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Cinderella alive and well in Milwaukee

Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s James Wright beats B.C.’s Sean Williams to a loose ball. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s James Wright beats B.C.’s Sean Williams to a loose ball. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

One win wasn’t enough for Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Panthers are pressing on in the NCAA Tournament.

Joah Tucker scored 23 points, Adrian Tigert added 16 and the 12th-seeded Horizon League champions, playing on a floor they know well, pulled off their second upset in three days, an 83-75 win over Boston College in the second round Saturday in Cleveland.

Given little chance in the opening round against Alabama from the SEC or against the Big East’s regular-season champions, Milwaukee (26-5) gave the nation’s midmajor programs another moment to savor this March.

They did it the way they know best: with a relentless, full-court press that forced the fourth-seeded Eagles (25-5) into 22 turnovers.

The Panthers, who have won 10 straight and 19 of 20, overcame foul trouble in the second half to advance to next week’s Sweet 16.

Milwaukee will play Illinois on Thursday in the Chicago Regional in Rosemont, Ill. The Panthers are the fifth No. 12 seed to advance to the round of 16 since 1989 and the first since Butler, one of its Horizon league brethren, did it in 2003.

Arizona 85, Alabama-Birmingham 63: Salim Stoudamire hit five 3-pointers en route to 28 points to lead the third-seeded Wildcats (29-6) over the 11th-seeded Blazers (22-11) in Boise and into the NCAA regional semifinals for the fourth time in five years.

Arizona struggled with UAB’s frenetic, trapping defense in the first half, but had just four turnovers in the second to reach the Sweet 16 for the 12th time. The Wildcats, the 1997 national champions, move on to Rosemont, Ill., next weekend and will face either Oklahoma State or Southern Illinois, which play today in Oklahoma City.

Illinois 71, Nevada 59: James Augustine scored a career-high 23 points and Jack Ingram added a career-high 12 more as the top-seeded Fighting Illini (34-1) cruised past the ninth-seeded Wolf Pack (25-7) in Indianapolis and into the Sweet 16.

Augustine also grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked four shots and had two steals.

Illinois’ famed guard trio of Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Luther Head combined for 31 points, but most came late in the game.