NCAA: Xavier, Kansas State going to overtime; Kentucky leads Cornell

NCAA: Xavier, Kansas State going to overtime

Kansas State and Xavier are headed to overtime after a frantic finish.

Jacob Pullen followed a clutch 3-pointer with a pair of foul shots with 9.7 seconds left, and the Wildcats tried to foul with a three-point lead. The referee didn’t blow his whistle when Denis Clemente wrapped up Terrell Holloway just across midcourt, instead waiting until Holloway had thrown up a desperation 3-pointer with 5 seconds left.

The foul on the shot gave an 85.2-percent free-throw shooter three gimmes.

Holloway calmly knocked down all three to tie the game, and Pullen raced up court with a chance to hit a game-winner. He got a good look from the wing and let go a 3-pointer, but it clanged off the iron as the buzzer sounded.

That’s a move you pick up on the playgrounds of Chicago, folks.

With the shot clock winding down in a tie game, under a minute to go, Jacob Pullen pulled up from about 3 feet beyond the arc and knocked down a 3-pointer with a defender right in his face to put Kansas State ahead.

Xavier came right back the other way, without even thinking about calling a timeout, and Terrell Holloway put up a shot that was no good. Jason Love was there for the putback and a timeout was called with K-State on top 70-69 and 15 seconds on the clock.

Oops.

Terrell Holloway’s pass to Jordan Crawford in the corner in front of the Musketeers’ bench went right between his legs with about 90 seconds left. Denis Clemente missed a deep rainbow 3-pointer and, after Kansas State corralled the loose ball, Jacob Pullen also missed a 3 try.

Crawford got a chance at redemption, but his own 3-point attempt was off. Kansas State has the ball back with 46.5 seconds left in a tie game.

Timeout on the floor.

That four-point play by Denis Clemente was only the 10th free throw that Kansas State has shot in the game, while Xavier has gone to the line 20 times.

Kansas State has already lost one player to fouls and has two more with four each, while Xavier also has a player with four fouls. That could be critical down the stretch, especially if this game — which has been close for the last 25 minutes — presses into overtime.

Kentucky coach John Calipari is up and pacing, getting a little antsy.

His Wildcats have missed three straight 3-point attempts, and DeMarcus Cousins missed a pair of free throws. Consecutive jumpers in the lane by Chris Wroblewksi and Errick Peck narrowed the Kentucky lead to 38-30 and had the Carrier Dome rocking.

A basket by Cousins has restored the Wildcats’ 10-point lead with 7:37 left.

Kentucky’s freshmen are getting into foul trouble, and Cornell isn’t going away.

John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins have picked up their third fouls in the last couple minutes, and the Big Red are back within 38-28 because of a 7-0 run.

Ryan Wittman, a 42.3 percent shooter from beyond the arc, continues to struggle for Cornell. He missed an open 3 that would have rocked the Carrier Dome, and Jon Jaques has just missed another. The Big Red are 3 of 15 from beyond the arc.

Viva Denis Clemente!

The gritty guard from Puerto Rico, and the second cousin of baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, converted a four-point play in front of the Kansas State bench to push the Wildcats back on top, 64-61 with 4 minutes left in Salt Lake City.

Clemente is 8 of 19 from the field for a game-high 17 points. He also has five rebounds and has provided a big boost of energy for a team that had been struggling to keep up with the energy put out by the Musketeers.

Jordan Crawford missed his first four 3-pointers, but the Xavier star keeps shooting. He finally knocked one down to get his team within 58-57.

At the other end of the court, freshman Wally Judge became the first player to foul out, picking up his fifth with 5½ minutes left in the game. Chances are he won’t be the only player that leaves this one early. Lots of guys for both teams are in foul trouble.

Andrew Taylor made two foul shots, and Xavier is back on top.

Kansas State has been keeping the lead at six or seven, while Xavier has seemingly answered every basket with one of its own. The Wildcats still lead 56-49 while trying to avoid another upset in what has become the wild, wild West Regional.

You know, like top-seeded Syracuse, third-seeded Pittsburgh and fourth-seeded Vanderbilt. Remember those guys?

Kentucky has only one basket more than 4 minutes into the second half, and a layup and a follow by Cornell’s Louis Dale has the Carrier Dome crowd chanting “Go Big Red!”

Kentucky still leads 34-20 with 15:41 left, but Cornell is doing its best to try to trim the lead back to single digits and make a game of it.

Xavier is doing an excellent job of getting to the free throw line, even if it is just 12 of 17 once it gets there. That’s been a key to the game because Kansas State leads the nation in free throws (20) and free-throw attempts (30) per game.

The Wildcats had made just 2 of 5 freebies through the first 30 minutes.

Dominique Sutton and Wally Judge both have four fouls for Kansas State, and Jacob Pullen and Jamar Samuels have three each. Xavier isn’t immune to foul worries, though. Dante Jackson also has four, and Jamel McLean and Jason Love have three each.

Well, bad news for Kentucky fans. CBS has bagged its coverage for now in most regions in favor of the much closer Xavier-Kansas State game.

That might be good news for Cornell fans.

Denis Clemente just hit a 3-pointer and has 15 for the game, giving Kansas State a 49-44 lead with under 12 minutes to go. Brad Redford responded with one for Xavier, but Jamar Samuels converted an and-one inside to keep the lead at five.

Nobody’s guarding the guards in Salt Lake City!

The Xavier backcourt duo of Terrell Holloway and Jordan Crawford have combined for 23 points, the only two Musketeers in double-figures. Ditto for the backcourt mates of Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente for Kansas State, who have combined for 25 points.

Neither pair is shooting that well, but they sure are shooting a lot.

Kansas State has led by as many as 15, but Xavier led at the halftime and is staying right there in the second half. The Wildcats lead 44-43 with 13 minutes left.

The halftime box tells the tale for Cornell.

The Big Red have 12 turnovers, which puts them on pace to match their season high of 25 set against Harvard in January — when they won by 36.

Kentucky is no Harvard.

The Wildcats have 17 points off those turnovers, have outscored Cornell 24-6 in the paint and 13-0 on the fast break. Oh, and they’re dominating the boards 32-16, with a 6-1 lead on the offensive glass. Point guard John Wall has four points, five assists, two turnovers and one of Kentucky’s nine steals.

Cornell may be the Big Red, but right now Kentucky is the Blue Monster.