NCAA Tournament

Talk about sweating the final game.

One bettor put in a Hail Mary $10 parlay during the NCAA men's tournament that paid more than $33,000. He needed Abilene Christian to beat Texas, UCLA to beat BYU, Arkansas to beat Texas Tech, Loyola-Chicago to beat Illinois, Oral Roberts to beat Florida, Baylor to beat Wisconsin, Villanova to beat North Texas, Syracuse to beat West Virginia and Houston to beat Rutgers.

And, finally, Oregon State to stun Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State.

Nailing those first nine that required multiple upsets was impressive enough, and the bettor had the opportunity to cash out when the Beavers took a 14-point halftime lead in the final game. The cash out would have paid more than $23,000.

Rather than playing it safe, he let it ride on the second half of the final game.

Cunningham and the Cowboys surely drove up his heart rate when they cut the deficit to as little as two, but Oregon State never relinquished its lead.

Just like that, $10 turned into more than $33,000.

The Oregon State Beavers are headed to the second weekend of the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament.

The No. 12 seed in the Midwest Region upset the fourth-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys 80-70 in Sunday's second-round showdown at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Ethan Thompson and Maurice Calloo led the way for the Beavers, who advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1982.

A late push and 24 points on just 6-of-20 shooting from Cade Cunningham were not enough for the Cowboys, who have not made it past the second round since 2005.

Notable Player Stats

• Ethan Thompson, G, OR ST: 26 PTS, 7 REB
• Jarod Lucas, G, OR ST: 15 PTS, 6 REB
• Maurice Calloo, F, OR ST: 15 PTS, 5 REB, 3-of-5 3PT
• Cade Cunningham, G, OK ST: 24 PTS, 5 STL, 4 REB, 3 AST
• Avery Anderson III, G, OK ST: 16 PTS, 4 STL, 4 AST, 3 REB

Ethan Thompson's Clutch Play Holds Off Oklahoma State Charge

Sometimes all it takes is getting hot at the right time to change the trajectory of an entire season.

Oregon State was entirely mediocre at 11-11 overall and 7-9 in Pac-12 play in late February when something switched. The Beavers won three of their final four regular-season games and then ripped off three straight victories over tournament teams in UCLA, Oregon and Colorado in the conference tournament to take the Pac-12 crown.

They remained dialed in during the Big Dance with a 14-point win over Tennessee and picked up where they left off Sunday by jumping out to a double-digit lead in the first half.

It was the bench that set the early tone, as Calloo caught fire from deep and Dearon Tucker swatted four shots before intermission. That it was Calloo (5.2 PPG) who provided the spark underscored just how different this Beavers team was than the one that slogged through much of the schedule.

Contributions from the bench were all the more important with leading scorer Thompson in and out of the lineup with foul trouble. Jarod Lucas picked up the slack for the starting lineup by hitting from deep, while Warith Alatishe and Roman Silva battled for boards.

Despite those efforts, Oklahoma State cut the lead to as little as two with a second-half push and appeared primed to take over down the stretch. Instead, Thompson returned to the floor and helped weather the storm by avoiding turnovers as he broke the press and calmly drilling 15-of-16 free throws in a whistle-heavy game. 

He also hit a clutch jumper over Cunningham's swarming defense and made six shots from the charity stripe in the last two minutes to clinch the win.

Oklahoma State's Frantic Comeback Falls Short

Cunningham is always under the spotlight when Oklahoma State takes the court, but that was especially the case after he went just 3-of-14 from the field in his first career NCAA tournament game on Friday.

Avery Anderson III came to the rescue in that victory over Liberty, but he found himself in early foul trouble against the Beavers and was relatively quiet in the first half. That, along with more struggles from the field for Cunningham, spelled trouble for the Cowboys as they fell behind by as many as 18 before intermission.

Cunningham hit a couple early threes in the second half to help flip the momentum, but the biggest difference was Oklahoma State's decision to dial up the defensive pressure. It clawed its way back into the game by forcing 20 turnovers in all, many of which came when Thompson was on the bench with foul trouble as Oregon State's primary ball-handler.

Anderson was applying much of that defensive pressure and helped create opportunities on the other end. His ability to get to the free-throw line and convert also helped the Cowboys come storming back well before crunch time.

