Final Four: UCLA going toe-to-toe with favored Zags at half

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One way or the other, the COVID-19 pandemic did not derail the season, however a number of postponed or canceled video games over 5 months. Regardless of loopy upsets, a lot of the cream rose. The NCAA males’s basketball nationwide semifinals is constant Saturday with the Ultimate 4 to set the stage for the nationwide championship Monday.Here is the newest from the Ultimate 4 (all occasions EDT):9:51 p.m.UCLA goes toe-to-toe with Gonzaga on the Ultimate 4. The Bulldogs, making an attempt to maintain their undefeated season going, have a 45-44 lead at halftime.It was a wild first half, that includes 11 lead adjustments and 6 ties. The upstart Bruins led a lot of the means earlier than Corey Kispert hit a 3-pointer within the last seconds.Joel Ayayi leads top-seeded Gonzaga with 16 factors and Johnny Juzang performed all the first 20 minutes and has 15 for UCLA, which is the fifth Eleventh seed to make the Ultimate 4.Gonzaga introduced a 30-0 file into the sport and is making an attempt to hold an undefeated file into the nationwide title recreation.Ready there’s Baylor, which defeated Houston 78-59 within the earlier semifinal.___9:39 p.m.UCLA is hanging with closely favored Gonzaga within the nationwide semifinals.The Zags entered this Ultimate 4 with 4 straight double-digits victories within the NCAA Match. The tourney’s No. 1 general seed did not path within the earlier two.However the upstart Bruins are hanging powerful within the first half with a 27-25 lead on the under-8-minute media timeout. They maintained that edge with lower than 2 minutes left, successful 39-37, however Gonzaga gained the lead earlier than the half, 45-44.The Eleventh-seeded Bruins have tried to shorten the sport by slowing the tempo.However as participant after participant and coach after coach has warned all through the match, taking only one play off — any play — might result in one among Gonzaga’s trademark runs.The Bruins additionally might get a lift from their followers, who’ve been noticeably louder throughout the first half. ___8:55 p.m.UCLA has the early edge over No. 1 Gonzaga as Baylor awaits its opponent within the NCAA championship recreation.The Eleventh-seeded Bruins are up 10-9 on the first media timeout. Jaime Jaquez Jr. put UCLA in entrance with a 3-pointer.Joel Ayayi scored the primary seven factors for the Zags, heavy favorites towards the Bruins as they attempt to get inside a victory of being the primary undefeated nationwide champion since Indiana 45 years in the past.___7:15 p.m.Baylor has cruised into the NCAA championship recreation and can wait to see if No. 1 Gonzaga can present the much-anticipated last.Jared Butler did not rating within the second half, however the second-ranked Bears did not want any extra factors from their All-American guard after he scored 17 to assist them take a 25-point halftime lead in a 78-59 victory over Houston.Gonzaga, the match’s No. 1 general seed, performs Eleventh-seeded UCLA within the late recreation.It is the second journey to the championship recreation for Baylor. The opposite was in 1948, when the Bears misplaced to Kentucky 58-42. That is Baylor’s first journey to the Ultimate 4 since 1950, when solely eight groups have been within the match.___ 6:55 p.m.Well being officers in Indiana say they’re investigating whether or not anybody was uncovered to COVID-19 by Alabama residents following Friday evening’s reported loss of life of a Crimson Tide fan who was in Indianapolis for the NCAA Match final weekend.Marion County officers say in an announcement supplied to the NCAA they’re investigating doable publicity based mostly on an Alabama newspaper report that cited a number of sources it did not determine in reporting 23-year-old Alabama pupil Luke Ratliff died of issues associated to COVID-19.Bryan Ratliff tells The Tuscaloosa Information his son died after a quick sickness. The elder Ratliff couldn’t instantly be reached for remark Saturday by The Related Press.The youthful Ratliff was hospitalized shortly after returning to Tuscaloosa on March 29, sooner or later after attending Alabama’s recreation towards UCLA at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Information reported.___6:45 p.m.Followers are exhibiting up in crew colours, parking attendants are waving indicators encouraging drivers to show in and there are traces at memento retailers.Inside, it hasn’t been anyplace near regular on the Ultimate 4.Only some thousand watched the primary nationwide semifinal between Baylor and Houston as an alternative of the same old tens of hundreds. And with the Bears taking management early and nonetheless holding a 20-point lead early within the second half, they have been principally quiet.The seats closest to the court docket are stuffed primarily with cardboard cutouts behind the baselines and a big signal over the sideline that the learn “The Large Dance.” As an alternative of the standard pep bands enjoying by way of timeouts, songs echo off the metallic and concrete stadium.___6:10 p.m.Jared Butler is greater than midway towards a profession excessive with 17 factors, nearly everybody else carrying a Baylor uniform has discovered nothing however the backside of the online, and the Bears lead Houston 45-20 at halftime of their nationwide semifinal.Butler is 6 of 8 from the sphere, hitting 4 3-pointers, to offer the Large 12 champions an enormous cushion of their first Ultimate 4 look since 1950. Butler had 11 factors throughout a 16-3 run late within the half that cracked open the sport.The Bears are 8 of 15 from past the arc and taking pictures 57% general towards the nation’s second-best scoring protection.Marcus Sasser is doing his greatest to maintain Houston within the recreation, hitting 5 3-pointers and scoring 17 himself. However the remainder of the Cougars are 1 of 15 from the sphere.That features All-American guard Quentin Grimes (0-5) and DeJon Jarreau (1-7), probably the most precious participant of the Cougars’ match area.___5:55 p.m.Up to now, Marcus Sasser is carrying the Houston offense. And the protection is struggling to sluggish Baylor.The sophomore guard has 15 factors on 5-for-9 taking pictures, with every made shot coming from behind the arc. However the remainder of the crew has began 1 for 11 and has simply two factors.Sasser had struggled previously three match video games along with his shot, making 11 of 43 makes an attempt and seven of 27 3-pointers.Extra alarmingly, Houston’s protection that had held each match opponent to 61 factors or much less allowed Baylor to shoot 58% and make 6 of 12 3-pointers. The Bears led 33-17 close to the 5-minute mark of the primary half.___5:25 p.m.The primary NCAA Match semifinal has tipped off in Indianapolis between two Texas groups which have Indiana connections.Baylor coach Scott Drew graduated from Butler and coached at Valparaiso. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson spent two seasons as coach of the Indiana Hoosiers.It’s solely the third time that two groups from the identical state have squared off within the Ultimate 4, the final being Louisville and Kentucky in 2012.The highest-seeded Bears have reached the Ultimate 4 for the primary time since 1950. The Cougars, the Midwest Area champs, have reached the nationwide semis for the primary time since 1984.College students from six Indiana faculties sang the nationwide anthem earlier than the tip.CNN contributed to this report.

