The Latest: ACC teams on a roll heading into Sweet 16
The Latest on the fourth full day of the men's NCAA Tournament, including games being played in New York; St. Louis; Oklahoma City and Spokane, Washington. Women's NCAA Tournament games are being played in Syracuse, New York; Louisville, Kentucky; Columbia, South Carolina; Starkville, Mississippi; Waco, Texas; Tempe, Arizona; and Corvallis, Oregon (All times EDT):
--
6:40 p.m.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is on a roll in the NCAA Tournament.
With Notre Dame's exciting victory over Stephen F. Austin, the ACC has five teams headed to the Sweet 16, and possibly six if Syracuse can get past Middle Tennessee.
Here's a look at conferences that have accounted for five of the Sweet 16 since the NCAA tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985 (x-reached Final Four):
- 2009: Big East (x-UConn, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, x-Villanova)
- 2015: ACC (Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, N.C. State, Notre Dame)
- 2016: ACC (Duke, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Virginia)
---
6: 20 p.m.
After scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds in VCU's opening-round victory over Oregon State, junior Mo Alie-Cox was scoreless in the first half against Oklahoma.
The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Alie-Cox also had three blocks and was 7 of 8 from the field against the Beavers, using his bulk to make up for his relative lack of height.
However, against the Sooners physical inside combination of Ryan Spangler and Khadeem Lattin, Alie-Cox struggled to find free space in the first half as Oklahoma outrebounded the Rams 25-13.
The junior played only eight minutes in the first half, with 6-10 sophomore Michael Gilmore taking his place, and he also failed to grab a rebound.
Oklahoma led 44-31 at halftime.
- Kurt Voigt reporting from Oklahoma City
---
4:55 p.m.
Rex Pflueger's tip-in with 1.5 seconds to play gave Notre Dame a 76-75 win over Stephen F. Austin and a spot in the Sweet 16.
The Lumberjacks, who upset West Virginia, were looking to pull off another stunner in the NCAA Tournament. But Pflueger's offensive board ended their run.
''It didn't feel real, still doesn't feel real,'' Pflueger said after the game.
---
4:30 p.m.
Oklahoma backup center Akolda Manyang won't be available for the second-round game against VCU because of a death in the family.
A team spokesman says Manyang flew back to Minnesota on Sunday morning.
Manyang, a 7-foot junior, averages 2.5 points and 1.4 blocks in 8.0 minutes per game for the Sooners.
- Cliff Brunt reporting from Oklahoma City.
---
4 p.m.
Thomas Walkup of Stephen F. Austin was called for his third foul with 17:53 left in the second half and Notre Dame up 46-43.
Walkup stayed in the game and hit a jumper moments later to tie it at 47.
- Ralph Russo reporting from New York.
---
3:40 p.m.
Credit to Stephen F. Austin for being able to play two very different styles and have success in their first two NCAA Tournament games.
The Lumberjacks are down 42-41 to Notre Dame at the half in a game with both teams shooting over 50 percent. The Lumberjacks beat West Virginia in the first round with both teams shooting under 31 percent.
Thomas Walkup has eight points for the Lumberjacks.
- Ralph Russo reporting from New York.
---
3:35 p.m.
Notre Dame's V.J. Beachem, who was 7 for 7 against Michigan in the first round, made his first two against Stephen F. Austin before finally missing. But he converted a four-point play to give Notre Dame a 34-32 lead with 2:40 left in the first half.
- Ralph Russo reporting from Brooklyn.
---
3:15 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin's second-round NCAA Tournament game is being played very differently from the first. Notre Dame's offense is handling the Lumberjacks' half-court pressure defense far better than West Virginia did.
The Lumberjacks are playing far more efficiently on the offensive end, too, and have an 18-16 lead with 10:54 left. Thomas Walkup has four points, two rebounds and two assists for SFA.
- Ralph Russo reporting from New York.
---
2:10 p.m.
Villanova is cruising toward its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2009.
Jay Wright is starting to clear the bench at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Wildcats are up 20 on Iowa with about 2 minutes to go in the second half.
Next up will be Miami on Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Ralph Russo reporting from New York.
---
1:05 p.m.
How do you erase the memories of some awful recent second-round flops? Play the first half that Villanova just did against Iowa.
The Wildcats tore apart the Hawkeyes and lead 54-29 at the break. Villanova shot 60 percent from the floor, scored 12 points off eight turnovers and outrebounded Iowa 19-12.
The only way it could have been worse for Iowa is if the Stanford band played at halftime.
- Ralph Russo reporting from New York.
---
12:15 p.m.
The bars and pubs around the Barclays Center in Brooklyn are loaded with Villanova fans, getting revved up for the Wildcats' second-round game against Iowa.
Coach Jay Wright's team has stumbled at this point the last two seasons as a high seed.
If the Wildcats do advance, they won't get the home games they hoped for in Philadelphia next week. Villanova was placed in the South region instead of the East region. So the winner of Wildcats-Hawkeyes is headed to Louisville.
- Ralph Russo reporting from New York.
---
11:30 a.m.
Women's NCAA Tournament officials in Syracuse say the same scoring crew that mistakenly provided Florida an extra point in the Gators' 61-59 loss to Albany on Friday will be working the second-round game between 12th-seeded Albany and fourth-seeded Syracuse on Sunday.
Sue Edson, Syracuse's executive senior associate athletic director and chief communications officer, confirms the crew will remain unchanged. But, she adds, ''I'll be counting.''
The Gators were awarded an extra point when the official scorer credited January Miller with making a free throw to complete a three-point play in the second quarter. The score stood with Florida having 59 points, even though the box score showed the Gators with 58 because the official scorer was unable to resolve the discrepancy before the game ended.
- John Wawrow reporting from Syracuse, New York.
