Aggies crush Orange
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Acie Law scored 23 points, including 12 in the final 2:25, and helped 12th-seeded Texas A&M upset fifth-seeded Syracuse, 66-58, last night in the Atlanta Regional.
It was the third loss in as many games for the powerhouse Big East Conference. Seton Hall and Marquette were sent packing earlier in the day.
It also ended an improbable run for the Orange and senior Gerry McNamara. The star guard carried Syracuse through the Big East tournament last weekend and helped the team secure an automatic berth in the NCAA field. Before the conference tournament, the Orange seemed destined to be left out of the NCAAs.
But the Aggies (22-8) had better fortune in this one -- thanks to Law.
The lefthander scored 14 points in the final eight minutes, almost single-handedly delivering A&M into the second round. He finished 7 of 17 from the field and had 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
In the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987, the Aggies advanced to face fourth-seeded LSU tomorrow.
McNamara was held to 2 points -- tying his career low -- and the Texas A&M section was chanting ''overrated, overrated" at him on several occasions.
He was 0 for 6 from the field and missed all five shots from behind the 3-point line.
LSU 80, Iona 64 -- Glen Davis scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half and the fourth-seeded Southeastern Conference regular-season champions overcame a sluggish start to beat the No. 13 seed Gaels.
Davis, a 6-foot-9-inch, 310-pound sophomore nicknamed ''Big Baby," took over after missing 8 of his first 9 shots and being held to 5 points in the opening half. The SEC player of the year finished 7 of 15 from the field and had 13 rebounds -- 6 of them after halftime.
Steve Burtt and Ricky Soliver, the highest-scoring guard tandem in Division 1, did all they could to keep Iona (23-8) in the game. Burtt had 23 points and Soliver 14 in their final college contest, but were a combined 2 for 14 on 3-point attempts.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee 82, Oklahoma 74 -- Pulling off their third major upset in two years, the 11th-seeded Horizon League champions got 24 points apiece from Joah Tucker and Boo Davis to eliminate the sixth-seeded Sooners in the Minneapolis Regional.
Tucker, one of the stars in Milwaukee's stunning run to the Sweet 16 last season, scored 9 during a 23-7 surge that carried the Panthers (22-8) to a 60-46 lead with just over seven minutes to go.
Florida 76, South Alabama 50 -- Lee Humphrey scored 20 points, including four 3-pointers in the second half, and the third-seeded Gators beat the 14th-seeded Jaguars in front of a partisan crowd at Veterans Memorial Arena.
