NCAA Elite 8

NCAA Elite 8

 

North Carolina Tar Heels beat Washington State Cougars 68-47 in the 2007-2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Charlotte Bobcats Arena Thursday night.

 

North Carolina Tar Heels Tyler Hansbrough scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half and the top-seeded Tar Heels held Washington State to 32-percent shooting.

 

Danny Green had 15 points to help the Tar Heels (35-2) set a school record for victories while continuing their dominant tournament run. The No. 1 overall seed has won its first three NCAA games by 20 or more points for the first time in program history as it chases a record 17th trip to the Final Four.

 

North Carolina Tar Heels will play third-seeded Louisville, which beat Tennessee, on Saturday with a clear home-court advantage, playing in an arena located about two hours from its Chapel Hill campus. The 47 points were the fewest allowed by the Tar Heels in an NCAA game since 1946.

 

North Carolina improved to 24-1 in NCAA games played in its home state and is 7-0 all-time in Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

 

Meanwhile, the other game in the Eastern Division of the 2007-2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Louisville Cardinals past by Tennessee Volunteers 79-60 to advance to the Elite 8 in the 2008 March Madness.

 

Louisville Cardinals Earl Clark scored 17 points and had 12 rebounds. Terrence Williams and Andre McGee each added 13 points and David Padgett had 10 points and eight rebounds for Louisville Cardinals (27-8), which nearly blew all of a 16-point first half lead, only to take control midway through the second half. The Cardinals are vying for there second Final Four trip in six years under head coach Rick Pitino.

 

Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino, who has won an NCAA title and taken three schools to the Final Four, has Louisville playing its best basketball of the season when it counts most. After Louisville’s two blowout wins last weekend, Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino’s signature zone and pressure limited the high-scoring Volunteers to 34-percent shooting. Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino improved to 8-0 in regional semifinals and secured a date with top-seed North Carolina on Saturday night.

 

Going to the Western Conference of the 2007-2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament UCLA Bruins past Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 88-78 in the NCAA West Region on Thursday night.

 

UCLA Bruins Kevin Love scored a career-high 29 points and also had 14 rebounds. UCLA Bruins Kevin Love hit 10-of-14 shots from the floor and helped rescue the Bruins for the second time in as many games.

 

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Tyrone Brazelton scored 31 points—25 in the second half—and Courtney Lee added 18 for 12th-seeded Western Kentucky (29-7).

 

Top-seeded UCLA Bruins (34-3) will play No. 3-seeded Xavier on Saturday for a trip to its third consecutive Final Four.

 

Meanwhile, Xavier Musketeers beat West Virginia Mountaineers 79-75 in OT in the 2008 NCAA March Madness.

 

Xavier Musketeers B.J. Raymond made two 3-pointers in the last 1:18 of overtime. B.J. Raymond, who had made only one field goal all night, hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Xavier Musketeers ahead 75-74 with 1:18 to play. Xavier Musketeers B.J. Raymond then shook loose on an inbounds play, took a crosscourt pass and made a 3 with the shot clock expiring with 30 seconds to go for a 78-74 lead.

Xavier Musketeers, which led by 18 early in the game, rallied from a 71-65 deficit in overtime.

West Virginia Mountaineers Joe Alexander scored 18 and had 10 rebounds for the losing Mountaineers (26-11).

Xavier Musketeers advanced to the West Region final where they will meet the fancied UCLA Bruins on Saturday.