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Michael Conroy / Associated press
For the first time since 1984, the No.2 Houston Cougars are heading to the Final Four, becoming the first team in the 2021 NCAA Men’s Tournament to clinch a spot after defeating No.12 Oregon State, 67-61, at Lucas Oil Stadium. Monday.
The Cougars passed through No.15 Cleveland State, No.10 Rutgers and No.11 Syracuse before taking down the Beavers, becoming the very first team to play four double-digit seeds in a single tournament.
Houston will now face the winner of No.1 Baylor and No.3 Arkansas in the national semifinals to qualify for the title next Monday night. After taking a 34-17 halftime lead against Oregon State, the Cougars left no doubt that they were in the Final Four.
Halfway later, they were cutting the nets for what is potentially the first of many times over the next week.
Notable performers
Quentin Grimes, G, Houston Cougars: 18 points, 4 assists
Marcus Sasser, G, Houston Cougars: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 three points
Maurice Calloo, F, Oregon State Beavers: 13 points, 5 rebounds
Ethan Thompson, G, Oregon State Beavers: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists
Beavers Comeback Falls Short
Oregon State came close to winning one of the tournament’s most absurd comebacks. Maybe with a minute or two more the beavers can finish. Either way, if not for clutch free throws and solid incoming players, Houston might not cut the net at Indianapolis on Monday.
After the Cougars took a 34-17 halftime lead, OSU spent the last 10 minutes of regulation munching on until a series of wild events made it a draw with less. four minutes to play.
The Beavers took off in a 14-3 inning which they punctuated with a Warith Alatishe dunk to reduce the deficit to 55-52. Houston’s ensuing possession saw the Cougars bank three-pointers, only to be called up for a shot clock violation. Oregon State immediately took advantage of a trio of Gianni Hunt to tie things up at 55 apiece.
Thus began the final 3:48 of the rule and a mad race from Houston to regain the lead.
The Cougars could only do it thanks to clutch free throws (16 of 24) on the stretch and a horribly timed error from Oregon State.
After going through most of the half time without committing a turnover, the Beavers finally broke down when Ethan Thompson rolled the ball with his fingertips during a rim workout with 48 seconds left and five to go. the train. Oregon State had no choice but to foul, giving Houston a chance to create a split on the line, which the Cougars gladly took advantage of.
It’s not often – if ever – a Power Five program takes Cinderella’s turn, but there’s no doubt the Beavers deserved the honor in March. After being picked last in the Pac-12, Oregon State won three games in three days to win the Pac 12 championship title and land a berth in the NCAA tournament. Head coach Wayne Tinkle helped his team pass 5th Tennessee, 4th Oklahoma State and 8th Loyola Chicago.
They failed against one of the best teams in the country.
Sasser Houston Shooting Powers
Marcus Sasser dominated all of Oregon State’s starting lineup in the first half 11-7, he led the game with 20 points, and all five marks from his 19 field goal attempts came from behind the arc. .
A 35.2% three-point shooter throughout the regular season, the Cougars guard had finished 5 of 22 from behind the arc in the first three rounds. On Monday, he matched this production, 5 out of 13 from a distance.
He was going to find his rhythm deep in the tournament both because his team needed him and because he was skilled enough to make it happen.
On Monday, he showed how possible it was.
Sasser leads the Cougars to the Final Four because he did not hesitate to make big shots. Over 34 minutes against the State of Oregon, Sasser’s most significant contributions came when he crossed the line – be it the arc or the charity strip.
His five three points were a game high, and his 5 of 6 free throws meant the Cougars weren’t going to lose this one late.
If he can keep shooting like he did against OSU, Houston will have a lot more to shoot for in the next few days.
And after?
The Final Four begins Saturday with Houston facing either Baylor or Arkansas at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The first semi-final game kicks off at 5 p.m. ET on CBS.
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