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Show J-i, STATESMAN MONDAY, MARCH 28,2005 7 SPORTS Final Four set after overtime madness No. 1 Illinois edges Arizona Cards headed to St. Louis BY EDDIE PELLS BY RICK GANO The Associated Press The Associated Press David Duprey/Tbe /\ssociated Press CAROLINA'S JAVVAD WILLIAMS, right, fights for a loose ball with Wisconsin's Alando Tucker. Tarheels get past Wisconsin BY KEITH PARSONS The Associated Press SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Rashad McCants made the big plays down the stretch, Sean May dominated inside and North Carolina is back in the Final Four for the first time in five years. McCants swished a clutch 3-pointer and had two huge blocks on the other end, leading the top-seeded Tar Heels to an 88-82 victory over Wisconsin on Sunday in the final of the Syracuse Regional. May led North Carolina (31-4) with 29 points and 12 rebounds, and Raymond Felton added 15 points, including four free throws in the final minute to seal it But it was McCants who did the most to end a marvelous run by the sixth-seeded Badgers (25-9) and send the Tar Heels to the Final Four for the first time since 2000. With North Carolina clinging to a threepoint lead, McCants jumped high to swat away a 3 by Clayton Hanson with about 2 minutes left, Hanson's only miss of the second half from beyond the arc. ROSEMONT, 111. - Keep the bus running and point it toward St. Louis. Thanks to a jaw-dropping comeback, Illinois'journey has another leg left: the Final Four. Trailing 75-60 with four minutes left, Illinois showed why it was No. 1 most of the season. With Deron Williams leading the way, the Illini staged an electrifying and improbable comeback to force overtime and then held on to beat Arizona 90-89 Saturday night to win the Chicago Regional. The Illini (36-1), who've been able to drive to their two tournament sites in Indianapolis and suburban Chicago so far, can keep on busing. In St. Louis, they will play Louisville (33-4), which rallied from a 20-point deficit Saturday to beat West Virginia 9385 in overtime and take the Albuquerque Regional. The last time two regional final games went into overtime in the same year was 1992 when Michigan beat Ohio State, and Duke eliminated Kentucky. Williams tied the game and capped a stunning 20-5 run by hitting a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left in regulation, making it 80-80. Arizona (30-7) went up by 15 points after an 18-6 spurt that momentarily silenced a large orange-clad partisan crowd. But the Illini didn't play like it was over. And it wasn't. Illinois, whose previous largest deficit this season was nine, made a final run and it was a great one. Luther Head hit a 3-pointer, Dee Brown made a basket in the lane, Head scored after a steal, Williams drove for a basket and then made a steal and fed Brown for another basket with 45 seconds left. After Jack Ingram deflected an inbounds pass, Williams hit a 3-pointer to tie it with 38 seconds to go. Winslow Townson/The Associated Press MSU'S KEVIN TOLBERT celebrates during a second-round NCAA tournament game. Spartans win in double- OT BY JAIME ARON The Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas - Kentucky's 3-point prayer bounced on the rim four times before falling through, and everybody held their breath during a five-minute review. It was a 3-pointer, all right, forcing overtime. But Michigan State reclaimed the momentum in time to force a second extra session, earning the Spartans a trip to the Final Four - their fourth in seven years with their trademark withering defense. As the final seconds of the first overtime ticked away, Kevin Torbert stood near halfcourt, smiled at his Michigan State teammates and screamed, "Let's go!" - and they did, not even allowing a last shot. The Spartans made the most of their second overtime, pulling away 94-88 in the most gripping finish in a weekend filled with them to send Michigan State into the Final Four for the fourth time in seven years. