The Latest: Villanova headed to the Final Four

Associated Press

Published Saturday, March 26, 2016 | 3:20 p.m.

Updated Saturday, March 26, 2016 | 8:04 p.m.

The Latest on the NCAA Tournament regional finals between Oregon and Oklahoma in Anaheim, Calif., and Kansas and Villanova in Louisville, Ky. (all times Eastern):

11:04 p.m.

A defensive stand by Villanova with a three-point lead sealed a victory over Kansas in one of the most tense and competitive games of the NCAA Tournament. It will send the Wildcats to the Final Four.

Villanova beat top-overall seed Kansas 64-59 to go to the Final Four for the first time since 2009.

Ryan Arcidiacono, the birthday boy, poked the ball away from Frank Mason and Mikal Bridges came up with it with just a few seconds left. The Wildcats wrapped it up from the line.

Villanova will face Oklahoma in Houston next Saturday. Big East against Big 12. It's a rematch from an early season game won by the Sooners 78-55.

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10:55 p.m.

A little officiating controversy at the end of a classic game. Kansas' Devonte Graham was called for his fifth foul with about 30 seconds left when he dove for what seemed to be a loose ball and undercut a Villanova player.

It was a debatable call.

Another foul put Villanova at the line and it was Wildcats by four when Frank Mason made a 3 for Kansas to make it 58-57 with 27 seconds left.

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10:47 p.m.

Two minutes to Houston.

Villanova has a 56-54 lead against top-seeded Kansas in the South Regional final. The Jayhawks have gotten no points from their reserves.

The winner plays Oklahoma in Houston next Saturday.

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10:41 p.m.

With Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden struggling, Devonte Graham has given the Jayhawks a huge boost with 17 points and five 3s. Graham picked up his fourth foul with 5:18 left and coach Bill Self kept him on the floor.

Villanova is up by four with under five minutes left in an Elite Eight game that has been, well, elite.

10:35 p.m.

Villanova responded to its largest deficit of the NCAA Tournament by running off 10 straight points against Kansas.

The Wildcats took a 50-45 lead on 3-pointers by Ryan Arcidiacono and Josh Hart. Villanova is doing this damage with Kris Jenkins on the bench with four fouls.

Less than eight minutes to determine which team is going to the Final Four.

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10:30 p.m.

Wayne Selden was having a tough night shooting but caught a break when his shot went off the top of the backboard and in. He converted a three-point play and it gave Kansas a five-point lead briefly. That is the largest deficit of the tournament so far for Villanova. Selden has six points in the second half.

The Wildcats brought it back down to one quickly and with under 10 minutes left it was looking like the second game of the day with a spot in the Final Four on the line was going to be a tight one.

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10:19 p.m.

Perry Ellis' first basket of the game gave Kansas the lead and Devonte Graham nailed a 3 to make it 40-36 for the Jayhawks with 12:56 left in the second half.

Villanova is having problems finding the basket and Kris Jenkins had to go to the bench with four fouls and 11 points.

10:07 p.m.

Perry Ellis has two points and three fouls.

Kansas started the second half with a quick 4-0 run, but Kris Jenkins drew the third foul on Ellis and stemmed some of the Jayhawks' early momentum.

The second half has been a grind and Villanova is slowing things down and the Wildcats lead 36-33 with 15:19 left. 'Nova has made just one field goal in the second half.

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10:00 p.m.

Kansas coach Bill Self lamented his team's turnovers and said the Jayhawks planned to go to Perry Ellis early in the second half during an interview at halftime with CBS.

He delivered on the promise first time down. Ellis got fouled, made two free throws and scored his first two points of the game.

Villanova is up by seven and 20 minutes away from its first Final Four trip since 2009.

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9:43 p.m.

Kris Jenkins dropped in a 3 right before halftime to give Villanova a 32-25 lead against Kansas in the South Regional final at Louisville.

