Mercer topples third-seeded Duke
RALEIGH, N.C. — Jakob Gollon scored 20 points and Mercer pulled off the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament so far by knocking off Duke 78-71 on Friday in the second round.
The 14th-seeded and senior-laden Bears scored 11 straight points during the late 20-5 run that clinched the biggest victory in school history. It was the second one-and-done in three years for the third-seeded Blue Devils.
Mercer, which came back from five points down in the last 4:52, won the Atlantic Sun conference championship. That’s the same conference that produced 2013 tournament darling Florida Gulf Coast.
Daniel Coursey added 17 points to help the Bears (27-8) overcome a season-high 15 3-pointers from Duke.
Quinn Cook scored 23 points for Duke (26-9) and Rasheed Sulaimon added 20.
Tennessee 86, Massachusetts 67: RALEIGH, N.C. — Jarnell Stokes scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Tennessee. Jordan McRae added 21 points for the Volunteers (23-12), the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Regional. Tennessee had little trouble with the sixth-seeded Minutemen (24-9), shooting 54 percent from the field and handling UMass’ fullcourt pressure in a surprisingly one-sided performance that included another solid defensive showing.
Stephen F. Austin 77, Virginia Commonwealth 75, OT: SAN DIEGO — Desmond Haymon scored on an improbable four-point play with 3.6 seconds in regulation and hit a big 3-pointer in overtime to lead No. 12 seed Stephen F. Austin to a win over fifth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth.
VCU (23-10) was firmly in control for most of the second half before SFA (32-2) rallied in the closing seconds. Haymon hit one of the biggest — and most improbable — shots of what’s already been a wild March, knocking down a 3-pointer and a free throw after being fouled by Jordan Burgess at the end of regulation.
Baylor 74, Nebraska 60: SAN ANTONIO — Cory Jefferson scored 16 points and sixth-seeded Baylor kept 11th-seeded Nebraska winless in its NCAA tournament history.
The Bears (25-11) have won 11 of 13 after a dismal start in the Big 12, recapturing the kind of momentum that vaulted the Bears to the Elite Eight in 2010 and 2012.
