Edney Sinks Game-Saver For Bruins Ucla Edges Missouri On Last-Second Shot

Tyus Edney had 4.8 seconds to get the ball downcourt and either pass or shoot.

He chose the latter option and scored over two Missouri defenders at the buzzer as UCLA survived another early-round scare in the NCAA tournament to beat the Tigers 75-74 Sunday in the second round of the West Regional for their 15th straight victory.

“When we were in the huddle, I heard Ed (O’Bannon) and he said, ‘We’re going to win,”’ Edney said. “That’s all I thought about.”

Trailing 74-73, Cameron Dollar inbounded the ball to the 5-foot-10 Edney, who dribbled 94 feet in 4.8 seconds and got off a short jumper over 6-9 Derek Grimm and 6-1 Jason Sutherland.

“I gave him the ball and it was like, ‘Go, Tyus, go,”’ Dollar said.

“I was almost in awe,” Edney said. “Just a great feeling came over me when I saw it drop through the net. This is the sweetest.”

He was mobbed by his teammates and coaches, who carried him off the floor as the stunned Tigers looked on.

“He cut inside at the last second and I didn’t want to foul him, so I just stuck my hands out and got as close to him as I could without making contact,” Grimm said.

The Bruins often practice a 6-second drill in which they try to go the length of the court and score.

“I’ve always told my team you can go the length of the court in 3 seconds,” coach Jim Harrick said. “They spread the floor on us, and when you spread the floor on Edney, he might make you pay.”

Missouri (20-9) controlled the first half behind Paul O’Liney. The junior college transfer scored 16 points in the first 20 minutes, hitting 6-of-7 from the field and all four of the 3-point baskets he attempted.

O’Liney led the Tigers with 23 points. Sutherland added 15, including four 3-pointers, and Grimm had 13, including two 3-pointers that twice gave Missouri the lead in the final 5:16.

“It was a good ballgame, but we don’t want to remember losses,” said Julian Winfield, whose inside basket gave Missouri a 74-73 advantage with 4.8 seconds to play. “That’s not what we’re here for … This is not something we’re going to dwell on the next 10 or 15 years of our lives.”

The Bruins (27-2) have time to savor the victory before playing fifth-seeded Mississippi State, a 78-64 winner over Utah, on Thursday in the final 16 at Oakland, Calif.

Harrick, who was criticized for UCLA’s first-round loss to Tulsa last year, refused to be rushed into thinking about the next game.

“I’m just glad to be going to Oakland,” he said. “Just give me a chance to enjoy this.”

Ed O’Bannon led the Bruins with 24 points and Edney added 15.

Missouri moved out to its largest lead, 52-43, early in the second half before UCLA’s defense clamped down. The Bruins ran off 15 straight points, capped by a 3-pointer by Edney, for their first lead, 58-52, since the final 3-1/2 minutes of the first half.

Missouri was the No. 1 seed in the West last year, but failed to advance out of the regional.

“The thing that hurt us in the ballgame was the run,” coach Norm Stewart said. “We got a little tired. We’re just too young.”

The Tigers came back with five straight points. Grimm scored and Edney committed his fourth foul against Sutherland, who completed the three-point play that drew the Tigers within one.

O’Bannon’s jumper restored UCLA’s lead to 60-57 with 9:34 remaining.

“We wanted to get some (defensive) stops. They had us on the ropes many times in the game,” O’Bannon said. “By the grace of God and a lot of luck, we won this game.”

UCLA 75, Missouri 74

MISSOURI (20-9)

Winfield 3-6 2-2 8, Grimm 5-10 0-0 13, Sam.Haley 1-5 1-2 3, O’Liney 9-13 0-0 23, Sutherland 5-10 1-1 15, Moore 4-12 2-2 10, Sim.Haley 1-3 0-0 2, Walther 0-0 0-0 0, Colbs 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-59 6-7 74.

UCLA (27-2)

C.O’Bannon 3-7 0-0 6, E.O’Bannon 9-16 4-6 24, Zidek 4-7 2-2 10, Edney 5-8 2-4 15, Bailey 3-7 2-2 9, Dollar 0-4 0-0 0, Henderson 4-5 3-3 11. Totals 28-54 13-17 75.

Halftime-Missouri 42, UCLA 34. 3-Point goals-Missouri 12-19 (O’Liney 5-6, Sutherland 4-8, Grimm 3-5), UCLA 6-16 (Edney 3-5, E.O’Bannon 2-5, Bailey 1-3, C.O’Bannon 0-1, Dollar 0-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Missouri 37 (Winfield 7), UCLA 27 (E.O’Bannon 7). Assists-Missouri 13 (Winfield, Grimm, Moore 3), UCLA 19 (Edney 7). Total fouls-Missouri 17, UCLA 13. A-11,886.

Mississippi St. 78, Utah 64

Inside and out, Mississippi State proved it belonged in the West semifinals.

Erick Dampier scored 21 points, 16 in a near-perfect first half, blocked a career-high eight shots and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Bulldogs beat Utah to advance to the final 16 for the first time in the school’s history.

When the Utes shifted their attention to Dampier under the basket, guard Darryl Wilson took over, scoring 24 of his 32 points in the second half as Mississippi State built a 19-point lead and ended an 11-game winning streak for the Utes.

Much has been made of Utah’s youth, with seven regulars either freshmen or sophomores, but Dampier was the dominating teenager on the court.

In the first half, the 6-foot-11, 255-pound sophomore, who’s just 19 years old, scored 16 points, was 7-for-8 from the field and blocked five shots as the Bulldogs built a 35-22 lead.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (22-7)

Price 0-2 0-0 0, Grant 5-10 1-2 15, Dampier 9-13 3-4 21, D.Wilson 10-20 10-10 32, Honore 2-9 2-2 6, Bullard 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 1-1 0-0 2, Walters 1-4 0-2 2, B.Wilson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-61 16-20 78.

UTAH (28-6)

Carroll 1-2 2-2 5, Van Horn 8-20 5-5 21, Melmeth 2-7 0-0 4, Preston 3-4 0-0 6, Jessie 4-10 4-5 13, Rydalch 2-9 0-0 6, Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Doleac 1-10 0-1 2, Jensen 2-3 3-4 7. Totals 23-65 14-17 64.

Halftime-Mississippi St. 35, Utah 22. 3-Point goals-Mississippi St. 6-18 (Grant 4-5, D.Wilson 2-8, Bullard 0-1, Honore 0-4), Utah 4-14 (Rydalch 2-7, Jessie 1-2, Carroll 1-2, Van Horn 0-3). Fouled out-Carroll. Rebounds-Mississippi St. 40 (Dampier 10), Utah 40 (Jessie, Doleac 8). Assists-Mississippi St. 10 (Grant, Honore 3), Utah 12 (Jessie 4). Total fouls-Mississippi St. 18, Utah 16. A-11,886.