GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP)– Sean Miller has unselfish Xavier back in the Sugary food 16.
Jack Nunge scored 18 points, Adam Kunkel included 15 on 5 first-half 3-pointers, and No. 3 seed Xavier beat 11 th-seeded Pittsburgh 84-73 on Sunday to advance to the NCAA Competition’s 2nd week for the very first time given that 2017.
Colby Jones had 10 points, 14 rebounds and 7 helps, and Souley Boum and Jerome Hunter each cracked in with 14 points as all 5 Xavier beginners scored in double digits.
Xavier got in the video game leading the nation in helps per video game (192) and had 17 on 19 baskets in the very first half to construct a 48-34 lead at the break. The Musketeers completed with 22 helps.
The triumph came precisely one year after Miller accepted return as Xavier’s coach.
He had actually coached the Musketeers from 2004-09, assisting them reach the Sugary food 16 two times and the Elite 8 when prior to leaving for Arizona. This will be Miller’s very first local semifinal look because 2018 with the Wildcats.
Miller stated he never ever questioned he might still win, however offered the credit to his gamers.
” I have an incredible group to deal with,” Miller stated. “There’s a great deal of coaches that might win with this group, and I acknowledge that. My hope is that we have more in us, that we have the ability to have an excellent week and make what we currently feel great about even much better.”
Xavier (27 -9) carries on to play No. 2 seed Texas on Friday in the Midwest Area semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri.
Blake Hinson scored 18 points and Jamarius Burton had 16 for Pitt (24-12).
It was the 2nd straight video game Nunge showed up huge for Xavier. The 7-foot center had actually a crucial obstructed shot in the closing seconds of the Musketeers’ 72-67 first-round win over 14 th-seeded Kennesaw State.
” I have actually been dreaming about this minute since I began seeing basketball,” Nunge stated. “When you remain in school, you are delighted when your instructors let you switch on the video game and not need to concentrate on class. Therefore March Insanity is an unique season. It’s the very best competition on the planet.”
Nunge set the tone early, controling the paint with 8 points in the very first 10 minutes while Jones tore down 2 threes as the Musketeers bolted to a 28-18 lead.
The Musketeers blew the video game open with a 12 -2 run behind Kunkel, who made 2 threes and tossed an alley-oop dunk to Nunge. Kunkel followed with his 5th 3 of the very first half to offer Xavier a 19- point lead with 1: 26 left.
” We truly rode the wave of Adam Kunkel,” Miller stated. “He was 5 for 5 from the 3-point line. We actually shared the ball and dipped into our speed throughout the video game. We yapped about that prior to the video game.”
Pitt did not get closer than 8 points in the 2nd half even after Nunge fouled out with 3: 18 staying.
After holding No. 6 seed Iowa State to 41 points on Friday, Pitt enabled Xavier to rating 42 in the very first 15 minutes.
” Iowa State was not as great of an offending group as Xavier,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel stated. “Xavier has actually been an elite offending group all year. They were moving with excellent speed. They made 7 threes in the very first half. The ball had energy. … We could not interrupt their rhythm.”
FEDERIKO OUT
It didn’t assist Pitt’s cause that huge male Federiko played less than a minute since of a knee issue that likewise kept him out of the Panthers’ First 4 win over Mississippi State. Capel stated he saw Federiko keeping up a limp and right away eliminated him so he would not run the risk of additional injury. Federiko invested the remainder of the video game on a stationary bicycle, typically grimacing in discomfort.
BROAD VIEW
Pitt: The Panthers won their initially 2 NCAA Competition video games because 2014 prior to bailing out. “It draws today,” Pitt guard Nelly Cummings stated. “It stings we simply lost, however when you have a bit of time to show, we achieved a great deal of things, so I believe the bond that we have is absolutely a factor for that.”
Xavier: After requiring to come back from 13 down in the 2nd half to beat Kennesaw State, the Musketeers left no doubt about this one, coming out focused and all set to play
UP NEXT
Xavier will deal with a Longhorns group that has actually won 6 straight video games.
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AP March Insanity protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25- college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25