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Winthrop faces Oregon, looks to pull another upset

Mar 18, 2007 - 2:34 PM No. 11 Winthrop (29-4) at No. 3 Oregon (27-7) 2:50 pm EDT

EUGENE, Oregon (Ticker) -- In a tournament dominated by Goliaths, Winthrop is trying to slay another dragon.

After an impressive upset in the first round, the 11th-seeded Eagles will look for their 20th consecutive win when they face No. 3 Oregon on Sunday.

The champion of the Big South Conference, Winthrop had its chances for a first-round win in the NCAAs over the previous two years, failing to hold a late lead against Gonzaga in 2005 and falling to then-No. 2 seed Tennessee on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Chris Lofton last year.

This season, however, many pundits pointed to the Eagles as a popular upset pick, and for once, it came true. Craig Bradshaw scored 24 points and Torrell Martin added 20 as Winthrop posted a 74-64 victory over sixth-seeded Notre Dame on Friday.

However, it was not easy for the Eagles, who built a 54-34 lead with 13:15 remaining on a 33-8 run that bridged the first and second halves. Bradshaw, who scored 12 points during the burst, converted a layup to cap the run.

But the Fighting Irish came back, closing the gap to one point before the Eagles pulled away.

The Ducks, who won the Pac-10 Conference tournament and are back in the NCAAs for the first time since 2003, are led by standout guard Aaron Brooks.

Brooks scored 18 points, including two crucial free throws with 22 seconds remaining, as Oregon held on for a 58-56 victory over No. 14 seed Miami, Ohio.

The winner here faces the winner of No. 7 Nevada-Las Vegas and second-seeded Wisconsin in the regional semifinals.