UNDATED (AP) — Loyola Chicago made a surprising run through the NCAA Tournament as an 11th seed three years ago, and the Ramblers are at it again.
Loyola Chicago became the first team to knock out a No. 1 in this tourney as Cameron Krutwig had 19 points and 12 rebounds in a 71-58 victory over Illinois. Lucas Williamson chipped in 14 points and helped the Ramblers build a 14-point lead late in the first half.
Kofi Cockburn had team highs of 21 points and nine rebounds for the Illini, but Ayo Dosunmu was held to nine points and Trent Frazier added just two on 1 of 10 shooting.
Meanwhile, Oral Roberts became just the second No. 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history to advance to the round of 16. Kevin Obanor and Max Abams carried the Golden Eagles out of an 11-point deficit to knock off No. 7 seed Florida, 81-78. Obanor scored 28 points and Abmas finished with 26.
The Golden Eagles closed the game on a 25-11 run to overcome the 11-point lead Florida held with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Also in the NCAA Tournament:
— Buddy Boeheim carried his father, Jim, to the Hall of Fame coach’s 20th Sweet 16 appearance, scoring 22 of his 25 points after halftime to lead 11th-seeded Syracuse past No. 3 West Virginia, 75-72. Boeheim finished 6 of 13 from deep and 8 of 17 overall, and he helped put the game away with three late free throws. Joe Girard III scored all 12 of his points before halftime, steadying the Orange while Boeheim struggled.
— No. 12 Oregon State continued its surprisingly good postseason as Ethan Thompson delivered 26 points in an 80-70 victory over fourth seed Oklahoma State. Jarod Lucas and Maurice Calloo each had 15 points for the Beavers, who never looked back after building a 44-30 halftime lead. Cowboys guard Cade Cunningham had 24 points in what’s expected to be his final college game.
— Davion Mitchell scored 16 points, dished out eight assists and spearheaded a dominant defensive first half that propelled top seed Baylor to a 76-63 win over Wisconsin. Matthew Mayer was high man for the Bears with 17 points and Jared Butler added 16 while Baylor didn’t allow a single Badger to score more than 12. Wisconsin cut an 18-point deficit to seven in the second half before Baylor advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time under Scott Drew.
— Justin Smith had 20 points and helped No. 3 Arkansas secure a final-play defensive stop to beat Texas Tech 68-66, securing the Razorbacks’ first trip to the Sweet 16 in a quarter-century. Star freshman Moses Moody added 11 of his 15 after halftime for Arkansas. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 20 points to pace the sixth-seeded Red Raiders, but Mac McClung was limited to nine points.
— Quentin Grimes dropped in 22 points and Tramon Mark converted a soaring three-point play with 24 seconds left in Houston’s 63-60 decision over Rutgers. DaJon Jarreau overcame a series of bumps and bruises to score a key bucket down the stretch and finished with 17 points for the second-seeded Cougars. The 10th-seeded Scarlet Knights still had a chance after Mark’s free throws, but Geo Baker turned the ball over and Marcus Sasser made two more to extend the lead.
— Fifth seed Villanova fell behind early before cruising to an 84-61 rout of No. 13 North Texas. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 18 points and Jermaine Samuels Jr. had 15 for the Wildcats, who knocked down 15 3-pointers. Nova went 9 for 15 from 3-point range in the first half and finished the first 20 minutes on a 34-6 run after falling behind, 21-13.