It's the lowest scoring first half of the season for the Jayhawks and Perry Ellis has been shut out. Devonte Graham has kept Kansas in the game with 11 points and three 3-pointers. Wayne Selden has just two points for the Jayhawks.

Kansas has turned it over 10 times.

A Kansas victory will set up a third matchup this season with Big 12 rival Oklahoma next Saturday in Houston. The Jayhawks have won both meetings.

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9:35 p.m.

Devonte Graham snapped a Kansas field goal drought of 7:50 with a 3-pointer, but Villanova's defense is still smothering Perry Ellis.

The Jayhawks leading scorer has still not score.

With about 30 seconds left in the first half the Wildcats, looking for their first Final Four appearance since 2009, are up 27-22.

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9:28 p.m.

Villanova's defense seems to be making Kansas dizzy. The Jayhawks have not scored in more than five minutes and have turned the ball over five times in that span. The Villanova run coincides with Deonte Graham going to the bench with two fouls for Kansas.

Villanova is up 25-16, approaching the four-minute mark, with Graham back in.

Perry Ellis still has not scored, but the Kansas star does have four turnovers.

Only thing not going Villanova's way: Ryan Arcidiacono picked up a second foul.

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9:14 p.m.

Villanova went zone to keep Kansas from so easily getting the ball inside and it has helped. The Wildcats have a 17-16 lead with 7:56 left in the first half. The Jayhawks are 1 for 6 from 3-point range.

Perry Ellis has still not scored for Kansas, which is in the midst of a four-minute scoring drought.

Villanova is 1 for 7 from long range, which is where the Wildcats often thrive.

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9:00 p.m.

Kansas is going inside to attack Villanova early in their Elite Eight matchup.

The Jayhawks are up 7-6 and all five of their shots have been in the paint. The Wildcats are a relatively small team, outside of 6-foot-11 center Daniel Ochefu.

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8:53 p.m.

The second 1 vs. 2 matchup of the day is under way. Kansas and Villanova have dominated their opposition on the way to the Elite Eight. According to CBS, this is also the 50th all-time NCAA Tournament meeting of a No. 1 seed and a No. 2 seed. After Oklahoma beat Oregon in the West Regional final, the 2s lead 25-24.

The winner of the South Regional final in Louisville, Kentucky, between the Wildcats and Jayhawks will play the Sooners next Saturday in Houston.

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8:37 p.m.

The Pac-12 Conference will be without a Final Four participant for the eighth straight tournament.

Oregon's 80-68 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday in the West Region final ensured that for an eighth straight year the Pac-12 will fail to be represented at the Final Four.

Each of the other Power Five conferences has had at least one Final Four team since UCLA made the Final Four in 2008.

The Pac-12 has put teams in the Elite Eight each of the past three seasons but none were able to take the next step. Arizona lost in the regional finals the past two seasons before the Ducks fell short against the Sooners

Pac-12 teams are now 0-6 all-time in West Region finals played in Anaheim, California.

Oregon's loss capped an underwhelming NCAA Tournament for the Pac-12. The conference put seven teams in the tournament, only to see six of them eliminated on the opening weekend. Oregon was the only Pac-12 team to make the second week of the tournament.

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8:14 p.m.

Oklahoma is the first team in the Final Four, the first school to put a team in the Final Four and the College Football Playoff in the same season and the Sooners made Oregon the first No. 1 seed to lose in this NCAA Tournament.

It was all about Buddy.

Sooners star Buddy Hield scored 37 points and was 8 for 13 on 3-pointers in Oklahoma's 80-68 victory against the Ducks in the West Regional final at Anaheim, California. It is the fifth Final Four appearance for the Sooners and their first since 2002.

The Sooners will meet the winner of Saturday's second game, either Big 12 rival Kansas or Villanova.

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8:02 p.m.

