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		<description>RUWT? News for Cleveland State vs. Arizona 3/22/2009</description>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:22:36 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[No. 12-seeded Arizona beats Cleveland St]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[MIAMI (AP) -- As the final seconds ticked off and Arizona fans 
chanted "Sweet 16," a grinning Chase Budinger threw one final 
pass on the perimeter and joined the applause.

The Wildcats relish their new role as long shots.

Seeded only 12th, the NCAA tournament perennials took an early 
14-point lead Sunday and advanced to the Midwest Regional 
semifinals by beating upstart Cleveland State 71-57.

"Making it to the Sweet 16 feels great," Budinger said. "We're 
showing that we're a lot better than what people thought of us."

The Wildcats are appearing in the tournament for the 25th year 
in a row, two shy of the record. But they've never been seeded 
so low and drew criticism as undeserving of a berth.

Now they're bound for the round of 16 for the 12th time since 
1988, and they'll be the lowest-seeded team still playing.

"When you look at the NCAA tournament, a lot of times the teams 
that get hot at the right time are teams that had to struggle to
get in," interim coach Russ Pennell said. "What's happening now 
doesn't surprise me with this team. We've seen it before at 
points in the season."

Nic Wise scored 21 points to lead four double-figure scorers for
the Wildcats (21-13), who earned a trip to Indianapolis. On 
Friday they'll meet the winner of Sunday's game between 
Louisville and Siena.

Bracket-busting Cleveland State (26-11), at No. 13 the 
lowest-seeded team to reach the second round, was unable to 
duplicate its improbable run to the regional final in 1986. 
That's the only other time the Vikings made the tournament.

"Our year is coming to an end as a family," senior guard Cedric 
Jackson said. "But we had a great year. We're just proud that we
could make it this far."

The Vikings struggled to solve Arizona's zone defense, starting 
0-for-11 and 1-for-18 from 3-point range. They finished 
3-for-23, and shot 37 percent overall.

"Arizona's zone was really tough," Cleveland State coach Gary 
Waters said. "That has been our nemesis all year -- the zone."

The Wildcats also hurt Cleveland State with their transition 
game, totaling 15 fast-break points, often to swing momentum.

The Vikings trailed 41-29, then cut the deficit to 48-44 midway 
through the second half but got no closer. From 56-52, Wise 
scored five consecutive points to spark a 13-2 run as Wildcats 
fans filled the half-empty arena with one roar after another.

Arizona put the game away with free throws and finished 
24-for-28 from the line. Cleveland State totaled only five 
points in the last 6:26.

Jordan Hill had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats 
despite being limited to 32 minutes because of foul trouble. 
Chase Budinger and Jamelle Horne had 15 points apiece, and Wise 
had eight assists while shooting 10-for-10 from the line.

The victory is the latest chapter in a roller-coaster season for
Arizona following Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson's sudden 
retirement last fall. The Wildcats barely made the tournament 
after losing five of their final six regular-season games.

After a loss in their opening game in the Pac-10 tournament to 
rival Arizona State, Wise told his teammates he wanted to play 
in the NCAA tournament title game.

"That's the way we're playing," Wise said. "We have the talent 
to do it. We're proving it now, and we're peaking at the right 
time."

Pennell, the team's radio analyst before replacing Olson, said 
he'll need some time to absorb his players' accomplishment.

"To see them happy, looking forward to playing again next 
weekend, that's where I'm getting my joy," he said.

Norris Cole scored 17 points for Cleveland State. Jackson was 
sidelined by a scratched eye in the first half but missed only 
three minutes and finished with 15 points.

The guards penetrated to create open looks for forwards J'Nathan
Bullock and George Tandy, but they shot a combined 4-for-17.

"I couldn't find my shot," Bullock said. "Some nights that 
happens. It's tough when it happens in the second round of the 
NCAA tournament. When you play a zone, you have to make your 
open shots. We weren't able to do that."

The Vikings were hurt early by turnovers, several the result of 
sloppy mistakes far from the basket. Jeremy Montgomery dribbled 
the ball off his foot, and Tandy stepped into the court before 
throwing an inbounds pass.

The Wildcats ran early, scored on their first three possessions 
for a 7-0 lead and increased the margin to 28-14 as Cleveland 
missed 16 of its first 21 shots.

Even the 6-foot-10 Hill became involved in the running game, 
getting out front on one fast break and converting a three-point
play. The 6-7 Budinger showed his athleticism by coming from the
backside twice to take passes near the rim for layups.

