Charleston Suffers a Crushing Loss

It was over.

And then suddenly it wasn’t.

And then it was again, for good.

The College of Charleston, down by 26 points with less than 10 minutes left, stormed back behind a full-court press and cut the lead to two points with 3:20 to play, but got no closer in a 62-53 loss to Tulsa in the first round of the NCAA East Regional at Charlotte Coliseum.

The loss halted Charleston’s 25-game winning streak and ended a season in which the Cougars finished with a 28-3 record and were ranked 16th in the final regular-season poll.

“It hurts. It hurts to the bone,” Charleston center Jody Lumpkin said. “It hurts especially with people you like so much, people you love playing with. These seniors won’t be here next year. I just hope they don’t remember this one.”

Sedric Webber made four three-point baskets during a 25-1 run fueled by repeated steals off the Cougars’ press that cut Tulsa’s 52-26 lead to 53-52.

“We were part of one of the most valiant and heroic comebacks I’ve ever seen,” Charleston Coach John Kresse said.

But Charleston couldn’t score on several chances to tie, including one when Webber threw the ball away.

“I don’t think we ran out of energy. We just never could get over the hump,” said Webber, who scored 15 points.

Tulsa (23-9) advanced to face top-seeded Duke in the second round after what ranks as a mild upset, a ninth-seeded team over an eighth-seeded one.

“I told our players one thing about playing Duke: I doubt we’re up 26, so we won’t have to worry about that,” said Tulsa Coach Bill Self, whose team led at halftime, 40-19, after Charleston shot 29% in the first 20 minutes.

Tulsa committed 17 turnovers in the second half, but Greg Harrington made four free throws in the final 20 seconds.

“I think we can beat Duke, but we’re going to have to play an unbelievable game,” Self said. “We know what we’re up against. Duke is arguably the most dominant team in the post-Wooden era. We have one shot.”

Duke 99, Florida A&M; 58--The giddiness goes away fast.

That “We want Duke” sign people saw on TV as Florida A&M;’s fans danced to celebrate the victory that carried the Rattlers (12-18) to the NCAA tournament was held by Coach Mickey Clayton’s brother.

Craig Clayton was notably absent when reality hit Friday.

“You know he didn’t even come to the game?” Clayton said. “He wished for Duke, then he watched on TV. He probably would have had a sign that said, ‘That was not me with the first sign.’ ”

The top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Blue Devils played without guard Trajan Langdon for a third consecutive game because of a strained left foot, but he is likely to return Sunday against Tulsa.

For the third consecutive game, Duke didn’t need him.

The Blue Devils (33-1) used a 23-0 run in the first half that carried them from a 17-13 lead at the first TV timeout to 40-13 over a nearly eight-minute stretch.

They led by as many as 40 points in the first half and by as many as 50 in the game as they won their 28th in a row. Elton Brand led the Blue Devils with 17 points in only 19 minutes.

Duke shot almost 62% for the game and nearly 67%--eight of 12--from three-point range.

Monroe Pippins, Florida A&M;’s best player, came away with a tale for his grandchildren.

“I’ll just say I scored 23 on the No. 1 team in my last college game,” he said.

Tennessee 62, Delaware 52--The Volunteers and Blue Hens combined to make only two of their first 20 shots, but Tennessee ended up winning the struggle to find the rim and advance to a second-round game against Southwest Missouri State on Sunday.

Tennessee (21-8) shot only 32.8% in the game and three for 17 from three-point range, but Delaware (25-6) was worse, at 29.8% and one for 15 from long range.

Brandon Wharton scored 16 points for Tennessee on five-for-18 shooting, and Mike Pegues led Delaware with 23, making seven of 23 shots.

The victory marks the first time Tennessee has reached the second round since 1983 after being upset by Illinois State last season and West Virginia in 1989.