The Buddy Hield show has just about wrapped up in Anaheim. Oklahoma's star hit two more 3-pointers just when Oregon appeared ready to make a run, and the Sooners have kept their lead at 76-61 with 3:26 to play. Hield has eight 3-pointers and 36 points in one of the most impressive scoring performances in recent NCAA Tournament history. He's closing in on Oklahoma's first trip to the Final Four since 2002.

7:58 p.m.

Villanova players are on the court warming up for the South Region final against top-seeded Kansas. The challenge for the No. 2 Wildcats is keeping up their red-hot tournament shooting.

Three NCAA games have yielded nearly 60 percent shooting from the field, including 53 percent accuracy from 3-point range. The 'Cats shot 63 percent in Thursday's win over Miami and were 10 of 15 from long range.

Sharing has helped Villanova, which has made 61 assists on 97 baskets.

And happy birthday to Wildcats guard Ryan Arcidiacono, who turns 22 today.

— Gary B. Graves, reporting from Louisville.

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7:54 p.m.

Oklahoma has cooled off some, but Oregon has barely been able to make a dent in the Sooners' lead. Oklahoma leads 68-53 with under eight minutes left.

Buddy Hield of Oklahoma has become the first player with at least 100 points and 15 3s made before Final Four since Stephen Curry of Davidson in 2008.

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7:49 p.m.

Kansas players and coach Bill Self have arrived at the KFC Yum! Center for Saturday night's South Region final against No. 2 Villanova.

Dressed in T-shirts that read "Made for March," the top-seeded Jayhawks immediately walked from the bus to the floor and began warming up. They are 3-2 all-time against Villanova, though the Wildcats won the last meeting between the teams during the 2013 Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

Tipoff is set for 8:49 p.m. ET

— Gary B. Graves, reporting from Louisville.

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7:42 p.m.

Midway through the second half, Buddy Hield is still putting on a show in Anaheim. The Oklahoma star has six 3-pointers and 26 points, including nine in the second half. Oregon has looked more cohesive after the break, but still trails 61-47 with 11:45 to play.

At least Oregon shot-blocker Jordan Bell got some laughs when he jumped up to reject two 3-point shots by Hield during a dead ball after a whistle. That's about it for trying to stop Hield.

— Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California

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7:33 p.m.

More of the same for the Sooners in the second half against Oregon. Buddy Hield is now 10 for 13 from the field and 6 for 8 from 3 -point range. The Ducks simply cannot keep up.

The Sooners are up 59-44 with 13:37 left.

Oklahoma is looking for its first trip to the Final Four since 2002, and fifth overall.

The Ducks are trying to get to the Final Four for the first time since the first NCAA Tournament in 1939, but it is looking bleak.

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7:05 p.m.

Oklahoma is off to an awesome start in the West Region final, leading top-seeded Oregon 48-30 at halftime. Buddy Hield hit his fifth 3-pointer from 3 steps behind the line with 4 seconds to play, capping a spectacular 17-point performance by the Sooners' biggest star. Oklahoma also outrebounded Oregon 23-10 and scored 15 second-chance points. Elgin Cook is singlehandedly keeping Oregon in the game with 16 points, but his teammates are a combined 5 for 16 from the field for 14 points. If Dillon Brooks and the Ducks don't get rolling out of the break, the Sooners will be headed to their fifth Final Four.

— Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California

7:02 p.m.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim on his sense of humor: "I am really fairly humorous and witty, but I guess I haven't convinced too many people of that."

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7:00

There was a time when Tony Bennett thought the odds of him becoming a coach were about as long as a half-court fling.

Now he has Virginia in the Elite Eight against Syracuse on Sunday. Win that game and he his dad Dick join the Thompsons at Georgetown as the only father-son combination to lead teams to Final Fours, according to STATS.

"I haven't really thought about that, a father and son both getting to coach in it," Tony Bennett said. "But if we're fortunate enough to get there, we'll have some good conversations."

Tony Bennett played for his dad at Wisconsin-Green Bay and spent three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets before injuries derailed his NBA career. He wound up as a player-coach in New Zealand, and with his dad nearing retirement, he joined the staff at Wisconsin as a volunteer manager for the 1999-2000 Final Four season.

