SALT LAKE CITY — As the buzzer sounded on one of the biggest upsets of this year's NCAA Tournament, as the final seconds ticked off Wichita State's 76-70 win over West Region No. 1 seed Gonzaga, the aptly-named Shockers, their coaches and their fans erupted in euphoria, dancing with their band.
It is the Big Dance, after all, and they had earned this one. Ninth-seeded Wichita State had shot the lights out, defended their hearts out, and in the end sent the Bulldogs trudging off the EnergySolutions Arena floor wondering how their dream season could have ended in such a nightmare.
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Shock-topped: Wichita State's Carl Hall slams home a basket as the Shockers pull off one of the biggest upsets of this NCAA Tournament, sending Kelly Olynyk and top-seeded Gonzaga home with a 76-70 victory in a West Region third-round game.
Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker each scored a team-high 16 points, and Wichita State (28-8) shot 14-of-28 from 3-point range to seal a trip to Los Angeles for a Sweet 16 matchup on Thursday against the winner of today's game between Mississippi and La Salle. Although it's hard to imagine anything much sweeter than this for the Shockers, or more bitter for the Zags.
"This is incredible for our team. We came together down the stretch and pulled the upset off. The coaches and the team, we decided to pull together, and we did. The feeling is unimaginable,'' said Ron Baker, who — despite just returning recently from a stress fracture — vaulted over press row, clambered into the stands and embraced his family.
Junior Kelly Olynyk had a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds for Gonzaga, but other than Kevin Pangos' 19 points, got little support. The Bulldogs' Cinderella status has long since given way to great expectations, and their string of 15 straight NCAA trips raises the question of whether they actually should have won more tourney games.
"Its a tough, tough, tough way to end a fabulous season. But Wichita State deserves it. Ton of credit, they stepped up, made big shot after big shot, especially after we'd started taking control,'' said Gonzaga coach Mark Few, who had called this his best team. "It's the first time in a while somebody shot 50 percent against us and banging 14 3s is amazing.''
Since three consecutive Sweet 16 berths from 1999-2001, the Bulldogs have only reached the second week twice, and had lost to lower-seeded teams four times since 2002. Now make that five after blowing an eight-point second-half lead, and a 61-54 edge after a Pagnos 3-pointer with 6:29 left.
The Shockers then went on an 18-4 run to go up 72-65. Early drilled a dead-on 3, and Baker hit a deep trey with not one but two Zags in his face to get the Shockers within 61-60.
After David Stockton committed a turnover — his father, NBA star John Stockton, looking on from the stands in the city where he forged a Hall of Fame career with the Jazz — Baker caught a pass from Fred Vanvleet and drilled a huge right-corner 3-pointer for a 67-63 lead.
After Olynyk's jumper, Fred Vanvleet hit a 3-pointer to push the Shockers' cushion up to 70-65 with 1 1/2 minutes left. Olynyk's missed layup on the other end made the clock Gonzaga's enemy. Vanvleet calmly sank a pair of free throws to make it 72-65 with just 38.6 remaining, and they held on from there.
"I want to thank our team for their toughness the players displayed with all the craziness. Up 13, down eight and just the resolve they showed,'' said Gregg Marshall. "They persevered through all kinds of adversity. That's just what they are: They're winners. They find a way.''
brian.lewis@nypost.com
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