Kansas Suffers 1st Round Upset to Bradley
 |
James Joyner | Saturday, March 18, 2006 |
For the second straight season, Kansas was upset in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Most of these Kansas kids didn’t have much to do with the “Bucknell Bummer.” Now they have one to call their own.
Marcellus Sommerville scored 21 points and made five 3-pointers, and 13th-seeded Bradley handed the fourth-seeded Jayhawks their second straight first-round NCAA tournament exit with a 77-73 victory Friday night.
The Braves made 11 3s to pick up their first NCAA tournament victory in 20 years and advance to play fifth-seeded Pittsburgh in the second round of the Oakland Regional on Sunday.
Unlike a year ago, when Wayne Simien missed a 15-footer at the buzzer to give 14th-seeded Bucknell an improbable victory, Kansas looked unprepared and overwhelmed from the start in this one.
The Braves (21-10) led by 14 with 15:38 to go, but let the Jayhawks back in the game with three straight turnovers with around the five minutes left. By the time the inexperienced Jayhawks finally got acclimated to the NCAA tournament pressure and intensity, however, it was too late.
Mario Chalmers made a 3-pointer after one of the takeaways, a three-point play after the second and a runner in the lane after the final one that cut Bradley’s lead to 65-62 with 3:45 to play.
But the Jayhawks (25-8) committed three of their 18 turnovers down the stretch, and Jeff Hawkins missed an open 3-pointer in the corner that would have tied it with a minute to play.
“I’m mad,” said Chalmers, one of three freshmen starting for Kansas. “We should’ve been better prepared for this game. We were nervous and took a while to adjust.”
- Let the Madness Commence
- George Mason Makes Final Four
- The mighty have fallen- U of Kentucky will accept NIT Bid if offered
- Denver Nuggets edge past the Miami Heat 114-113 in OT
- Five People of Seven Million Picked Right Final Four
- Tubby Smith leaves Kentucky for Minnesota
- Gap Between Cinderellas and Top Seeds Closing
- Gonzaga Wins WCC Tournament
- Duke University’s Michael Schachner shoots 60 at NCAA Tournament
- George Washington Wins Overtime Thriller
- Whacked- Washington Capitals beat Florida 7-4
- Bo Bae Song wins the Mizuno Classic
- Carolina Hurricane Goalie Cam Ward taken to hospital with a cut in his leg
- Ex-Claimer wins Breeders Cup Dirt Mile
- Ship wreck- Navy beats Notre Dame 23-21
- NY Islander Defenseman Radek Martinek out for the year with a torn ACL
- Oh have the mighty fallen- Purdue beats Michigan 38-36
- Out of luck- Northwestern beats Iowa 17-10
- Minnesota Twins acquire SS J.J. Hardy from Milwaukee
- U of New Mexico soccer player Elizabeth Lambert suspended indefinitely
Comments are Closed