One way or the other, the COVID-19 pandemic did not derail the season, however a number of postponed or canceled video games over 5 months.

Regardless of loopy upsets, a lot of the cream rose. The NCAA males’s basketball nationwide semifinals is constant Saturday with the Ultimate 4 to set the stage for the nationwide championship Monday.

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Here is the newest from the Ultimate 4 (all occasions EDT):

9:51 p.m.

UCLA goes toe-to-toe with Gonzaga on the Ultimate 4. The Bulldogs, making an attempt to maintain their undefeated season going, have a 45-44 lead at halftime.

It was a wild first half, that includes 11 lead adjustments and 6 ties. The upstart Bruins led a lot of the means earlier than Corey Kispert hit a 3-pointer within the last seconds.

Joel Ayayi leads top-seeded Gonzaga with 16 factors and Johnny Juzang performed all the first 20 minutes and has 15 for UCLA, which is the fifth Eleventh seed to make the Ultimate 4.

Gonzaga introduced a 30-0 file into the sport and is making an attempt to hold an undefeated file into the nationwide title recreation.

Ready there’s Baylor, which defeated Houston 78-59 within the earlier semifinal.

___

9:39 p.m.

UCLA is hanging with closely favored Gonzaga within the nationwide semifinals.

The Zags entered this Ultimate 4 with 4 straight double-digits victories within the NCAA Match. The tourney’s No. 1 general seed did not path within the earlier two.

However the upstart Bruins are hanging powerful within the first half with a 27-25 lead on the under-8-minute media timeout. They maintained that edge with lower than 2 minutes left, successful 39-37, however Gonzaga gained the lead earlier than the half, 45-44.

The Eleventh-seeded Bruins have tried to shorten the sport by slowing the tempo.

However as participant after participant and coach after coach has warned all through the match, taking only one play off — any play — might result in one among Gonzaga’s trademark runs.

The Bruins additionally might get a lift from their followers, who’ve been noticeably louder throughout the first half.

___

8:55 p.m.

UCLA has the early edge over No. 1 Gonzaga as Baylor awaits its opponent within the NCAA championship recreation.

The Eleventh-seeded Bruins are up 10-9 on the first media timeout. Jaime Jaquez Jr. put UCLA in entrance with a 3-pointer.

