazers back in front and Lillard
closed the half with a layup for a 52-47
lead.
McCollum dunked in the third
quarter to give Portland a 64-53 lead,
its largest to that point.
The Celtics were coming off a
100-99 win at home over Oklahoma
City in which Morris made a 3-pointer
with 1.2 seconds left for the victory.
Boston also won the only other
meeting between the teams this season.
Horford hit a fadeaway to edge the
Blazers 97-96 early last month.
TIP INS:
Celtics: Coach Brad Stevens said
Brown had participated in practice and
could play Sunday in Sacramento. ...
Stevens said he has not been involved
in discussions to bring in another
player because of the injuries. “I think
that there is the possibility of applying
for an exception again because of all
the knee injuries and the length of
injuries,” Stevens said. “I don’t know
where we are with that, and I haven’t
talked to them about any particulars.”
Trail Blazers: Lillard was awaiting
the birth of his first child. Lillard’s girl-
friend was due Monday. Complicating
matters was Portland’s three-game
road trip starting Sunday at Oklahoma
City. The team was expected to depart
on Saturday. Coach Terry Stotts said
the team would help Lillard in any way
he needed.
UP NEXT:
Celtics: play at the Sacramento
Kings on Sunday.
Blazers: visit the Thunder on
Sunday.
OMAHA, Neb. — No
crazy comeback story here.
Top-seeded
Kansas
brought at least a temporary
halt to the insanity this March,
withstanding a wild comeback
from fifth-seeded Clemson
for a too-close-for-comfort,
80-76 victory on Friday.
Malik Newman led the
Jayhawks (30-7) with 17
points in a one-time runaway
that got much closer and,
quite frankly, won't mean
much if KU can't finish the
job in the Midwest Region
final Sunday.
Gabe DeVoe had a career-
high 31 for Clemson (25-10),
which couldn't replicate the
magic it showed in beating
Auburn by 31 to reach its first
Sweet 16 in 21 years.
DUKE 69, SYRACUSE
65
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —
Duke found a way to crack
Syracuse's zone defense, and
now the Blue Devils are back
in the Elite Eight for the first
time since the 2015 team won
it all.
Freshman Marvin Bagley
III turned in a giant second-
half effort, and second-seeded
Duke held off the 11th-seeded
Orange in a 69-65 chess
match of a victory in the
Midwest Region semifinals
Friday night.
Bagley scored 13 of his 22
points and had all eight of his
rebounds in the second half
for the Blue Devils (29-7).
Seven of those boards were
on the offensive end and led
to second-chance baskets.
But Syracuse (23-14)
stayed in it until the end. Not
until Gary Trent Jr., made two
free throws with 6.3 seconds
left was this game sealed.
Battle led the Orange with
19 points.
TEXAS TECH
78,
PURDUE 65
BOSTON (AP) — Chris
Beard has done it to Purdue
again.
The Texas Tech coach
knocked the Boilermakers
out of the NCAA Tournament
for the second time in three
years, this time leading the
third-seeded Red Raiders to
a 78-65 victory in the Sweet
16. Keenan Evans scored 12
of his 16 points in the second
half, when Texas Tech scored
11 straight points to pull away.
The Red Raiders (27-9)
will play No. 1 seed Villa-
nova on Sunday in the East
regional final for a spot in
the Final Four. The Wildcats
advanced earlier Friday night
with a 90-78 victory over
West Virginia.
No. 2 seed Purdue (30-7)
was hoping to join Villanova
in the Elite Eight, getting 30
points from Carsen Edwards
and 12 points and 13 rebounds
from Vincent Edwards.
VILLANOVA 90, WEST
VIRGINIA 78
BOSTON
(AP)
—
Top-seeded Villanova beat
the press of West Virginia and
advanced to the Elite Eight of
the NCAA Tournament.
Jalen Brunson scored 27
points to lead the Wildcats
to a 90-78 victory over fifth-
seeded West Virginia.
Omari Spellman scored
18 with eight rebounds for
Villanova, which overcame
Press Virginia’s well-known
defense by hitting 13 of 24
shots from 3-point range.
Daxter Miles Jr. scored 16
for the Mountaineers before
fouling out with just over two
minutes left. Sagaba Konate
added 12 points with nine
rebounds.
SCOREBOARD
Local slate
PREP BASEBALL
Saturday
Stanfield at Weston-McEwen (DH), 11 a.m.