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - West Virginia couldn't miss. Louisville wouldn't quitIn the end, it was hobbling Taquan Dean, tenacious Larry O'Bannon and the Cardinals who wound up with a ticket to the Final Four, rallying from 20 points down for a scintillating 93-85 overtime win Saturday in the Albuquerque Regional final. After watching the seventh-seeded Mountaineers go on an unbelievable shooting skein through most of the first 35 minutes, Rick Pitino did one of the best jobs of his storied career, coaxing out the win and making history by becoming the first coach to take three programs to the national semis. Pitino took Providence once, Kentucky three times and now Louisville, although he'd be the first to admit this one wasn't all about coaching. The fourth-seeded Cardinals (33-4) had every reason to pack it in during the first half, when the Mountaineers (24-11) made 10 3-pointers in staking their 38-18 lead, the hoop looking as wide as the Shenandoah River back home. Louisville pulled within arms distance many times in the second half, but on every occasion, it would be Johannes Herber or Kevin Pittsnogle making a 3 to keep the Mountaineers ahead. Not until O'Bannon, who finished with 24 points, slithered through the defense and made a layup with 38 seconds left did Louisville tie it at 77 - the first tie since 3all. And not until the overtime began did West Virginia finally start missing. Led by a 3-pointer from Dean, who made seven and finished with 23 points, and four free throws by O'Bannon, the Cardinals opened it up in overtime. When the buzzer sounded, Pitino started hugging players and O3annon chucked the ball toward the ceiling at The Pit Beck Guero MIDN GHT RELEASE Mon, March 28 @ midnight GRAYWHALE FREE POSTERS, PIZZA & STUFF 1010 N. Main • 753-9799 USUSwoem Ssmoes; "For us, the best health care in Salt Lake was in Logan." 'HOPING YOU National "One in Four" Tour is coming to USU! They will be presenting a general audience (male/female students, faculty, staff, community members, other universities) session of their program "How to Help a Sexual Assault Survivor: Whal Men Can Do." We will be establishing a "One in Four" chapter at USU-come see what it's all about! Tell your friends! (...and watch for the RV parked outside the TSC!) —Amy Cox, North Salt Lake A happy marriage, rewarding careers.. .North Salt Lake residents Amy and Jeremiah Cox had it all, except for one small thing - a baby. After unsuccessfully trying to become pregnant, Amy chose to visit Mark Heiner, M.D., and Jennifer Anderson, NP at IHC Budge Clinic OB/GYN. "Dr. Heiner and Jennifer were excellent right from the gct-go," Amy said. "They were very personable, tuned into my The 2005-06 Stephanie Osborne Scholarship is now available from the Women's Center. Eligibility: Undergraduate single senior women 24 yrs of age or younger and will graduate Fall 2005 or Spring 2006. The 2005-06 Dupont Endowed Scholarship for Women & minorities in Civil and Environmental Engineering is also available. Eligibility: Undergraduate women in Civil & Environmental Engineering, Undergraduate American minority men in Civil & Environmental engineering or Undergraduate women in Engineering. Come to TSC, Room 315 for applications. needs, and up on the latest medical expertise and technology" Dr. Heiner's tests revealed that Amy needed a delicate procedure to address her infertility issues. "He was open, honest and kept us well-informed on our options," said Jeremiah. Two months after surgery, Amy became pregnant. "Dr. Heiner called us at home to congratulate us. He was as excited as we were," Amy exclaimed. Amy and Jeremiah had a close relationship with Dr. Heiner throughout Amy's pregnancy. Payton Cox was born healthy, happy and beautiful at Logan Regional Hospital. The best OB/GYN care? Amy and Jeremiah Cox will tell you it's in Logan. Dr. Mark Heiner and Budge Clinic OB/GYN - that's the kind of health care people go out of their way for. Call us at 792-1920. We'll deliver for you, too. See You AT 7ke TOP/ Ycrtcrdjy'a L g y T o m o r r o w 3 * Vision IHC Budge Clinic Obstetrics & Gynccology features board certified and board eligible specialists providing the liighe.-l (jualily women's health care. At Budge Clinic, you ran sc? your ou-n doctor each visit for personalized care and attention. Located just around the corner from Logan Regional Hospital Labor & Delivery, Biulgr Clinic OB-GYN is a modern, comfortable clinic with world-class technology. IHC HEALTH CENTER . I Scnicc aj Imcrmouniain Health Care DOCTORS WHO LISTEN, TECHNOLOGY THAT DELIVERS. OB-GYN 1350 North 500 East 792-1920 BUDGI: CLINIC |