Joel Ayayi scored the primary seven factors for the Zags, heavy favorites towards the Bruins as they attempt to get inside a victory of being the primary undefeated nationwide champion since Indiana 45 years in the past.

___

7:15 p.m.

Baylor has cruised into the NCAA championship recreation and can wait to see if No. 1 Gonzaga can present the much-anticipated last.

Jared Butler did not rating within the second half, however the second-ranked Bears did not want any extra factors from their All-American guard after he scored 17 to assist them take a 25-point halftime lead in a 78-59 victory over Houston.

Gonzaga, the match’s No. 1 general seed, performs Eleventh-seeded UCLA within the late recreation.

It is the second journey to the championship recreation for Baylor. The opposite was in 1948, when the Bears misplaced to Kentucky 58-42. That is Baylor’s first journey to the Ultimate 4 since 1950, when solely eight groups have been within the match.

___

6:55 p.m.

Well being officers in Indiana say they’re investigating whether or not anybody was uncovered to COVID-19 by Alabama residents following Friday evening’s reported loss of life of a Crimson Tide fan who was in Indianapolis for the NCAA Match final weekend.

Marion County officers say in an announcement supplied to the NCAA they’re investigating doable publicity based on an Alabama newspaper report that cited a number of sources it did not determine in reporting 23-year-old Alabama pupil Luke Ratliff died of issues associated to COVID-19.

Bryan Ratliff tells The Tuscaloosa Information his son died after a quick sickness. The elder Ratliff couldn’t instantly be reached for remark Saturday by The Related Press.

The youthful Ratliff was hospitalized shortly after returning to Tuscaloosa on March 29, sooner or later after attending Alabama’s recreation towards UCLA at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Information reported.

___

6:45 p.m.

Followers are exhibiting up in crew colours, parking attendants are waving indicators encouraging drivers to show in and there are traces at memento retailers.

Inside, it hasn’t been anyplace near regular on the Ultimate 4.

Only some thousand watched the primary nationwide semifinal between Baylor and Houston as an alternative of the same old tens of hundreds. And with the Bears taking management early and nonetheless holding a 20-point lead early within the second half, they have been principally quiet.

The seats closest to the court docket are stuffed primarily with cardboard cutouts behind the baselines and a big signal over the sideline that the learn “The Large Dance.” As an alternative of the standard pep bands enjoying by way of timeouts, songs echo off the metallic and concrete stadium.

___

6:10 p.m.

Jared Butler is greater than midway towards a profession excessive with 17 factors, nearly everybody else carrying a Baylor uniform has discovered nothing however the backside of the online, and the Bears lead Houston 45-20 at halftime of their nationwide semifinal.

Butler is 6 of 8 from the sphere, hitting 4 3-pointers, to offer the Large 12 champions an enormous cushion of their first Ultimate 4 look since 1950. Butler had 11 factors throughout a 16-3 run late within the half that cracked open the sport.

The Bears are 8 of 15 from past the arc and taking pictures 57% general towards the nation’s second-best scoring protection.

Marcus Sasser is doing his greatest to maintain Houston within the recreation, hitting 5 3-pointers and scoring 17 himself. However the remainder of the Cougars are 1 of 15 from the sphere.

That features All-American guard Quentin Grimes (0-5) and DeJon Jarreau (1-7), probably the most precious participant of the Cougars’ match area.

___

5:55 p.m.

Up to now, Marcus Sasser is carrying the Houston offense. And the protection is struggling to sluggish Baylor.

The sophomore guard has 15 factors on 5-for-9 taking pictures, with every made shot coming from behind the arc. However the remainder of the crew has began 1 for 11 and has simply two factors.

Sasser had struggled previously three match video games along with his shot, making 11 of 43 makes an attempt and seven of 27 3-pointers.

Extra alarmingly, Houston’s protection that had held each match opponent to 61 factors or much less allowed Baylor to shoot 58% and make 6 of 12 3-pointers. The Bears led 33-17 close to the 5-minute mark of the primary half.

___

5:25 p.m.

The primary NCAA Match semifinal has tipped off in Indianapolis between two Texas groups which have Indiana connections.

Baylor coach Scott Drew graduated from Butler and coached at Valparaiso. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson spent two seasons as coach of the Indiana Hoosiers.

It’s solely the third time that two groups from the identical state have squared off within the Ultimate 4, the final being Louisville and Kentucky in 2012.

The highest-seeded Bears have reached the Ultimate 4 for the primary time since 1950. The Cougars, the Midwest Area champs, have reached the nationwide semis for the primary time since 1984.

College students from six Indiana faculties sang the nationwide anthem earlier than the tip.

CNN contributed to this report.

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