Steal Ends Eagles’ Run

Mon., March 17, 1997

Associated Press

Reggie Freeman scored 22 points and Texas stole an in-bounds pass with 4 seconds left as the Longhorns withstood Coppin State’s scrambling guards and held on for an 82-81 triumph Sunday in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Longhorns, advancing to the final 16 for the first time in seven years, survived a close call against the Eagles, who were bidding to become the first No. 15 seed to move into the Sweet Sixteen.

With the Longhorns holding a one-point lead, DeJuan Vazquez stole an in-bounds pass from Fred Warrick to preserve the win. Warrick had just replaced Coppin State star Terquin Mott, who fouled out.

Freeman, who had 31 points in a first-round win over Wisconsin, shot only 35 percent, but scored 17 of his points in the second half for the 10th-seeded Longhorns (18-11), the first team with only 16 regular-season wins to get an at-large bid.

Coppin State (22-9) became one of only three No. 15 seeds to ever win a tournament game with a win over South Carolina on Friday.

Louisville 64, New Mexico 63

Tradition and history mean everything to Louisville in the NCAA tournament - and, again, New Mexico came away with nothing.

David Gibson badly missed a driving layup with 2.3 seconds left, preserving the Cardinals’ tense second-round East Regional victory over the Lobos and their fourth trip to the round of 16 in five seasons.

Third-seeded New Mexico (25-8), which still has not won two consecutive NCAA Tournament games, was done in by a bad shot.

Louisville’s B.J. Flynn was called for traveling with 16.2 seconds left, giving New Mexico the ball and the chance to reverse 30 years of misfortune in the NCAA tournament.

Gibson, who had not scored in the second half, took off near the top of the circle, drove down the lane and threw the ball up hurriedly over his shoulder. The ball glanced off the backboard to Flynn.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: EAST REGIONAL At Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y. Friday North Carolina (26-6) vs. California (23-8) Louisville (25-8) vs. Texas (18-11)

This sidebar appeared with the story: EAST REGIONAL At Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y. Friday North Carolina (26-6) vs. California (23-8) Louisville (25-8) vs. Texas (18-11)

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Steal Ends Eagles’ Run

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