WASHINGTON REGIONAL

Wichita State stuns Tennessee

Wichita State stuck it to the critics of the Missouri Valley Conference with an easy win to open the NCAA tournament.

Now the Shockers are savoring a bigger victory.

Karon Bradley hit a go-ahead step-back jumper with about 2 minutes left and P.J. Couisnard followed with a big 3-pointer to help the Shockers beat Tennessee 80-73 Saturday in Greensboro, N.C., in the second round of the Washington Regional.

The victory over the second-seeded Volunteers (22-8) marks Wichita State’s first trip to the Sweet 16 since reaching a regional final 25 years ago.

Couisnard finished with 20 points on 6-for-7 shooting to lead the seventh-seeded Shockers (26-8), who used a late 7-0 spurt to break a 65-all tie. Wichita State next faces the winner of today’s George Mason-North Carolina game.

Wichita State opened the tournament with an 86-66 win over Seton Hall, silencing those who wondered why the MVC got four tournament bids. But beating the Southeastern Conference East division champions means so much more.

Kyle Wilson added 17 points to help make up for an off day by first-round leaders Paul Miller and Sean Ogirri. Miller, the MVC’s player of the year, managed 10 points on 1-for-9 shooting. Ogirri scored 12 points after finishing with 23 in the first round.

Chris Lofton – who hit a last-second shot to beat Winthrop 63-61 in the first round – and C.J. Watson each scored 20 points to lead the Volunteers.

ATLANTA REGIONAL

At Greensboro, N.C.

(1) Duke (32-3) 74

(8) Geo. Washington (27-3) 61

J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams had plenty of help this time. From the acrobatic dunks of Josh McRoberts to the heady play from point guard Greg Paulus, Duke did just about everything right.

Now the top-seeded Blue Devils are headed to the Sweet 16 for the ninth straight season.

Redick had 20 points, Williams added 17 points and 14 rebounds and the No. 1 overall seed easily disposed of the Colonials.

Unlike the first-round victory over Southern University, when Duke’s two stars scored all but 12 of their team’s 70 points, everyone who played contributed.

McRoberts got his second double-double of the season with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while fellow freshman Paulus had six assists to go with 10 points.

Every other player who got on the court scored for the Blue Devils, who are trying to reach the Final Four for the second time in three years. They shot 52 percent in the first half to take control and never were threatened after that.

Duke next plays LSU in the Atlanta Regional.

Omar Williams had 14 points for the eighth-seeded Colonials, and Mike Hall added 13.

Duke led from Redick’s 3-pointer less than a minute in, but the margin was only one when Duke went on a 17-4 run to push the lead to 36-20.

(4) LSU (25-8) 58

(12) Texas A&M (22-9) 57

With the clock running out on LSU’s hopes, Darrel Mitchell stepped up and made the biggest shot of his life.

Mitchell’s long 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds capped a wild finish and gave the fourth-seeded Tigers a second-round victory over the 12th-seeded Aggies in the Atlanta Regional.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis scored 21 points, including a key basket in the final minute. But it was Mitchell – LSU’s lone senior starter – who saved the day after Texas A&M snapped a 55-55 tie with Acie Law’s jumper over Mitchell’s outstretched arms with 19.3 seconds left.

The Southeastern Conference regular-season champions seemingly were in control when Mitchell made two foul shots for a 53-46 lead with 3:31 to go. But Texas A&M, in the tournament for the first time since 1987, wasn’t ready to go home.

The Aggies wiped out the seven-point deficit over the next 91 seconds, then went ahead 55-53 on Joseph Jones’ jump hook in the lane.

Davis, the SEC player of the year who also had eight rebounds, powered his way for a layup to tie it for the last time.

Mitchell was 1 for 7 from behind the 3-point line, and LSU was 1 for 11 as a team, before he seemingly launched the 22-footer in desperation.

There was still time left – especially with the speedy Law on the court for Texas A&M. But LSU did a good job of keeping the ball out of his hands and Texas A&M didn’t get the ball past halfcourt on its final possession. Law scored 15 to lead the Aggies.

MINNEAPOLIS REGIONAL

At Jacksonville, Fla.

(3) Florida (29-6) 82

(11) Wis.-Milwaukee (22-9) 60

Florida players insisted that the program’s recent history in the NCAA tournament meant nothing to them.

It means a lot more now.

Corey Brewer scored 23 points, Joakim Noah added 17 and the third-seeded Gators routed the 11th-seeded Panthers in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Florida advanced to the semifinals of the Minneapolis Regional, the first time the team has escaped the opening weekend of the tourney since 2000.

The last time the Gators advanced to the Sweet 16, they went to the championship game before losing to Michigan State.

Led by Brewer, Noah, Al Horford and Taurean Green, Florida led from its first possession and dominated much of the game.

The Gators led by 13 in the first half and opened up a 15-point advantage midway through the second half.

Boo Davis finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting for Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Panthers’ leading scorer, Joah Tucker, had nine points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Adrian Tigert carried the Panthers most of the way. He had 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting and eight rebounds.