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NCAA Tournament roundup: Markquis Nowell, late 3s lift Kansas State past Kentucky | TribLIVE.com
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NCAA Tournament roundup: Markquis Nowell, late 3s lift Kansas State past Kentucky

Associated Press
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AP
Kentucky guard Cason Wallace (left) vies for the ball with Kansas State guard Cam Carter during the first half of a second-round NCAA Tournament game Sunday.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Markquis Nowell scored 23 of his 27 points after halftime, and Kansas State overcame a horrid start from outside by hitting a couple of clutch 3-pointers while topping Kentucky, 75-69, in Sunday’s second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The win sends third-seeded Kansas State (25-9) to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018, and it came thanks to a series of big shots that finally pushed them through in a tight game.

It will play Michigan State in the East Region semifinals.

Kansas State missed its first 13 3-pointers and sat at 2 for 17 for the game when the outside shots started falling. There was Nowell burying a step-back 3 against Cason Wallace to bring Kansas State within 60-59, followed by Ismael Massoud burying one from the right wing at the 2:21 mark that gave Kansas State the lead for good at 64-62.

Keyontae Johnson added one more from that side of the court in front of the Kansas State bench, pushing the lead to 67-62 with 1:23 left — sending a jolt with the kind of margin that felt massive considering nearly all of the second half had been played within four points.

The 5-foot-8 Nowell, a third-team Associated Press All-American, played a fearless floor game while making 7 of 14 shots and 10 of 11 free throws. He also hit three 3s, including the first one over Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe after an 0-for-13 start by Kansas State and another after halftime with his left foot on the “March Madness” logo near midcourt.

Tshiebwe had 25 points and 18 rebounds for sixth-seeded Kentucky (22-12), which shot 55% after halftime and led by eight early in the second half. But the Wildcats never could stretch that lead out, then couldn’t make their own big outside shots (4 for 20 for the game) to answer when Kansas State made its move.

Michigan State 69, Marquette 60 — Tyson Walker scored 23 points, and No. 7 seed Michigan State beat second-seeded Marquette, sending coach Tom Izzo’s squad back to the Sweet 16 for the first time in four years.

Joey Hauser — a Marquette transfer — had 14 points, and A.J. Hoggard had as 13 Michigan State (21-12) took over in the last three minutes.

Izzo, the 68-year-old Hall of Fame coach, reached his 15th regional semifinal and won his record 16th March Madness game with a lower-seeded team.

This one was particularly meaningful. Izzo became the face of a grieving school where three students were killed in a campus shooting on Feb. 13.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper led Marquette (29-7) with 16 points.

UConn 70, Saint Mary’s 55 — Adama Sanogo scored 24 points, and Jordan Hawkins delivered from the 3-point line in the second half as UConn pulled away from Saint Mary’s to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years.

No. 4 seed UConn (27-8) advanced to the West Region semifinals in Las Vegas on Thursday. Next up is eighth-seeded Arkansas, which knocked off No. 1 seed Kansas.

Sanogo followed up his 28-point game in the Huskies’ NCAA tourney opener against Iona with another powerful and efficient performance in the paint. The 245-pound junior was 11 for 16 from the floor and grabbed eight rebounds, dominating a big-man matchup with Mitchell Saxen (six points, three rebounds and four fouls).

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Categories: Sports | U.S./World Sports
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