Umatilla vs. Lost River (at John Day), 11 a.m.
Kennewick (WA) at Hermiston, 1 p.m.
Monday
Sandy at Pendleton, 4:30 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Saturday
Lost River at Pilot Rock, 11 a.m.
Chiawana (WA) at Pendleton, 12 p.m.
Mac-Hi at Banks (DH), 1 p.m.
Enterprise at Pilot Rock, 3 p.m.
Monday
Mac-Hi at Newport, 9 a.m.
Hermiston vs. Molalla (at Milwaukie), 10 a.m.
Pendleton vs. McMinnville (at Milwaukie),
10 a.m.
Hermiston vs. Hillsboro (at Milwaukie),
12:30 p.m.
Pendleton vs. Clackamas (at Milwaukie),
12:30 p.m.
Mac-Hi vs. Marshfield (at Newport), 1 p.m.
PREP TRACK AND FIELD
Saturday
Mac-Hi at Colfax (WA), 11 a.m.
PREP TENNIS
Saturday
Hermiston (boys) at Kamiakin (WA), Noon
Kamiakin (WA) at Hermiston (girls), Noon
PREP LACROSSE
Saturday
Hermiston at Wenatchee (WA), 1 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Saturday
Clark College at BMCC (DH), 11 a.m.
Sunday
SW Oregon at BMCC (DH), 11 a.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Saturday
BMCC at Big Bend CC (DH), 12 p.m.
College of Idaho at EOU (DH), 2 p.m.
Sunday
College of Idaho at EOU (DH), 11 a.m.
COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD
Saturday
EOU at Northwest Nazarene (ID), all day
Basketball
NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
W
L Pct
x-Toronto
54 19 .740
x-Boston
49 23 .681
Philadelphia
41 30 .577
New York
26 47 .356
Brooklyn
23 50 .315
Southeast Division
W
L Pct
Washington
40 32 .556
Miami
39 34 .534
Charlotte
32 41 .438
Orlando
21 51 .292
Atlanta
21 52 .288
Central Division
W
L Pct
x-Cleveland
43 29 .597
Indiana
42 31 .575
Milwaukee
38 34 .528
Detroit
32 40 .444
Chicago
24 48 .333
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division
W
L Pct
y-Houston
58 14 .806
San Antonio
43 30 .589
New Orleans
43 30 .589
GB
—
4½
12
28
31
GB
—
1½
8½
19
19½
GB
—
1½
5
11
19
GB
—
15½
15½
Dallas
22 50 .306 36
Memphis
19 53 .264 39
Northwest Division
W
L Pct GB
Portland
44 28 .611 —
Oklahoma City
44 30 .595
1
Minnesota
42 31 .575 2½
Utah
41 32 .562 3½
Denver
40 33 .548 4½
Pacific Division
W
L Pct GB
y-Golden State
54 18 .750 —
L.A. Clippers
38 34 .528 16
L.A. Lakers
31 40 .437 22½
Sacramento
24 49 .329 30½
Phoenix
19 54 .260 35½
x-clinched playoff spot
y-clinched division
———
Friday’s Games
Denver 108, Washington 100
Indiana 109, L.A. Clippers 104
Cleveland 120, Phoenix 95
Minnesota 108, New York 104
Toronto 116, Brooklyn 112
Milwaukee 118, Chicago 105
Oklahoma City 105, Miami 99
San Antonio 124, Utah 120, OT
Boston 105, Portland 100
Golden State 106, Atlanta 94
Saturday’s Games
Minnesota at Philadelphia, 3 p.m.
Chicago at Detroit, 4 p.m.
Phoenix at Orlando, 4 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Memphis, 5 p.m.
New Orleans at Houston, 5 p.m.
Charlotte at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Cleveland at Brooklyn, 10 a.m.
San Antonio at Milwaukee, 12:30 p.m.
Miami at Indiana, 2 p.m.
Boston at Sacramento, 3 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Toronto, 3 p.m.
New York at Washington, 3 p.m.
Portland at Oklahoma City, 4 p.m.
Atlanta at Houston, 5 p.m.
Utah at Golden State, 5:30 p.m.