"I give all the credit to Arizona," Vikings forward Chris Moore 
said. "A lot of people underestimate how tough they are."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaab]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaab/news/92301-No-12-seeded-Arizona-beats-Cleveland-St</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaab/news/92301-No-12-seeded-Arizona-beats-Cleveland-St</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:37:11 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Low-seeded Arizona, Cleveland State battle for Sweet 16 berth]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By Steve Wine
AP Sports Writer

(13) Cleveland State (26-10) vs. (12) Arizona (20-13) 2:40 p.m. EDT

MIAMI (AP) --  Like many March Madness fans winding down for the
night, Arizona forward Jordan Hill was watching the final game 
of the first round as scores from other sites appeared at the 
top of the screen.

One caught him by surprise: Cleveland State 84, Wake Forest 69.

"I was in shock, to tell you the truth," Hill said.

Keeping with school tradition, Cleveland State was the biggest 
bracket buster in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. At 
No. 13, the Vikings became this year's lowest-seeded team to 
reach the second round.

They'll play another long shot Sunday: Hill's team from Tucson. 
The No. 12-seeded Wildcats (20-13), derided as an undeserving 
at-large entry, defied critics by beating Utah 84-71 in the 
first round.

"They're playing for something," Cleveland State coach Gary 
Waters said Saturday. "People are saying they don't belong, and 
I think they're trying to show the world they belong."

Waters could say the same about his Vikings (26-10). Their only 
other NCAA tournament appearance was in 1986, when they upset 
Bob Knight and Indiana to become the first 14th-seeded team to 
advance.

The win over Wake Forest was another stunner, and a further sign
of the Vikings' revival. Two years ago they were 10-21, and they
made this year's tournament only by winning four games in eight 
days for their first Horizon League Championship. A three-point 
victory over Butler in the title game clinched the berth.

"They're a very underrated team," Arizona interim coach Russ 
Pennell said. "You've got to be careful in this tournament not 
to read what's on the front of a jersey, because everyone in 
this tournament is good."

But games between teams seeded 12th and 13th are rare. This will
be only the seventh such matchup since the tournament field 
expanded to 16 seeds in 1985.

The winner earns a trip to Indianapolis and a Midwest Regional 
semifinal Friday against the Louisville-Siena winner.

Games at Cleveland State often draw fewer than 2,000 fans, and 
supporters for the first-round victory barely filled one section
at Miami's arena. But the bandwagon is growing, as it did 23 
years ago, and players were inundated with greetings Saturday.

"Yeah, tons of text messages and missed phone calls just 
congratulating us for the victory, saying they didn't really 
expect it but keep up the good work," forward J'Nathan Bullock 
said.

In the wake of the win over Wake Forest, Bullock and his 
teammates barely cracked a smile, saying their tournament goal 
was more ambitious than a single victory. They shrugged at the 
suggestion their team is the most surprising first-round 
survivor.

"We know we're going to be underdogs probably in every game from
here on out," guard Norris Cole said.

Their element of surprise is gone, however. Arizona players had 
an awareness of Cleveland State even before the tournament -- if
only because they feared getting squeezed out of the field by 
the Vikings.

"All we knew is that before we got into the tournament, with 
them beating Butler, we thought they took one of our spots," 
Wildcats guard Nic Wise said. "Friday was an eye-opener -- just 
to know that they're a small-name school but they have big-name 
talent. You can't come out soft, because they'll come out fast 
and they'll hit you hard."

That's what Cleveland State did against Wake Forest, using 
superior quickness on the perimeter to create defensive pressure
en route to a 29-12 lead. The Demon Deacons never recovered.

Waters said he doubts his team can rattle Arizona the same way.

"Wake Forest was younger, and there were things that we could 
exploit because of their youth," Waters said. "When I look at 
Arizona, this is an experienced group. They know what they're 
trying to do, and I think they're a little bit hungrier than 
Wake Forest was."

The Wildcats endured tournament flops in 2007 and 2008, coach 
Lute Olson's sudden retirement last fall and a stumble at the 
finish line this year, with five losses in six games before this
week. They barely kept alive their streak of 25 consecutive NCAA
tournaments, second longest behind North Carolina's 27 in a row 
in 1975-2001.

But the Wildcats have rallied around three juniors -- Hill, Wise
and forward Chase Budinger. The trio combined for 66 of the 84 
points against Utah.

"I had confidence in our team that not a lot of other people 
did," Budinger said. "I knew that our team was going to be very 
talented this year starting with me, Nic and Jordan. I knew that
us three were going to lead this team to have a good season, and
that's what we did.

"We made it to this point and were able to get our first win, 
all three of us, in an NCAA tournament. We're just hoping that 
we can keep on going."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaab]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaab/news/92238-Low-seeded-Arizona-Cleveland-State-battle-for-Sweet-16-berth</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaab/news/92238-Low-seeded-Arizona-Cleveland-State-battle-for-Sweet-16-berth</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:10:59 GMT</pubDate>
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