NCAA Tournament 2017: Sunday's Elite 8 Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
The regional finals of the 2017 NCAA tournament concluded Sunday.
A rubber match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and Florida Gators decided the East region. South Carolina beat Florida Jan. 18, and the Gators returned the favor Feb. 21. The Gamecocks settled the season series with a 77-70 win in the Elite Eight.
On the other side of the bracket, the South region came down to two college basketball blue bloods. The North Carolina Tar Heels and Kentucky Wildcats faced off in a rematch of one of the most exciting regular-season games this year. On Dec. 17, Malik Monk scored 47 points give the Wildcats a 103-100 victory.
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Below is a recap for Sunday's games.
Elite Eight Results
| East | No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Florida | 77-70, South Carolina |
| South | No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 1 North Carolina | 75-73, North Carolina |
Final Four Schedule
| No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 1 Gonzaga | 6:09 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 1 North Carolina | 8:49 p.m. | CBS |
Full bracket available at NCAA.com.
Sunday Recap
South Carolina 77, Florida 70
The Gamecocks reached their first-ever Final Four following a 77-70 win over the Gators. Duane Notice's breakaway right-handed jam with 11 seconds remaining was the game's coda, courtesy of NCAA March Madness:
CBS Sports' Gary Parrish noted how South Carolina head coach Frank Martin has once again worked wonders at a program not associated with college basketball success:
South Carolina entered Sunday ranked second in adjusted defense on KenPom.com. The Gamecocks' constant pressure on the perimeter stifled Florida, who finished 7-of-26 from beyond the arc. Florida also missed all 14 of its three-point shots in the second half.
Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis thought South Carolina's style also had a mental effect on the Gators:
KeVaughn Allen scored 35 points in Florida's Sweet 16 win over the Wisconsin Badgers but shot 4-of-12 for 13 points Sunday.
On the other side, Sindarius Thornwell stepped up for the Gamecocks. He was the game's leading scorer (26 points) and collected seven rebounds. Chris Silva was a rebounded short of a double-double after scoring 13 points and collecting nine boards.
North Carolina 75, Kentucky 73
Luke Maye gave North Carolina a 75-73 victory Sunday to send the Tar Heels to their 20th Final Four.
After terrorizing UNC earlier in the year, Monk was again a thorn in the Heels' side, hitting a three-pointer with 7.2 seconds left in the game to tie the score at 73-73. Despite having a timeout, North Carolina opted against using it. Instead, Theo Pinson quickly pushed the ball up the floor and found Maye for the game-winner:
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #Elite8 pic.twitter.com/GETD7qN2kG
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 26, 2017"
Former Tar Heel star Brice Johnson tweeted his excitement with the win:
NCAA March Madness shared comments from Maye and North Carolina head coach Roy Williams:
Monk and De'Aaron Fox were a big reason the Wildcats reached the NCAA regional final. They combined to average almost 40 points a game entering the Elite Eight. The duo couldn't find a groove Sunday, though. Monk went 4-of-10 from the field and scored 12 points, while Fox scored 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
Kentucky had no answer for Kennedy Meeks on the boards. The Tar Heels big man grabbed 17 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. Meeks also blocked four shots, doubling the Wildcats' entire output.
Justin Jackson didn't repeat his 34-point performance from the schools' first meeting this year, but he led all scorers with 19 points and added five rebounds and four assists to a solid all-around night.
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