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College basketball: March Madness 2005
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Bucknell shocks Kansas, 64-63
Associated Press
Published March 19, 2005
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - In their 110th season, the Bucknell Bison finally won its first NCAA Tournament game. And, wow, what a victory it was.
Chris McNaughton banked in a hook shot over Wayne Simien with 10.5 seconds left, then Simien missed an open 15-foot jumper at the buzzer, giving the 14th-seeded Bison a stunning 64-63 victory over third-seeded Kansas on Friday night to shake up the Syracuse Region.
Bucknell (23-9) began playing basketball in 1896, joining Yale and Minnesota as the nation's oldest Division I programs. But the only other times the Bison even made the NCAA field were 1987, when they lost by 22 to Georgetown, and '89, when they lost by 23 to Syracuse.
Now they're the first No.14 seed to win since Weber State beat North Carolina in 1999, and they ended the title hopes of Kansas, the preseason No.1. This also is the first tournament win by a team from the Patriot League.
The Jayhawks (23-7) ended a streak of 15 straight first-round tournament wins and 21 in a row overall. Although they had their share of scares along the way, including one by Utah State in Oklahoma City just two years ago, this was their first opening-round exit since being eliminated by UCLA in 1978.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 65, SAINT MARY'S 56: Stetson Hairston broke a late tie with three free throws, then followed with a 3-pointer and Darren Brooks drove for the next two baskets, giving the Salukis the push they needed to get past Saint Mary's, 65-56.
Southern Illinois (27-7) advanced for the first time since 2002. The Salukis were knocked out by one point in the opening round the last two years, missing shots at the buzzer both times.
The seventh-seeded Salukis came out with an incredible show of energy and intensity: an early 14-0 run fueled by nine turnovers, including on eight straight possessions by the 10th-seeded Gaels (25-9).
Guard E.J. Rowland said they were warned about SIU's defense and saw it on film, but "it was a lot different in person." SIU forced a total of 20 turnovers.
Daniel Kickert scored 16 for St. Mary's, but made just one of his last eight shots as the Salukis forced him into uncomfortable spots.
OKLAHOMA ST. 63, SE LOUISIANA 50: JamesOn Curry hesitated for a split second, then jumped and let loose a 3-pointer right in front of his coach's seat.
When the shot fell through, the 19-year-old freshman pumped his fist as he walked toward midcourt, having given second-seeded Oklahoma State the boost it needed.
The 3-pointer put Oklahoma State ahead 54-47 with just under 4 minutes to play, and the Cowboys (25-6) held off the Lions (24-9) by making their next nine free throws.
McFarlin scored 18 points to lead the Cowboys, a Final Four team last season, and Curry scored 13.
The Lions, trying to become the fifth No. 15 seed to upset a second-seeded team, were within 44-41 midway through the second half after an 11-3 run fueled by Ricky Woods' ability to get inside and cause havoc. Woods led the Lions with 16 points.
WISCONSIN 57, N. IOWA 52: What started as a superb 3-point shooting exhibition for Wisconsin ended with the Badgers just looking for a basket.
Luckily, Kammron Taylor found his range before Northern Iowa did.
Taylor scored 16 points in a reserve role, including a jumper and four free throws in the final minute, to help the sixth-seeded Badgers hold on.
The Panthers, nearly beat national runner-up Georgia Tech in the first round of last year's tournament, rallied from an early 16-point deficit before having another upset bid fall short.
Sharif Chambliss hit a season-high five 3-pointers and had 15 points for Wisconsin (23-8).
Wisconsin scored its first 15 on 3-pointers and started pulling away with a 14-2 run sparked by Taylor's flurry of seven straight points.
[Last modified March 19, 2005, 01:02:12]
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