Milwaukee sours BC's season, 83-75

No. 12 seed whips Eagles, plays Illinois in Sweet 16

CLEVELAND - Sweet Sixteen! Sweet Sixteen!

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee fans chanted the phrase over and over. Panthers forward Joah Tucker thrust his right index finger into the air and wagged it - we're No. 1. Last night, they were both right.

The Panthers defeated Boston College, 83-75, in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Cleveland State's Wolstein Center to take their place as one of the final 16 teams. And the 26-5 Panthers, with a school-record number of victories and their first NCAA victories on their resume, certainly think life is sweet right now.

"Sweet 16, we have a name to put on a win," said Tucker, who scored a team-high 23 points.

The Horizon League regular-season and tournament champions are the No. 12 seed in the Chicago Regional and fourth-seeded Boston College (25-5) of the Big East was favored because of its 20-0 start, its supposedly tough schedule, its size advantage and its physical style of play.

Even the Panthers, who disdained labeling their first-round victory over Alabama as an upset, agreed this result was one.

"By the standpoint of history and where BC has been, I'd say it's an upset," said Milwaukee guard Ed McCants, who scored 18 points.

The way the game began, with the Eagles erupting for an 11-0 lead, it seemed any writing about UW-Milwaukee was going to be a season obituary. Instead, the smaller but quicker Panthers put on a full-court press that embarrassed the Eagles into 16 turnovers in the first half and 22 for the game. By halftime, the Panthers led 41-37.

"It's clear in the first half our ball-handling wasn't what it needed to be," Boston College coach Al Skinner said. "That gave them a lift and confidence."

The Eagles fought back by feeding star power forward Craig Smith (25 points in the low post) and forward Jared Dudley (22 points), who made a school-record 18 free throws in 21 tries. At game's end, however, when the Eagles fouled, the Panthers, who made 11 of 24 three-point shots, made their free throws.

Overall, UW-Milwaukee hit 20 of 22 foul shots. The biggest came from forward James Wright, whose two free throws gave the Panthers a 76-75 lead. Adrian Tigert followed with a layup and the Panthers made five more free throws to clinch it.

When Boston College's Sean Marshall missed two free throws with 22.7 seconds left and the score 80-75, Tigert said he knew the Panthers had it.

"I thought, `If he's going to miss both of those ... ,'" Tigert said.

Panthers' coach Bruce Pearl, a Boston College alumnus, said when he heard the school fight song before the game, he was "conflicted. For about a second."

Pearl, whose Panthers traveled the long way around to meet top-seeded Illinois next week, said he will not be conflicted in Chicago. Pearl said he does not regret the 1989 incident when he was an Iowa assistant and his complaints led to an NCAA investigation of the Illini. He said he knows the matter will come up, but "I think it's a great opportunity to put this thing behind me again."

The Panthers said they earned the right to celebrate their triumphs in Cleveland - briefly.

"We know we have at least 24 hours," McCants said.

They could have some company from other double-digit seeds in the round of 16 if Bucknell, Vermont or North Carolina State can win today.

But for now, the Panthers have the tournament's underdog tag all to themselves.

The Chicago Tribune is a Tribune Publishing newspaper. The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Regional highlights

Top performer: Arizona's Salim Stoudamire had five three-pointers and 28 points as the Wildcats bounced Alabama-Birmingham, 85-63.

Big surprise: No. 12 seed Wisconsin-Milwaukee of the Horizon League took down No. 4 seed Boston College of the Big East for an 83-75 win.

He said it: "The crowd was so great, it was almost like playing in Assembly Hall." - Illini coach Bruce Weber on the support from the crowd at Indianapolis' RCA Dome