Massachusetts Takes Cue From USC Loss : East: Unlikely three-pointer helps Minutemen beat Syracuse in overtime.

Harper Williams has always believed he could shoot from beyond the three-point line. Now everyone knows he can.

The 6-foot-7 junior center made his second three-pointer of the season with 30 seconds to play in overtime Sunday as the shot clock was about to expire and Massachusetts, the most questionable of the higher seeds, advanced in the NCAA tournament.

Williams’ desperation jumper, his sixth shot from beyond 19 feet 9 inches all season, gave the third-seeded and 17th-ranked Minutemen (30-4) a four-point lead over Syracuse and they went on to a 77-71 victory and a spot in the East Regional semifinals against Kentucky.

So the most successful season in school history continues on the most unlikely of shots. It wasn’t as dramatic as the last-second three-pointer by Georgia Tech’s James Forrest against USC on Saturday, but almost.

“Time was running out and I felt I had to shoot the ball because if time runs out, then it’s a turnover,” said Williams, who finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds. “I wasn’t going to let our team lose off a shot clock. At least this way we had a chance at a rebound or a tap.”

The 20-foot jumper hit nothing but the bottom of the net.

“Yes, I thought it was good when I let it go, but I think all my shots are good when I let them go,” he said.

Syracuse (22-10) still had time, but freshman Lawrence Moten launched an air ball from three-point range with 18 seconds to play and the Orangemen didn’t foul until there were 4.8 seconds remaining. Jim McCoy then made both free throws for the final margin.

As Massachusetts players and fans celebrated on the court, Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim left the court yelling at the officials and some of their supervisors over the call that led to Williams’ desperation shot.

David Johnson’s three-point play with 1:15 left had brought the 21st-ranked Orangemen, the sixth seeded team in the East Regional, within 72-71. Boeheim decided to stay in his 2-3 zone defense, which had been effective, rather than foul. The ball went out of bounds and it appeared to be off McCoy, but the ball was given to the Minutemen with six seconds left on the 45-second shot clock.

“There’s no debate. He called the play,” Boeheim said. “We didn’t get it. What can you do? What do you want me to say?”

McCoy said enough to show that Boeheim might have had a point.

“The ball went out of my hands, but my arm was grabbed and I don’t think the official wanted to call a foul there so he gave us the ball,” the senior guard said.

Williams, who said he’s a deadly three-point shooter in practice, then made his shot which set off celebrations throughout the state and helped end the debates over whether the Minutemen deserved to be seeded so high.

“Our team is different,” Williams said. “We feel we belong here. We can’t think about the past or what other people are saying.”

Massachusetts’ only other NCAA tournament appearance was a one-game shot in 1962. Now the Minutemen, who have won 14 consecutive games, will play Kentucky (28-6) Thursday night at Philadelphia.

In Sunday’s game, Syracuse tied the game at 64-64 with 19 seconds to play in regulation on a drive by Johnson, who finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Massachusetts had a chance for to win then, but McCoy’s jumper at the buzzer was partially blocked by Conrad McRae.

Williams opened the overtime with a rebound basket and he and McCoy scored all but two of the points in the extra five minutes.

“McCoy was able to block out any mistakes he made at the end of the game and he wasn’t able to do that two years ago,” Massachusetts Coach John Calipari said.

McCoy, who finished with 24 points, isn’t so sure Massachusetts has won everyone’s respect.

“When we get to Philadelphia it will be the same thing,” he said. “People will say we were lucky to get by Syracuse.”

Syracuse point guard Adrian Autry missed all 11 of his shots.