Still, Oregon State had an answer every time it appeared as if Oklahoma State would finally take over. Cunningham helped make one final push by assisting a Keylan Boone three, stealing the ball and hitting another triple to cut the deficit to three, but the Cowboys were completely out of control down the stretch.

They didn't make a single field goal in the final 3:40 of the game while forcing the issue against steady defense, which ultimately ended their season.

What's Next?

The Beavers face the eighth-seeded Loyola of Chicago Ramblers in the Sweet 16 next weekend.

Villanova's run in the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament will continue after an easy 84-61 win over North Texas in the South Region on Sunday.

Villanova entered the tournament with serious question marks because of injuries. Collin Gillespie tore his MCL on March 3 against Creighton. Justin Moore injured his ankle against Providence on March 6, though he did play in the round of 64 on Friday.

Moore struggled against Winthrop with 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting, but Jeremiah Robinson-Earl picked up the slack with 22 points and 11 rebounds in that game.

The Mean Green made the tournament for the first time in 11 years this season. They stunned No. 4 seed Purdue in the round of 64 on Friday. Head coach Grant McCasland's ferocious defense held the Boilermakers to 36.2 percent shooting.

The Wildcats looked like they might be in trouble early when they trailed 21-13 after the first nine minutes. Head coach Jay Wright's squad went on a 34-6 run to take a 20-point lead into halftime, and it never looked back.

Villanova shot 60 percent overall and 60 percent from three-point range (9-of-15) in the first half. Four starters scored at least 10 points.

Notable Game Stats

• Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Nova): 18 points (8-14 FG), 6 assists, 6 rebounds
• Jermaine Samuels (Nova): 15 points (5-9 FG), 9 rebounds, 4 assists
• Justin Moore (Nova): 15 points (6-12 FG), 5 assists, 4 rebounds
• Caleb Daniels (Nova): 11 points (4-7 FG)
• Javion Hamlet (UNT): 25 points (8-16 FG), 6 rebounds, 4 assists
• Mardrez McBride (UNT): 11 points (4-8 FG), 3 assists, 3 rebounds
• James Reese (UNT): 10 points (4-15 FG), 2 rebounds

Balanced Wildcats Dominate in Win

Prior to the start of the NCAA tournament, Villanova was something of an unknown because of injuries on the roster. Gillespie's season ended because of a torn MCL.

Moore, who took Gillespie's spot in the starting five, sprained his ankle in the Wildcats' next game. He didn't miss any time after that, but it wasn't clear how the injury might impact him going forward.

At least through the first two tournament games, Villanova is doing just fine. The team had a strong second half to hold off Winthrop in the round of 64. It did come out of the gate Sunday looking sluggish but didn't take long to turn on the jets.

Ball movement was a big part of what made the Wildcats successful Sunday. They had 19 assists on 31 field goals.

Caleb Daniels, who had 10 points in the round of 64 and averaged 9.8 points during the regular season, had 11 points against the Mean Green.

When Daniels scores at least 10 points, Villanova has gone 11-3 this season. He had plenty of support on Sunday. After being held to 11 points Friday, Jermaine Samuels bounced back with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Moore was involved in a lot of Villanova's offense Sunday. He had 15 points, four rebounds, five assists and didn't commit a turnover in the win.

Looking ahead to the Sweet 16, things figure to get decidedly more difficult for the Wildcats. They will be taking on Baylor, the No. 1 seed in the South Region. The Bears have won their first two tournament games by an average of 18.5 points.

The last two times Villanova has advanced past the Sweet 16, it went on to win the national title in 2015-16 and 2017-18.

North Texas' Dream Season Ends

Even though the end result wasn't what North Texas was hoping for, there's no way to classify this season as anything but a success for the program.

The Mean Green were predicted to finish second in Conference USA, behind Western Kentucky, in the preseason poll. They wound up in fifth place at the end of the regular season but earned an automatic berth in the Big Dance by winning four straight in the conference tournament, including a 61-57 win over the Hilltoppers in the championship game.

Outside expectations were low coming into the Big Dance with a first-round matchup against No. 4 Purdue. North Texas wound up stunning the Boilermakers 78-69 on Friday to earn the program's first-ever NCAA tournament win.

