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Pastimes : The 1998 NCAA Men's B-Ball Tourney -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mr. Whist who wrote (134)	3/15/1998 10:46:00 PM
From: blankmind	Respond to of 270

13th-seeded Valparaiso heading to Sweet 16 CBS SportsLine wire reports March 15, 1998 OKLAHOMA CITY -- Valparaiso proved it was more than just a one-shot wonder from a small Hoosier town in a basketball-crazy state. The Crusaders, champions of the unheralded Mid-Continent Conference, beat Florida State 83-77 in overtime Sunday to continue their surprising run through the NCAA Tournament. "WE'RE A SCHOOL OF 3,500 and they (the Seminoles) are a school of 30,000," said Valparaiso coach Homer Drew. "Only in America and only in the NCAA Tournament can you have the opportunity to go against the best athletes and best programs in America. We beat two schools from the best conferences in America. "Now, you can meet me in St. Louie." The smallest school in the tournament made it to the round of 16 when Bob Jenkins and Antanas Vilcinskas made follow shots in the final two minutes of overtime. The Crusaders (23-9) will play the winner of Sunday's Kansas-Rhode Island game in St. Louis next Friday. Bryce Drew, the coach's son whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer knocked out No. 4 seed Mississippi 70-69 in the first round, scored 22 points and made two free throws to ice it with 8.3 seconds left. But it was the follow shots by Jenkins with 1:31 left, and another by Vilcinskas with 25.3 seconds remaining, knocked out the Seminoles, a No. 12 seed and the final at-large team selected for the tournament. "THIS IS EVERYTHING OUR five seniors worked for," Bryce said. "My job is to get rebounds and that's what I did," Jenkins said. Valparaiso's appearance in the final 16 will be only the second time in history of the tournament that a No. 13 seed has made it that far. Richmond did it in 1988. The Crusaders' Bill Jenkins made one of two free throws with 30.5 seconds left to tie it 75-all after Ronald Thompson had missed a free throw for Florida State. "This was truly amazing," Bill Jenkins said. "I'm going back to the hotel and watch the highlights all night." His twin brother, Bob, said "it's not time for Cinderella to go home yet. What a great feeling." Jamie Sykes, who scored 19 points and made the pass that led to Drew's game-winning shot on Friday, said basketball fans will be able to find Valparaiso on a road map now. "NOBODY GAVE US A CHANCE," he said. "Now we can say we are in the Sweet 16. This is beautiful. You just want to cry. Nobody knew us and now people are trying to buy Valpo shirts off us." Bryce Drew kidded Sykes, saying "You had on ACC gear when we got here. Nobody's getting my Valpo shirt." Florida State was led by Randell Jackson and Kerry Thompson with 16 points each. Seminoles coach Steve Robinson said the win was no fluke. "Their kids hung tough and never quit," he said. "They did the things down the stretch that made the difference." Guard LaMarr Greer, who had 15 points, said the Crusaders "don't get the credit they deserve. They are a very good team. They got some critical rebounds when it counted." THE CRUSADERS BUILT A 64-56 lead on a basket by Drew, but the Seminoles went ahead 67-66 on two free throws by Terrell Baker with 4:54 left. Valparaiso, a six-point underdog, survived a 15-0 Florida State run and a six-minute scoreless spell midway through the first half to trail by only 41-38 at halftime. Florida State, which lost six of its last seven games, beat No. 5 seed Texas Christian 96-87 on Friday. The Seminoles last made it to the final 16 in 1993.