Buzzer-beater basketball turned two games and nearly knocked off a No. 1 seed in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday, while Princeton again just missed.
Princeton, which lost to Georgetown 50-49 in the first round last year, almost got its upset this time. The patient Tigers led No. 7 Arkansas by a point with 6:19 left, but lost 68-64 in the Midwest Regional."I remember talking to John (Georgetown coach Thompson) last year and he told me, `You don't want to play Princeton,' " Richardson said. "He was right."
Michigan State, top-seeded in the Southeast, was forced into overtime by a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer and needed a reverse layup by Kirk Manns with 43 seconds left in the extra session to defeat Murray State 75-71.
Oregon State, seeded No. 5 in the West, was less fortunate against No. 12 Ball State as Paris McCurdy converted a three-point play with no time left for a 54-53 victory.
Oklahoma, top-seeded in the Midwest, took a tentative first step, holding off stubborn Towson State for a 77-68 victory that left coach Billy Tubbs confused over the rankings of the teams involved.
The first round continues Friday with 16 more games. The second round begins on Saturday.
Southeast
Michigan State 75, Murray State 71
Manns finished with 21 points, the last two on a drive from the left side, ducking between two defenders for the scoop shot that got the Spartans (27-6) past Murray State. Steve Smith scored six of his team-high 22 points in the extra period and Dwayne Stephens sealed the victory with a breakaway layup with 13 seconds left.
Murray State forced the overtime when Greg Coble hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, tying the score at 65-65. Popeye Jones of the Racers (21-9) led all scorers with 37 points.
UC Santa Barbara 70, Houston 66
Eric McArthur overcame foul trouble to score 20 points, three in the final 59 seconds, as the Gauchos advanced to a second-round meeting with Michigan State.
McAarthur, who also had 11 rebounds despite playing with four fouls down the stretch, put Santa Barbara ahead 66-65 with a follow shot, then added a free throw with 28 seconds left for a two-point lead. After McArthur stole a pass, Paul Johnson's two free throws with two seconds remaining provided the final points.
LSU 70, Villanova 63
LSU, led by Maurice Williamson, took a big lead and never trailed in beating cold-shooting Villanova.
The 19th-ranked Tigers (23-8) handed Villanova coach Rollie Massimino his first loss in 10 opening-round games in the NCAA tournament.
LSU led 25-8 with seven minutes left in the first half as Williamson made four 3-pointers. He and Jackson each finished with 16 points.
Villanova (18-15) made just one of its first nine shots and finished at just 30 percent from the field. Chris Walker scored 20 for the Wildcats.
Ga. Tech 99, East Tennessee St. 83
Dennis Scott scored 36 points and No. 9 Georgia Tech hit 16 of its first 19 shots in breezing past East Tennessee State.
The Yellow Jackets (26-6) led 39-17 just 11:33 into the game and cruised into Saturday's second round against LSU.
Scott made 14 of 22 shots and Kenny Anderson added 21 points and 10 assists East Tennessee State (27-7) had all five starters back from last year's team that lost to Oklahoma 72-71 in the first round of the NCAAs.
East
La Salle 79, S. Mississippi 63
Lionel Simmons carried La Salle to its 22nd straight victory with 32 points and 16 rebounds as the Explorers won a first-round NCAA game for the first time in their last eight tries.
Simmons, the third-leading scorer in major-college history, took charge in La Salle's decisive second-half run, as the Explorers (30-1) ruined the first NCAA appearance by the Golden Eagles (20-12). Southern Mississippi could not get untracked from the outside, hitting only 9 of 35 shots from 3-point range.
It was La Salle's first win in a first-round game since 1955, when the Explorers reached the finals as defending champions.
Connecticut 76, Boston U. 52
Nadav Henefeld and Chris Smith led a 21-1 second-half surge as No. 3 Connecticut ran by Boston University 76-52 at the Hartford Civic Center.
It was the fifth consecutive victory for Connecticut (29-5). The Huskies, whose campus is in Storrs, are 8-1 this season at Hartford. They were allowed to play there in the tournament because fewer than half their home games were on that court.
Boston University (18-12), the East's 16th seed, had won its three previous games, all at the Hartford Civic Center in the North Atlantic Conference tournament.
California 65, Indiana 63
Keith Smith broke a tie with two free throws with three seconds to play as California beat Indiana.
California (22-9), which was making its first NCAA appearance since 1960, will play Connecticut on Saturday. The Bears are seeded ninth.
Indiana (18-11), the East's eighth seed, got 20 points from Eric Anderson. The Hoosiers were making their fifth straight NCAA appearance.
Midwest
Arkansas 68, Princeton 64
Princeton frustrated the Razorbacks all night, but Arkansas' speed and talent finally prevailed.
The Tigers (20-7) took a 20-9 lead and, after Arkansas went ahead with a 20-1 run midway through the game, regained the lead at 56-55 with 6:19 to play.
After Arkansas (27-4) rallied for a 64-62 edge, Lenzie Howell got an offensive rebound on a missed free throw and made two foul shots with 47 seconds left. Arlyn Bowers added two foul shots with 13 seconds remaining.
Oklahoma 77, Towson State 68
For the second straight year, the top-seeded Sooners got a scare in the first round, and Tubbs was less than thrilled with his team.
"They outhustled us, outfought us and we were fortunate to hang on," he said after the Tigers from the East Coast Conference cut a 12-point halftime deficit to four before losing. Last year, Oklahoma had to make up a 17-point deficit to beat lightly-regarded East Tennessee State in the first round.
"Late in the game," Tubbs said, "I was confused as to who was the No. 1 seed and who was the No. 64 seed."
Jackie Jones led the Sooners with 19 points.
No. Carolina 83, SW Missouri St. 70
Scott Williams scored 18 points and Rick Fox had 17, including a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half, as North Carolina advanced to a second-round meeting with the Soooners.
Fox nailed two long-range shots to keep the Tar Heels in control. The first gave North Carolina a 64-58 lead with 8:20 to play. He hit again after the Bears got within 66-63.
The victory gave North Carolina its 20th straight 20-win season.
Dayton 88, Illinois 86
Anthony Corbitt scored 23 points and made two clinching free throws with nine seconds left as Dayton beat No. 18 Illinois.
The Flyers (22-9) advanced to Saturday's second round against Arkansas.
Dayton, winner of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, led by as many as 11 midway through the second half, then had to hold off the Illini (21-8), who rallied behind Kendall Gill and Marcus Liberty.