Playing in front of a hostile crowd, the 13th-seeded La Salle Explorers shocked the No. 4 seed Kansas St. Wildcats in Kansas City, 63-61.
NCAA bracket results 2013, No. 4 Kansas State vs. No. 13 La Salle: Explorers upset Wildcats, 63-61
La Salle blew a big lead in the second half. Then, in the closing seconds, they stole away a victory to advance to the third round.
Jamie Squire
La Salle completely dominated the first half. It led by 18 points at halftime, aided greatly by six three-pointers. The Explorers’ shots just would not fall in the second half though, which allowed the Wildcats to make a furious comeback.
Jerrell Wright toed the free throw line with eight seconds left and La Salle up by one point. He hit the first attempt, but the second shot rimmed out. KSU had one final chance to tie or win the game, but Angel Rodriguez's floater from the baseline went long as the buzzer sounded.
The Explorers celebrated with a shark dance.
Wright led La Salle with 21 points and eight rebounds. Even when the Explorers were struggling on offense, it seemed Wright was always there to score a basket when his team needed it most. Ramon Galloway chipped in with 19 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Jordan Henriquez was great for the Wildcats He finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, cutting through La Salle's defense on countless pick-and-roll plays. Shane Southwell also had 17 points.
With the win, La Salle moves on to face Ole Miss in the third round to play the ‘ol 12/13 matchup to go to the Sweet 16. The game will be played on Sunday afternoon. Here is an updated look at the West Region.
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