(8)BUTLER BULLDOGS 60 – OLD DOMINION MONARCHS 58
We have our first buzzer beater of the 2011 NCAA Basketball Tournament. The Butler Bulldogs, locked in a 58-58 tie with Old Dominion, got a rebound put-back by Matt Howard as the buzzer sounded giving the Bulldogs a 60-58 win.
Butler led most of the second half but couldn’t score over the final two minutes as Old Dominion was able to come back from 58-52 down to tie the game on a pair of Kent Bazemore free throws with :32 seconds to go. That gave Butler the final possession which was all they needed to advance.
Howard scored 15 points off the bench for Butler to go along with 8 rebounds. Shelvin Mack also scored 15 points while dishing out 7 assists. Butler didn’t shoot the ball well, just 38.6%, including just 7-27 from three point range.
Old Dominion was even worse, shooting 35.6% from the field but enjoyed a huge advantage from the free throw line where they converted 21-27 while Butler was just 9-11.
(5)WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS 84 – (12)CLEMSON TIGERS 76
The West Virginia Mountaineers used a huge 15-1 run the sandwiched the end of the first half through the first five minutes of the second half to beat Clemson 84-76. Down 40-31 with 2 minutes to go in the first half, the Mountaineers scored the final 9 points of the first half, then added the first 6 points of the second half to turn a nine point deficit into a 5 point lead they would never relinquish.
Darryl Bryant scored 19 points for West Virginia, one of five players in double figures, as the depth of West Virginia was simply too much for a Clemson team playing on short rest after their first round win Tuesday night.
Andre Young did his best to keep Clemson close, scoring 22 points for the Tigers in a losing effort.