NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL : Arkansas Leads by 17, but Escapes on Missed Free Throw, 79-78

The Arkansas Razorbacks’ hopes for a second consecutive NCAA tournament championship were almost killed by a team they beat by 66 points last year.

Corliss Williamson of the Razorbacks hit two free throws with 26.9 seconds left Friday, and Texas Southern’s Randy Bolden missed a game-tying free throw with 6.1 seconds to go as Arkansas escaped with a 79-78 victory in a Midwest Regional first-round game.

“They had an opportunity to win the game and you have to give them credit after they were humiliated a year ago,” Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson said. “We were fortunate and lucky to come away with a win.”

The sixth-ranked Razorbacks (28-6) play Syracuse in Sunday’s second round at the Frank Erwin Center.

Bolden, Texas Southern’s best free-throw shooter at 80%, was fouled by Williamson from beyond the three-point arc. Bolden hit the first two, but his third free throw hit the front of the rim and bounced away.

“We just couldn’t put them away,” Arkansas guard Scotty Thurman said. “They came out and took it to us. We felt like sooner or later they would fall. They never did.”

Arkansas looked as if it would run away with the game in the first half on the long-range shooting of reserve Dwight Stewart, who wound up with seven three-point baskets, but Texas Southern fell behind by 17 points five minutes into the second half before rallying to make it close.

Arkansas defeated Texas Southern, 129-63, at Fayetteville in 1994 in the last meeting between the schools.

Syracuse 96, Southern Illinois 92--Syracuse had lost seven of its last 10 games and needed to plug some holes in what has seemed like a sinking ship.

Great shooting will help a situation like that every time.

The Orangemen (20-9) hit 67.9% of their shots and needed every one of them in beating an equally hot Southern Illinois.

It was, said Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, the best offensive game an Orangemen team has ever played in the NCAA tournament.

“And boy, did we need it,” Boeheim added.

Inside work from John Wallace and outside shooting by Lucious Jackson were the keys in beating the Salukis (23-9), who got 26 points from Chris Carr and 21 from Shane Hawkins. Hawkins hit seven of eight three-point shots.

Southern Illinois shot 65.5% and hit 15 three-point baskets.

Purdue 49, Wisconsin Green Bay 48--Purdue Coach Gene Keady knew his team was in for a cliffhanger against Wisconsin Green Bay.

“The way things turned out, I think we upset them,” Keady said after Cuonzo Martin hit two free throws with 35.2 seconds left to defeat the Phoenix, who were looking to knock off a powerhouse for a second straight year.

The Phoenix (22-8), which beat Jason Kidd and California in last year’s NCAA tournament, had a chance to win at the end, but Eric Jackson missed a 20-foot jumper as the final buzzer sounded.

“It was a game like everybody said it would be,” Keady said. “It was a gut check. They have a hard-nosed defense and a perpetual-motion offense. A lot of experts were picking them to beat us.”

Big Ten champion Purdue (25-6) will play Memphis in the second round Sunday.

Purdue, seeded No. 3 regionally, won 14 of its last 15 regular-season games.

Memphis 77, Louisville 56--Memphis showed Louisville that life after the Metro Conference is just fine.

Lorenzen Wright and David Vaughn dominated inside as the Tigers defeated their former league rivals.

The teams had not met since 1991, when Memphis left the Metro and joined the Great Midwest.

“Most of these men weren’t around, so the rivalry is with me,” said Memphis coach Larry Finch, who played for then-Memphis State in several battles with Louisville during the early 1970s.

Wright scored 16 points and had six rebounds. Vaughn added 14 points and nine boards as sixth-seeded Memphis (23-9) pulled away from the 11th-seeded Cardinals (19-14) early in the second half.

DeJuan Wheat led Louisville with 28 points and six rebounds.