ST. LOUIS — Kansas’ NCAA tournament win over N.C. State wasn’t easy or pretty, in doubt all the way up to Richard Howell’s final shot at the buzzer. But with Thomas Robinson’s dominance and Jeff Withey’s defense it was enough — barely — to earn an Elite Eight date with a familiar face in former Jayhawks coach Roy Williams.
Second-seeded Kansas pulled off a 60-57 escape in the Midwest Regional semifinal, and it was withering defense that did it. The Jayhawks clinched a 5:05 p.m. date tomorrow to face top-seeded North Carolina and Williams with a spot in the Final Four at stake.
Reuters
REAL DEAL: Kansas forward Thomas Robinson , who scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds drives past N.C. State’s C.J. Williams.
“It wasn’t the prettiest game. But our first-shot defense was terrific all night,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “On a night we couldn’t throw it in the ocean, we hung around and made enough plays to eke out a win. Give credit to the guys because the last two games they found ways to pull it out when the ball wasn’t going in the hole.’’
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Robinson had 18 points and 15 rebounds, living up to his Big 12 Player of the Year billing. Withey, blocked 10 shots — one shy of the NCAA tourney record — and altered enough others to hold the Wolfpack to 28.4 percent shooting.
“I was kind of in a zone in a zone. I knew they were going to keep on attacking. It was coming to me,’’ said Withey, whose defense helped Kansas (30-6) rally from an early 14-3 hole to take a 58-52 lead late.
N.C. State’s Scott Wood got fouled behind the arc and hit all three free throws, and after Tyshawn Taylor turned the ball over, senior C.J. Williams dunked to cut it to 58-57. The Jayhawks turned the ball over yet again to give N.C. State hope, but C.J. Leslie (18 points) got bottled up in traffic, and Kansas got a huge Elijah Johnson layup off an inbounds for a 60-57 lead with 13 seconds to play.
When a crosscourt pass sailed high and forced Wood to catch it with his foot on the sideline with five seconds left, the game was all but over. Robinson missed the front end of a one-and-one and Wood snatched the rebound, but Howell’s fullcourt catch-and-turnaround fell well short.
“[We hit] two shots outside of five feet for the game. For the game. And won. That’s amazing,’’ said Self. “We can’t be like that Sunday. But that should give us some confidence. We haven’t done it yet, and found a way.’’
Leslie scored 18 points for the 11th-seeded Wolfpack (24-13), despite sitting much of the second half with four fouls. He also shot 7-of-16, but his teammates were just 12-for-51.
brian.lewis@nypost.com
Thomas Robinson, Kansas, The Jayhawks, The Jayhawks, Jeff Withey, N.C. State, Jayhawks, Withey
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