Sunday's final score was very lopsided, but North Texas was doing all it could to compete. It was just matched up with an opponent doing everything right.

McCasland has done a fantastic job of building up this program over the past four seasons. He took over the Mean Green prior to the 2017-18 campaign when they were coming off five consecutive non-winning seasons, including an 8-22 mark in 2016-17.

McCasland had an immediate impact on the Mean Green, and he's continued to make this basketball program better with each successive season. He will have work to do rebuilding the roster before next season. Mardrez McBride is the only non-senior in the starting five.

Losing four starters is a significant hurdle, but McCasland has proved he can coach up this program under any circumstance and make it a competitive group.

What's Next?

Villanova will face Baylor in the Sweet 16 on March 27 or 28.

Cinderella is still dancing. 

After stunning the second-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round of the 2021 men's NCAA tournament, the 15th-seeded Oral Roberts Golden Eagles overcame a double-digit deficit and shocked the seventh-seeded Florida Gators 81-78 in Sunday's second-round clash at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis.

Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor led the way for the victors, who advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 1973-74 season.

A solid showing from Tre Mann was not enough for the Gators, who have not advanced past the second round since 2017.

Notable Player Stats

• Kevin Obanor, F, OR: 28 PTS, 11 REB, 4 STL
• Max Abmas, G, OR: 26 PTS, 7 AST, 2 STL, 2 REB
• Tre Mann, G, FL: 19 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST
• Noah Locke, G, FL: 17 PTS, 4 REB
• Colin Castleton, F, FL: 14 PTS, 10 REB, 3 BLK
• Tyree Appleby, G, FL: 14 PTS, 5 AST, 3 STL

Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor Continue to Put on a Show

Oral Roberts already proved it is not your typical No. 15 seed with a victory over a Big Ten powerhouse, but one look at its offense confirms as much.

With Abmas and Obanor launching, the Golden Eagles finished tied for 10th in the country during the regular season at 81.8 points per game. The pair also had plenty of momentum coming into Sunday's game after combining for 59 points in the win over the Buckeyes.

Abmas picked up right where he left off against the Gators and poured in 16 points in the first half alone by connecting on multiple triples and slashing through the lane whenever defenders pressed up on his outside shot.

He kept Oral Roberts within striking distance despite an impressive showing from Mann on the other end, which is all the Cinderella candidate could have asked for heading into the second half.

He needed some help, though, and Obanor found his scoring touch in the second half right as the Golden Eagles fell behind by double digits.

Obanor connected on a clutch four-point play to spark a run and took over in crunch time after his team fell behind six. He converted an and-1 to trim the lead to three, answered an and-1 on the other end with a three, put his team ahead with a jumper in the lane with less than three minutes remaining and drilled a clutch free throw with 17 seconds left to push the advantage to three.

The two-man game was enough against Ohio State, and it did the job against Florida as well. No other Oral Roberts player scored in double figures, but it didn't matter with Abmas and Obanor lighting up the scoreboard in another upset.

Florida Collapses with Turnovers

It seemed like Florida caught a break when the Golden Eagles shocked the world in the first round.

It's not very often a No. 7 seed gets to play a No. 15 seed, but the Gators still had to take advantage of the opportunity. Doing so figured to start on offense against an Oral Roberts defense that checked in at No. 249 in KenPom.com's rankings and didn't have the ball-stoppers to deal with Mann.

It was clear from the start the Golden Eagles had no answer for the All-SEC first-team selection, who did a little bit of everything in the first half to stake the Gators to the lead.

While Noah Locke and Anthony Duruji provided secondary scoring, it was Mann who battled for boards from the backcourt, facilitated when necessary and found openings in the defense to create shots for himself and others.

It was Mann who drilled three triples in the opening minutes of the second half as well, which allowed the Gators to finally create some separation with a double-digit lead after a back-and-forth first half.

Florida seemed primed to cruise to the finish line following that spurt, especially with Tyree Appleby dishing out assists, Locke hitting from deep and Colin Castleton establishing himself down low against an outsized frontcourt. However, it could never fully pull away due to 20 turnovers.

The Gators didn't score a single point in the final two minutes and fittingly had multiple turnovers in that span, and it cost them. 

What's Next? 

The Golden Eagles will face the third-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks in a Sweet 16 showdown in the South Region.

