Spokane, Wash. ? When Craig Bradshaw arrived at tiny Winthrop four years ago, fellow freshman Torrell Martin told his New Zealander teammate he needed a lesson.
On how to dance.
“I told him this was America. Get a little swagger,” Martin said, laughing.
The Winthrop guys all have it now. They beat Notre Dame.
Bradshaw scored 24 points and Martin added 20 and a career-high 11 rebounds as previously hollow Winthrop beat the hallowed Irish, 74-64, Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 11th-seeded Eagles, who had been 0-6 in previous tournament tries, blew all of their 20-point lead in the second half before surging in the final two minutes to end Notre Dame’s first NCAA appearance since 2003.
“We’ve been trying to get this for the last three years,” Bradshaw said in his Kiwi accent.
Winthrop, the little school from Rock Hill, S.C., and the unheralded Big South Conference, lost in the final seconds to Tennessee last year in the tournament. The Eagles will face third-seeded Oregon on Sunday.
When this win finally came, Winthrop players leaped up-and-down as if on pogo sticks. “I’m still in awe,” Martin said about 30 minutes after the game. “I’m on Cloud 10.”
The Irish, led by 14 points from Colin Falls, stormed back from 54-34 down to take a 63-62 lead with 2:21 left. But then it was all Winthrop.
“My season is over. My career is over. We’re done,” an angry, stone-faced Russell Carter said inside the Irish locker room.
Oregon 58, Miami (Ohio) 56
Spokane, Wash. – When Oregon realized it couldn’t run away from Miami of Ohio, the Ducks didn’t get frustrated. They got tough on defense.
Aaron Brooks scored 18 points and the third-seeded Ducks moved into the second round for the first time since 2002.
The pesky RedHawks (18-15) had a chance to tie it late, but Michael Bramos’ fallaway three-point attempt bounced off the front of the rim.
UNLV 67, Georgia Tech 63
Chicago – Michael Umeh and Wendell White had 16 points apiece, and UNLV won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in 16 years.
The last time the Runnin’ Rebels won was under Jerry Tarkanian, who led them to the 1991 Final Four. Now under coach Lon Kruger, UNLV (29-6) won its eighth in a row.
UNLV advanced to play Wisconsin in the second round.
Wisconsin 76, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 63
Chicago – Flustered for most of the first half, Wisconsin overcame an 18-point deficit to advance past the 15th-seeded Islanders.
Kammron Taylor, scoreless at the break, finished with 24 points for the Badgers (30-5). Wisconsin also clamped down its defense on the Islanders, who began playing basketball in the 1999-2000 season.
Purdue 72, Arizona 63
New Orleans – Carl Landry had 21 points and 13 rebounds to help Purdue advance to the second round for the first time since 2003.
Chris Kramer added 16 points for the Boilermakers (22-11), who will play Florida on Sunday.
With Arizona’s Lute Olson, Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Bob Knight of Texas Tech all losing their openers, three of the best coaches in tournament history are on the sideline, making this the first time since 1995 that the second round opens without any of them.
Chase Budinger scored 15 points for Arizona (20-11).
Florida 112, Jackson State 69
New Orleans – The top-seeded Gators responded from a lackluster first half with the best half in school history and routed Jackson State.
Corey Brewer led the defending national champions with 21 points, but it was another balanced effort from the team that returned all five starters from last season.
Joakim Noah had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Al Horford added 15 points and 16 boards, and Lee Humphrey sparked a huge run with four three-pointers in the first five minutes of the second half.