SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
It was simply March Madness and quite a way to wind up day two of the first round of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament.
One game to play in this Lone Star State match-up, and it was 14th-seeded Abilene Christian taking on 3rd-seeded Big 12 champion Texas. Of course the Longhorns were favorited, but the Wildcats in their second Big Dance and only seventh year in Division I, rose to the occasion and became the eighth school in this 2021 shortened season to surprise with a 53-52, final-second stunner over Texas Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium Unity in Indianapolis, Ind.
It was the second upset that occurred there. Five were at the Hinkle Fieldhouse, which was the site of the state championship that played in “The Hoosiers” that featured Gene Hackman, who now resides in Santa Fe, and with Abilene Christian (24-4) in the final spotlight as, down by 52-51 with 0:3.1 seconds remaining sent senior Joe Pleasant to the free throw line for two shots, and he converted both, Texas, with no more time outs, flung the ball downcourt only to have a Wildcat pick it off and dribble away the final seconds.
Then the celebration followed. The bench erupted, the coaches hugged, and it became the biggest victory on the program’s history, with the Wildcats moving on to the second round Monday against 11th-seeded UCLA, which earlier disposed of 6th-seeded Brigham Young, 73-62.
The Longhorns were up 47-43 when Abilene Christian closed the gap 49-48 and then took a 51-47 lead with 1:40 showing on the clock, and with possession. But they had trouble getting the ball in play and turned it over. Back came Texas to score a on a short jumper from Jericho Sims, and then went ahead on a 3 tossed in by Andrew Jones from beyond the arch. So with 16 seconds to go and behind 52-51, Pleasant brought the ball down court, drove to the basket, and was fouled on his shot by Jones.
A good 3-point shooter, he was a 57 percent foul shooter as he strolled to the line and sent both tries through the net.
“On the time out,” Pleasant said, “the coach told me to just keep my eye on the rim. take a deep breath, and make both shots.”
And that he did as the Wildcats joined the first-day upsets of 15th-seeded Oral Roberts over 2nd-seeded Ohio State, 13th-seeded North Texas over 4th-seeded Purdue, 12th-seeded Oregon State over 5th-seeed Tennessee, and 10th-seeded Rutgers over 7th-seeded Clemson. On day two, first it was 13th-seeded Ohio over 4th-seeded, defending national champion Virginia, and 10th-seeded Maryland over 7th-seeded Connecticut.
Otherwise, the higher seeds hung on, with No. 1 seed, unbeaten Gonzaga rolling over Norfolk State, 98-55; another top seed Michigan eliminating Texas Southern, 82-66; No. 2 seed Iowa disposing of Grand Canyon, 88-74; No. 3 seed Alabama downed Iona, 68-55′ 4th seeds Florida State and Kansas ousting North Carolina Greensboro, 64-54, and Eastern Washington, 93-84, respectively; 5th seeds Creighton and Colorado turning in respective wins over UC Santa Barbara, 63-62, and Georgetown, 96-73.
Then there was 6th-seeded Southern California getting past Drake, 72-56, 8th-seeded Oklahoma victorious over Missouri, 72-68, 8th-seeded LSU over St. Bonaventure, 76-61, and 7th-seeded Oregon winning by default over VCU, which reported a team member tested positive.
The men resume on Sunday and the women’s tournament tips off the same day.