NCAA Men’s Tournament
EAST REGIONAL
At TD Garden, Boston
Regional Semifinals
Friday
No. 1 Villanova 90, No. 5 West Virginia 78
No. 3 Texas Tech 78, No. 2 Purdue 65
Regional Championship
Sunday
No. 1 Villanova (33-4) vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
(27-9), 11:20 a.m. (CBS)
SOUTH REGIONAL
At Philips Arena, Atlanta
Regional Championship
Saturday
No. 11 Loyola of Chicago (31-5) vs. No. 9
Kansas State (25-11), 3 p.m. (TBS)
MIDWEST REGIONAL
At CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb.
Regional Semifinals
Friday
No. 1 Kansas 80, No. 5 Clemson 76
No. 2 Duke 69, No. 11 Syracuse 65
Regional Championship
Sunday
No. 1 Kansas (30-7) vs. No. 2 Duke (29-7),
2:05 p.m. (CBS)
WEST REGIONAL
At STAPLES Center, Los Angeles
Regional Championship
Saturday
No. 3 Michigan (31-7) vs. No. 9 Florida
State (23-11), 5:49 p.m. (TBS)
NCAA Women’s Tournament
ALBANY REGIONAL
At Albany, N.Y.
Regional Semifinals
Saturday
No. 2 South Carolina (28-6) vs. No. 11
Buffalo (29-5), 8:30 a.m. (ESPN)
No. 1 UConn (34-0) vs. No. 5 Duke (24-8),
10:30 a.m. (ESPN)
SPOKANE REGIONAL
At Spokane, Wash.
Regional Semifinals
Saturday
No. 1 Notre Dame (31-3) vs. No. 4 Texas
A&M (26-9), 1 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 Oregon (32-4) vs. No. 11 Central
Michigan (30-4), 3 p.m. (ESPN)
KANSAS CITY REGIONAL
At Kansas City, Mo.
Regional Semifinals
Friday
No. 1 Mississippi St 71, No. 4 N.C. State 57
No. 3 UCLA 84, No. 2 Texas 75
Regional Championship
Sunday
Mississippi State (35-1) vs. UCLA (27-7),
4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
LEXINGTON REGIONAL
At Lexington, Ky.
Regional Semifinals
Friday
No. 6 Oregon State 72, No. 2 Baylor 67
No. 1 Louisville 86, No. 4 Stanford 59
Regional Championship
Sunday
No. 6 Oregon State (26-7) vs. No. 1
Louisville (35-2), 9 a.m. (ESPN)
Hockey
NHL
Friday’s Games
Montreal 3, Buffalo 0
New Jersey 4, Pittsburgh 3, OT
Winnipeg 3, Anaheim 2, OT
St. Louis 4, Vancouver 1
Boston 3, Dallas 2
Saturday’s Games
Vegas at Colorado, 12 p.m.
Calgary at San Jose, 1 p.m.
Chicago at N.Y. Islanders, 4 p.m.
Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers, 4 p.m.
Detroit at Toronto, 4 p.m.
Arizona at Florida, 4 p.m.
Tampa Bay at New Jersey, 4 p.m.
Washington at Montreal, 4 p.m.
Carolina at Ottawa, 4 p.m.
St. Louis at Columbus, 4 p.m.
Nashville at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
Los Angeles at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 9:30 a.m.
Nashville at Winnipeg, 4 p.m.
Vancouver at Dallas, 4 p.m.
Boston at Minnesota, 4:30 p.m.
Anaheim at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m.
Soccer
MLS
Saturday’s Matches
New York City FC at New England, 10:30 a.m.
Portland at FC Dallas, 12:30 p.m.
D.C. United at Columbus, 3 p.m.
Minnesota United at New York, 4 p.m.
Sporting Kansas City at Colorado, 6 p.m.
LA Galaxy at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Auto Racing
NASCAR Cup Series
Upcoming Schedule
Sunday — STP 500, at Martinsville
Speedway, 11 a.m. (TV: FS1)
Points Standings
Through Mar. 18
1. Martin Truex, 216. 2. Kyle Busch, 207. 3.
Joey Logano, 197. 4. Brad Keselowski, 183.
5. Ryan Blaney, 181. 6. Denny Hamlin, 176.
7. Kyle Larson, 174. 8. Kevin Harvick, 170. 9.
Clint Bowyer, 155. 10. Aric Almirola, 148. 11.
Kurt Busch, 144. 12. Austin Dillon, 141. 13.
Erik Jones, 132. 14. Ryan Newman, 117. 15.
Alex Bowman, 115. 16. Paul Menard, 115.