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NCAA - East
March 24, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A team of blue-collar kids with crew cuts from a tiny Indiana school beat a powerhouse in the big tournament.
Sound vaguely familiar?
Darnell Archey's brilliant shooting and Brandon Miller's deft ball-handling Sunday swept 12th-seeded Butler into the round of 16 for the first time with a 79-71 stunner over Rick Pitino and Louisville.
The Horizon League team that plays in the gym where the ultimate underdog movie, Hoosiers, was filmed is writing a poignant script of its own with upsets of No. 5 Mississippi State and the fourth-seeded Cardinals (26-6).
"And you know what? They won," Miller said, referring to the fabled Milan High School team that won an improbable state title in 1954.
The Bulldogs (27-5) meet top-seeded Oklahoma on Friday in Albany, N.Y.
Archey made 8 of 9 3-pointers, hitting all six in the second half, and tied his career high with 26 points to end Pitino's return to the NCAA Tournament.
"I was in the zone. I felt like Michael Jordan in '92 against the Blazers," Archey said. "My teammates just kept getting the ball to me with wide-open looks."
With their first at-large berth in 41 years, the Bulldogs set a school record for wins and aren't ready to quit.
"It's not our goal just to get to the Sweet 16," Archey said. "Our goal all along has been to be national champions.
"We're thrilled and excited, but we're not satisfied."
Pitino won a national championship with Kentucky in 1996. His second Louisville team won the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles.
"Obviously, if you don't win a championship, you're going to end on a low note," said Pitino, who had won 12 of his past 13 tournament games. "To me, this is not a low note because of what our team has accomplished this year."
SYRACUSE 68, OKLA. ST. 56: Gerry McNamara never took his eye off the goal. His good eye, anyway.
Bloodied by a blow to the head that sent him to the locker room in the second half, he returned to hit three big 3-pointers as the Orangeman overcame a brutal start in Boston.
"I don't think my right eye was working too good," McNamara said. "So I used the left eye to shoot. I had to concentrate a little more."
Third-seeded Syracuse (26-5) fell behind 14-2, trailed 31-25 at halftime and didn't take its first lead of the second half until McNamara's 3-pointer made it 40-39 with 14:26 left.
He was hit as he shot, left the game and returned with a bandage above his nose. He went back in with 8:36 to go and Syracuse leading 47-43, and he hit a 3-pointer that made it 50-43.
Coach Jim Boeheim wanted him back sooner, and told that to personnel on the bench, as sixth-seeded Oklahoma State (22-10) took a 43-40 lead a minute after his departure.
"I'm not very patient with medical people," Boeheim said. "If he can walk, he's getting back in the game."
McNamara and Carmelo Anthony, two of Syracuse's three talented freshmen, both missed all six of their shots in the first half. But McNamara finished with 14 points and Anthony added 13.
McNamara hit three 3-pointers in the last 8:08, giving Syracuse leads of 50-43, 59-50 and 64-52.