"I said, 'Hey, this is pretty fun, this is pretty easy, get to the Final Four in your first crack at it. I think I might like to do this," Tony Bennett said. "I was bit at that point, like wow, I saw that magical run, I saw the excitement. And again, for me the most gratifying thing was to see my father reach what was a dream of his, and that was the best. When you see people you love achieve a desire like that, that's as good as it gets.

"That was special, and yeah, that would be great, I guess, to join him."

— Andrew Seligman reporting from Chicago.

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6:48 p.m.

Buddy Hield is putting on a show in Orange County. The two-time Big 12 player of the year has 14 points in the first 15 ½ minutes against Oregon in the West Region final, including four 3-pointers. His fourth put the Sooners up 37-21 with 4:27 to play and forced Oregon to call another timeout. The Ducks' top scorer, Dillon Brooks, has two points on 1-for-3 shooting, including a badly missed 3-pointer.

— Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California

6:37 p.m.

Oklahoma is getting good work done on the offensive boards, and that's why the Sooners are off to a 24-13 lead. Their sixth offensive rebound in the first 12 minutes led to Jordan Woodard's 3-pointer, Oklahoma's fourth of the game. Oregon coach Dana Altman's clipboard hit the floor hard before the Ducks' huddle at the TV timeout.

— Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California

6:20 p.m.

Honda Center is almost full for the afternoon tipoff between Oklahoma and Oregon, with Ducks fans slightly outnumbering the Oklahoma fans, who are still representing very well in Orange County.

Buddy Hield has his third 3-pointer and the Sooners are up 17-12 with 13:21 left.

--Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California.

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6:18 p.m.

Player of the year candidate Buddy Hield is on the board. The Oklahoma star made two 3s in the first three minutes, and then added a putback. The Sooners are up 12-7 on top-seeded Oregon with 15:34 left.

Hield leads the nation in 3-pointerts made per game with just under four.

Another pretty good shooter is at the game: Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

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6:06 p.m.

The only NCAA tournament meeting between Oregon and Oklahoma came in 1939, the first NCAA Tournament. The Ducks beat the Sooners in their first and only Final Four appearance.

Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins, Jordan Woodard and Ryan Spangler did not start that game for Oklahoma though it might seem they have been together that long. Saturday night's West Regional final against Oregon marks the 104th straight game that foursome as started for the Sooners.

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5:51 p.m.

According to Las Vegas odds makers, North Carolina is the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament heading into the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels, the top seed in the East, are 3-to-1.

Kansas, No. 1 in the South, is the second choice at 4-to-1, and then comes Midwest top seed Virginia at 5-to-1.

Notably, Oklahoma is 6-to-1 and Villanova is 8-to-1. Both are two seeds, with better odds than Oregon. The top seed in the West is 10-to-1. The Ducks and Sooners are scheduled to tip off at 6:09 p.m. ET.

Syracuse, the lowest seed left at No. 10 in the Midwest, is 25-to-1.

Notre Dame, which faces North Carolina on Sunday is 50-to-1 to win it all.

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The Final Four could end up all 1s.

The Elite Eight begins out West, with top-seeded Oregon trying to become the first of four one seeds to make the Final Four. The Ducks face player of the year candidate Buddy Hield and No. 2 Oklahoma in Anaheim, California. Oregon has not been to a Final Four since winning the first NCAA Tournament in 1939.

The first game of the night is scheduled to tip off at 6:09 p.m.

The nightcap is another 1 vs 2 matchup, with maybe the most impressive teams of the tournament so far. Top overall seed Kansas and second-seeded Villanova play in the South regional final at Louisville, Kentucky.

The winners are off to Houston for next week's Final Four.

On Sunday, two more one seeds — North Carolina and Virginia — will play. The only time all one seeds played in the Final Four was 2008.