NCAA Tournament: Midwest Region Elite Eight Recap
Oregon slows down Kansas and advances to the Final Four
What. A. Game.
(1) Kansas Jayhawks faced (3) Oregon Ducks in what was basically a home game for the Jayhawks as the matchup was hosted in Kansas City. This “home-court advantage” did not seem to make a difference, though, as Oregon played as well as they possibly could against this fast-paced, high-scoring Jayhawks team.
Josh Jackson got into foul trouble which mixed up Kansas’s lineup early on. Both Jackson and Devonte’ Graham ended the first half with zero points – two players that usually lead this team offensively. Even with Frank Mason III’s 17 points, this was not enough for a team that averaged 95 points a game throughout their tournament run. If Kansas wanted to get back in this game, they knew those two had to show up in the second half.
The Ducks played strong defensively in the first half and shot extremely well (60%). Dillon Brooks played spectacularly for Oregon with 8 rebounds and 4 blocks, along with Tyler Dorsey, who finished the first half with a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to give them their biggest lead of the game – 44-33.
Tyler Dorsey goes glass to put an exclamation mark on the first half! #Elite8 pic.twitter.com/wyI3oU2RNR
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 26, 2017
Kansas came into the second half showing some strength, but it was simply too little, too late. Josh Jackson did not score his first points until there was just 11:28 left in the game. Devonte’ Graham scored just 3 points off of free throws. Oregon simply had the magic on their side tonight. They held Kansas to just 60 points and Mason was really the only player that did anything productive offensively for the Jayhawks.
With a Dorsey-led offense and Bell-led defense, the Ducks were just too much for Kansas. Dorsey finished with 27 points and five rebounds. Behind him was Dillon Brooks with 17. Bell nearly had a triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and eight blocks. Kansas was scoreless in the last two and a half minutes of the game. With that, the Ducks are moving on to the Final Four for the first time since 1939 – the last time they won the national championship.
Jordan Bell: 11 points, 13 rebounds, 8 blocks, 4 assists, 1 incredible performance #FinalFour #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/AWs67RrTOP
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 26, 2017
FINAL: Oregon 74, Kansas 60
March 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Tyler Dorsey (5) and forward Dillon Brooks (24) celebrate during the second half in the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference tournament against the Utah Utes at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Ducks defeated the Utes 88-57. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY SportsMarch 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Tyler Dorsey (5) and forward Dillon Brooks (24) celebrate during the second half in the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference tournament against the Utah Utes at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Ducks defeated the Utes 88-57. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
