The No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks were the latest top seed to get fits from their second-round opponent as they squaked by the No. 16 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 64-57, on Friday night to advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
March Madness 2013 bracket, Kansas vs. Western Kentucky: Kansas staves off upset bid, 64-57
The Jayhawks couldn’t pull away until late in the second half from an upset-minded Hilltoppers squad as they advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Jamie Squire
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One day after the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs and the No. 16 Southern Jaguars played to the closest score between a No. 1 seed and No. 16 seed since 1996, the Kansas Jayhawks needed most of the second half before they finally pulled away from a stubborn Hilltoppers squad.
Kansas only led by one point at half as the Hilltoppers matched each shot, shooting 50 percent from the floor and energized by a close score. But the wheels came off late in the second half as Western Kentucky struggled with their shot, finishing the game only 32 percent from the field.
Senior center Jeff Withey led the Jayhawks with 17 points and added seven blocks. Western Kentucky center Aleksejs Rostov had 11 points, but scored only two of those in the second half.
With the win, the Jayhawks will face the North Carolina Tar Heels in the third round. The two teams have met twice since Roy Williams left the head coaching spot at Kansas to head to North Carolina, with Kansas winning both contests.
Here is the updated bracket courtesy of ESPN.com.
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