Doug McSchooler/Associated Press
Nearly a decade after pulling off one of the excellent upsets in match historical previous, No. 16 seed Norfolk Order is help in the round of 64 thanks to a 54-53 victory over No. 16 Appalachian Order in Thursday’s First Four matchup.
Norfolk Order (17-7) will now must originate even more historical previous if it needs to realize to the round of 32, as a matchup with undefeated No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga looms Saturday.
Kyle O’Quinn led the Spartans previous No. 2 Mizzou in the round of 64 as a No. 15 seed in 2012, Norfolk Order’s first NCAA match look. The Zags post a considerably more hard field this 365 days. The Spartans will hope to rep an O’Quinn-esqe efficiency out of Jalen Hawkins after he led the come with a profession-excessive 24 gains over the Mountaineers (17-12) on Thursday.
Vital Performers
Jalen Hawkins, G, Norfolk Order Spartans: 24 gains, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
Joe Bryant Jr., G, Norfolk Order Spartans: 10 gains, 4 rebounds, 4 steals
Justin Forrest, G, Appalachian Order Mountaineers: 18 gains, 4 rebounds
Donovan Gregory, G, Appalachian Order Mountaineers: 9 gains, 8 rebounds, 4 assists
Mountaineers Can not Total Comeback
App Order adopted up a historically rotten first half of Thursday with an legend, 19-point comeback that as regards to secured a victory at Meeting Hall.
Two final-2nd attempts sooner than the buzzer correct would now not topple, the latter coming off the hand of ASU’s main scorer, Justin Forrest, and coming up short as time expired. It became a heartbreaking come to lose made even more gutting by the come the Mountaineers overcome capturing 19.4 p.c from the discipline in the first half of.
No crew in college basketball neglected more three-pointers with out a originate in the first half of this season than ASU. After going 0-18 in the help of the arc in the first half of, the 20th are trying on the evening at final fell three minutes into the 2nd frame.
That helped kick off a 21-4 bustle by the Mountaineers to erase a 36-20 halftime deficit and set them help on high 46-45 with 7: 30 remaining.
Early disagreeable anguish from Forrest wasn’t making things any more uncomplicated. Forrest picked up two fouls in the first 12 minutes and then became forced help to the bench after picking up his third non-public minutes into the 2nd half of. When the senior guard came help in, the Mountaineers restful had a possibility to hold alter but could maybe now not hold help of a reeling Spartans crew.
The comeback could maybe unbiased possess burned up your whole vitality Appalachian Order had left, but two final appears to be like to be like at the rim made a victory probably. Neither would topple, ending ASU’s season and permitting the Spartans to exhale.
Jalen Hawkins Leads Norfolk Off Bench
Jalen Hawkins’s breakout 2nd could maybe now not possess come at the next time for the Spartans.
The Spartans’ first player off the bench Thursday could maybe unbiased possess scored himself a teach in the starting lineup against Gonzaga after a profession day in which he hit his first three discipline-aim attempts—all three-pointers—and surpassed his profession excessive in scoring sooner than the first half of even done.
The critical player to hold over the NCAA match this 365 days genuinely outdid himself, going for repeated warmth checks and sinking all of them.
The entirely thing better than Hawkins’ efficiency is the side toll road he took to effect it.
A redshirt junior from New York, Hawkins began his college profession at Odessa College in 2018 then transferred to Robert Morris after one season. The guard averaged 7.3 gains per game with the Colonials and entered the transfer portal to search out the staunch teach for him. It wasn’t until August—during the pandemic—that he settled on Norfolk Order.
Hawkins played off the bench all season, averaging 9.4 gains with 2.6 rebounds.
On Thursday, he scored 10 gains in lower than 10 minutes and surpassed his season excessive of 17 gains with 20 by halftime.
Hawkins cooled off a minute bit in the 2nd half of but became there down the stretch as the Spartans attempted to eke out the recall.
A skill Cinderella candidate in Norfolk Order became carried by a Cinderella anecdote by itself roster, correct the create of breakout that makes it sharp to perceive faraway from any game all over the NCAA match.
What’s Subsequent
Norfolk Order will return to Indianapolis to arrange for Saturday’s showdown with undefeated Gonzaga as the match favorites originate their debut. Tipoff is slated for 9: 10 p.m. ET at Bankers Lifestyles Fieldhouse on TBS.
