Catamounts squeeze out the Orange
Tom Brennan has repeatedly said this season that he gets way too much publicity. So much so, that the quick-with-a-quip Vermont coach has gotten sick of hearing himself talk.
Senior point guard T.J. Sorrentine apparently feels the same way.
Fortunately for Brennan, also a radio host, his Arbitron ratings won’t go down because Sorrentine briefly tuned him out. But the Catamounts’ national reputation has gone through the roof because of it.
With the shot clock winding down and Vermont desperately trying to protect a one-point lead in overtime, Sorrentine shook off his coach’s instructions to run a specific play, and instead called his own number. From 28 feet out, Sorrentine buried a three-pointer that provided the eventual winning margin in 13th-seeded Vermont’s 60-57 upset of Syracuse in the first round of the Austin Region at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.
Vermont (25-6) advanced to play Michigan State on Sunday at about 2:40 p.m.
“I looked at coach with about 15 seconds left” on the shot clock, Sorrentine recalled, “and coach kept saying, ‘run red, run red.’ I told him, ‘hold on, just relax.’ “
With the shot clock showing 6, Sorrentine squared up and swished the long jumper for a 59-55 lead with 1:06 left.
Of course, now everyone has to look at the Catamounts for at least another game. Vermont is making its third appearance in the tournament, and had been bounced in the first round each of the last two years. But they stayed close early as both teams’ offenses seemed to be stuck in maple syrup during a first half that ended with the Orange ahead 23-19.
Syracuse couldn’t shake Vermont in the second half. In fact, the Catamounts grabbed the lead at 30-27 on Germain Mopa Njila’s three from the right wing with 15:27 left.
Vermont held the lead, and the ball, as the Catamounts drained the shot clock on almost every possession to shorten the game and limit the Orange’s offensive opportunities.
Syracuse (27-7) did a good job of that itself, committing a season-high 24 turnovers. Ten of those were by senior forward Hakim Warrick, who achieved a triple-double the wrong way, with 21 points, 12 rebounds and the 10 turnovers.
Because they didn’t play much offense. Vermont shot only 37.3 percent from the floor, not the kind of number that usually propels a 13th seed over a No. 4.
Syracuse’s final chance ended on McNamara’s off-the-mark three with three seconds left.
Duke 57, Delaware St. 46: At Charlotte, N.C., the Blue Devils (26-5) avoided the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history and allowed coach Mike Krzyzewski to move to the top of the record book.
Shelden Williams had 14 points and 11 rebounds and top-seeded Duke held off the 16th-seeded Hornets (19-13), giving Coach K his 65th career victory in the tournament.
In 21 NCAA Tournaments, Krzyzewski is 65-17, tying Dean Smith’s total for the most career victories.
Mississippi State 93, Stanford 70: At Charlotte, N.C., Winsome Frazier made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points to lead the Bulldogs (23-10) to a win over the Cardinal (18-13).
Lawrence Roberts, the 2004 Southeastern Conference player of the year, led the Bulldogs with 23 points and 14 rebounds.
(15) Michigan St. 89, Old Dominion 81: At Worcester, Mass., the fifth-seeded Spartans (23-6) couldn’t pull away until the final minutes, when Shannon Brown made a spinning layin to start a three-point play that helped Michigan State beat the Monarchs (28-6).