GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) β Top-seeded South Carolina earned a conveniently short trip for its NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance. Its opponent, fourth-seeded North Carolina, got an even shorter one. The Gamecocks and Tar Heels meet in the tournament for the second straight year in a Greensboro Region semifinal tonight.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) β Eric Staal had a goal and two assists and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 last night. Ryan Murphy, Jay McClement, Alexander Semin and Andrej Nestrasil scored for Carolina, which had been 0-3-3 in its last six home games since a 7-4 win over Edmonton on March 8.
LOS ANGELES (AP) β Sam Dekker scored a career-high 23 points, Frank Kaminsky added 19 and Wisconsin rallied in the final 10 minutes to hold off North Carolina 79-72 last night and advance to the final eight of the NCAA Tournament. Zak Showalter came off the bench to score six points in the Badgers’ 19-7 comeback run.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) β At first glance, it seems like just another Atlantic Coast Conference game β North Carolina State vs. Louisville. Except it isn’t. The winner advances to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and the loser goes home. The Wolfpack meets Louisville tonight in the Carrier Dome.
