Instant Analysis - Ncaa Basketball - Saturday's Elite Eight Roundup - Ncaa Tournament 2012

Sporting News' team of higher education basketball freelance writers give instant analysis of Saturday's Elite Eight adventures around the particular NCAA Tournament:

East: No. 2 Ohio State 77, No. 1 Syracuse 70

Box score

BOSTON Jared Sullinger was confined to only 6 months time a matter of minutes of actively playing time from the first half, victim, such as also so many participants with this game, connected with negative message or calls on the referees, powered his way as a result of this Syracuse zone pertaining to 19 points and eight rebounds to help lead Ohio State back to that Final Four.

Syracuse's Dion Waters, James Southerland, Rakeem Christmas and Baye Keita all had a minimum of four fouls. Ditto for Ohio State's Aaron Craft.

Syracuse, trailing simply by eight along with 59 mere seconds left, made it useful affordable the particular extend as a result of Ohio State turnovers and skipped cost-free throws. SU bought within 70-67 on Waiters' operating layup plus and-one cost-free throw with 37 seconds. Sullinger manufactured one free throw, after which Brandon Triche missed a jumper. OSU in that case made 6-of-6 free brings while in the last 20 seconds to protected the win.

Sullinger, after these not one but two affordable fouls early, maintained his composure along with aided bruise as well as batter Syracuse around the second half. The Buckeyes, certainly not required to concern yourself with revoked SU 7-foot core Fab Melo (academics) from the middle, dominated the particular boards, 37-22. Forwards Deshaun Thomas and Lenzelle Smith Jr. as well hit double results inside second half.

On the other end, Syracuse's very best offensive weapons just about all had troublesome hours shooting this ball: Scoop Jardine (5-of-12), Triche (4-of-10), Kris Joseph (4-of-11) in addition to Waiters (2-of-8).

West: No. some Louisville 72, No. 7 Florida 68

Fagan's instant analysis Box score

PHOENIX Rick Pitino nudged out there Billy Donovan for just a area in the Final Four with Saturday any time his Louisville company finished the game using a 23-8 run for the success more than Florida inside the West Regional.

Chane Behanan hit the go-ahead basket with 1:04 kept intended for fourth-seeded Louisville, then once a couple Cardinals free throws, Florida's Bradley Beal and Kenny Boynton every single have missed chances to help tie.

The seventh-seeded Gators (26-11) fell while in the regional semifinals for your minute consecutive year, though Louisville (30-9) will go to the Final Four for any ninth moment as well as subsequent under Pitino. Russ Smith led Louisville by using 19 details and also Behanan have 17. The Cardinals gamed a final 3:58 not having place guard Peyton Siva, who fouled out.

The Gators chance 8-for-11 coming from 3-point selection within the very first one half nonetheless didn't help to make just one inside second. Donovan is usually at this point 0-7 life long towards Pitino, the particular man whom taught him or her at Providence, hired your pet when an assistant with Kentucky and also felt while proud like a papa while he or she watched Donovan win his two country wide something around '06 in addition to '07.

Sunday's games

South: Baylor (30-7) vs. Kentucky (35-2), 2:20 p.m. DeCourcy column

Midwest: North Carolina (32-5) vs. Kansas (30-6), 5:05 p.m.

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