The Houston Cougars capped off a late comeback to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years with a 63-60 victory over Rutgers in the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament Sunday.

Houston breezed through the opening round with a 31-point win over No. 15 seed Cleveland State. Head coach Kelvin Sampson's team has now won nine straight games overall, with this being just their third game decided by single digits during the streak.

Rutgers was one of the best stories coming out of the first round. The Scarlet Knights' 60-56 win over Clemson on Friday was their first tournament victory since 1983. They have posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1990-91 and 1991-92.

For most of the game, it looked like Rutgers was on its way to a win. Tramon Mark made the biggest play of the game with a putback layup off a DeJon Jarreau missed jumper that tied the game. He made a free throw to complete the three-point play and put Houston up 61-60 with 24.1 seconds remaining.

Houston's attempt to take the lead on its next possession fell apart when Geo Baker lost control of the ball as he was attempting to drive. Marcus Sasser picked up the ball and made both of his free throws after being fouled with nine seconds left.

With no timeouts remaining, Ron Harper Jr.'s three-point attempt at the buzzer hit off the side of the rim to preserve Houston's win.

Notable Game Stats

• Quentin Grimes (HOU): 22 points (7-15 FG), 9 rebounds, 2 steals
• DeJon Jarreau (HOU): 17 points (6-12 FG), 5 rebounds, 2 assists
• Geo Baker (RUT): 14 points (5-10 FG), 4 assists
• Montez Mathis (RUT): 10 points (3-6 FG)

Grimes, Jarreau Lift Cougars

Houston entered the tournament as one of the most balanced teams in the country. It had a net rating of 19.2 points per game during the regular season, with the defense ranked second in the nation with 58.2 points allowed per contest.

While the defense did its part early, Houston's inability to figure out Rutgers' defense put it in an early hole that for a while seemed insurmountable. It trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half and was down 60-56 with 2:04 remaining.

Grimes and Jarreau came to life late and carried Houston's offense when it needed it the most. They combined to make 13 of the team's 22 field goals, including seven of the eight three-pointers.

Jarreau entered the game with a hip injury that limited him to one minute against Cleveland State. He appeared to injure himself again in the second half Sunday when he tumbled to the floor but was able to return and play through it.

When Houston was trying to close the gap late in the second half, Jarreau made a crucial three-pointer that cut the deficit to 58-53.

Grimes made another three during a 7-0 run for the Cougars that got them within two points.

Houston's poor free-throw shooting looked like it might cost the team down the stretch. It missed four free throws in the final three minutes of regulation, including two straight by Grimes right before he made that crucial three-pointer.

As Houston looks to move forward in the tournament, it will need more significant contributions from the rest of the roster. The three starters aside from Grimes and Jarreau combined to score eight points on 3-of-15 shooting.

There will be time for Sampson and his staff to make adjustments before the Sweet 16. At this point in the season, being able to survive and advance is all that matters. The Cougars are one step away from their first Elite Eight appearance since 1984.

Late Collapse Ends Rutgers' Season

When things were going right for Rutgers, Montez Mathis gave the offense a surprising lift early in the game.

The junior guard entered this game averaging 8.2 points per game. He surpassed that total in the first half with 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting (2-of-2 from three).

Mathis had almost as many points on his own as the entire Rutgers starting five in the first half (14). He wound up being held scoreless in the second half and miss both of his field-goal attempts.

Of course, the Scarlet Knights' defense has always been their key to success. They held Clemson to 56 points on 35.6 percent shooting in the round of 64. Houston seemed likely to provide a much more difficult test.

Rutgers wasn't giving Houston any easy looks at the basket for most of the game. It held the American Athletic Conference champions to 44 percent shooting overall and looked like the more aggressive team.

Down the stretch, though, Rutgers' inability to score proved to be its downfall. The Scarlet Knights were outscored 14-2 over the final 4:55. Baker's layup with 2:04 remaining was their last scoring of the game.

Rutgers also struggled to box out for the entire game. The Cougars had a 16-8 advantage in offensive rebounds, including Mark's with 26 seconds remaining that wound up being the biggest play of the game.

Despite the loss, this season was another significant step forward for Rutgers under head coach Steve Pikiell.

What's Next?

