Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - The sophomore duo of Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack combined for 31 points to carry fifth-seeded Butler to a 63-59 upset win over top seed Syracuse in the Midwest Region semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Butler 63, Syracuse 59: Fifth-Seeded Bulldogs Upset Orange, Advance To Elite Eight
While Mack scored all 14 of his points in the first half, Hayward carried the load in the second and finished with 17 points, including three free throws during the Bulldogs’ 13-5 run to end the game.
Willie Veasley chipped in 13 points and rattled in a huge three-pointer on the game-sealing flurry, as Butler (31-4) advanced to its first ever regional final where it will meet either Xavier or Kansas State at EnergySolutions Arena on Saturday.
Wes Johnson, the Big East Player of the Year, recorded 17 points and nine rebounds for the Orange (30-5), who turned the ball over 18 times and forced just seven Butler giveaways to fall short in the Sweet 16 for the second straight year.
Andy Rautins and Scoop Jardine added 15 and 14 points, respectively, for Syracuse.
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