Houston will take on Syracuse in the Sweet 16 on March 27 or 28.

Syracuse is moving on thanks to its second upset of the NCAA men's tournament.

The No. 11 Orange defeated third-seeded West Virginia 75-72 on Sunday, days after defeating No. 6 San Diego State.

Buddy Boeheim dropped 25 points, mostly on three-point attempts, for the Orange, who are now 18-9.

For the 19-10 Mountaineers, Sean McNeil's 23 points couldn't overcome the deficit they faced from the opening minutes.

Notable Performers

• Sean McNeil, WVU: 23 PTS (8-15 FG, 7-13 3PT)
• Buddy Boeheim, Syracuse: 25 PTS (8-17 FG, 6-13 3PT)
  
• Joe Girard III, Syracuse: 12 PTS (4-8 3PT), 7 AST, 6 REB
• Miles McBride, WVU: 11 PTS, 7 AST, 4 REB

Syracuse Starts and Finishes from 3

Syracuse is a fine team when it comes to shooting from deep, having entered Sunday with a 34.8 completion percentage. But in the opening minutes against West Virginia, they were on fire from deep.

The Orange broke out strong from the beginning with a 14-5 lead 5:30 in that was built entirely on threes, save for a pair of free throws.

While they came back down to earth later in that first half, their early attempts from beyond the arc helped build a lead over the Mountaineers, who couldn't match their opponents' success. The Orange hit seven of their 16 attempts from deep in the first half to build a lead that reached as high as 14, while WVU was limited to four of just nine shots from behind the arc.

By the end of the first half, the three-point onslaught had calmed, but it was an imperative piece of Syracuse's early success. Joe Girard III led all scorers with 12 points at the break, all of which came from deep.

Girard was quieted in the second half, but Buddy Boeheim came to life when it mattered most. West Virginia managed to pull within two at the midway point of the second half, but Boeheim hit back-to-back threes to deepen the divide.

Boeheim hit one of six attempts from the field in the first half but broke open to complete seven of his 10 shots in the second half, which was crucial as the Orange had to work harder to defend their lead.

Too Little, Too Late for WVU

The Mountaineers, like so many before them, were in danger of succumbing to Syracuse's signature 2-3 zone defense early in the first half.

Syracuse forced 11 turnovers in the first half, including 10 in the first 15 minutes, though it only scored two points off those turnovers.

But the Mountaineers hit their stride to head to the break on a 13-5 run. Part of that comeback was built on perfect shooting from the line, with six of six free throws made inside the final six minutes of the half, while McNeil and Miles McBride posted threes on back-to-back possessions to encroach on the Orange.

After the break, West Virginia was more aggressive in the paint, forcing the Orange into foul trouble. Jesse Edwards was whistled three times, joining Marek Dolezaj as the players with four fouls before the game made it into its final 10 minutes.

Finally, the Mountaineers got their first lead of the day on a McNeil three with 9:47 left to play, going up 53-52 to cap a 9-0 run over a 1:22 span.

But it couldn't hold as the Orange continued their push with a 10-0 run over a three-minute span to finish the Mountaineers, who ended the day shooting just 37.1 percent from the field compared to 51.9 percent from Syracuse.

What's Next?

Syracuse will carry its Cinderella run into a Sweet 16 meeting with the winner of Sunday night's game between No. 2 Houston and No. 10 Rutgers.

Next season, the Mountaineers will welcome in 3-star combo guard Seth Wilson, the fourth-best prospect in the state of Ohio's class of 2021, as well as 6'3" point guard Kobe Johnson, per 247Sports.

Loyola-Chicago was a true Cinderella story when it went to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA men's tournament, but it is no scrappy underdog this year.

Need proof?

Only the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Baylor Bears have better odds to win the national championship after the Ramblers stunned the top-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini in Sunday's second-round game. Loyola-Chicago comes in at +900 (bet $100 to win $900) with just four victories standing between it and the national championship:

While the Ramblers are a No. 8 seed, they were clearly underseeded on Selection Sunday.

They check in at No. 7 in the country with the top-ranked defense on KenPom.com's rankings and forced 17 Illinois turnovers during the 71-58 win. If they use that stout defense to set the tone, they could very well cut down the nets as champions.

Bettors seem to be accepting that reality, as well.